GlobalGiving.org: Equipping poor families with HIV/AIDS life skills

Not yet over..!

Stella — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 18:40:56 GMT

Njoki with her baby

Dear friends,

"My name is Njoki...I have been living with the HIV virus for the past 8 years. Luckily, my three children are not infected.

"My constant worry goes not to my children but to the hundreds of mothers who have little or no access to medication, treatment or drugs.

"Lack of transport and social support is slowly leading many women to desperation..increasing their chances of succumbing to the disease.

"I'm lucky I joined a support group that has been able to provide me with all the necessary support, encouragement and spiritual nourishment to enable me become stronger, more focussed and active. I have become a source of inspiration to other infected women and a voice of hope as they continue to struggle with their lives.

"I know most of you have been supporting us for years...providing us with the much-needed support to strengthen our lives. Thanks to all of you and I hope that your special touch will be instrumental in changing lives and positively affecting lives, especially in our rural areas.

"On behalf of all beneficiaries, I feel honoured to specially express my gratitude for whatever support you have been providing us. When I go to sleep, I can at least assure my children on tomorrow's hope...

"Thanks for your encouragement and donations. A simple Thank you, I know, is not adequate enough to express what we feel..

Summary of donation expenses

Stella — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 21:40:18 GMT

Dear friends,

I want to take this opportunity to express my deepest appreciation for all your support, your feedback and your donations over the last 6 months. We received approximately US$1,180 between Jan and May. This doesn't seem like much but to us, it is the difference between life and death!

We have been able to access fertilizers, seeds and some raw materials for our projects. We have enrolled 3 new teen mums into our informal tailoring and bakery courses. We managed to conduct informal sensitization meetings for gender-based violence victims.

Again, thank you so much for your donations. I have attached a short summary of how we spend your money. We still have a long way to go, a lot still needs to be done and every penny is appreciated from the bottom of our hearts.

Kindly go through the attachment and as usual, we look forward to your comments.

Thanks so much and God bless!!

Stella

Attachments:

GEMINI_summary.pdf (PDF)

World Orphans Day

Stella — Sat, 07 May 2011 19:15:11 GMT

Nancy

Dear friends,

As the world marked Orphans Day today, GEMINI was reflecting on the future of hundreds of orphaned children living in abject squalor, unsure of what tomorrow brings.

This is the story of 4-year old Nancy. Her father passed away last year and the mother early this year. She was left in the care of her 89-year old grandmother, together with 7 other children.

Like the over 1.5million children orphaned by HIV/Aids in Kenya, Nancy faces a bleak future. Her pre-school education is uncertain. Attending primary school looks like a dream. Secondary school? Maybe never.

Her grandmum says its been difficult to meet all her childhood expectations. "I'm still scared what I would do should she develop one of these complicated diseases," says Mama Nekesa, as she pats the head of another orphan. "I thank God she has good health."

Despite her failing health, Mama Nekesa keeps on accepting the difficult responsibility of taking care of orphans. Only 2 of her 6 children are still alive. Most of them have succumbed to the disease.

"Sometimes I feel I have no strength to go on but somehow food finds itself on our table," she adds, a little smile forming at the corner of her mouth.

GEMINI seeks to equip elderly grandparents, provide them with social skills to enable them face the challenges of modern parenting. We also help them acquire food security through small scale farming, poultry keeping and sheep rearing.

With your support, we will be able to provide a more solid foundation for Nancy and other orphans. We are currently running a special campaign to acquire seeds and fertilizers for some of the grandmothers and other vulnerable families.

Your help will be greatly appreciated. Again, thanks so much for all who have continued to extend their moral and financial support to GEMINI. We certainly appreciate it!

Wishing you all the best,

Stella

Success story!

Stella Amojong — Thu, 05 May 2011 21:10:33 GMT

Mbula wedding

Dear friends,

Every month, GEMINI receives a bundle of letters from previous project beneficiaries but we thought we would share with you the following short narration sent by one Esther Mbele, a mother of 6 who was assisted to strengthen her family's income when we helped her start a small hotel that serves about 150 clients every day.

"I have no words to express my gratitude..! I met one of your field agents and I remembered what you had done for me. Am now settled, business is picking and I have added 2 more new casual labourers to run the hotel late at night. My daughter, Mbula, got married last weekend at a colorful wedding and Kanini (my third born daughter, gave birth to a bouncing baby boy!).

"Just a few weeks ago, I was visited by the local church committee and we were encouraged to continue with ARV medication, although we still find it difficult accessing the drugs because of the distance to the district hospital.

"I joined the merry-go round that you had suggested. Next week, I will be receiving a soft loan. I plan to use it to purchase more stock for my business. Generally, I cannot complain! I have been able to sustain getting food on the table, although sometimes I feel depressed that my late husband is not around to assist me.

"Thanks so much for believing in me and providing me with the seed capital to rediscover myself. God bless you so much...!"

There you have it..! We will be sharing more stories in the days to come. Again, thanks for your continued support. Its only through your donations that we are able to impact the lives of vulnerable families like that of Esther Mbele. Keep the comments flowing in. We love to hear from you!

Stella

Celebrating progress

Stella Amojong — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 18:51:49 GMT

Happy New Year!!

I wish to extend all the best wishes to each of you as the New Year begins. May you fulfill each of your aspirations and have a successful year ahead of you.

Last year, we had so many reasons to celebrate, despite the increasing hardships facing PLWHA in our community. We conducted 6 mobile VCT services, reaching over 5,000 with reproductive health information, distributed over 6,000 behavior change communication materials, conducted 135 home visits and facilitated transportation for 41 PLWHA to access medication from the district hospital.

A worrying trend manifested itself during our activities. Most expectant women still are ignorant about preventing their unborn babies from HIV infection. A lot of information and public education needs to be carried out targeting women and young girls.

"We are not in a position to reach as many women as an outreach activity could," says Catherine Koech, a local nurse. "I wish we could conduct several meetings with expectant women to ensure they know about Prevention of Mother to Child transmissions."

GEMINI hopes to identify and reach out to pregnant women during the first quarter. We believe this will strengthen the information base and help save lives.

I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to all of our friends who contributed to any of our projects. Thanks so much! We hope to hear from you...be it in the form of questions, comments...or simply a donation!

All the best for this brand new year!

Stella

Support group formation

Stella Amojong — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 19:55:56 GMT

Hi friends,

I have just been to the field. I have been there for four days and it is raining heavily. For the past few months our efforts have been concentrated in providing mobile services to marginalized communities. As reported elsewhere, we have been able to provide free HIV testing & counseling, peer-based counseling, distributed behavior change communication materials and distributed free condoms to young people.

But in the rural areas, GEMINI's efforts have been geared towards strengthening community initiatives that help marginalized families access healthcare services. We were able to form grassroots-based support groups that will continue to provide both psychosocial and spiritual support to families affected with HIV.

"This is a very effective way of building sustainability of the local community," says Mzee Isaac Ajon, a local elder in Moi's Bridge. "It means families take leadership into their own hands..."

The support groups will consist local leaders, healthcare personnel, community gatekeepers and other stakeholders.

Over the coming months, we hope to expand and bring in more members, especially elderly carers and widows.

We continue to struggle and we thank all of you for your continued support, encouragement and donations.

Half-year financial report

Joe Kilonzo — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 13:39:10 GMT

Hi friends,

It is with great pleasure that I hereby submit a summary of our half-year financial report for all the donations for all our projects. The report runs from November 2009 to May 2010.

Again, thanks so much for all your support and we always love to hear from you. So keep the comments coming in!!!

Lovely weekend!

Attachments:

FINANCIAL_EXPENSES.pdf (PDF)

Expanding access to ARV

Joe Kilonzo — Thu, 27 May 2010 20:47:28 GMT

For years now, access to anteretroviral drugs has been a challenge for families in rural areas. Although the government provides the medication for free, most people living with HIV have to travel long distances to access the drugs.

But this is just about to be a thing of the past. starting June 1, GEMINI will be teaming up with community-based distributors whose mandate is to provide home-based care, medication and ongoing counseling.

"These are trained community workers whose job is to bring access right to the doorsteps of people in need," said Isaas Ajon, GEMINI board member and a village elder. "This is crucial because families with little or no money can still acquire medication and enhance their lives."

Some of the beneficiaries will include families from Karara, Suwerwa and Machine villages. More villages will be incorporated into the program starting September.

"I feel privileged to be part of this process...it will reduce the transport costs that I incur every month going for the drugs in Kitale, a distance of about 50km from my village," says George.

The community workers will continue to receive additional training on social marketing, communication, counseling that will enable them provide user-friendly services to the community. An additional 10 workers are set to join the program before end of the year, with the program expected to serve an estimated 120 families by February.

On behalf of all the families that will benefit from these services, GEMINI would like to extend our gratitude to all our friends and donors who have donated to our project since the beginning of this year.

We will keep you updated but should you need additional information or clarification on any of our projects, please feel free to contact us.

Once again, thanks so much!!!

Thanks for your support!!!

Joe — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 15:52:49 GMT

The last few weeks after Christmas have been tough for GEMINI and other organizations fighting HIV/Aids.

Funding for HIV/Aids has been frozen by the international community because of incessant corruption within government. Funding from government has been delayed because of red-tape bureaucracy.

"We are slowly losing gains made in the war against HIV/Aids," said Stella Amojong, GEMINI Director, during a recent interview with a radio station. "Delay in program implementation hinders our capacity to break new grounds."

For the past 7months, organizations that had won grants from government are yet to receive funding, putting more doubts as to the government's commitment in the fight against the disease.

"We are feeling the brunt...we can no longer access ARVs, even though they are being provided for free in government clinics," says George Mulinya, a project beneficiary from Moi's Bridge.

GEMINI would like to thank all donors who have been instrumental in our success, providing much-needed funds when we desperately needed them.

"The funds usually trickle in when we are faced with a dilemma...and we greatly appreciate the donations...," adds George.

GEMINI will continue to serve its members and appreciate all your donations.

Thanks so much...and keep your comments coming...!

Special appeal

Stella Amojong — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:00:22 GMT

Dear GEMINI supporter,

I take this opportunity to sincerely thank you for your continued support throughout this year. With your donations, we assisted 25 families in rural villages acquire seeds and fertilizer during the planting season, enabling them strengthen their food security.

Through the Support Cycle, GEMINI has also reached out to 78 PLWHA-providing them with counseling, home-based care and transportation to hospitals to acquire ARVs.

We have also provided free VCT to marginalized communities in Karara, Kapkoi, Kidiwa and Langas. Over the last couple of months, we have provided free HIV testing to 414 clients.

“I thank all of you for your unwavering support in caring for us,” says Mama Steve, one of the PLWHA beneficiaries. “We really appreciate all your donations. I shudder to think what would happen if we did not have such source of unwavering support…!”

As the year trudges to an end, we are simply hoping that even the tiniest donation will go a long way in supporting these communities. We hope to reach an extra 20% of the community residing in unreachable villages. With the El Nino rains pounding the countryside, we are facing tough times as we try to reach interior villages.

Once again, we are thankful that we have your support to lean on and we can only hope for better tidings. Please keep sending your observations, comments and feedback coming our way…

Grandmums new parenting role

Joe — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 10:18:14 GMT

Hi friends,

Studies indicate that the number of orphans in Kenya continue to soar and will be hitting the 2million mark before 2010.

Grandmums continue to fill the gap left behind by able parents, caring for vulnerable grandchildren.

GEMINI's approach to filling this gap has been acknowledged after the region's leading newspaper, Daily Nation, carried an article about grandmothers' new role as parents.

The article quotes GEMINI Director, Stella Amojong saying old caregivers need to learn new parenting trick to keep up with the growing demands.

For information on the article, please follow the link below:

http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/652070/-/umr3wo/-/index.html

And..thanks for the great support from all of you

A word from Mama Steve

Joe — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 15:16:28 GMT

Hi,

As I write, Kenya is reeling from crisis after another. Failed rains. Power rationing. Lack of water. Political meltdown.

But for Mama Steve, life must go on. For the sake of her only son. Though HIV+, she still believes she must accomplish much more before her time comes.

A donation of $10 enables GEMINI field officers to make weekly visits to at least 8 families.

Your donation has enabled us form various support groups for HIV+ people. Like Mama Steve.

"I feel part of the solution when I join other volunteers in spreading hope," she says.

Maybe you should hear directly from her just how crucial your donations are. Go on, read the short letter from her...

And we love to hear from all of you...

Attachments:

A_word_from_Mama_Steve.pdf (PDF)

A Postcard from Equipping poor families with HIV/AIDS life skills

Michael Acton — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:29:03 GMT

Michael Acton is a student who traveled throughout Africa and visited a number of GlobalGiving projects. On March 24th he visited "Equipping poor families with HIV/AIDS life skills." When asked what he would tell his friends about this project, he said: “Great: They are making a difference."

We met up with Stella in GEMINI's Eldoret office. It was in a small office building with offices where they offer HIV testing and counseling services for local services. We then walked over to the matatu (mini-bus) stand and took a bumpy ride to the rural town of Moi's Bridge. In Moi's Bridge we saw two of GEMINI's field sites including one for this project described below.

We rode down on bicycle taxis carrying our luggage to the workshop for the grandmothers. We were greeted by a large group of singing grandmothers who shook our hands and gave out great big hugs. We listened to a village elder describe the difference that GEMINI's project is making, especially after the post election violence last year. The grandmothers were from many different villages surrounding Moi's bridge, each with a t-shirt of the word for peace, happiness, or love in Swahili. The GEMINI Moi's Bridge volunteers also spoke with us.

We visited one of GEMINI's projects for teen mothers before visiting this one. The description of that visit is on that project's website.

Detailed Report

Joe — Tue, 26 May 2009 19:06:42 GMT

Hey,

Hope each one of you is doing fine...despite the economic crunch.

I'm posting a detailed report that seeks to highlight the recent visit to our project by a GlobalGiving evaluator, Leah.

We always appreciate all your feedback...it makes us stronger.

NB: We are also posting a brief summary of financial expenses since Jan.

Attachments:

Postcard from Gemini

Leah Ambwaya — Wed, 20 May 2009 17:16:54 GMT

Leah Ambwaya visited this project as part of a GlobalGiving evaluation. She said:

On the 8th of May 2009, we met Stella Amajong; she picked us from the hotel to Gemini offices at Siro house in central business district of Eldoret town. As we drove around through the town, I asked, what inspired you at your very young age to start this organization? Looking quite apprehensive she responded, “I am the first born in a family of 5, my father died when I was 17 years and my mother when I was 20, I had to take up the responsibility of being the head of the family. She did not want to get into the details, so we skipped the interview at that level. After building a rapport with her, she again opened up and quipped, “Leah, do I look so young?” to which I carefully responded in the affirmative. “Yes am young, but am a mother of three” This was great because she was now warming up to our visit. This young woman has a mission to help young girls and the grannies that are suffering the effects of HIV/AIDs. I could see a humble young woman, who has stepped up an initiative to serve, looking into her eyes; she was full of inner strength. As we approached the building; we were welcomed by a big banner hanging on the rooftop with the words GEMINI VCT.

She led us into the second floor of the building into a room 207, here we met the receptionist and she spotted such a huge smile, next to her a television screen and some beautiful coaches. For once we thought we had entered someone’s residence, too welcoming and too comfortable. What we learnt later was that the clients need to work in a homely environment.

I asked her if she is a counselor, and true she was. We sat in her little office that was well furnished with just a few files in the shelves on the wall behind her. She informed us to be a little patient as we waited for the arrival of her communications officer, who works for the organization on voluntary basis. “He has most of the information and he is better placed to respond to your questions” she says. This was very true, because this young lady, is more conversant with the issues on the ground where she spends most of her time, but feeds in data to Joe, a man who offers such invaluable services to this organization in terms of packaging information and sending to donors present and potential.

We asked for information on the level of funding from Global Giving, she again did not have this, “we have a volunteer accountant, who works as an accountant in one of the schools around and she maintains and keeps all our financial records at a small fee of KSH 5000.”

She listed members of the project advisory board, which is very well constituted with very high ranking professionals in the region. There are doctors and social workers represented. “They bring a lot of value to the project and we are happy to have them around, we consult them very regularly”.

We have a governing council that constituted by beneficiaries both girls and the grannies. This council acts as monitoring tool to ensure that our services reach the beneficiaries as per the project objectives.

We sought to know why all organizational documents and records are in the hands of the volunteers, but not the office, in her innocence, she says. “I did not realize, that it was not ok, but I now I see the logic behind keeping all office documentations with the office”. We asked her if the organization has ever been audited since inception, we realize that she did not even understand what a financial audit was. “we have received a reasonable amount of money both from Global Giving and other donors like MAMA CASH, we are glad that you have seen some gaps in the way we do our accounting, and keep our records, we take that very positively as an organization and promise to hit the road running to put in perspective some of this recommendations that you are making”

We left for the field to meet some of the beneficiaries, and our first stop was the bakery at Moi’s bridge, we could see the baking ovens, the room was filled with the smell of fresh bread, but we only found one student, the recruitment was ongoing, we learnt this from Stella. We bought some scones for kids that were hanging around and left for the next project site.

Just as we were entering the car, a man screamed “Mayii” meaning mum, we ask her who that guy was, “he is one of our beneficiaries from the OVC programme”, we request to have an interview with him, but he declines, though he mentions that he receives food stuffs form the programme and school uniforms for his five children, we learn from Stella that the guy is a widower and is also HIV/AIDS positive. His legs were all covered with mad, and he tells Stella that he came to say thank you after receiving the fertilizer and seeds. He had come all the way form his farm to thank Mayii (Stella). We then left for the next site, where the tailoring school is, we found a group of eight girls busy working on sewing machines, each one of them was deeply engrossed in what they were doing under the keep eye of their teacher that they did not even notice that we had walked in.

We did not want to interrupt them; we checked the records in the field officer. The office some records, but they needed regular updates, so much had been done i.e distribution of food, uniforms and fertilizers according to local purchase orders, but the disbursements had not been updated since July 2008. “We are ready to learn and do things better for the sake of this community” says Stella. Meanwhile an old lady approaches her calling out Mayii (mum) she was referring to Stella, the community hold her in high esteem, she is their silent hero, they talk in low tones then she introduces her to us as one of the grannies the project supports.

Leah said she would tell her friends that this project is great: They are making a difference.

GlobalGiving is committed to incorporating many viewpoints on our 600+ projects. We feel that more information,especially from eyewitnesses helps donors like you continue to support organizations doing great work in the community.

Easter surprise

Joe — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 17:37:48 GMT

Hello everyone,

I'm just checking in after the long Easter holidays.

But I have some good news!

Last month, we distributed fertilizers and seeds to some of our members after receiving donations from you.

The women were so ectastic, so emotional, so overcome with surprise...we had to buy a few handkerchieves for them to wipe their tears of joy!!

Rebecca is one of the beneficiaries. We talked to her and filed the attached report for your perusal.

Pore over it and get back to us with comments or criticism.

We always love to hear from you. And we always love when you click that button and make a donation.

It makes people like Rebecca go gagga...literally!!

Thanks, folks...and keep on clicking the donation button!

Attachments:

Rebeccas_Easter_miracle.pdf (PDF)

FinancialSummary for last 6 months

Stella — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 13:15:16 GMT

Dear supporter,

Last year was one of the most challenging for us & our beneficiaries.

We did everything in our power to make ends meet and to a large extent, we would like to thank all of you who contributed to this project, made encouraging comments and supported us through prayers.

Over the past six months, we received about $1,800 from GlobalGiving donors.

To all of you we greatly appreciate all your support.

Please keep up the great work and as usual, keep in touch, visit our projects and make that small donation.

In case of further information about how we spent your contributions, our future plans, our challenges etc...please feel free to write to us.

Enjoy reading!!

Attachments:

Financial_summaries_2008.pdf (PDF)

Fighting Stigma all the way!!!!

Joe — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 21:08:00 GMT

Stigma is the worst thing that People Living with HIV/Aids experience. It makes them feel dejected. Unwanted. Unappreciated. Labeled. Cursed.

But for one Mama Stephen, defeat simply is not an option!

Like other rural women living with the disease, she is actively participating in activities that seek to change community perception of HIV/Aids and reduce stigma.

"Quitting is a word that I deleted from my dictionary...!" says this 42-year old fighter.

Read her story. Encourage her. Support her. Go on, read this piece!

And we appreciate your donations, even in the existing economic circumstances.

God bless all of you!!!

Attachments:

Tackling_Stigma.pdf (PDF)

No giving up for 84 year old Minayo!

Stella — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 20:56:28 GMT

She is petite, very active and full of life. That is 84-year old Minayo. She is one of our beneficiaries and an inspiration to the community.

"Why should I cry?" she asked recently during her birthday party. Indeed, why should she?

With your support grandmothers like Minayo continue to discover life and have a reason to live.

Your recent donation assisted us purchase some fertilizers for a community vegetable farm that Minayo is part of.

Go on and read her story....and I promise you, she will still be here next year.

We look forward to your continued support!!

Attachments:

Minayo.pdf (PDF)

GEMINI VCT CENTER

STELLA AMOJONG — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:55:50 GMT

Dear friends,

GEMINI has always tried to keep you informed of how your donations are being spent. Every step of the way! The aim is to make you own part of the process and feel actively involved in empowering poor communities.

We thank all of you for your continued support.

After the post-election violence in Kenya, a lot of women/girls were, unfortunately, sexually abused. Most continue to languish in camps, with little medical and psychological support.

With your donations, we responded to the crisis. Now that its over, we need to reach out to all the survivors of sexual violence with confidential, free HIV testing.

We are carrying out a Special Appeal that seeks to mobilize funds to set up a specialized VCT center that will provide women/girls with these services.

But we need you help.

We are kindly requesting you to read the attached newsletter that provides some background information on this very important project.

And we are also requesting you to act and make a donation to any of GEMINI projects to enable us accomplish our goal.

Thanks so much and please, remember, any donation will be highly appreciated.

Attachments:

Special_Appeal_Newsletter.pdf (PDF)

Esther Mudhasia (Part 2)

David Kiptum — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 16:05:15 GMT

Esther Mudhasia's story moved many. The response was great and with your donation, the never-say-die 73 year old granny is back!

Esther was one of the beneficiaries of your kind donations last month. She is now the proud owner of several sheep. Thank YOU!

You can also read a summary of how GEMINI utilized your donations.

And we are waiting to hear from you

Attachments:

Reaching out to grandmothers

David Kiptum — Wed, 21 May 2008 22:42:42 GMT

One of the most overlooked aspects of HIV intervention is the role older caregivers play.

Very little research has been undertaken to gauge the impact of HIV/Aids on grandmothers who are quickly filling the gap left behind by able-bodied parents who have succumbed to the disease.

Well, GEMINI has been at it, reaching to feeble grandmothers who, at tjeir advanced ages, have to start all over again in caring and providing for their grandchildren.

Starting today,we shall begin sharing the heart-rending stories of these resilient grandmothers who are suddenly becoming entrepreneurs, parents, caregivers and home-makers...all over again!

Please read Esther Mudhasia's brief story.

And once again, we really appreciate what you are doing for these hapless women. Its so touching!!

Attachments:

Down_but_not_out.pdf (PDF)

From the Beneficiaries' mouths!

Joe — Sun, 11 May 2008 12:47:52 GMT

Over the past few weeks, GEMINI has introduced a new, interactive session that brings together project beneficiaries. One of their tasks is to write personal letters to their supporters.

GEMINI shares some of them with you and we hope we will be doing that as frequent as we can.

We continue to extend our appreciation for all your warm hearts.

Enjoy the readings!!!

Attachments:

Summary of post-election interventions

Stella — Wed, 07 May 2008 23:43:40 GMT

The full impacts of the post-election violence that rocked the country are beginning to be felt.

As reported earlier, GEMINI's intervention was swift, timely and effective in reaching out to affected families, especially children, women and girls.

In January, your support enabled us provide basic necessities to over 1,000 people at the Majengo Church. Most of them had just been evicted from their homes without carrying any clothes, food or medical suplies.

We responded by providing them with fundamental needs as well as psychological counseling.

Please go through the attached brief summary of the figures and as usual, we look forward to your positive response to our activities.

Thanks so much for all your support!!!

Reaching out to Internally Displaced Persons

Joe — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 17:04:04 GMT

A huge sigh of relief is almost audible from all parts of the country after a terrifying post-election period.

As usual, GG supporters came in their droves to support us in this trying moment. At a time when all the shops were closed, streets deserted and mayhem reigning, GEMINI volunteers were moving from camp to camp, providing much needed assistance.

"I had no idea that a packet of sugar could come in handy!!" exclaims Mwikali, an internally displaced person at the showground, where over 4,000 people are still stranded.

"Its during a time like this that we appreciate the value of friends. What GEMINI has done cannot be quantified!" she adds.

She was among the 320 persons that benefitted from GlobalGiving donations.

Besides providing basic commodities like sanitary towels, beans, sugar and drugs, we were able to provide psychosocial support to affected families. We also organized outreach activities, including sports, Fashion show, board games and a lot of entertainment.

We are planning to initiate peace-building activities in the affected communities in the next few weeks.

Thanks so much for all your support!!

What a Year!!

Nelly — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 10:14:40 GMT

When this year started, I remember telling Stella, my director, that they should give me a crash course on Will Writing.

At that time, I was so weak and depressed I felt I would be gone before the year ended. Its now December and I've never felt stronger!!

The best gift we received for the year was the donation from GlobalGiving in February...that really rejuvenated our spirits and prepared us for a challenging year.

For HIV+ persons like me, we feel as if our lives have just started...we have been so busy providing moral and social support to other PLWHA, counseling couples, advocating for their increased participation, providing VCT services....and we still feel we have a lot to offer!! (Who said about Will writing?)

The World Aids Day was also another first: as one team interacted with street families and vulnerable orphans, we were busy conducting a door-to-door sensitization campaign on how to use both the female and male condoms, a very important component in stemming new infections.

We believe next year is going to be more exciting, more challenging and more inspiring.

But this is only possible with your continued support....so far, I can't compain...you have been very dependable.

I hope I can personally count on your increased support? I really feel like I need to continue living, that more people need to draw from my strength, others need to learn from my mistakes. So that we can all continue to live.

Thanks for your presence and support, enjoy your festive season!!

See you Next Year!! Nelly

Busy October!

Joe — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 10:54:04 GMT

Just like last year, October has been a busy month for GEMINI. Our organization has been instrumental in facilitating acquisition of bursary funds from the government for orphans from HIV/Aids affected families.

Since the introduction of Constituency Development Fund (CDF) some three years ago, we have assisted more than 40 orphans access the funds.

This month alone, we have done the same for 8 more orphans.

With plans for the December World Aids Day in high gear, our volunteers have stepped up their door-to-door campaigns, sensitizing families about free ARVs in public hospitals. In the first three weeks of October, we referred 19 PLWHA to care centers.

Starting next week, we will be going from one residential estate to another to offer public education on Home Based care. Our personnel will encourage affected families to form social support groups which are vital in providing care, counseling and pyschosocial support.

Thanks to your continued support, GEMINI can confidently look towards the future with a smile!

Keep up the good work, GlobalGiving donors!

Still Going Strong!

Nelly — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 15:44:24 GMT

I'm writing this report just to express my gratitude for all those donors who have been supporting our work.

You wouldn't know just what $10 is capable of doing here in Kenya. And to a person like me, its simply a miracle!

I've been living with HIV for the past few years, with my children depending on me for their basic needs. At one time, I contemplated committing suicide and murdering my kids. But that is a story for another day.

Last month as we held our usual door-to-door campaigns, something struck me: How many other people are in the same situation that I was a year ago?

Helpless, desperate, sick and hopeless?

But I'm glad for people who visit GlobalGiving and donate to our project. It may not seem like you are doing much, i.e. donating $10, $50 or any amount.

To us, its a matter of life and death. And we have YOU to thank for.

Kindly receive my heartfelt "Thank you!" and as we start the homestretch towards the festive seasons, please spare a though for us.

Thank you so much!!

Small-business update

Joe — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 12:09:31 GMT

Economic stability is key to empowerment. We have been empowering vulnerable women with business skills and the results are just in!!

Please read their brief stories...and if this is anything to go by, then a lot more is in store!!

Attachments:

Small business report.doc (DOC)

Successful Training!

Stella — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 14:30:46 GMT

About a month ago GEMINI stumbled upon an opportunity to provide selected community members with special training on Home-Based care.

We managed to raise $750 locally and sent out a Special Appeal to GlobalGiving donors to fill the gap.

YOU responded with a definite YES: We received $1,000!! The training was an successful!! We trained 25 health workers and introduced them to community work, tasked with offering social, nursing and basic clinical support to People Living with HIV/Aids.

Their comments?

"This was a godsent opportunity for me! I feel more empowered to deal with HIV and assist my family members cope better,"-Kemboi

"I wish we could have more of these sessions...I'm definitely volunteering three months of my time to support GEMINI,"-Chumba

Well, thanks so much and we hope the best is yet to come!!

Special Appeal

Stella — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 11:49:04 GMT

GEMINI needs to offer some basic training for rural communities with high rates of infection yet with little information.

Kindly assist us meet this special need to empower community members readily access information and reduce infection.

We acknowledge your help.

Attachments:

SPECIAL APPEAL.doc (DOC)

April and May activities

Nelly — Wed, 30 May 2007 09:29:25 GMT

Dear Supporter, Greetings! Let me take this opportunity to thank all of you who have been behind the success of our organization. We humbly appreciate every single dollar you donate to our projects. I’m Nelly, a peer educator at GEMINI. By taking part in project activities, I have come to discover that being HIV+ is only the beginning of life. Four months down the line, my life has completely changed…courtesy of your support! In April and May, I was instrumental in facilitating several group discussions within the community. Members are becoming bolder in requesting VCT services, joining support groups and coming out in public to talk about stigma. We were able to build the capacity of members through training, group counseling and outreach activities. We are getting very optimistic response from community leaders, whose support is crucial in destigmatizing HIV. Local chiefs and church leaders are coming out to support us during public meetings. We are also glad that more families are becoming self-sufficient through the establishment of small-businesses. It bolsters their self-esteem and they no longer expect handouts to survive. This is very encouraging. We will be holding outreach meetings the whole of June and we will continue to update you on our activities. We hope you will sustain your support to us. We really acknowledge you!!! Best,

Nelly

Easter updates

Stella Amojong — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 12:22:09 GMT

GEMINI took advantage of Easter holidays to intensify its campaigns. We held a community outreach, offered counseling services and provided training to local leaders on Communication skills.

Our new community resource center is a tremendous success! We have books and videos on diverse social issues.

We are appealing to all of you to assist us acquire more books and thanks so much for your continued support!

Grassroots Empowerment Initiative -GEMINI- Easter Update Date: 4th April Event: Door-to-door campaign Beneficiaries: 32 families Activities: * Sensitized over 115 people on Home based-care for patients * Offered counseling to 16 families * Identified 21 at-risk orphaned children * Provided mosquito nets to 12 families * Provided informational materials to over 169 people Date: 7th April Event: Outreach Campaign Beneficiaries: 150 people Activities: * Offered counseling to 65 people * Introduced 3 new support groups * Empowered community with life skills * Acquired support of local chiefs in HIV campaign Date: 10th April Event: Training Beneficiaries: 15 local leaders * Empowered them with Communication skills * Enlisted their support in forming support groups

Expansion!

Joe — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 11:05:34 GMT

We have come of age, or have we? The Advocates for Teen Mothers (ATM) undergoes a major organizational restructuring, changing its name to Grassroots Empowerment Initiative (GEMINI) and expanding the scope of its activities to cover a whole district!

This is an exceptional achievement, all thanks to your continued support!

Attachments:

Expansion.doc (DOC)

Thanks for your Help!

Abel — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 11:01:51 GMT

My name is Abel. Though HIV+, I live my life to the limit. I'm a peer educator with GEMINI (formerly ATM). Through your constant support, I have been able to achieve so much...you just can't believe it!

I just want to say a huge THANK YOU! for your constant support...please read my brief report on how I have benefitted from your generous donation.

Attachments:

Dear ATM Supporter.doc (DOC)

Dec-Jan Donations

Stella — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 10:56:01 GMT

You won't believe this!! Our project was able to reach more than 15,000 beneficiaries for the whole year! We have expanded our activities to cover the whole district now. We still hope for your support as we strive to expand our impact within the community.

Attachments:

ATM December Donations.doc (DOC)