GlobalGiving.org: Train 300 destitute Kenyan girls for self-reliance

Thanks GlobalGiving for Going Green!

Kirsty McLullich — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 11:28:20 GMT

Students receive the paper for recycling

As Vision Africa celebrates it's tenth anniversary this year, one of our key focus areas is making projects sustainable. In fact, the projects we work with have been challenged to raise 30% of their own budget by the end of 2013 through a variety of Income Generating Activities (IGAs).

At our Seed of Hope centre in Nairobi, one of the IGAs is a recycling enterprise called "re:future". The centre collects glass, plastic and paper in large volumes and sells them on to recycling companies. The profits can then be invested in training the students the life skills, business skills and vocational skills they receive at the centre.

We were delighted when GlobalGiving asked if they could use "re:future" to recycle the paper generated from their storytelling project which has been going on in Kenya. Today, we took delivery of the papers which will really help us in our efforts to give disadvantaged girls dignity, hope and opportunity.

THANKS GLOBALGIVING!!!

Some of the paper that was donated

2011 - A great year for Seed of Hope

Kirsty McLullich — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 13:49:44 GMT

Nairobi Graduation

2011 has ended with good news for our Seed of Hope centres in Kitui and Kisii. They have been advised that with just a few modifications they can become registered D.I.T (Directorate of Industrial Training) test centres. Currently, Seed of Hope students sit their Grade 2 and Grade 3 dressmaking exams at external test centres. It is hoped that from 2012 they and students from other training centres will pay to sit their exams at Seed of Hope. As well as reducing transport costs for our students, this will also generate income which can help with Seed of Hope’s running costs.

Due to increased exam fees and the very high cost of living many students’ families have been unable to afford the DIT exams this year. However, two of our centres received funding from local authorities which enabled their students to sit their DIT exams. These qualifications, in addition to the Seed of Hope certificates received upon graduation will assist students who wish to seek employment as dressmakers in the future. It will also help with the credibility of the small businesses they start up.

As well as receiving funds to help with exam costs, our Seed of Hope centre in Kitui also received a donation of a ten thousand litre water tank from the Ministry of Water. It is encouraging to see Seed of Hope centres receiving support and recognition from their local government offices.

Our Nairobi Seed of Hope centre also ended the year on a high with a colourful graduation ceremony. Students performed songs, dances, a drama and even a fashion show for the crowd that gathered to celebrate the graduation of the class of 2011. Guest of Honour for the day, PR guru Gina Din, said the event had really encouraged her. “When you hear the names of the places these girls come from, you automatically think of women who are househelps or perform other low income jobs. Now we know there will be independent young business women there who are empowered and can be great role models for their communities.”

Also in attendance on the day was local entrepreneur Evans Muriu who had been invited to officially launch Seed of Hope’s first program for boys, Clayton’s Mechanics. As businessman in the local automobile trade, Evans was able to encourage the first group of students who have enrolled for the course in lifeskills, business skills and mechanics. We are delighted that he has offered to mentor them on an ongoing basis.

After a successful graduation at Kariti Seed of Hope, it wasn’t long before their latest project got underway. As announced at the graduation ceremony, a computer centre has been launched offering lessons in basic computer packages and also bureau services such as printing and copying. This will help the Seed of Hope students who will also receive lessons as well as the local community. You can read more about this in a news article on our website.

All in all, 2011 has been a great year for Seed of Hope. We would like to thank everyone who has contributed towards this project and look forward to reporting more success stories in 2012 so that you can see just what a great investment you have made.

Kariti Computer Centre

Links:

Food for Thought

Kirsty McLullich — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 11:31:37 GMT

Graduations are just around the corner for our four Seed of Hope centres. Over the next couple of months, students will be working on their final projects and preparing to put in to practice the skills they have learnt in their two years at Seed of Hope. We look forward to posting pictures of their outfits which they will model on graduation day. Some of the centres go as far as to host a fashion show with first year students modelling outfits made by the second years.

Sadly, the food crisis in Kenya has seen unprecedented increases on food prices throughout the countries and as families have to tighten their belts, we have seen a sharp drop in the number of students who have been able to afford their government trade exams this year. This makes our Roots program even more important as it will allow graduates to set up small businesses rather than rely on employment which would require them to provide trade certificates. By equipping our students with Business Skills and Life Skills that build their confidence, we can give them the opportunity to start a business which will allow them to live independently and help themselves and their families in the future.

Our Nairobi Seed of Hope centre has been fortunate enough to gain support from the local organic farmers’ market. Each week, they are invited to collect produce which has been left over after the market and this is used to help with the feeding program that ensures students take lunch each day. Check out Purity’s video to see just how important it is to the girls that they take lunch at school. Over the August holidays, the headteacher of the Nairobi centre received numerous calls from students asking if they could go to school – even if it was just to do some general cleaning. This was because the girls were desperately looking for lunch so that they could ease the burden on their families.

It is times like these that we realise just how important Seed of Hope is to our girls and we really couldn’t keep the centres running without your support. We would like to thank each and every person who has made a donation to this project via GlobalGiving and let you know that your support is offering a bright future to girls who had no hope.

THANK YOU!

Links:

Purity Talks About The Food Crisis in Kenya

Seed of Hope Continues to Offer Hope

Kirsty McLullich — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 09:30:08 GMT

Kariti Students

Seed of Hope students are as busy as ever. There are government exams to register and prepare for and second year students are starting to think about the designs for their final project – an outfit for their graduation which will take place in the final term.

On a recent visit to our Kariti centre in Murang’a, we found both the hairdressing and dressmaking students were working hard with their studies. They are also having success with their land as recent rains have meant the shamba (land for agriculture) is very green with maize and Napier grass. Once harvested, the maize will help with the centre’s feeding program while the Napier grass can be used to feed their cows with excess being sold to generate further income. When we visited the project last week with a group of visitors from the UK, headteacher Njambi proudly showed off some of the craft work that had been done by students including printing, knitting, weaving and leather work. We were then guided around the classrooms and shamba before being treated to some musical entertainment from the students. It was great to watch the confidence with which they performed and the pride that teachers and students take in their school. One of the most astounding facts for the visitors was that some girls walk 10km to get to school each day and the same to get home again at night. These are girls who really must value the education that Seed of Hope is offering them.

Our centre in Nyamache, Kisii, will be the second centre to add a hair and beauty course to its curriculum. Thanks to a donation from the Caledonian Society in Kenya, the initial start up materials will be purchased in the near future and the course can get underway once a teacher has been employed. This fee-paying course will help to generate income to subsidize the costs for the students who are in desperate need and are unable to pay for education after leaving primary school.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to Seed of Hope through GlobalGiving. We really appreciate every donation that is made as the funds raised through GlobalGiving make it possible for us to keep our centres running and give our students hope for the future.

Wednesday June 15^th is BONUS DAY on GlobalGiving. Every donation received by this project will be matched at 30% by our dear friends at GlobalGiving. Please spread the word to your friends, family and co-workers and help us make the most of this very generous offer.

Together we can create brighter futures!

Cooking Lunch - maize and beans

2011 - Off to a Great Start for our Girls

Kirsty McLullich — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 05:24:23 GMT

Kariti's New Hair Salon

This year marks the 100^th International Women’s Day on March 8^th. The theme for this year is “Equal access to education, training and science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women”. To celebrate the occasion, Seed of Hope has invited several women, including graduates from the program, to talk at their Nairobi centre and inspire the next generation of students as they undergo the training that will help them on the pathway towards either employment or self-employment.

Recruitment is ongoing at all four Seed of Hope centres and our head-teachers have reported that only three of last year’s students failed to return for their second year of training. This is a record low and a great sign that the program is still going strong.

One of the big changes this year has been the addition of a second vocational course at our Kariti centre. As you may have seen in earlier updates, Kariti has been one of the strongest centres in terms of embracing the concept of income generating activities. As well as producing school uniforms and cultivating grass for cow feed, they started rearing animals and this has really paid off. The four pigs they bought for 6,000ksh (about £50) and reared for one and a half years were recently sold for 25,500ksh. The board at the school agreed to head-teacher Njambi’s suggestion that these proceeds could be used to start a hair salon to generate income and provide a second option for students. A food store was the only available space so this was quickly converted while the board sought a qualified teacher for the course and purchased the items necessary to get the course started.

A total of 36 students have signed up for the new course so far. This includes 26 of Seed of Hope’s existing students who pay a reduced fee to study hairdressing in addition to the dressmaking course they enrolled to study. The ten external students pay 800ksh (£6.50) per month for what is anticipated to be an 8-12 month course. Students will practice on each other as well as fee-paying customers from the local community. Students and teachers who have had their hair styled at the salon are already attracting clients as they walk home from school with their new hairdos. Local churches have also been asked to announce the course and the existence of the salon to help promote it. When we asked teacher Njambi how the services offered compared to those available in local salons she told us “I don’t think there is any better salon than ours” and described it as a classic salon for such a rural setting but with some improvements. Within the first two months, the salon was making enough profit to cover the teacher’s costs so we are optimistic that this program will do well and would like to replicate it at our other centres.

Another exciting piece of news that came to us recently is that the parents/guardians of the students at our centre in Nyamache, Kisii, got together and raised enough money to buy a cow. This will be used to supply milk and also any calves produced will be sold to raise funds for the centre. It is great to see such support for the income generating activities at our centres as we feel these are the key to their sustainability. They also provide valuable experience to students as they see small businesses in action throughout their training.

Teacher Redemter from our Kitui centre gave us an update on the graduates’ businesses that were started in September 2010. She told us that all five shops that opened are doing well and gave us the example of one of the new business women: “Eunice is the second in her family. She has both parents but they are poor and could not afford to educate her past primary education so she joined our center. During her first year she could not keep up with the other girls and this made her do her grade exams in second year when she excelled. Along with fellow graduates she started a shop in Kamale shopping center and they are doing well here being the best in dressmaking and customer attraction. She buys her materials from Kitui town which is quite a distance and at first she used to walk so as to save money. She has managed to give a good name to our center due to her good work. She has plans to expand her shop when she gets more capital.”

Thank you to all our supporters on GlobalGiving who have helped Seed of Hope continue to offer girls dignity, hope and opportunity. Help us celebrate International Women's Day by telling your friends, family and colleagues about our work and together we'll help more girls on the "pathway to decent work".

Christmas Greetings From Seed of Hope!!

Kirsty McLullich — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 14:49:54 GMT

Teacher Florence with a student

On behalf of the staff and students at Seed of Hope we would like to wish all our Global Giving supporters a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.

Throughout the year that has passed we have been very grateful for all the donations that have been made through Global Giving. These have been a real lifeline and allowed us to continue in our goal of educating young girls who have no hope of attending secondary school and are in desperate need of assistance.

The year has gone well at all four centres despite many challenges faced. We have been delighted at the efforts each centre has made in terms of setting up income generating activities and striving to make their own contribution towards their running costs. From school uniform production to using the land to grow crops, every centre has worked on its own projects rather than sit back waiting for 100% funding.

The Crafted enterprise run by our Nairobi centre has taken off in 2010. Orders for clothing have been consistently coming in and have featured in a few fashion shows. The most recent of these was organised by a British expat lady who had been introduced to Crafted clothing at another event and decided she would like to help raise awareness of the brand and the work of Seed of Hope. The event was a fantastic success and brought in several orders as well as raising funds through raffles, ticket sales etc.

This year was the first time that graduations took place in September for our second year students after they sat their Grade 2 government trade exams. The graduates are now busy in their own businesses or jobs they have secured since passing their exams. Our first year students have just completed their Grade 3 exams and are now on holiday until the New Year. Florence, headteacher of one of the centres, said that the last term had gone well and that she was very happy with the work the girls had done and with their high level of attendance in class.

Towards the end of the term, the enrolment process was kicked off with teachers starting to get word out in local communities that places would be available from January. The new year will see a new group of girls enrolled at each centre giving them hope for an independent future.

Our thanks go to everyone who has supported Seed of Hope this year through Global Giving and we look forward to bringing you further updates in the New Year.

If you are looking for a gift, check out Global Giving’s “Gifts for Good” where you’ll find a bracelet made by some of our girls!!

Crafted clothing on display at a fashion show

Links:

Global Giving Gifts for Good

Down to Business

Kirsty McLullich — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 04:23:15 GMT

Graduates at Work in Kibera

Now that graduation is over, it’s time for Seed of Hope Class of 2010 to get down to business...literally. It’s now time for them to put into practice all that they have learned and start becoming independent young women.

For one graduate at our Nairobi centre, last Saturday saw her dreams turn to reality as she was given a graduation present of a sewing machine from a group of supporters from Nairobi Chapel. A few months ago we told the story of how the group from the neighbouring church had been amazed at the distance Winnie walked to school each day, having visited her home as part of an exercise to learn about Seed of Hope. Every day, Winnie left home at 6am to reach school by 8am and then had the same two hour walk to get home at the end of the day. Despite this, she had one of the best attendance records and was one of the most punctual students. Whilst visiting her home, the group from Nairobi Chapel learned that she lives with her sister who has two young children and life is not easy for the family. Touched by Winnie’s story and her dedication to her studies, they decided to buy her a sewing machine so that she can start working towards the “wonderful future” she told us that she strives for.

Winnie has been joined by another two girls to start up their small business in Kibera called "Joyful Dressmaking Shop". One of these is Peninah, a graduate from 2009 who has been working for Crafted recently and is now looking to build up a business. She will make a contribution to the start-up costs from money that she has earned in her time with Crafted. The third partner in the business, Hamisa, has strong support for her family with her mother investing in an ironbox, mirror and fabrics. It is anticipated that this partnership will result in a successful business as everyone has made an investment and is willing to work hard. This week, the girls collected their first rent installment from Seed of Hope and set up their shop using garments made in their time at school to complete the display. Another two small businesses will also be set up in other parts of Nairobi by some of the other students.

Not all those who graduated this year have joined a group business. One graduate was offered a job at a local textile business which produces children’s clothes and toys. Another girl has returned to her rural home to set up a business on her own. After completing her course, her aunt felt that she could assist her and provide all that she needed with the exception of a sewing machine which was provided by Seed of Hope. Having been a hard-working student in school and with the strong support of her family we are sure that this is another business that will take off.

These are just a few stories from our Nairobi centre. Our other three centres are going through the same process of setting up Roots businesses at the moment with 6 new businesses in Kisii, 5 in Kitui and 4 in Kariti. We look forward to bringing you more updates over the next few months.

Thank you to everyone who has supported Seed of Hope through GlobalGiving and made it possible for us to train our students and provide them with the sewing machines, rent and licences they require to start up their businesses.

October 12^th is a matching day on GlobalGiving. If you like what we’re doing, please spread the word and help us raise funds to continue supporting girls and offering them Dignity, Hope and Opportunity.

Joyful Dressmaking Shop

Class of 2010 Graduates!

Kirsty McLullich — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 13:41:06 GMT

Two of the Nairobi Graduates

The last few months have been busy for Seed of Hope. Both our first and second year students have been sitting their external trade exams and in September we saw three out of our four centres hold their graduation ceremonies. These two events are closely linked – traditionally, Seed of Hope has held graduations in December but since our second year students started sitting their trade exams, a number of them were able to find employment and put their skills to good use before their graduation ceremony. This year, it was decided that graduations would be held shortly after the exams so that all students who had completed their course at Seed of Hope would be there.

The graduations were held at our Kisii, Kitui and Nairobi centres with our Kariti ceremony scheduled to take place on the 6th October. As always, the graduations were colourful events with the girls wearing outfits they had designed and produced for themselves. At the Nairobi centre there was a fashion show as each girl made a grand entrance to show off her creation. At the end of the ceremony two of the students put on bridal outfits they had made as first years and gave the crowd an extra treat as they walked “up the aisle” together and had their first dance.

At each of the centres, the income generating activities are becoming more established and the three rural centres are doing a great job in providing their feeding program through cultivating their shambas (land used for farming). Despite the arid conditions, Kitui centre in Kangweni has even managed to grow some sukuma (kales) and cowpeas this year. The installation of a water pump by the Dunfermline Rotary club has made it easier for water to be fetched for watering the vegetables but it is hoped that a borehole can be dug so that there is sufficient water to irrigate a larger area of the shamba. This centre has also been rearing chickens and rabbits to generate income. On a tour of the compound before the graduation ceremony we were told that the local community barters with the Seed of Hope centre and will give them small chicks to rear in exchange for rabbits which are a local delicacy.

“Crafted” is a social enterprise that has been set up to support the Nairobi Seed of Hope centre but also allows fantastic opportunities for us to raise awareness of the Seed of Hope program. In recent months Crafted clothing has appeared in a number of fashion shows, designs were included in an exhibition by local telcom company Safaricom and our jewellery Crafters were invited to share their skills and hold a workshop for young children. You can find out more about these events and keep up to date with Crafted on our blog http://craftedkenya.wordpress.com

Once again, we’d really like to express our appreciation for the support donors have shown through GlobalGiving. The funds we receive make a great difference and allow us to keep running our centres which are changing the lives of disadvantaged girls in Kenya and giving them dignity, hope and opportunity. Thank you for being a part of this!

Celebrating the Big Day

Graduate from (the very dry!) Kitui

Links:

Crafted Blog

Great Progress at Our Kariti Centre

Kirsty McLullich — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 07:12:18 GMT

Proud of their work

Our Seed of Hope centre in Kariti, Murang’a, is a great success story. Under the leadership of Headteacher Njambi, the staff and students work hard both in class and in the other activities that sustain the project. Of all the Vision Africa projects, Seed of Hope Kariti has made the biggest steps towards self-sustainability.

Due to a decline in funding last year, the feeding program at each Seed of Hope centre was suspended. Rather than simply sit back and have students attend school without lunch, Njambi and her team took action and worked with staff, students and parents to come up with solutions. Great use has been made of the large shamba (land for farming) with vegetables and maize being grown. Unfortunately the recent crop of beans was lost due to heavy rains but a large maize harvest is anticipated in August. The shamba has also been planted with a lot of napier grass some of which is used to feed the centre’s cows and some of which is sold to generate income.

Another way in which the centre is generating income is through the sale of clothing to paying customers. On a recent visit by Field Director Deborah Kimathi, some of the second year students proudly showed off clothes they were making for customers. The students told us they had sourced the customers from their own villages by explaining what they were doing at Seed of Hope and that if people thought the clothes made were nice they could buy them. The girls are working in groups of 2 or 3 students to secure orders and told us that this is good practice for when they have their own businesses. When asked who would have the best business, there was no hesitation as every girl raised her hand and said “I will!”. This confidence is one of the greatest skills girls learn in their time at Seed of Hope.

The local authorities have been of great help to Kariti Seed of Hope centre. By working closely with the administration, supplies of government relief food have been received which supplement what is grown in the shamba. The other breakthrough is that thanks to CDF money (Community Development Fund) electricity has now been installed at the centre and a number of computers have been ordered so that students will be able to learn basic IT skills. A cyber will also be set up to generate income by servicing the local community members who currently travel 20km to find internet access for checking emails etc.

As this project continues to make steps towards becoming self-sufficient, we still need to find funding to support their tremendous efforts. Thank you to everyone who has supported Seed of Hope by donating on Global Giving. As you can see it is going to great use!

Fabric printed with blocks made from old flipflops

Some first year students

$10,000 Target Reached!

Kirsty McLullich — Wed, 19 May 2010 08:38:17 GMT

Printing blocks made from old flipflops

ASANTENI SANA! Thank you very much! We are extremely grateful to everyone who helped our project reach the initial target of $10,000. Each and every donation has helped us continue running our four Seed of Hope centres in Kenya giving dignity, hope and opportunity to destitute teenage girls.

When we were pulling together our information for the GlobalGiving challenge, we weren’t sure what to set as a target. $4,000 was the amount required to secure a place but we wanted to aim higher. To run our four centres for one year costs around $50,000 so $10,000 seemed like a good starting point and you helped us achieve that total in a period of nine months. This has really helped us in the funding of the centres and given the support we have seen from GlobalGiving donors, we decided to increase the target to $20,000...we know we can make it!

In line with the Kenyan school holidays, all our centres were closed for the month of April. During this break, the staff from all the centres came together in Nairobi for two days of training and exchanging ideas. Students returned at the beginning of May for their second term which will see our second year students prepare for their trade exams in Dressmaking. These exams are the same ones that government polytechnic students sit – the difference with our course is that we also train students with invaluable business skills and life skills. Many girls have problems with self-esteem when they enrol at our centres due to the circumstances from which they have come. Through counselling and lessons in Personal and Social Education, they gain a confidence which enables them to chat freely with visitors to the centre and to their own clients when they graduate and set up their own business.

Another difference between our curriculum and that of the government polytechnics is that students learn how to produce “marketable crafts” such as jewellery, mats, leather bags etc. They also learn about fashion and design and how to create their own designs. On a recent trip to our Kariti centre in Murang’a, we were shown some printing blocks the girls were working on. Showing great resourcefulness, the teacher had shown the girls how to make these from old flipflops! A fantastic example of recycling – check out the picture to see the results.

As well as seeking international donations for Seed of Hope, we have also been working with local individuals and church groups who are willing to assist the centres. In Nairobi, a group of visitors from a nearby church took time to visit the homes of some students in Kibera slums then headed to the centre to meet all the students. They were so touched by what they saw that they have decided to support the feeding program at this centre, ensuring that every girl will be given lunch at school. The same group also brought bags of newspapers which can be sold as part of the centre’s recycling project, re:future, to generate income towards the running costs.

Students are very much encouraged when we tell them that people locally and internationally are supporting them through their course. This motivates them to also help themselves by working hard and by contributing to the income generating activity at their centre. On behalf of the students, staff and management committees of each centre thank you for this support and we look forward to announcing that we have reached our revised target!

*** June 16th is International Day of the African Child....and also matching day on GlobalGiving where all donations will be matched with 50%. A great opportunity for us to take a step closer to that target! Please spread the word.***

Teambuilding game at sports day

Links:

News Article: Staff Training

Celebrating International Women's Day

Kirsty McLullich — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:03:50 GMT

Kariti Students in the shamba

To mark International Women’s Day on the 8th of March, we’d like to bring you our latest update from Seed of Hope where we are helping young destitute girls become strong independent women. Recruitment at Seed of Hope is drawing to a close for this year with new girls being enrolled at all four centres. Encouragingly, there was a very low drop-out rate over the Christmas holidays and our second year students are now in full swing as they prepare for their trade exams. On a recent visit to our Kariti centre in Central Province, our chairman from the UK, Bob Dowty, was given a guided tour by two second year students. These confident young women spoke with pride of their centre and as they introduced him to their new colleagues in first year they gave them words of encouragement to greet the visitor and welcome him. We were shown round their shamba (farmland) where they have been growing grass for the cows along with maize, kales and other vegetables. The students explained that as part of their lifeskills lessons they are the ones to help with the farming and also the ones to cook lunch every day. There was a moment of pride when one of the girls turned to us and said “we cannot go hungry with this shamba here”. For us, this seemed to be a great example of self sufficiency and independence leading to pride. At our Nairobi centre, we have watched as some of last year’s graduates have found employment or started on the first steps to opening their own business. It is hard to believe that these well groomed, confident young women were the same girls who showed up two years ago and couldn’t look at the camera when we tried to take photographs for our sponsorship program. They now have the self-belief that they can be businesswomen and look after themselves and their families. This is a great testimony to the work of Seed of Hope. On the 27th of February, Vision Africa held a celebration to show appreciation for the work of its founders, Rev. and Mrs. Packard. Every project was invited to produce a piece of art to thank the founders for assisting them in some way. The Seed of Hope entries caught everyone’s eyes – a beaded picture of a giraffe on leather, knitted scarves with the words “thank you” on them, a traditional bag and an embroidered hanging were greatly admired by Mrs. Packard who commended the girls for the skills and creativity they had shown. On that day, graduates of Seed of Hope were invited to join the celebration. A large number of young women showed up, many of them in outfits they had designed and created themselves. Looking around, you would never be able to tell what these women had been through in their time before Seed of Hope. They looked like happy, confident, determined women who really are living a life of dignity, hope and opportunity – great role models for our current students and a credit to the work of Seed of Hope. We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported Seed of Hope and hope that you can see that you are part of something that is really making a difference to young women in Kenya.

Graduates of Seed of Hope

Graduations

Kirsty — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:34:37 GMT

Kitui Graduates Make an Entrance

Stunning designs, displays of craftwork, proud teachers and happy students – November saw graduations at all four Seed of Hope centres in Kisii, Kitui, Muranga and Nairobi. Approximately 115 girls graduated this year on completion of their two year course. To mark the event, each graduate was presented with four certificates – MicroBusiness Skills, Life Skills, Vocational Skills and overall achievement.

At each centre, the students put together a display of their work to show parents and guests. At the Kitui centre, first year students were on hand to take people on guided tours of the compound before the graduation ceremony. These tours showed the work that was being done on the shamba (farming of crops), income generating activities such as beekeeping and chicken breeding as well as an introduction to each of the subjects studied as part of the two year course. At this centre, the first year students had also used their lifeskills lessons to bake a cake for the graduates. This was shared out amongst the graduates, students and guests.

Also included in the program at each centre were testimonies from girls explaining how Seed of Hope has changed their lives. One of the most moving speeches was by a Nairobi graduate who told the audience how she had passed her primary school exams “with flying colours” but her parents were unable to afford secondary school fees. She then went on to say how she felt upset, useless and ashamed as she watched her classmates go to secondary school while she was left at home. There was a silence as this girl stood before a tent full of people and told them that in her darkest moment she even wanted to die. In her words, “an angel” (family friend) came to her mother and told her about Seed of Hope. After being interviewed and enrolled, she then started the program which she feels gave her the opportunity to turn her life around. As she spoke with a confidence which she says is a skill gained in her time at Seed of Hope, there was no doubt that this is one graduate who is going to work hard to succeed in life.

Each year, second year students are required to create their own graduation outfits. This year, this formed part of the final project and was a competition between the four centres. The top designers from each centre all came together at the Nairobi graduation. This was a great opportunity for the graduates to see the work of their fellow students from other parts of the country.

Leading the way in terms of fashion design was the Nairobi centre. As in recent years, a fashion show was held and each second year student had produced an outfit to be modelled by a first year student. This year, the first years requested the opportunity to play a bigger role and designed outfits for a bride and bridegroom which featured in the show. The headteacher from the Muranga centre told us that her graduates who attended the Nairobi event had been inspired and wanted to go back and tell their fellow students to raise the bar next year in terms of design. One of the key messages at each graduation ceremony was appreciation for the support shown by Vision Africa donors and sponsors. Emily, a graduate from Kitui centre said that she would like to thank the sponsors because “the knowledge we have and the things we have are because of you”. We would like to echo this message and pass on our gratitude on behalf of all students and graduates of Seed of Hope and we hope that with your help we will be able to continue our program in the coming years.

Nairobi Graduates Celebrate

Fashion Show Designs

Links:

More photos in our Gallery

Open Challenge Success

Kirsty McLullich — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:17:34 GMT

What Seed of Hope does

Thanks to all who donated towards our project in the Open Challenge. We're delighted to have secured a permanent place on GlobalGiving's site and look forward to posting more projects in the future.

September sees the start of the third term for our Seed of Hope centres. This is the shortest of the three terms and the most pressured one for both first and second years. For first years there is their first experience of government exams and for second years the preparations for graduation and leaving the centre to start up their own business.

In December, our first year students will sit their Grade 3 Dressmaking exam. Regulated by the Department of Industrial Training this is a national exam which, if passed, gives the girls a certificate which is recognised by employers in the industry. Students sit these exams at external centres. The exams are mainly practical but also involve some theory questions.

Our second year students sat their Grade 2 Dressmaking exam in August and are awaiting their results. In the meantime, there is lots of work to be done in their final term at Seed of Hope. There have been some changes to the curriculum which has seen the addition of a design competition for second years across all four centres. This project involves each student designing 2 outfits and producing them. Students have free choice over the designs but must incorporate some of the skills they have learned in craft lessons –beadwork, fabric painting, tie and dye. They must also produce accessories such as jewellery to compliment each outfit. The winning designers will be awarded towards the end of the term.

In November, our rural centres will start to establish “Roots” businesses for second year students. “Roots” sees the girls divided into groups of about 5 girls who go through the process of starting up a business under the supervision of their teachers. For each business, Seed of Hope will provide for a sewing machine, 3 months’ rent and a trading licence. To encourage ownership of the business, the girls and their families will be expected to provide a table, mirror, stools, scissors and the materials required to produce their first outfits.

The end of November is when our centres host their graduation ceremonies. These events are celebrations where family and friends are invited to congratulate the girls on their achievements. Each girl wears an outfit she has designed and produced and some centres also put on fashion shows with first year students modelling the second years work.

Graduates from the rural centres continue with their Roots business as they save up to each start their own business. Nairobi students spend December and January working on attachment at local businesses before moving on to start their Roots business in February.

As you can see, the next few months promise to be busy. In addition to all of this work, plans are underway to establish income generating activities at each of our Seed of Hope centres. All centres are hoping to start making school uniforms to sell in their local communities to bring in some funds. Our centre in Kariti has made good progress so far with a farming project involving pigs and a cow and trees grown for timber. They also use their land to produce vegetables which the girls consume. Kitui Seed of Hope has started rearing chickens and growing fruits such as pawpaw (papaya) and passion fruits which can reduce the food budget as they provide girls with their daily fruit. In addition to this, they hope to set up a bakery and are exploring the possibilities of beekeeping. Our centre in Nyamache, near Kisii, has been growing maize and beans for sale and bananas and vegetables for consumption. This centre also has plans to set up a bakery and is planting trees which can be grown for timber. As for Nairobi....watch this space as there’s an exciting new project about to be revealed!!

A teacher's perspective

Hope for the Future