GlobalGiving.org: Educate and Feed 85 At-Risk Kids in Kibera, Kenya

Global Giving Gift Campaign Supports St. Vincent's

Christina Stellini — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 01:42:22 GMT

Give the Gift of Giving This Holiday Season and Help St. Vincent Raise $$

Need a creative gift for someone who has everything? Global Giving is making contributions to a select number of its projects for the sale of Global Giving gift cards -- a unique holiday gift! Every time 500 gift cards are purchased from the Global Giving website, Global Giving will give $500 to one of its projects -- and as a SUPERSTAR partner organization, St. Vincent's made the cut! If 7,500 cards are sold by December 31st, we will receive a $500 grant. You can track how close we are here: http://www.globalgiving.org/gifts/ . As of November 28th, over 1,300 cards have been sold!

A Thank You to Our 'One Night' Supporters

On October 20th, St. Vincent's held its first Boston fundraising event, One Night for Their Future, at Middlesex Lounge. With over 30 supporting business and approximately 75 guests, we successfully raised over $11,000 for our operations! The event included a silent auction, raffle and live Skype chat with Director, Lucy Kayiwa. These funds will keep our doors open to the children and families we serve for several months! Many thanks for all those that helped to organize the event and of course, all those that contributed!

Join us in Boston for "One Night for their Future"

Christina Stellini — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:05:26 GMT

CALLING ALL OF OUR BOSTON BASED SUPPORTERS!

Join us for an exciting evening of drinks, hors d'oeuvres, music and silent auction. 100% of proceeds will go to benefit our Nursery School and Rescue Center in Kibera, Kenya.

Event Information:

Date: Thursday, October 20, 2011

Time: 6:00pm-9:00pm

Place: Middlesex Lounge

Location: 315 Massachussetts Ave. - Cambridge, MA (Central Square)

Registration Information:

Price: $25 in advance or $30 at the door

*Registration includes admission, food and entry in a door prize raffle.

To Register:

Online:

You can register online with a credit card, through our U.S. based partner, One World Children's Fund. To register online, click here to navigate to the donation page and make a donation in the amount of the registration cost ($25 for one ticket). Please be sure to select "St. Vincent's Children of Kibera" in the Program Designation section AND type "Boston Event" in the Dedication section.

By Check:

Please make checks payable to One World Children's Fund. Include with your check, the names of those people you are registering. Please be sure to write "St. Vincent's Boston Event" in the check memo. Checks can be sent to One World Children's Fund at:

1012 Torney Avenue

San Francisco, CA 94129

At the Door:

You can register at the door for $30 with cash or check payable to One World Children's Fund.

For any other questions, please contact Christina Stellini at christinastellini@yahoo.com.

We look forward to seeing you at the event!

Links:

Help Us Win $1,000 in Just Two Clicks

Christina Stellini — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 16:07:02 GMT

You can help St. Vincent's win $1,000 just by casting your vote for our photo in the Global Giving 2011 Photo Contest! It's easy -- all you have to do is "like" our photo on Facebook and the photo with the most votes wins the $1,000! The contest is open until August 17th. Voting requires two steps: 1) Visit the Global Giving Facebook page and click on the "like" box at http://www.facebook.com/GlobalGiving 2) Then, you must click "like" on our actual photo which is located here: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150282595663749&set=a.10150282595033749.352304.5878048748&type=1&theater Thank you for helping us win the competition! $1,000 goes a long way for our nursery school and rescue center in Kibera. For $1,000, we can cover the costs of two daily meals (at our nursery school) for 83 children.

Links:

Link to Our Photo

St. Vincent's Responds to Kenya Food Crisis

Christina Stellini — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 11:07:38 GMT

Nursery School Students at Play

Prolonged drought -- dubbed the worst in 60 years -- coupled with soaring global food prices and deteriorating livestock prices has caused a severe food crisis in East Africa (namely in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia). The crisis is characterized as the worst the world has seen since the Great Chinese Famine of the late 1950s. In Kenya, food shortages have reached critical levels and the Kenyan government has declared a national emergency.

While Northern Kenya has been particularly hard hit with a flood of refugees entering from Somalia, people throughout the country are also being affected by the soaring cost of food. In Nairobi’s already vulnerable informal settlements, where most households live on less than a dollar a day, families are unable to afford the cost of food.

St. Vincent’s Response

St. Vincent’s is witnessing the effects of the crisis, as most families of our nursery school children are running out of food. Even under normal circumstances, the two daily meals that our nursery school children receive are sometimes the only meals during the week that children receive. On a typical day, we see children lining up at our gates up to an hour early, eager to receive their first meal of the day which is often times the first meal they've received since lunch the previous day. Under these circumstances, these children and their families are at even great risk.

St. Vincent’s is responding to the crisis by extending our school calendar by at least one week into the summer break so that children can continue to receive the two daily meals provided as part of our program. In addition to the school meals, St. Vincent’s has increased by 50% the number of HIV-affected nursery school families provided with take home food baskets. Adequate food supply is particularly critical for HIV-affected families, as people taking ARVs require a balanced diet for the medication to be effective.

We would like to thank you, our donors, for making this added support possible. Every dollar donated to St. Vincent's goes directly to our programs and is critical to the continuation of our operations.

Links:

St. Vincent's Hosts Medical Camp

Thomas Bwire — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 12:52:59 GMT

From May 9th-10th, St. Vincent’s hosted a medical camp at our nursery school site in coordination with Chamberlain College of Nursing (from Chicago, IL). Fifteen medical and nursing students attended to over 600 people who received medical services in the two days, including medical check-ups, VCT (voluntary counseling and testing for HIV), dental and eye examinations. Through this collaboration, St. Vincent's students, their parents and other community members benefited as they were treated and received drugs free of charge. The event was such a great success that we hope to host a second similar event in September.

****Other St. Vincent's News****

Nursery School Welcomes New Head Teacher

This term, the Nursery School welcomed a new Head Teacher. Jean Juma is a previous member of St. Vincent de Paul Society and has spent the last eight years working in Sudan and Somalia teaching in refugee camps.

St. Vincent's Increases Food Support to Families Affected by HIV/AIDS

Skyrocketing food prices in recent months have greatly affected many of our nursery school children and their families. Currently, many families have been forced to survive on one meal a day. Children often cry in the morning, and when asked if they have eaten they say they did not receive a meal the previous night. Most complain of stomach aches. In response, St. Vincent’s has identified the need to provide an increasing number of families with food rations, especially those affected by HIV/AIDS. These families are of particular concern, as the medication for HIV must be accompanied with food. St. Vincent’s provides twenty families a month with food rations. This represents a 50% increase in the number of families receiving food assistance from last year.

Education Support for St. Vincent Nursery School Alumni

In addition to the food rations, we also assist the families of some of the primary school going children who graduated from our nursery school by paying school fees. We currently pay school fees for eight children who have graduated from the nursery school.

A Safe Space for Orphans and Vulnerable Children

Thomas Bwire & Christina Stellini — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 03:07:02 GMT

On Monday, January 11, 2011, the St. Vincent’s Nursery School commenced a new school year. Twenty-three newly admitted children reported to school for the first time, together with returning students from the Pre-Primary 1 and 2 classes. There are a total of 87 children enrolled in the Nursery School in 2011.

The new students were accompanied by their parents and guardians who waited patiently for their turn to be served and cleared by the head teacher, Miriam Wawira. For some of the new children, they could not hide their anxiety of starting school and could be seen looking curiously at the older children, now comfortable with their surroundings and the school routine. While for some of the newly admitted children, tears rolled down their cheeks as they saw their parents leave them behind.

With the New Year, St. Vincent’s also welcomed two new members to its teaching staff. Alice Wanjiru joined St. Vincent’s as teacher of our Pre-Primary 2 class, while Millicent Kituku joined us as instructor of the Pre-Primary 1 class. While we were sad to say goodbye to our two dedicated teachers Virginia and Esther, we are thrilled to have the opportunity to welcome Alice and Millicent who come to us from local teacher training colleges and are extremely enthusiastic about the opportunity to join our team.

More than just provide education and daycare, the nursery school serves as a safety net for families in the community so that they are able to continue caring for the children. Parents and caregivers come to St. Vincent’s when in need of support for food, housing, medical costs, and other basic survival needs. This support is provided on a case-by-case basis and is made possible because of the close relationship that St. Vincent Board members and staff (teachers) proactively establish with the families they serve. In addition to direct support, St. Vincent’s provides referrals/linkages to other social services in cases where they are not able to assist and even liaises with other service providers on behalf of families, which is particularly important considering the marginalized population with whom the organization works.

By prioritizing the enrollment of orphans and other children living in the same households, St. Vincent places an important value on the orphaned child. Their existence in the household serves as a gateway for the other children in the same household to enter into school. Thus, despite the additional burden that may be placed on the household in caring for an additional child, the prioritization of orphans and children living in the same household enables orphaned children to bring something positive to their households, thereby serving as a protective mechanism for that child. St. Vincent’s also subsidizes school fees depending on families’ ability to pay; enabling the most needy and vulnerable children to attend.

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This year, St. Vincent’s admitted 3-year old Baraka to its Baby Class. Baraka is cared for by a young couple from Kibera who recently adopted him. A few months ago, the couple spotted Baraka in the local market while they were setting up their shop; he had been abandoned and was the victim of abuse. As nightfall approached, Baraka was still in the market, alone and crying. The couple made the decision to take Baraka, who would not speak, to the police station to try to find his family, but without any luck. Ultimately, the couple took Baraka to their tiny one room home --– a 10 foot by 5 foot room with no sanitation, running water or consistent electricity, where seven people live – and eventually adopted him as their fourth child. Shortly following his adoption, St. Vincent’s admitted Baraka to the nursery school where he is receiving early education, daily meals, and a safe place to go during the day while his mother is at work. At St Vincent’s, he’s slowly started to speak, to interact with the other children and to trust his teachers. Baraka’s mother is hopeful that St Vincent’s is the start to a successful education for her son.

Links:

New Site

You There....Saved the Day!

Lucy Kayiwa & Edwin Ariz — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 16:21:43 GMT

Hard at Work

It was in June 2009, when the St.Vincent De Paul Community Development Organization (SVPCDO) was hit badly by global financial crisis. The crisis came towards the end of the year, when the organization was operating on its last tranche of savings and was unsure what the new year would yield in terms of funding.

During the month of November 2009 a friend of the organization introduced us to Global Giving and shared with us the details of their work. It so happened that Global Giving was about to launch a “challenge” for which they needed participation from organizations like ours’.

We managed to beat the deadline and send all the required paperwork to introduce our work in the community of Kibera. Our efforts quickly bore fruits as we managed to be among the top three institutions that participated in the global challenge, raising Ksh, 1.3 million (over $16,000 USD) in just one month.

The support received through Global Giving during this challenge, and since then (over $23,000 to date), has truly brought our organization back to life; living with hopes of a better today in order to save a child with basic unmet needs in our community. We are glad to be part of the Global Giving family as it has opened our horizons by getting space on an international perspective.

The nursery school, with the current population of 87 children, has benefited greatly from the money we have received so far. Here is a breakdown of some of the areas where have been put to use over the past year:

School Uniforms: Our newly admitted children at the nursery school all received school uniforms and a pair of shoes.

Feeding Programme: Feeding 87 children has not stopped. Provision of two nutritious meals per day during school days Monday to Friday is still on course.

Stationery: Learning has been enhanced as all the necessary stationary needed by the school was purchased. This reflects on the children as all strive to outdo each other and work hard.

Bills: Monthly bills of water and electricity continue to be paid on monthly basis without fail.

Salaries: Staff salaries continue to be paid promptly at end of each month, which motivates the staff to perform better.

We say a BIG THANK YOU to Global Giving, as we can happily boost on being on the global map by keeping the St Vincent de Paul Nursery School known to the world by appearing on your website, which brings hope to Kibera children for a better today.

We also say a BIG THANK YOU and A BIG HUG to all our kind donors and friends who gave us a helping hand when we needed it most and have continuously contributed generously so as to keep the wheels of St. Vincent spirit rolling on and on.

Our New Class

Time to Eat!

Donate to our project without paying a cent!

Christina Stellini — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 11:40:56 GMT

SVPCDO is pleased to announce that it has been selected as one of three organizations (among thousands) to be selected as part of this promotion from Rough Roads (UK). All you have to do is visit the site below, play the game, and at the end select the "Feed and Educate Kibera Kids" option from the drop down menu and a donation will be made each time you play.

Click here to play: http://www.roughroads.co.uk/

It's super easy, only takes 2 minutes, and most importantly, it will benefit our nursery school and the children in Kibera at a time where we are still in great need of funds. We hope you will help us by taking a couple of minutes to participate.

Remember -- it's NO cost to you! And also by spreading the word about this great opportunity through Facebook, Twitter, etc. Thanks for your help!

New SVPCDO Website Launch

Christina Stellini — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 02:08:33 GMT

Thanks to the help of one of our dedicated volunteers, SVPCDO is pleased to announce the launch of our new and improved website. Please check it out at: http://vincentdepaul-organization.jimdo.com/.

We think you will enjoy this new site -- it is more user friendly and allows visitors to learn about our program activities, see pictures of the children we support, and (importantly!) provides a direct link to the ways in which people can support SVPCDO. The site will also feature updates on recent events that happen at the nursery school and rescue center.

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JUNE 16th IS A MATCH DAY ON GLOBAL GIVING -- YOU GIVE $20, THE PROJECT RECEIVES $30

On June 15th, Global Giving will be matching all gifts made to our project by 50%. If you were thinking of making a gift this month, please consider doing it on this day. In addition to the match, prizes will be awarded to the organizations with the greatest number of donations on this day.

Links:

NEW SVPCDO WEBSITE!

Visit to St. Vincent de Paul School

John Hecklinger — Fri, 28 May 2010 06:08:04 GMT

Student at St. Vincent de Paul

I visited this school a few days ago in Kenya. The visit was really moving. The kids are from very poor families in Kibera, considered to be Africa's biggest slum. 25% of the kids, ages 2-5, are HIV+. Many are orphans. They get two meals (ugali and cabbage for lunch the day I was there) some medical support, and a clean place to learn and play. Two college students from Holy Cross were volunteering for a month, and they were appropriately inspired and promised to recruit donors on our next Bonus Day - June 16th, 2010.

Postcard from Rescue Center and Nursery School

Marc Maxson — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 20:40:02 GMT

Lucy Kawiya escorted Zipporah, Vicky, and myself to their rescue home inside Kibera slum. Along the way we passed the offices of Carolina for Kibera (http://goto.gg/kibera-slum-develoment/), another GlobalGiving partner that works in Kibera. Within two more blocks you can find Hot Sun foundation (http://goto.gg/kenya-slum-filmmaking/) and a few other NGOs.

I looked up at the iron roofs atop the makeshift housing on this dirt street. Some of these shacks had TV antennas, and one even had a satellite dish. “You see that?” I said, pointing them out to Lucy. “Of course.” “It kinda complicates the typical impression outsiders have of slums.” “That’s why we tell people, ‘Just come here and walk around. See for yourself where we work.’”

The Kibera slum is actually many villages connected by dirt paths, clusters of shacks that could blow over in a storm. but within these 13 communities of tens of thousands you’ll find some wealth, a lot of cell phones, and many attitudes. Many NGOs have visited to collect feedback, and the people don’t speak with one voice. In fact, we were the fourth group to visit a nearby girls’ centre in the last 3 months. Such a complex environment calls for some new approaches, and a way to share more of these stories.

That afternoon, we saw a dozen children in the rescue center. One boy (about age 12) was drawing a face. He was obviously a talented artist. “I just wish we could help him pursue arts more,” Lucy said. “What about posting your question to the Map Kibera site?” We were helping promote one recent effort to share community information locally, using cell phones and the website http://kibera.ushahidi.com. People can ask a question, make an announcement, or just offer a general comment and it will be posted. Some who sign up for text-message updates can follow villages or topics that interest them. We'll also be posting the stories we collect in kibera. Lucy handed her phone to Miriam, the head teacher at their nursery school. “You do this. I’m not one with technology yet.”

Miriam wrote: [something like] We have an artist at St. Vincents. Does anyone know about an art program where he can get more training in Kibera? [My computer got hit with viruses so I can't read the exact message off the site right now.] She signing up for SMS-updates, so that if anyone replies, she'll get it on her phone.

The St. Vincent’s Nursery school was a colorful little house on the edge of Soweto village (Kibera) that serves 87 kids ages 3 to 7. Mini tables and chairs in blue, green, red, and bright yellow filled the three classrooms.

I was happy to see color, as I explained color’s importance to Lucy. “I’ve read that children learn better in a colorful environment. And yet so many schools are just gray cinderblocks. Mandela wrote in his biography about his prison. He said it wasn’t the walls but the absence of color that made him feel the most imprisoned. Gray walls, gray food, gray uniforms, and gray skies. Always the absence of color. Thankfully, this nursery school was vibrant, although empty for the Easter break.”

We met under the round shady bantaba in the back and shared stories as part of our training. Throughout the afternoon, several other people dropped by, including Havier and Cathryn – who Australian volunteers who are starting a sort of Montessouri school in the area with the guidance of St. Vincent’s.

Cathryn shared one story. I didn't transcribe it exactly, but from my memory, she said that a few years ago she was walking though a slum in Nairobi and she came to a rickety bridge over a rushing river. She turned to her husband. “Is this safe to cross?” “Probably not,” he said. It wasn’t what she wanted to hear, she said. After crossing, she noticed a run down shack on the edge of the water built on a hill. It looked like it could collapse at any moment. He peeked through a hole in the wall and was shocked to see it was an informal school. Dozens of kids were inside learning. She opened the door into this dark place and the sunlight blinded them. “I couldn’t just leave it as is. We helped them move to a better place.” Recently, she passed by that same place where the shack-school used to stand. Heavy rains had come, and the building had collapsed and washed into the river. “I hate to think what would have happened to the children if we hadn’t given a little money to move the school,” she concluded.

She titled her story, “It doesn’t take much money to make a big difference.”

I was inspired by St. Vincent’s staff, these volunteers, and the several community members that we met along the way. Earlier this week, when I asked Lucy to explain to other NGO staffers at a meeting how they got on GlobalGiving in last November’s Open Challenge, she says “it was a miracle. We were in desperate need of funding and we used GlobalGiving as an opportunity to reach out to all our past supporters.” On behalf of Lucy, Miriam, and others, I’ll thank you for the “miracle” that you made possible by giving a little something to St. Vincent’s in Kibera.

Links:

Voices of Kibera - community SMS and mapping site

December Graduation & January Commencement

Christina Stellini — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 20:45:47 GMT

Graduation Speech

------December Graduation---------- In December 2009, the St. Vincent de Paul Nursery School graduated 30 of our students from the program. Graduation festivities brought together proud parents and caretakers, teachers, and children in a celebration that included singing, dancing, a fashion show, and speeches by the graduates, plus awards, and of course, a big feast! It is an opportunity for children to celebrate their achievements with their families and to say goodbye to the school and teachers who have played an important part in their lives over the last few years. We are pleased to report that following graduation, the entire graduating class of the St. Vincent de Paul Nursery School was qualified and enrolled into local primary schools -- a huge success considering the environment surrounding education in Kenya. In 2003, the Government of Kenya made primary education free to all children. Despite this important step, families continue to face significant barriers in sending their children to primary school due to two main factors. First, while enrollment in school is free, the costs associated with attending school are burdensome to many families, particularly those in Kibera. Without funds to purchase uniforms, textbooks, and other supplies, children are not allowed to attend school. Second, as a way to control overpopulated classrooms, government run primary schools are allowed to turn away prospective students that are not considered to be adequately prepared for entrance. To be admitted into primary school, students must therefore go through an interview process. As such, despite education for all policies in Kenya, 86% of school age children are enrolled in primary school in the country. (According to a 2003 study by Oxfam, 37% of school-going age children in Kibera were not even in the educational system and 70% of the children attending school only have limited access to informal schools and community centers.) Within this context, the 100% primary enrollment of the St. Vincent Nursery School graduates is an important achievement. Enrollment of the entire graduating nursery school class indicates that not only did all students successfully pass the primary school interview process, but all parents/caretakers of the nursery school students were motivated to identify resources to purchase the required materials for sending their children to school. -----January Commencement--------- In January, the nursery school welcomed our newest class of 30 students (17 boys, 13 girls), keeping our total enrollment to 87 children. On the first day of school, incoming students are fitted for uniforms with the help of teacher Miriam. Often with parents/caretakers close by, the new students are a bit shy and need some time to get used to their new surroundings. Meanwhile, parents/caretakers are excited for their children to have the opportunity to attend pre-primary school -- less than half (48%) of children in Kenya are enrolled in pre-primary school, and in Kibera this is even more rare. Global Giving funds are being used to purchase uniforms, shoes and food; provide teacher and staff salaries; purchase educational supplies; pay utility bills; and contribute to the school fees of 47 children who are unable to pay full tuition. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FUNDRAISING OPPORTUNITY: On Tuesday, March 16th, Global Giving will be matching all donations made to our project by 30%. If you were considering making a donation this month, we would love for you to do so on Tuesday so that your impact can be even greater. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Graduation Celebration Dance Performance

Graduation Celebration Fashion Show

Graduation Feast

First Day of School for New Class

Incoming Class Exploring their New Surroundings

First Day of School Nap Time

December Graduation and January Commencement

Christina Stellini — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 20:15:43 GMT

------December Graduation---------- In December 2009, the St. Vincent de Paul Nursery School graduated 30 of our students from the program. We are pleased to report that following graduation, the entire graduating class was qualified and enrolled into local primary schools -- a huge success! In 2003, the Government of Kenya made primary education free to all children. Despite this important step, families continue to face significant barriers to sending their children to primary school due to two main factors. First, while enrollment in school is free, the costs associated with attending school are burdensome to many families, particularly those in Kibera where x% live on less than $1/day. Without funds to purchase uniforms, textbooks, and other supplies, children are not allowed to attend school. Second, as a way to control overpopulated classrooms, government run primary schools are allowed to turn away prospective students that are not considered to be adequately prepared for entrance. To be admitted into primary school, students must therefore go through a rigorous interview process. According to a 2003 study by Oxfam, 37% of school-going age children in Kibera were not even in the educational system and 70% of the children attending school only have limited access to informal schools and community centers. It is within this context that we understand the significance of the 100% primary enrolment of the St. Vincent Nursery School graduates. Enrolment of the entire nursery school class indicates that all students were successful in passing the interview process. Additionally, this high enrollment is due also to the motivation of nursery school parents who must identify funding for the purchase the required materials for their children to attend school. -----January Commencment--------- In January, the nursery school welcomed our newest class of 30 students (17 boys, 13 girls), keeping our total enrolment to 87 children. Global Giving funds are used to purchase uniforms, shoes and food; provide teacher and staff salaries; purchase educational supplies; pay utility bills; and pay for the enrolment of 47 children who are unable to pay full tuition. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FUNDRAISING OPPORTUNITY: On Tuesday, March 16th, Global Giving will be matching all donations made to our project by 30%. If you were considering making a donation this month, we would love for you to do so on Tuesday so that your impact can be even greater. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Final Day of Global Giving Challenge -- Trailing by 19 donors!

Christina Stellini — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 05:29:52 GMT

Today is the final day of the Global Giving Challenge. Thanks to your generous gifts, our project, Educate and Feed 85 Kibera Kids At Risk, has raised over $11,000 for the nursery school and rescue center. We are thrilled (and amazed) at the level of support we have received.

Currently, with 181 total donors, we sit in 2nd place, trailing the leading organization by just 19 donations. We are hopeful that we can make one last surge in this final day of the contest to claim the prize for the greatest number of donors. A cash prize of $3,000 will be awarded to the organization that achieves this feat -- this represents 1/10th of the total operating budget of the rescue center and nursery school for an entire year.

We hope you will take a moment to reach out to any friends, family, classmates, or coworkers that you have not yet shared our project with (or that need a friendly reminder!) to let them know the impact of a small donation. Online donations will be accepted until 11:59pm (EST).

Many thanks again for all of your support. Here's to a successful last day of the challenge!