Computer Skills for 50 Needy Youths in Kenya

Keeping contacts a Live

Last year 2012 in October, at the first ever East Africa Streetworldworld forum in Kigali Rwanda, Gichuki and Ojilo from TYSA meet Sara and Katy from Soccer Without Border (SWB) Uganda. These interactions created opportunity for greater understand about what organizations are doing in the region. As a follow up to this spirit, Gichuki from Friday 9^th and Saturday 10^th November 2012 visited SWB and Whizzkids for an exchange learning. Early this year in January, 10 young leaders form TYSA were hosted by SWB during its annual festival in Kampala.

Katy and Sara  who are volunteers at SWB Uganda on 25^th to 28^th March 2013 visited by TYSA for an exchange learning.  After two days at TYSA, they had this Lasting Impressions:

We are very impressed with TYSA approach to its beneficiaries and partners especially the schools. We participated in one of the secondary schools parents and students meeting. It’s here that TYSA shares its experiences with the parents

We have learnt how TYSA trains young leaders in different skills in order to take lead in the implementation of the activities. This is particularly important as it ensures sustainability of the organization and programs.

We are impressed by the fact that distance is not a barrier to TYSA outreach activities. We covered over 100 kilometers in a day

TYSA has built a strong trust with schools. We received warm welcome from the teachers and students. I could not believe that students follow instructions on the spot without delays and they enjoy every moment of the activity

It’s amazing how TYSA uses simple innovative storytelling to evaluate it impact in the community and its beneficiaries

We have crossed the border and heading to Mbale. Thanks you for everything. Your work is truly inspiring. Talk soon. Sara and Katy

 For the two days Katy and Sara were with us, they had an opportunity to visit our beneficiaries and interact with them. These interactions rekindled memories of the past , opened new opportunities and lessons learnt;

Small but Big

When I was in nursery school, I learnt a game which I still played while in the university. I was impressed to find that TYSA is using the same game with children in the remote rural schools. Katy. This game is called on the river on the shore. This game improves the children’s listening, thinking and jumping skills. This game was used during the several activities contacted in schools that were visited.

A sloppy pitch

The St. Teresa’s form two students raised so many challenges affecting theme during the parents meeting. Katy and Sara listened attentively and through translations from Kiswahili to English, they understood the challenges facing the students.  When the school management gave them opportunity to address the parents and students, Katy came in handy and shared this analogy. As footballer, you find a sloppy pitch and you have to play for 90 minutes on it. What would you do! Would you start leveling the pitch!  Would you quit! The wayfoward is to adjust yourself to the pitch and achieve your goal. You must know how to balance in this pitch and what gears to put on.  This confirmed what TYSA motto is:  play, Learn and Act.

Control Ball ; Control Life

While in Uganda last November, Gichuki advised the children at SWB that if they can control a ball, they can control their lives. This was echoed by Sara and Katy to the students of St. Teresa’s Secondary school Tartar in West Pokot. It’s amazing how the girls are ambitious in life. They are talented in football. They are the Kenya champions 2012! TYSA has strong conviction and program on how to translate the skills and values gained in the pitch to normal ordinary lives of the beneficiaries.

 Let Me Play

Learning almost came to a standstill in all the schools that we had games. Children came running to the field of play. Their eyes bright radiating enthusiasm and hope. Every play moment was highly participative.  When the bell rung for them to go back to class, they were very sad and urged us to continue at for some extra minutes. Even the children from other classes were eager to join the games.

We have crossed the border and heading to Mbale. Thanks you for everything. Your work is truly inspiring. Talk soon. Sara and Katy

Dear.

Warm greetings from TYSA.We hope this email finds you well and in good health.

An organization that started 10 years ago as Self Help Group then to a Community Based Organization has now been transformed into an NGO. TYSA is currently undergoing a significant moment in its history. We are developing our next 5 year strategic plan. We are preparing to remain relevant as we reach out to larger and diverse audience.

You have travelled with us in this journey over the years. You know us and you have interacted with us in one way or the either. You have meet our staff, you donated to to our projects and or participated in our programs and we believe you understand us

We are now inviting you to join us in making our next 5 year strategic plan truly strategic and inspirational one. A strategic plan that will propel TYSA into the next level and still remain relevant to its Vision and Mission. Your broad, strategic experience will enrich this strategic plan by  your new perspective.

Please feel free to tear this Strategic Plan into pieces and it will be our responsibility to put them together again and come out with an enriched plan that will serve the organization and its beneficiaries. Your critical analysis is highly welcome.

We want to thank you in advance for taking time to input into this strategic plan that will transform TYSA into a more relevant organization in the 21^st century.

It’s our desire to receive your feedback by Tuesday 12th of February 2013 so that we incorporate it in the final draft which we shall share with you.

Looking forward to your unwavering support

Gichuki Francis

TYSA Executive Director

• TYSA NEW STRATEGIC PLAN (DOC)

New Year Post Card
Dear TYSA friend

At TYSA we are proud to serve over 5,000 children by providing safe and inclusive play across the Trans Nzoia County. Everywhere children depend on TYSA coaches, football facilities to have safe and productive play sessions and our education scholarships. They're also learning more than just physical skills; they learn life skills such as team building skills, cooperation and problem solving skills an dcomputer skills. Our highly motivational and inspirational exchange learning is popular among the children and youth

Your contribution to TYSA ensures that these children continue to receive these daily life lessons. As you decide your year end contributions please consider making a donation to TYSA today. The more than 5,000 children will thank you.

And remember for only $186 you can sponsor one child for an entire year to receive education, life skills, and play.

Thanks for your continued support. We wish you and your family happy holidays

We are getting great testimonies from benefiociaries of our project.Today, we are hearing from George:

Am  George  ‘Beckham’  from  TYSA  am privileged to  have attended a computer class  from  last year  2011 December  and these are some of the things we learnt from the training printing, typing,  Microsoft word  .I also learnt internet especially on how to browse/chat with friend and Google information and communicate with different people  from different part of the world an dyou can follow me on  http://www.facebook.com/george.waweru

The training has also helped me utilized my time in doing constructive work apart from being idle. It has really me since I don’t pay anything for getting these computer skills which I cannot get them in the school whereby we don’t have computers there. Many youth do not take the training when they are still in school so this is a privilege that TYSA as offered to me. In my school most students do not have any idea about computer

I do thank TYSA for the opportunity and I expect when I complete the training I will be privileged since I will be one of the few people who are computer literate in our community hence acquiring job will be easier.

Am  Mss Mong’are Morent, 19 years old , a 2011  form four secondary school leaver .Am now studying computer in TYSA Resource center as I wait to join university soon. It is now one month since I started studying computer.For the last one month I have learned typing, Microsoft word, Microsoft publisher and printing. Apart from getting computer skills am also learning life skills from the organization. These skills am getting will help me to pursue my dream as journalist in future.I thank TYSA for offering me this opportunity to study computer free. Am very grateful.

We at TYSA are committed to offering life skills that are essential to the current 21st century life. Computer literacy especially for rural children and youth is giving them competitive edge in the job market. The youth are now getting connected and even before they join colleges and universities, they are computer literate.

We are grateful that you choose to support this project that is reaching out to the rural community in Kenya. We invite you to join us in this endeavor to offer more opportunities to the children and youth.