Training in HIV/AIDS for 40 girls in Kilifi

We are grateful for all the kind messages of concern we have received from our supporters around the world. We are greatly saddened and upset by the destruction of this beautiful country, sparked by the flawed election on 27th December 2007. The majority of Kenyans live in poverty but the country is ruled by a very rich political elite, who have governed with impunity. There is an old saying that when two elephants fight it is the grass that gets trampled on. Those elephants (Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga) are now watching the grass fight back against itself as poor Kenyans kill each other. Millions are living in fear and the hatred and anger it has unleashed will take many years to heal.

We are fortunate in Kilifi (on the coast) to have been spared any violence so far. However the economic costs will be high as tourism was the mainstay of the economy and people who work in hotels (even permanent staff) are now being laid off.

It is difficult to work in such trying and sad circumstances but in MTG we are building the leaders of tomorrow who we hope will be compassionate and think about every Kenyan in development, regardless of where they were born. We collected clothes, sanitary pads, blankets, food etc which we took to the Red Cross for people in the displaced camps. Bear in mind these things came from poor rural girls, whose families often survive on less than a dollar a day. But they came in their droves with small bags to help out their Kenyan sisters and brothers who are suffering so much. Such actions matter when it comes to healing the nation.

Although the future is still uncertain in Kenya we have not significantly changed our activities for 2008. We will continue to promote equality and health in the hope of contributing to the development of a better future.

Sarah Sarah Forde Owuor Director, Monitoring, Evaluation and Research Moving the Goalposts Box 605 Kilifi 80108 Kenya Tel: + 254 722 630056 Email: sarahforde_owuor@yahoo.com Website: http://mtgk.org

• MTG Annual Report 2007 for GG.doc (DOC)

August was a very busy month for Moving the Goalposts with a Sports and Leadership camp for over a hundred teenage girls. Courses were run on coaching skills, refereeing, first aid and other sessions were carried out by peer educators on HIV/AIDS and reproductive health and rights. The girls who were trained will now go back to run their own teams and football leagues in the remote rural areas of Kilifi district. MTGK thanks all its current donors, Safaricom Foundation, Ford Foundation, Alistair Berkley Trust, UK Sport and Mama Cash for supporting the camp.

In July MTGK’s 14 year old Mbeyu Akida (pictured above while training at the August camp) was selected to represent Kenya at the All Africa Games in Algiers. She was chosen as one of only two young sport stars from Kenya to participate in a youth forum at the Games. Hongera (Kiswahili: Congratulations!) Mbeyu!

Also in August , 10 young leaders from MTGK completed a counseling training course with the Kenya Association of Professional Counselors. They will now provide counseling services for all girls in the organization.

At the end of August the MTGK United girls’ football team won the provincial tournament at the Mombasa Show in front of a crowd of over 3,000 people. They were featured on National TV.

Please look out for our next update and check out our website at mtgk.org, which has recently had more information added to it.