Drama, Dance, Music, & Sport for Kisumu Youth

As usual, it has been a busy time at the Manyatta Youth Resource Centre (MYRC) in Kisumu, the third largest city in Kenya, on the shores of Lake Victoria.  Outreach and networking are always principal activities. 

Looking to expand our connections, MYRC General Manager Anthony Oballah recently met with Vincent Atyam and other members of Compassion Network for African Vulnerable Persons, a Uganda based organization focused primarily on women and children, to discuss possible partnerships and share ideas about community development.  The MYRC is always looking for new ways to create opportunities for the young people of Kisumu and learning from other established organizations helps expand our thinking.  

Focusing on health is another area the MYRC has always been involved with.  Members of Health Aid Assistance International’s Kisumu Chapter led by Dr. Sanjeev (HAAI Board Member), Madam Zainab (HAAI County Coordinator Kisumu ), MYRC General Manager Anthony Oballah (HAAI Manyatta Cohort) and Madam Judy HAAI (Volunteer) marked World Menstrual and Hygiene day at Obinju Kanyakwar Primary School in Kisumu County where they donated sanitary towels to the school girls. Living in more affluent societies, we often forget that girls in the very low-income areas of Kisumu had often, until recently, been forced to stay at home from school during their menstrual periods.  Recognizing what a disadvantage this created, organizations have stepped up in recent years to make sure girls have menstrual supplies when they need them.  The MYRC has been participating in these efforts for many years and we continue with our focus to make sure girls have what they need to get on with their lives.

It is disturbing to discover that Ringworm has emerged as a significant issue within our community, particularly impacting children aged 2 to 12 years old. Its transmission primarily occurs through direct contact or the sharing of bedding and towels.  In early May, MYRC GM Oballah met with community health worker Sharon Laventer and Dr. Pule Nicholas, a dermatologist.  They discussed the path forward in managing this fungal infection. To contain this emerging threat, we are eager to establish a community dermatology initiative in the region.  According to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), antifungal medications for ringworm come in the form of creams, ointments, lotions, powders, and pills. Some forms of ringworm can be treated with non-prescription (over-the-counter) antifungal medications. But some ringworm infections may need to be treated with prescription antifungal medications.  It will be important to get ahead of this emerging situation to limit the spread of this disease in the Manyatta community, and this meeting was a first step.

We were happy to hear that GM Oballah had been invited to attend the 2025 Camp Toyoyo, being held in July this year in Atlanta, Georgia.  Camp Toyoyo is an organization founded by Kenyan football stars to bring together football coaches in Kenya with those in the United States who come from a Kenyan background.  The location rotates around US cities. It’s a coaching skills camp that benefits the coaches and the young people they teach.  It also provides a networking opportunity for Kenyans like those involved with the MYRC to connect with those in the US who might wish to assist with their organization’s mission.  Knowing how effective the MYRC has been in bringing up talented footballers, the Camp Toyoyo organization had offered to pay Oballah’s expenses to attend.  This was a perfect opportunity as we at Equip Manyatta, the principal funders of the MYRC, are actively searching for new partners who can assume some of the financial burden of keeping the MYRC and its many vibrant programs going.  Oballah paid the $200 US Visa application fee, scheduled the interview appointment in Nairobi, and set out for the interview.  Equip Manyatta provided him a detailed letter of support for the application, noting that Oballah is a leader in his community of a thriving well-established organization.  So, it was beyond disappointing for Oballah, and for us at Equip Manyatta, to be informed that the visa application had been denied!  Reason? “You have not demonstrated that you have ties that will compel you to return to your home country after your travel to the United States.”   

For the foreseeable future, it's pretty clear that those who care about the lives of ordinary human beings will be relying on other like-minded people and groups for assistance.   You are among those who have helped the Manyatta Youth Resource Centre be the multi-faceted community institution it has become.  Thank you so much!  Your continued support for Equip Manyatta is now more vital than ever.  Best regards to you and those close to you.  Take care!