Give Me Another Chance

Feedback from Andria's Falk's
second visit to Nairobi
to finalise the closure of
Tiba Africa Foundation

February/March 2019

 

Visitting the Tiba  projects was my first priority when I arrived in Nairobi
 

Vincent Oloo was quick to  offer to show me around.  As  Consultant to the Tiba Board  and former colleague of  the Late Daniel Marungu he was the perfect guide

 Joy Baby Care  

  We found that Joy Baby Care was flourishing:  in the safe hands of  Mrs. Elizabeth MBati, Head Teacher of Alpha Glory School and the lovely  carer, Wilkister Khamadi, now back from maternity leave

Abundance School
 

It was great to catch up with the children and teachers again - though  a  big shock to find the landlord is constructing houses on the playground.

Head teacher, Fred Chavulimo is very keen to find new premises and to build on what he and Daniel have achieved

It was wonderful to be able to  allocate the final outstanding donations  from GlobalGiving donors ($ 1,900) to the Tiba projects

Joy Baby Care: we were able to allocate money  for a further  5 months enhanced salary for the care giver, a new microwave and new potties and emergency nappies


Abundance School:   we  were able to pay for the final batch of new curriculum text books, rent for  the Easter holiday, money to set up  as a self-help group,  exercise books and a first aid kit


Give Me Another Chance AIDS/HIV  Project:   we paid for sponsored places on a public workshop and two designated workshops

And we were able to put $475 aside for admin costs  linked to the closure of  Tiba,  with left-over monies to be shared between the projects.

Planning for the future of the Tiba Projects

I  was very moved by the enormous concern and  determination  I found to continue Abundance School and Joy Babycare without the support of Tiba.   Teacher Fred, head teacher of Abundance School  has decided to  set  it up as a 'self-help group',   - a formal organisation with legal status that can fundraise independently.    They plan to  fundraise for a new school building, that is desperately needed. 

Joy Babycare has the resources to run independently for  another 5 months and  Mrs. MBati advises they  will  also need to  fundraise to ensure its future.  

Both these projects are very important to the local community and families that they support.

Vincent Oloo and his breathwork colleagues are also  highly motivated  to  continue to support the 'Give Me Another Chance' project in the short term, and have a further workshop planned  to take place at the end of May.  

Meanwhile, Vincent  has begun to plan for and dream about a new retreat and healing centre in the countryside!

.... let's  envision  the highest good and outcome for   these projects, enabling a strong base, to  build on  Daniel's work.

All the projects will be represented at a GlobalGiving training day  for new projects to learn  fundraising skills, to be held on May 17th in Nairobi. 

 
 

A Huge Thank You 

to everyone  in Kenya and from around the world who supported me at what has been a challenging time for everyone.    To name some of them:  Lillian Omwenga, wife of the Late Daniel Marungu, and  Vincent Oloo and his wife  Ruth for their support, love and hospitality;  to my colleagues in Tiba Africa Support, Sue Geary, Morag Wylie, Julie Ann Horrox , and especially Ange  Leake (who  patiently put up with many late-night phone calls and texts);  to Judith Kravitz, Director of the Transformational Breath Foundation and the Officers of TBF-UK who  believed in the importance of Tiba and  who supported me financially  during my second visit to Kenya;  to  the staff of GlobalGiving, especially Eleanor Harrison, its former London-based CEO, whose professional advice and knowledge of Kenyan non-profit regulations was second-to-none; to the GlobalGiving donors who generously donated to support the projects into the future;   to the Members and Executive of the IBF for their heart-centred concern for Tiba;  to the Tiba Sub-group  who painstakingly  visited and supplied extra information about the projects:  Elizabeth MBati, Stanley N'juguna, and Vincent Oloo;  to the Sisters and staff at Tumaini Centre for their nurturing  care and amazing  admin support;  and especially  to the Chairman,  Rajab Saidi, and  the Board and Consultants  of Tiba Africa Foundation, whose patience and clarity helped us make difficult   decisions in a very short space of time. And. of course, to the Late Daniel Marungu, whose friendship I treasured and whose inspiration and unique vision was an example to all of us. 

Please contact Andria Falk on andriafalk@blueyonder.co.uk if you would like more information  concerning the closure of Tiba Africa Foundation  or about the future of its projects

We have now completed  our review of Tiba  Africa Foundation following the sudden death of Daniel Marungu, our Chief Executive. After looking at Tiba’s records, and consulting widely, including with GlobalGiving UK, we are recommending to the Tiba Board that it be closed down in its current form. Because  Daniel Marungu  had his own particular way of doing things, we feel that it will be very difficult for the Tiba Board  to continue without his input. However, since each Tiba project has its own community and different needs, we are recommending that people on the ground with an interest in each project may wish to set up a self-help group to support it and fundraise for it in the future. We will let you know the outcome of this once the Board has met and decisions have been taken. We are assured by GlobalGiving that each project will be eligible  to apply to it in its own right. 

Report to  Global Giving Donors of Tiba Africa Foundation

Give Me Another Chance

Joy Baby Care

Abundance School

This is a poignant time in the life of Tiba Africa Foundation – just three months since the sudden death of our CEO Daniel Marungu. 

The last two Christmases we have focussed on Christmas campaigns championing  the needs of the children at Abundance School:  in January 2017 when the children returned to school  they were each presented with a school bag, pens and paper, thanks to our generous donors;  last Christmas we fundraised to bring more creativity into the school – in line with the Kenyan Government’s new curriculum plans.  Daniel and Teacher Fred launched this in the summer term when all 80 children were able to visit art and craft workshops and take part in drumming, singing, pottery and other crafts.  The rest of the money raised in this campaign has been allocated to bring an artist into school once a month so the children can learn from experts.

 Following Daniel’s death, the Board has wanted to remain true to Tiba’s ideals, although not currently actively fundraising.  From our reserves, we have voted  this Christmas to provide text books for the whole of Abundance  School to meet the new curriculum requirements starting in January 2019. This has required us buying 5 copies for each of our 5 classes of English, Mathematics, Environment, Hygiene and Creativity Books.

The  Tiba Board has also considered the needs of Joy Baby Care based at Alpha Glory School.   In the absence of Daniel, the Head teacher, Mrs. Elizabeth MBati, has generously become one of three new consultants to the Board and she and her staff have taken over responsibility for managing Joy Baby Care on behalf of Tiba.  On Mrs. MBati’s advice, the Board has allocated  money to raise the pay of the care giver  from 3000 to 5000 Kenyan Shillings for six months to ensure stability and to enable it to become self-supporting.  Mrs. MBati reports that this has definitely raised the morale of the caregiver.

The Board is also committing to supporting  a Tiba ‘Give Me Another Chance‘ project organised by  Tiba Breath Ambassador and Vice Chair, Bwana Juma in Machakos County.   Tiba has been asked to provide T shirts for 50 participants in a marathon to advertise the need for young people to be mindful of the need to practice safe sex and to hold a meeting afterwards for young people to alert them to the issues.  Bwana Juma has asked if Tiba can pay for the T-shirts. Because Tiba doesn’t have the funds to pay for this we have used the last of the money held in the UK that had been fundraised for Daniel’s medical care.  We think this is a fitting tribute to Daniel and a good use of the last of the money.

So why isn’t Tiba actively fundraising this Christmas?  Following the tragic death of Daniel, the Board has come together to find a way forward.  We are liaising with Global Giving to see if we have the necessary resilience and skills to continue and build on Daniel’s work.   Because we found that Daniel had largely been working independently, it is taking us some time to unravel how Tiba has been run and how to proceed.  We will let you know the outcome of our decisions as soon as we can.  As well as support from  Global Giving and our other donor organisations we are pleased to advise that we are benefitting from advice and support from Vincent Oloo, the International Breathwork Foundation’s  National Coordinator for Kenya, Eunice Obenjo, IBF Member and accountant and Mrs. MBati, Alpha Glory School.

We send you greetings and love for Christmas and the New Year.  Please send love and light to Daniel’s family and friends at this time and everyone within the orbit of Tiba Africa Foundation. 

Thank you for your generous support to Tiba Africa Foundation.

Dear Friends of Tiba,

It is with great sadness that I need to be sharing with you news of Daniel
Marungu, our Chief Executive. As you may know, Daniel was diagnosed with
liver cancer just two months ago. He was optimistic that he would be able
to beat this, but this wasn’t to be, and he passed away suddenly at the
weekend.

Everyone that knew Daniel was aware of the huge heart and vision that he
had for his community, especially the children and people who were
struggling.

As a donor to Tiba via GlobalGiving, you will know better than many people
of some of the great work he has been doing over many years. He leaves a
strong legacy that we need to build on.

Please join me in sending love to Daniel’s family, especially his wife
Lillian and children, and his friends and colleagues.

We will keep you posted about Tiba’s projects as soon as possible.

Dear Donor

Thank you so much for your valuable support to our Give Me Another Chance project.  I am unusually writing this on behalf of Daniel Marungu, Chief Exec of Tiba Africa Foundation whose inspiration and ongoing passion created this very successful project. Daniel is currently rather unwell and receiving treatment at a Government hospital at Eldoret, 300 km from Nairobi where there is currently no internet connection.  The breath ambassadors are doing such a great job supporting people  in the community who are struggling with their AIDS/HIV status that he's not worried about leaving them for a while. Even while he is ill, he is thinking of their needs and arranging to buy lap tops and mobile phones so they can keep in touch with each other and their community more easily.   He is also looking at ways of expanding this project and training more ambassadors - more about this when Daniel is back on his feet.  Daniel and the whole Board of Tiba are very proud of this project and how they are striving to overcome stigma and discrimination which distorts people's understanding and ability to seek help.   I will never forget when I visited Nairobi how the Vice Chair of Tiba stood up in a public meeting  and announced very movingly  and bravely his own family's personal  situation with regard to AIDS.  This was the core seed that has kept Tiba motivated and focussed  in undertaking this challenging work.

Thank you for your love and on-going  support

Andria Falk

European Patron of Tiba Africa Foundation and Secretary of Tiba Africa Support

(If you would like to follow Daniel's healing journey  or support his medical bills please key in 'Daniel Marungu' on the  on-line fundraising website Go Fund Me).