Safe babycare for single mums in the Nairobi slums

http://youtu.be/hviReRkKhgA

Second Report from Tiba about Joy Babycare

We give our thanks for all the changes we have been able to make at Joy Babycare, thanks to the generosity of our Global Giving donors.

We have been able to transform what was rather a dark, cold and unattractive environment, into a bright, warm and friendly one.

First, we needed to repair the building, putting in new windows, mending the ceiling and walls, building a new door and upgrading the electricity.

It is now very colorful; we have chosen lovely bright colors to both stimulate and soothe the babies and have installed new tables and chairs and sleeping areas.

More space has been created; the room is now well lit and ventilated. Most importantly, the babies seem to be happy, safe and active.

Because the environment is more welcoming, we are finding that the mums are calling in to help the care giver and in turn are able to receive support themselves. They are very happy with all the changes that are being made. The caregiver in turn feels more proud ofher work and her part in the development of the project.

The children begin to arrive from 8 am-9 am and can stay until 6 pm if necessary. We have a mix of free play, outdoor play, art and craft, music and movement, singing and relaxation. The babies have a two-hour rest after their lunch. It is important that they have a good meal with us because the mums often find ita struggle getting food for them each day.

We have invested in a second hand microwave so we can heat up food to feed the babies. We also have bought a second-hand dvd player so the children can watch educational programmes and cartoons.

Please see the slide show we made while we were undertaking all the structural work, decorating and installing the new equipment.

Now we have the infrastructure right, we are now ready for the second phase of our project. We now need money to buy educational toys and play equipment, to provide health checks and to pay our carer ,to buy food for the babies and fund support work with the parents and to buy water filter and to pay project development worker until the project can be self financing.

We need another 3000 US dollars (1787 UK pounds) pound to complete this project. Please dig into your pockets and help us complete this important project.

Thank you very much for supporting our work,
Yours truly
Daniel Marungu, Chief Executive Officer
Lillian Omwenga , Project Development Worker

Finds bellow Andria Falk ; Tiba’s European Patron:
when I visited Nairobi last year, I recognized how important this project is; I also felt strongly that the mums and babies needed more: the babies needed an environment where they would feel safe, be able to be well cared for and also be
Stimulated. The mums also needed support. So to see this project develop and grow is very exciting and rewarding. Please help Tiba to complete this project, become self-financing and fulfill all its aims. Thank you.

Links:

• What we have so far done at the Joy BabyCare

First report to Global Giving by Tiba Africa Foundation

On 10th February 2014, we received the first payment of donations raised through Global Giving. Thank you very much for your open hearts and great generosity. Tiba Africa Foundation is a non-profit making organization, whose aim is to motivate and inspire people from all walks of life, to find from within themselves, lasting solutions to their own challenges in life. It’s on this principle that Tiba is engaging with single mums in the slums and sub-slums of Nairobi, to find out for themselves, how best they can ease the burden of needing safe childcare so that they can increase their potential to earn money to pay for their food for the day. Most of these single mothers come from very disadvantaged backgrounds. They struggle between the need to work and the need for their baby to be properly cared for. In most cases babies are exposed to undesirable conditions. Some are carried on their mother’s backs in unfavorable weather conditions as mothers visit their work station for casual labor. Some are left with neighbors, friends or relatives who only on rare cases provide the needed attention to these babies. Some single mothers risk leaving their children at home unattended - even going to the extreme of leaving them locked up in houses. It’s for these reasons that we have formed a self-help group - Joy Baby Care, which provides safe care services; babysitting, playing, feeding, changing of napkins/clothes, cleaning etc to their children while their mums “hustle and bustle” in the city in search of money to feed themselves and their babies. All along with the help Tiba Africa Foundation , this project has been struggling to sustain itself until Andria Falk, the patron of Tiba visited and introduced us to Global Giving .We are happy to announce that through your donations, this project has won a permanent spot on Global Giving website after raising £4620 from its target of £ 9155. We are truly grateful for your support. We are using this amount to begin to implement our budget - with the greatest needs first: improving the internal setting of the facility to make it safe and cozy, equipping it with most-needed equipment like baby cots, mattresses, blankets, chairs, a table, water filters and toys. We will be seeking to increase the pay of the worker so she also can receive a reliable income. It is of utmost importance to thank our many donors. We are optimistic that the goal amount will certainly be reached! So far 75 people have kindly donated £4620 with £4535 to be raised. We are excited about the new look of JOY BABYCARE! Thank you!

Links:

• http://www.tiba-africa.com