SHOFCO Mother's Day Matching Challenge

Last month, we enrolled 40 new pre-Kindergarten students at the Kibera School for Girls (KSG), and the joy is palpable. The new students are thriving with the care of KSG's amazing teaching staff, daily nutritious meals, and world-class curriculum. 

We're proud to share this recent feature in Nairobi's Daily Nation, Kenya's leading newspaper, about Kennedy Odede and the momentum of our work-- read it here!

Today, we are celebrating your support, generosity, and dedication to making so much possible. Thank you for being a part of our movement! We're proud to share with you a few examples of our 3^rd grade students’ writing about pollution, below. This is from our cross-curricular emphasis on “science writing.” 

Studying Environmental Pollution in Kibera 

The Dust That Spoils Our Rivers and Food We Eat

by Velma, 3^rd grade student

Dear People,

I want to say that the factories must not throw things in our rivers. Because if we want to drink water, where will we get the water?

We must take care of ourselves and be careful. Please ensure nobody drinks the water in the drains, because we will get diseases and we will get malaria.  We must be careful with what we are eating. If we eat without washing our hands we will have germs in our bodies. We must be sure with what we are eating because the white cells in our bodies will get tired and stop working in our bodies. If we get water from the rivers we must boil it first or filtering it and putting water guard.

We must ensure we wash our hands before eating and after eating. Being clean is the best and you will always go far if you are always clean. We must be always be clean because if you are not clean who will love you and who will even eat in your house or come to your house?

If we don’t take care of our country, who will take care? Don’t sit waiting. Stand up and start making our world beautiful. And make the rivers beautiful and the roads and keep everything full of cleanliness. Don’t just sit and wait to be told. I know all of us together can make our world beautiful.

Thank you.

Let’s Protect the Soil in Kibera

by Lorna, Grade 3

Here in Kibera, people are polluting the soil. Other people are putting rubbish in soil so that we can’t grow our crops. We must take care of our houses also and keep them clean. We are now big people we should maintain good hygiene. If we pollute the soil, the plans wouldn’t grow well. We must not put bad things in soil because it can bring diseases. We must not put rubbish, diapers, and other torn clothes that are not useful. We must care for the plants as they are also caring for us. The seeds are being planted in soil so that we can get more plants. To make your garden beautiful we must need soil so that we can get flowers and the petals will make your garden colorful. That’s how we cannot pollute the soil. I am begging the people of Kibera to not do what is wrong. Do what is right as I have said. And I hope you have listened.

Links:

• Kenya's Daily Nation feature on Kennedy Odede

Thank you for your generous support and involvement in our movement!  

Right now, we need you to help Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO) win the Girl Effect Challenge by Nov. 30th! Donate $10 and you'll bring us one vote closer to winning the Challenge-- and an additional $25k for SHOFCO's work changing the lives of girls and their families in Kibera! 

Donate $10 today to help SHOFCO win $25k in support of girls in Kibera! 

Please consider telling your friends and family about this opportunity to make a difference - share the link on your blogs or social networks, use the tell-a-friend feature on the project page to email your network, or just bring us up in conversation. You know your friends and family best- share with them why you chose to support SHOFCO and what it means to you.

Thank you for being a part of change! We're proud to share with you this story from Kibera, where your investment in women and girls is having an exponential impact on the entire community: 

 “With Knowledge We Are Powerful”

by Akinyi, SHOFCO Youth Empowerment Program

I was born in Kibera and have experienced so much living here.  Since I was a child I remember looking at my parents and thinking that I wanted to do something good to help my family get out of this place.  I always wanted to help those around me. Sometimes when I hear what others have gone through here, I no longer think I have a sad story to tell. 

When I finished going as far as my family could afford in school, I joined SHOFCO’s youth group.  I love the theatre department and being a reporter for the Kibera Mirror. Through theatre, we get to know each other’s ideas and opinions—it keeps us focused and away from things that can ruin our lives.  I am learning leadership.  With my new skills, I try to empower other youths to get involved so they can gain as I have.  

At SHOFCO, I have become a Youth Peer Educator.  Now I talk to other youth about family planning, protecting ourselves, safe sex, respect, and how to navigate challenges.  Other youth consult with me, and people even seek me out at home. It is amazing because I can see that people respect me.  My dream is to educate young people across all of the slums in Nairobi to empower girls and prevent early pregnancy and HIV. 

The biggest challenge the youth face in the slums is ignorance—without information your life is not your own.  I write for the Kibera Mirror to empower the community with information about things that impact them.  Last month I wrote about untrained midwives and the consequences of giving birth at home. I write because I know I can save lives.  Many women have told me they come to our clinic because they read my articles.  I do my work with all the passion that I have.  Now I can provide for myself, without my parents’ help because of my job with SHOFCO.  I know many girls like to ignore things, and don’t have information that can keep them safe.  When you give them information, they also give others—and then we can stand together to make a better future.  

Links:

• Nicholas Kristof and actress Olivia Wilde visit SHOFCO!
• SHOFCO on People.com
• Give $10 to help us win the Girl Effect Challenge!