Transform the Lives of Up to 600 Orphaned Girls

As I read this, I have before me a Newspaper article entitled, "The look of climate chnge" (see link below). In it, photojournalist Gethin Chamberlain exposes how, once again, women and girls bear the brunt of poverty and disruption. In many countries, people have worked to outlaw child marriage, and indeed it is illegal now in many countries. In Gethin's words, As harvests fail year by year, many families conclude that there is only one option left. Their daughters have to go." So child marriage is on the rise again. The family not only has one less mouth to feed, but the custom of Bride Wealth sees men pay in cattle and livestock for young brides. Some are lucky, their husbands will allow them to train for a job. But the majority, not so much. 

That is why programs such as this are imperative to educate communities and to support keeping girls in schools. WWB-Kenya have big plans for next year. In total, they will cost $181,000. Watch for more news later.

We are delighted that this quarter our report has been written and collated by Mama Florence, our in-country project manager. It is one of our aims to resource the charities we work with in devleoping countries and help them to access the skills to advocate for their causes, apply for funding and write thorough reports. 

WOMEN WITHOOUT BORDER, KENYA - MAMA FLORENCE

SEPTEMBER TO DEC 2017WITHOUT BORDERS KENYA QUARTELY REPORT FOR THE MONTH OF

INTRODUCTION

The WWBK wish to share with you what happened the previous 3 months. During this three months we have been very busy moving here and there. Though the climate conditions were not favourable. It was too cold, rainy and sometimes very hot than usual climate .This climatically change affected many people who are not used to it, as such malaria attacked them with other water bone diseases. This also has contributed to starvation in most households. The major food crop that we are used to plant during those normal seasons could not survive well resulting in food insecurity. Lack of clean drinking water.

We had so many other issues that affected our lives. Kenyan politics is very tricky It has caused us a lot of short comings, inflation, hiking prices some common commodities that we use on daily basis .As the inflation go up people demand for higher salaries and boy code their duties .For instance nurses have been on strike for the last 6 months and nothing was done .The majority of the population who suffer are women and children especially the expectant mothers. Many women died because of this problem while nobody was watching. The private hospitals used this opportunity on charging excessively, as well as doing caesarean operations so that they get more money.

Kenyan politics has left us in dilemma we have no language to express but what can we do?

BACK TO OUR PROJECT.GCEP (girl Child Empowerment program Kenya)

Over 130 Million girls are out of school worldwide while 28 million are found in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Women without borders –Kenya launched this program 2017 August 3^rd .Begun with 100 children in primary school.

Our main Goal was to enhance girl child empowerment through knowledge and skills towards sustainable Development. Fighting poverty levels through education. As much as we sent the girl to school, we have obvious basic needs she needs at home to make her comfortable in class to concentrate. She needs breakfast, she needs lunch, she needs supper, she need to be clean every day, wash her clothes, sleep well she need to brush her teeth that is daily  routine, when she gets sick she needs medication.

In the past three months we have been visiting the households talk to them to find out what else can make this children not to be in school. On top of the above issues, we noted that the school environment can also contribute. Lack of school facilities like desks, books, understaffed teachers and generally the structures, lack of latrines and water.

Type of houses: most of our households are tinned rusted made out of mud walls and mud floor, no drinking water close by .Water is fetched from river or spring wells some hours walk, No electricity, paraffin candles we call them koroboi. Food crop is maize, cassava, sweet potatoes ,bananas and cash crops are sugarcane, tobacco in some areas.

Women Without Borders Kenya would like to thank all who made this successful. The Foundation and your sponsors are appreciated very much .You have enabled us to see the main sources that contribute to girl child drop out of school.

WOMEN CAREGIVERS Enterprise

Though majority of our care givers are HIV positive, we have interviewed them how they can support their children. On the side of food security we are going to involve Ministry of Agriculture to advise how they can raise more food. We shall need to get them things like seeds and fertilizer. You can see from the picture the instructor advice how they can take care of banana plantations to increase the yield. How to improve on soil texture to increase maize production.

We have some women who knows how to design beadwork, handbags, dresses for sale .If this women can get back up on improving on this products, we can get international markets and this can improve the problems that they face in their  households. Attached please see the photos .Once the economic status has improved more children will benefit.

TESTMONY FROM HEAD TEACHER MR.TITUS OPICHO

Mr.Opicho says ‘’Report from Sirisia Bok primary school on girl child education empowerment program. Which was officially launched on 5th of August 2017.The program targets orphans and other vulnerable children, girls who had dropped out of school from one way or another. This program has attracted other children who had gone out to look for employment they want to go back to class. The Organisation has managed to support over 83 girls. The retention rate has improved and is high. The new program is attracting many children from the neighbourhood .As a school we are happy of the performance and encouragement. On behalf of the Board, teachers and parents, we really appreciate the sponsors through the sunflower foundation in collaboration with Women Without borders. May God bless you as you plan to sustain the project? TITUS W OPICHO HEAD TEACHER..

SECOND TESTMONY FROM CHILDREN LOWER CLASS VIDIEO IN KISWAHILI (Note: The children made a video but it cannot be uploaded here. Coming soon on YouTube. KP) 

With great vigour we have reached, to open our hearts and speak openly, the happiness we have. We were filled with fears, how we could learn, then mother Florence appeared, she brought the good news. She had good plans to look for us, to bring us back to school ready for education. We thank our sponsors the thought you have. You have restored our hope. May the Lord Bless you.

TESTMONY EVELYNE 

My name is Evelyne .I came to Know Mama Florence in 2004.That year I had lost my husband due to HIV/AIDs. My husband was a policeman, when he died there was a lot of stigma. The community could discriminate you. My husband relatives chased me from my home with the children. Good luck I met mama Florence by then she worked with Bungoma Family helper project (AED) Speak for child Program she really assisted me .She trained me as a mentor, whereby I used to follow up orphans in their household and advise on general hygiene and reproductive health and nutrition, medication and education, She enrolled my children on the program and now my first born is in University .She paid me some stipends every end of the month. Her program empowered most of us who were supported and am ready to follow up these children again for better performance because she impacted knowledge in us. Thank you sponsors.

FOUTH TESTIMONY NOEL 

My mother got married in Luo land very far from where we stay now. Our father died due to HIV/AID six years ago. We came back to our maternal grandmother. We stayed with my 6 siblings and my mother in our grandmothers house unfortunately my grand died left us in her old cracked house which is almost falling down. The well-wishers assisted me to complete my education. But when I reached form three I got pregnant and I have a baby girl. I want thank the Sunflower foundation through madam Florence and the Women without borders Kenya. For they have rescued us and we can see the light. Two of my sisters are on the program and myself am waiting to join college next year. The school administration had retained my results but when madam Florence gave me a letter, they issued me a result slip. Oh thank God I knew my results though I did not do well but I want to perform well because I have a sponsor. Am among those who are following up the children attendance in school. May God bless you so much. As you plan to continue your support to our community.

 BACK TO THE CHILDREN.

We thank God that you cannot be born today and you stand up on your own. We will go several other stages and you will be with us holding our hands. We have tried a lot to guide these children to accept the circumstance the way it is as we promise them in case they perform well, we shall take them out for a tour to see how other women are doing big things. The best in class to be given gifts each one of them tried to be in school unless there was sickness and we proved. However 3 children moved away with guardians and we are not sure of their where about. Still following up. We want to see how we can assist such children so that they don’t move from one place to the other.

In the next quarter we are going to recruit 200 girls in primary school plus the previous load we shall have 300 in primary school; 50 will join secondary school and 50 join college. This makes a total of 400 girls. By April we shall have reached 600. We project that by December 2018 we would have reached 1600.We would have identified 40 mentors trained ready to follow up cases and reporting being supervised by 5 social workers, 3 staffs trained in guiding and counselling.

Links:

• The Look of Climate Change
• Our website. Check back for new website coming soon.