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Masai

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Successful Parents’ Meeting in Iloshon – WeCare-Association in Focus

Visit to Iloshon in July 2023: Successful parent meeting and positive developments

In Iloshon, a small Masai community in the Kajiado District, a successful parents’ meeting recently took place. The newly arrived school principal Mr. James invited Agnes Gitonga, a member of the WeCare Association, to this important meeting for the first time. The meeting was held in English and covered various topics including the work of the WeCare Association, the issues of FGM and teenage pregnancy, and girls’ achievement. In addition, challenges such as increased food prices and the need for a printer for the school were discussed.

WeCare Association takes action against FGM and teenage pregnancies

Members of the parents’ meeting were extremely positive about the work of the WeCare Association. In particular, the issues of FGM (female genital mutilation) and teenage pregnancies were discussed in depth. The meeting agreed that these problems must be fought to give girls a better future.

New demands for the program and rising food prices.

Another topic discussed at the meeting was the girls’ ability to perform, which is required to be accepted into the school’s program. It was decided that new girls must have both a certain level of achievement and come from very poor backgrounds. In addition, due to the sharp increase in food prices, an increase in the cost of staying at the Nasaru dormitory was discussed. This issue will likely lead to further discussion in the future.

Higher administrative costs require a printer

Due to the newly introduced curriculum of the Kenyan government, the school needs a printer to cope with the increased administrative workload. This was addressed by the school administration during the meeting and will be implemented in the near future.

Chief Petro as elected representative against FGM and teenage pregnancies

Chief Petro, the elected representative of the community, also spoke out against FGM and teenage pregnancies. His presence at the parent meeting underscores the importance of these issues to the community.

Repair of the entrance gate and completion of the fence

The entrance gate to the school was destroyed by elephants in search of water. The school is now planning to repair the gate with the help of the community. Another issue was the fence, which is still not completed. The needed material is already on site and the meeting decided to mobilize some men to finish the fence.

Appreciation of teachers and maintenance work

Parents expressed their displeasure that teachers receive useful gifts such as rice and ugali flour during visits to Iloshon. However, Agnes Gitonga was able to explain that this appreciation to teachers is done for the benefit of their children. In addition, positive developments were mentioned regarding the maintenance work on the drainage pipes of the toilets and the orderliness in the rooms of the dormitory.

Installation of a rain gutter planned

During the construction of the dormitory, the installation of a rain gutter was omitted, which leads to stagnation of water in the courtyard when it rains and does not collect the valuable water. To solve this problem, it is planned to meet the two companies that offer rain gutters during a next visit to Kenya at the end of October 2023. There, the possibilities and costs for the installation of a rain gutter will be discussed.

The water is stagnating in the patio of the Nasaru dormitory

In conclusion, the visit to Iloshon was extremely positive. The parent meeting was successful and important issues such as FGM, teenage pregnancies and girls’ performance were discussed. The WeCare Association is actively campaigning against these issues. In addition, challenges such as increased food prices and the need for a printer for the school were addressed. Repairing the entrance gate and finishing the fence are other projects being worked on. Teacher appreciation and positive developments in terms of maintenance work are also worth mentioning. In the future, the installation of a rain gutter is planned to solve the problem of water logging.
The visit to Iloshon shows that the community is engaged and driving positive change. The WeCare Association plays an important role in this and is committed to the education and well-being of the girls. With further support and collaboration, even more positive developments can be achieved in Iloshon.

Africa Empowerment FGM Kenya Nasaru Learning Center Water

Don’t miss these exciting news from KenyaFeatured

News from the first six months 2023

We are currently working in Kenya in three different schools that are facing different challenges and problems. The new semester started in all three schools on 03 July 2023.

REHOBOTH SCHOOL

Since the beginning of 2023 we have been supporting the Rehoboth School. This school is located in Kitengela Noonkopir, the largest slum in the Kajiado District, right next to a dumping site, the “workplace” of many of the students’ parents. The school was founded by Jane Gitonga, a mother of five, in 2014 with the aim of giving poor children from the area the opportunity to attend school. Rehoboth is a public school and unlike Europe, in Kenya public schools are for the poorest of the poor as they do not have to pay school fees. The stories of the students are similar and are mostly of sexual and domestic violence, HIV, and abject poverty. Before Covid, the school had about 170 students, most of whom were financed through sponsorships. One consequence of the pandemic is that the school lost many its sponsors. As a result, teachers’ salaries could no longer be guaranteed, and some left the school. A considerable rent arrears accumulated, and the landlord was already threatening to kick them out. The number of students had dropped to 90 as the school had to ask for support from parents who could not afford it.
In this emergency, the WeCare Association decided to take over the school’s fixed costs as of January 2023. The children now receive three meals a day, 7 days a week. In the last month alone, 20 new students joined the school, and the total number of students is now 170 again. The number of daily cases of illness has decreased due to the improved nutritional situation of the children. Since there is no caning in this school (a practice that is officially banned in Kenya but is nevertheless common in many schools), the children like to come to school because they not only get food there but also have a haven. As the pupils are also provided with school materials and uniforms due to our donation, the cooperation with the parents has improved massively. The motivation of the teachers has increased, as they no longer must fear waiting for months for their salaries. It was also possible to increase the number of teachers from seven to eleven, which has a direct impact on the quality of teaching and all school subjects can now be taught.

Iloshon

We visited Iloshon four times in the first semester of 2023, but in April 2023 the visit ended halfway due to a closed road. The “normal” road, on which we have also visited the school in Iloshon several times, had been closed by the landowner due to disputes with the local population. This had a dramatic effect on the primary school in Iloshon, which is attended by 430 pupils. The teachers did not come to school, the pupils also had problems in some cases and of course our aid delivery also had to be picked up halfway by the pupils, as the alternative route was not passable. We contacted the local authorities, but unfortunately the mills grind very slowly in Kenya. The government is working on finalising the new route. Just for understanding: It is not about road construction in our sense, but the roughest stones are being removed to create a “road”.
In addition, Iloshon has a new school headmaster named Mr. James. According to Agnes Gitonga, he is an older Masai, but very open. He has promised to motivate parents in terms of having their girls attend the Nasaru Learning Centre.
We also organized and carried out the long-needed renovation of the drainage pipes and connection of the washbasins in the “bathrooms” of Nasaru through the vice-director Purity. This was urgently needed as the drainage pipes in the outdoor toilets had holes in them, causing a massive health problem.
There is also good news from the sewing studio: the sewing teacher Lilian has managed to sell some bags. We are not sure if these sales were profitable. But it is a very good start. However, Lilian is currently pregnant again and will soon stop working. We will try to find an acceptable interim solution.

Mperrishi

We visited Mperrishi four times in the first half of 2023. According to the budget, only three visits were planned for this period, but we were able to win a sponsor for an additional 10 girls from Mperrishi. The donation now covers the higher frequency of visits that has become necessary as a result, which will of course also benefit the girls already supported.
There has also been a change in the school management in Mperrishi: Mr. Immanuel has been replaced by Mr. Reuben. In addition, the number of teachers has been increased to a total of 9, which will have a positive effect on the learning success of the students.
Another positive development is the arrival of a young Masai teacher named Charity, who can act as a role model for the girls.

You can download the entire Half Year Report 2023 here:

We see progress in many areas and are convinced that we are on the right track.

Thank you for supporting us on this journey!

For regular updates, please follow us on social media:Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/femmes_des_rizieres
https://www.instagram.com/wecareassociation
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/femmesdesrizieres
https://www.facebook.com/WeCareAssociation
And of course, on our websites:
www.wecare-association.ch
www.femmes-des-rizieres.com

Have a wonderful summer 2023!

Africa FGM Water

Mperrishi – a godforsaken village?

Mpirrishi Primary School is located in Kajiado County, Keekonyokie Central, Kisamis Zone, about 90 km southwest of Nairobi and about 20 km from Oltepesi Trading Centre.

There are currently 217 students enrolled, 107 girls and 110 boys. Enclosed is the number of students per class:

ClassGirlsBoysTotal
Pre-Primary 1201535
Pre-Primary 2332154
Grade 1152035
Grade 2101121
Grade 314721
Grade 46713
Grade 511112
Grade 64610
Grade 75611
Grade 8235
Total 110107217
Number of students Mperrishi Primary School 2022

Several conclusions can be drawn from the student numbers. From the 4th grade on, the number of girls per class decreases dramatically. The reason for this is called FGM (Female Genital Mutilation), the girls are mutilated and thus considered women and marriageable. Also, from about 10 years on, the number of students also decreases, as they are then old enough to take care of them.

The absentee rate is high. There are several reasons for this:

1. illnesses especially with smaller children

2. necessity to look after the animals of the parents, especially in times of drought

3. distance from school

4. lack of food in the family

The water supply of the school depends on the rainfall. Due to the drought that has now lasted for more than four years, the parents have to pay for it. However, since the parents are already burdened by the death of their animals and the ongoing famine, it is almost an impossibility for them.

There is no aid program for the Mperrishi Primary School so that the children can get something to eat at school. Students arrive at school hungry after a long walk to school without breakfast. Hungry, thirsty and tired, they are then almost unable to attend classes.

Many students also do not come to school at all now because they are looking for a plant whose seeds are eaten by goats and the bitter tasting plant is chewed by people against thirst.

Since 2021, the WeCare-Association has been a regular visitor to Mperrishi. We have repaired one of the two existing water tanks there and purchased two more 5,000-liter tanks. Since the beginning of 2023, the school has been supplied with 20,000 liters of water per month. Since we have been regularly supplying water and food to the school, the number of students who regularly attend the school has increased. 

These are members of the Maasai tribe, who are traditionally herders and live from cattle breeding. A large proportion of them are women and children, as the Maasai still live polygamously. Men marry up to 10 women and there is no form of birth control. There are about 500 bomas (mud huts) there.

There is no medical care in Mperrishi. The nearest health center is 20 km away.

The nearest shopping opportunity is also a three-hour walk (one way!) away.

We are currently the only organization that comes regularly to bring water and food and to do education about FGM.

During our visit in November 2022 we noticed the desolate condition of the school. The classrooms are made of corrugated iron that heats up under the sun. They are in terrible condition and snakes are often encountered in the classes and ants build their piles there during the vacations. Termites eat the textbooks.

The long arduous journey to school, hunger and thirst also have a negative impact on the performance of the students. Enclosed is the overview of the performance of the six oldest girls from grades 7 and 8 supported by us. The last three girls have been attending secondary school since the beginning of February 2023, where they also live. We are sure that this will have a positive impact on the girls’ school performance.

NameTerm 1/22Term 2/22Term 3/22Development Term 3/Term 2 (in %)
L. Florence289285267-6
L. Emily282249231-7
Y. Victoria247237229-3
S. Rhodah291257239-7
N. Emily283283256-10
S. Abigail 302268221-18
Old grading system, maximum points is 500

Unfortunately, the picture is similar for the girls in the lower classes. The grading here is done according to a new system, since in Kenya a change of the curriculum and thus also of the grading system is currently underway.

NameTerm 1/22Term 2/22Term 3/22
S. Lilian231818
S. Sylvia312728
T. Rose3126not available
K. Joy2724not available
L. Susan242223
S. Purity777
New grading system, maximum points is 50

Rose and Joy attended 6th grade last school year and their results are not yet available due to the system change.

Purity’s poor performance is due to her almost complete blindness. We have also already discussed her case with several ophthalmologists in Switzerland. She would need a corneal transplant to be able to see again. Unfortunately, given Purity’s circumstances, this is not possible.

Purity eye of Purity Her vision is unfortunately very poor!

We are currently clarifying with Agnes Gitonga whether there is a perspective for Purity somewhere.

Of all three schools we had visited on our trip to Kenya, Mperrishi is really the worst off. It is imperative that we secure a water supply for 2023.  This is not a final solution to the problem, but at least for now it is a viable solution. The presence of water in the school is also a strong motivating factor for parents to send their children to school.

The water deliveries and the support of the girls through the WeCare Association should encourage the other girls and the whole population to renounce FGM. During our visit, we had contact with the circumciser, who also acts as a midwife. We brought her disinfectant, disposable gloves and disposable blades for births and held out the prospect that we would take over the education of her youngest daughter in return for her no longer performing mutilations.

We are looking for sponsors for a well project for Mperrishi, in order to be able to secure the permanent water supply for the nearly 5,000 people living there.

We are asking for donations for our water project in Mperrishi and guarantee that every cent goes directly to the project, as all administrative expenses are covered by a private donation.

Africa Children FGM Food Nasaru Learning Center

Kenya 2022: An up and down of emotionsFeatured

Our trip to Kenya this year took place in November 2022. It was a very intensive and touching stay.
Due to the prolonged drought, the situation on the ground is dramatic, in all three schools. Especially Immpirrishi worries us a lot, as we are the only organization there that at least comes by from time to time and takes care of the students.

School Iloshon
Iloshon is located in the Rift Valley about 10 km from Mile 46. The elementary school of Iloshon is attended by 423 students. The population of Iloshon is suffering extremely from the drought, however, several international organizations have already taken action there, including drilling a borehole and providing a 100 m3 water tank and washing stations for the school. Nevertheless, also in Iloshon the animals in the savannah do not find enough fodder anymore and straw bales have to be bought in as feed for the animals. The price for the very emaciated cows and goats has also dropped. The weak animals currently fetch price of about 1,000 KES and earlier between 40,000 and 60,000 KES could be fetched with them.
In contrast, the prices of staple foods such as ugali, cabbage, cornmeal, beans, sugar, salt and cooking oil have increased massively due to inflation. Transportation prices have also been affected by inflation.
At the request of the Deputy Head Teacher and the Head Teacher, we are now sponsoring a daily lunch at the school for the last few weeks of the semester, which will help keep the children coming to school regularly. According to the teachers, the children arrive at school completely dehydrated, hungry and tired, and some of them are unable to teach. During the farewell tour of all the classes, in PP1 and PP2 the children were sitting there with the empty bowls in their hands, as they were already waiting for the upcoming lunch. This meal is often the only meal per day that these children currently receive.
The elementary school of Iloshon is attended by 450 students. The introduction of the new curriculum makes changes necessary in Iloshon as well. For example, an Italian NGO is working to build two classrooms for the junior high school and there is a plan to build a needed secondary school. However, there is currently no budget for the construction of a laboratory. Government regulations, however, require the existence of a laboratory in order to officially register the secondary school.
The school has boarding facilities in Iloshon for about 70 girls at the Nasaru Learning Center for Masai Girls that we built. We also offer sewing classes for students and moms there, which are also very well received. Currently 53 girls are enrolled for boarding, of which we support 25.
Our goal is to also set up an infirmary and a hairdresser/barbershop there in order to show and also teach the schoolgirls further career prospects.
In addition, we would also like to show a perspective for the male students and plan to send individual students to the Masai Technical Institute in Kajiado.
There are also some boys boarding in one of the former teachers’ quarters and under very questionable hygienic conditions.
The community of Iloshon is supported and cared for by various non-profit organizations. For example, in the last two years a borehole has been constructed which, among other things, feeds a 100m3 water tank for the school. The permanent presence of water helps a lot. The problem, however, is that the actions of the organizations are not concerted, but selective and seemingly erratic.

Immpirrishi School
Immpirishi Primary School is located in Tinga, Kiserian. Around the school live about 800 families, i.e. about 5,600 people. There are currently 217 students enrolled at the school, however only 169 come to school semi-regularly.
This area is suffering greatly from the drought that has now lasted for over 2 years. The parents and also the children have to walk further and longer distances with their animals in search of water.
We are currently the only organization that goes there regularly to provide water, food and education about FGM. We have been active there for two years.
The school has no water, and the classrooms are made of corrugated metal that heats up under the sun. They are in terrible condition and snakes are often encountered in the classes and ants build their piles there during the vacations. Termites eat up the school books.
We are currently supporting 12 girls in this school who have been victims of FGM, with the aim of making them ambassadors against FGM and role models for the other girls. Three of the girls will enter secondary school next school year, and we will support them in this. In addition, one of our employees comes by every other month with a food delivery for the parents. On the occasion of our visit we also brought food and gifts for the teachers (beans, rice, oil for cooking, salt, sugar, soap, washing powder), writing books for the children and a water delivery.
This school was in dire need of a well or a large water tank. In addition, the nearest store is a 3 hour walk away – it is located in Tinga. The medical care for the population there is non-existent, FGM is practiced and the hygienic conditions are inhumane. We are also in contact with the cutter/midwife and have brought her disinfectant, disposable gloves and disposable blades for births.

School Kings & Queens of Rehoboth
This school is a private school in the slums of Kitengela (Noonkopir). In contrast to Europe, private schools in Kenya are for particularly poor children whose parents cannot afford the school fees.
This school is located directly behind a large garbage dump, where some of the children’s parents search for recyclable material during the day. This garbage dump stinks beastly and vapors rise, which are certainly not healthy. Next to it, skinny cows are looking for something to eat and the vultures are also waiting for their chance.
There are currently 170 children in this school, including refugees from Congo and children from the surrounding slums. The absentee rate is very high, and there are several reasons for this. One of the reasons is period poverty, meaning that the girls do not own underpants or have access to sanitary pads and therefore have to stay home for the duration of their periods. In addition, the children’s parents often do not even have money to provide regular water and food for their children. Many children come to school very dirty and some of them even wash themselves at school. Not all children wear school uniforms, although this is compulsory in Kenya and in case the school is inspected by the authorities, this would reflect very badly on the school and also be a reason for further inspection.
It is a private school recognized by the state, but it does not receive any support from the state. Recently, a new curriculum was introduced in Kenya, which means that the students need new textbooks. Furthermore, practical subjects such as keeping chickens and knitting are part of the new curriculum. While this is very welcome, the money for the necessary materials (knitting and crocheting needles and wool) is not available here either.
Some of the children are also unable to take their final exams – despite doing well in school – because they do not have birth certificates.
The school has a water tank, but not regularly the financial means to buy water. Regular meals at school also increase parents’ motivation to send their children to school.
Furthermore, the government requires a large room for the final exams, as an external person supervises the exams and the desks have to be placed more than 1 meter apart.

Problems in this school

  • Absences
  • Period poverty
  • Parents who are illiterate
  • Lack of birth certificates
  • School books and teaching materials are not available
  • Availability of school uniforms, underpants, socks and shoes
  • Money for food and water at school
  • Lack of a regular sponsor/supporter to pay for fixed costs (rent, teachers, school uniforms, breakfast and lunch for the children)
  • Domestic violence in many families at home: no wonder given the more than cramped and really terrible housing conditions.

There are a lot of problems in the schools located in the remote savannah, but they are present to the same extent in the slum of Kitengela, where in addition the extremely cramped living conditions lead to even greater tensions in the families than in the savannah, where people actually spend a large part of the time outdoors.
The school in Kitengela is financed exclusively by donations. Before Corona, there were many volunteers who would sponsor a child. Due to Corona, many of these sponsors have dropped out and the school’s existence is massively threatened. We will therefore take over the fixed costs for the maintenance of the school in Kitengela from 2023.

After all these great and touching encounters, we are aware that we have a Herculean task ahead of us. But, we also know that we get an incredible amount of love and above all: We will be back!

FGM Nasaru Learning Center

Let’s talk about FGM

Yesterday, I had the honor to be invited to the monthly talk of team members of Nokia Brazil to speak about our projects and activities in Kenya.

I spoke about our collaboration with Agnes Gitonga to educate women and girls in remote villages about the dangers and consequences of FGM (female genital mutilation).  We showed pictures of our Nasaru Learning Center for Masai Girls and explained how it came into existence.

Opening of the Nasaru Masai Girls Learning Centre in 2019
Boarders supported by WeCare-Association
Vocational training provided by Lilian

The dorm was a request from the Iloshon School Teachers as they had noticed an important dropout rate of girls in higher classes as they became pregnant on their way to and from school. The girls and boys of Iloshon primary school must cope with a walk of up to 10 km one way to get to school. Consequently, adolescent girls face a higher risk of getting pregnant.

Dorm provides social control

The boarding not only gives the girls more time to study but also protects them from being subject to FGM – at least to some extend as the school presents a social control and girls whose lower teeth have been filed as sign of their readiness for FGM are easier identified. FGM is a coming-of-age procedure for Masai girls and even though officially forbidden by law is still being practiced. It is the official end of the girls’ childhood and marks their transition from girls to woman. As women they can get pregnant and can be married off…which is the end of their education. And this triggers a vicious circle of illiteracy and poverty.

Great participation

It was beautiful to see and hear how interested the Nokia team members participated. One team member’s daughter had done research on Masai customs at school, and had discovered that via the PLAN INTERNATIONAL organization there have been some initiatives in the Kajiado County to substitute the FGM procedure with a less harmful celebration providing the girls with books. As the schools we are working with are in the same district we are trying now to get into touch with this group of young men.

Another learning of the talk was to emphasize the importance of spreading the word. We need to talk about FGM, and we also need to talk about the poverty of these communities in remote areas.

Thank you very much to all participant Nokia team members and to Vanessa Iglesias for the invitation!

Africa Education Nasaru Learning Center

Susi and Manu go to Africa Part IIIFeatured

On June 30th, 2019 we were ready to go on another adventure. Susi and Manu left towards Zurich airport in order to catch the by now familiar flight to Nairobi, Kenya. As usual, we were travelling light with a mere 120 kg of luggage evenly distributed in four suitcases.
Our suitcases were filled with lots of donated clothes, wool, crocheting needles, colours and drawing blocks and about 100 t-shirts featuring the WeCare-Logo surrounded by depictions of the four extracurricular activities we want to launch for the girls at the NASARU- Learning Centre for Masai Girls.

We arrived in Nairobi in the evening and spent a quiet night in a hotel close to the airport. Early in the morning of the following day Giorgio came to pick us up and we left towards Kitengela where we had a meeting with Agnes Gitonga whom I had met via Facebook thanks to Elizabeth Leuenberger – Kajs. I was very much looking forward to this meeting.
On our way there we stopped at a big supermakret to get some gifts. We bought a big carton of apples and oranges, 50 kg of rice, sugar, toilet paper and buiscuits for « Agnes’ children ». We also got a thermos for chai and for chapati for Agnes from Iloshon who last year had indicated that this was what she expected us to bring her. Whilst browsing through the household department we noticed two heavily armed men and Giorgio -kindly enough- reminded us that supermarkets as well as churches were the preferred targets for terrorist attacks in parictular when owned by Somalis as was the case with the supermarket we were in. As this news had a very soothing effect on us, we tried to leave the supermarket as soon as possible.
With a rather full car we reached Kitengela. Agnes Giltonga had told me that she was in Noonkopir and that we should call her upon arriving in the vicinity. As we were lucky enough to have an internet connection in this very moment we were guided by Google Maps. We left the main road and came onto a dust road and the area became less and less welcoming. I called Agnes and with the help of a passer-by we managed to establish where we were. Agnes told us to meet her at the mosque. We only had to ask about five times in order to get to where Agnes was expecting us. She then guided us to her centre which actually consists of two different parts: On the one hand there is the Gibon Women Empowerment centre where women are being trained to be tailors and -above all- learn to develop self-esteem. On the other hand it is a school for grades 1 to 3 and a dormitory for up to 100 children. These children all come for extremely underprivileged families with parents who cannot afford to pay for public school. The small children already have to babysit their younger siblings and therefore cannot go to school.

In this really very impoverished environment there is a very positive atmosphere and you can sense change. You can literally feel the motivation to change which has been planted by powerhose Agnes in the heads of the women and children present. She is a wonderful role model for all the women in the centre and with her incredible determination she has managed to plant the seed for a very important change. We would like Agnes to come to Iloshon to convince our Nasaru Girls how important change is. We believe that Agnes as a local and « one of them » will have much more impact than a Muzungu (white foreigner) who does not have a clue about the way they live.

Moreover, we are striving to enter into a collaboration with one of the tailors trained at Agnes’ Center to come and teach our girls at the NASARU Learning Centre for Girls.

After an emotional goodbye and our promise to come back we headed towards the next library to order the promised schoolbooks for Agnes. The librarian was very competent and promised to order them right away.

Our next stop was Olpirikata where we got a very clear demonstrations of one of the major problems: The community had been waiting for us and therefore was more than ready for our first meeting. The meeting started with a short prayer and then it was the turn of the village elder who did not only welcome us but made it clear that there were a number of urgent problems within the village that we were supposed to solve. Among these problems mentioned were: The farm’s neighbour sent her goats into the vegetable garden to graze the vegetables. A woman from the women’s cooperative had sold her jewellery in a different spot than was agreed upon. The lack of a doctor when they had already scared away two doctors. When it was my turn to address them I told them that we consider ourselves as project incubators and we accompany them until they are «grown-ups». Then the local population has to take over and assume the responsibility for the projects themselves comprising the solution of all problems that may arise.
Subsequently we went to pay a visit to all our projects to see their progress. The result was a little sobering but in all fairness we have to admit that new beginnings are difficult everywhere and there are no problems only solutions. We called on the local project owners to solve their problems on their own but promised to be at their disposal for any kind of input they might need.
We provided the project owners with clearly defined, quantitative objectives/goals and asked them to provide regular feedback on the project progress.
In this context, I had a very conclusive and interesting talk with three young Masai men. When asked about their visions for their future on of them wanted to become the boss of a big company and the other two dreamed of being future shop owners. Only one of the two future shop-owners had a very clear vision of what he wanted to sell in his shop, namely spare parts. The other man did not have any clue what he wanted to do with a shop. There is need for a lot of change, above all in the people’s heads!
The same evening a young Italian volunteer named Rosaria joined our little group. Rosaria will spend the next couple of weeks to visit the different villages together with Giorgio and to treat the children’s skin with soap as they very often suffer from a fungus that can apparently be cured rather easily. They will also wash the childrens’ eyes with a saline solution in order to prevent or to ease eye infections caused by the fine dust of the Savannah.
On the next morning we left Olpirikata in direction Iloshon. The atmosphere there was overwhelming and we were welcomed in grand Masai style as the excitement and want for change was tangible.

Farm in Africa Masai Mama Africa Center (MMAC) Uncategorized

Susi and Manu go to Africa – Part 2

Also this year we – Susi and Manu – decided to travel to Kenya in order to personally check on the situation there. Not only did we want to see the development of the projects with our own eyes, we were very curious about the longterm effects of our projects on the development of the villages.

View from the car on the road
We did not really know what to expect and thus were very excited. The atmosphere in Olpirikata was very cheerful. As we arrived on a Sunday, the local population had decided to reduce the usually very long mass ceremonies, however, we could not avoid having to sit through a number of relatively long sermons given by lay priests. It was a very warm welcome.

After the opening ceremony, we headed straight off for our visit to the farm or Acacia Camp as the locals call it. The local Masai population has provided 18 ha of land for the farm project, which now includes a stable for 20 dairy cows, three greenhouses, a couple of vegetable fields, fenced grazing land for the cows, a hens’ coop with 250 chicken and 500 Aloe Vera plants. The greenhouses were necessary to protect the young and fragile vegetable plants from the strong and frequent winds in the savannah.

Upon arriving at the farm on time for the vespertine milking at 5pm, we were surprised to find a queue of people lined up with their own plastic containers to buy fresh milk. The plastic containers faintly reminded us of laundry detergent containers. The people had formed a proper line and were waiting patiently until it was their turn.

Masai milk cans

John Sawa Tuwei is responsible for the farm and is also in charge of the other 6 men and 3 women who are employeed at the farm. The men take care of the cows, ie. they feed, nurture and milk them, and also manage the sale of the milk. They also take care of the fields and the greenhouse and are greatly supported by Antonio, a collaborator of La Nostra Africa who lives in Olpirikata permanently. The three women take care of the hens’ coop and sell the eggs.

Generally speaking, the atmosphere in Olpirikata is very good – thanks to our well project, the village has been spared from last year’s drought and they have enough water for the population as well as for the cattle. The fact that fresh milk can now be easily bought at any time is perceived as a miracle. You can see children waving happily with their milk containers and the local shop owner was able to increase business by selling Chai (sugared tea with hot milk), which has turned her shop into the local Starbuck’s of Olpirikata.

On this trip, we stayed overnight in Olpirikata for the first time, that is to say, we slept in one of the rooms of the Massai Mama Africa Center. We were fed well and enjoyed tomatoes, eggs and milk from the farm. Since Giorgio also wants to teach the Massai how to make cheese, he brought a lab-ferment from Italy for the first trial with local milk. After adding the lab-ferment to the milk, he let it rest for 24 hours and then made the cheese. We got to be the guinea pigs for this first cheese production and we survived!

The following day we travelled to Iloshion to participate in the celebrations of the first stone laying for the Nasaru Learning Center for Massai Girls. Iloshion suffered a terrible drought last year and people there are worse off than those in Olpirikata. Nevertheless, they provided us with a very friendly and warm welcome with children forming a guard of honor for us. It was very emotional!

We then had the opportunity to observe the children at break time at the local elementary school:
All children bring a little bit of milk in a plastic container to school. This milk is then poured into a huge pot where the women prepare the porridge as a snack for the break. At break time, the kids make a line in front of the pot and everybody gets a portion.

 

Then we visited the new administration building of Iloshion and interviewed and photographed numerous children and adults.

After a typical Massai ceremony with lots of speeches and gifts, the whole assembly was directed towards the future construction site for the Nasaru Learning Center.

It was a very big group walking through the savannah as a rather big number of parents had arrived especially for the celebration. The teachers told the children to form a line along the floor space of the future building. This was very impressive as this way one could imagine the dimensions of the future building complex. Symbolically we laid the first stone and then distributed some sweets to the children. A touching moment we had been looking forward to for a very long time!

Our next stop was the Boma complex of a family in Olpirikata. We were invited to discuss a potential future project. The family would be willing to provide land for this project which is still in the planning stage. Although we, as two women, were treated with a little bit of suspicion, we were once again given a very warm welcome.

Our dinner consisted of pizza prepared by Antonio with homemade cheese and tomatoes from the farm! As we were a little scared of potential bacteria, we washed it down with a little bit of gin – strictly as a safety measurement! The nocturnal way to the bathrooms proved to be an adventure which definitely will have a positive impact on Susi’s and Manu’s friendship. Experiences like this are bonding and will never be forgotten. Generally speaking on trips like this one, bodily functions turn into very repetitive and interesting topics!
Next on our list was a visit to Singiraine. This is a village with a population of about 2,000 and does not have any water even though there is a river bed right next to it. Singiraine unfortunately is proof of the German saying, “the opposite of “well done” is very often “well meant”. Actually, another NGO intended to build a dam but unfortunately the project was abandoned before termination and thus the population is still without water. The people, ie the women of Singiraine, have to walk 10 km and more to fetch water! Giorgio from La Nostra Africa is working on the evaluation of a project – in close cooperation with an Italian university – to finish the dam.

After a long and very tiring journey back to Nairobi, we went to see furniture to find inspiration for our next project. Information about this project will follow soon…. And then our short but very intensive visit had come to an end. We left Kenya full of new impressions and ideas and know one thing for sure: We will be back!

Kids watching the work in progress.
Africa Farm in Africa

Building a farm in Africa

On July 17 2017 the construction of the long awaited farm finally began. In the first week there were 10 workers present who started clearing the land. The Masai people have dedicated a  total of 18 hectare of land to the project which they call «Acacia Camp».

The arrival of the tractor in the following week accelerated the work progress.

Schoolkids are curiously observing the consctruction progress.

 

The fencing of the farm started on July 25, 2017. 43 Masai men were ready to take up work at the farm. Unfortunately, they had to be informed that there only 10 men could be granted a job at the farm. We hope that the project will grow soon!

Until August 20, 2017 500 aloe vera plants were planted alongside the 1 km border of the Acacia Camp. The sap of the aloe vera should be used to produce a soothing cream.

The stables slowly are taking form as well.

 

On August 28,2017 Giorgio Girella went cattle shopping at the Gogar Farm. This farm is owned by an Englishman who has been living in Kenya since 1949 and today owns 16.2 km2 of land with 1.100 cows. Giorgio bought a total of 20 cows of which two were in calf. The first calf of the Acacia Camp will be born in November and the second calf is due in March 2018.

10 days later the cows, including pedigree, were delivered to Olpirikata.

Finally at home!

The cows in their new home.

The cows in their new home.

On September 8, 2017 a total of 40 liters were milked and sold at the Kajiado market for 0.70 Cents per liter. Consequently, seven men earned 3 Euro a day. On the same evening 28 liters of milk were sold directly to the population of Olpirikata who were queuing in front of the farm to buy milk.

The following week marked the beginning of the planting. The milk production has started very well. Every cow gives approximately 10 liters a day – usually the fine tuning of nutrition and milk production takes at least a month. Currently, the milk does not even be brought to the Kajiado market to be sold as people from other communities such as Karero, Ilailupa and Rruya are coming to Olpirikata to buy milk.

On September 28th 2017 was payday and the men were very proud of their work and the milk produced.

 

Lorenzo is a student at the University of Milan and writes his thesis on the project. The positive progress of the project is also owed to him and his commitment.

There is even a set of rules which has been established for the management of the stables which appear to be extremely clean and organized. The cleanliness is partly due to the men non having been paid for a week after disrespecting the rule of cleanliness.

The first vegetables have been planted and the first harvest will take place in a month time. Stay tuned.

Africa Empowerment Farm in Africa Kenya

World Farming Day

World Farming Day is a day established by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to recognise the importance of milk as a global food. It has been observed since 2000 when on the occasion of the world Expo in Hannover it was proposed for the first time. The day is intended to provide an opportunity to draw attention to activities that are connected with the farming sector.

Therefore, today we also think about the Masai population of Olpirikata who donated 18 hectares of land to the farm project which will be constructed in summer 2017. Members of the agricultural faculty of the University of Bologna have already established the ideal plants based on soil samples brought to them in December 2016. To learn more about the project…

For a more in-depth view on the Masais’ daily lives ….

Children Smart Nursery

Peter Pan Day

Today is Peter Pan Day. Peter Pan is a fictional character in the children’s story by James Matthew Barrie. He spends his never-ending childhood on the mythical island «Neverland». Peter Pan represents the carelessness and innocence of childhood, having imaginary and very often violent adventures and being completely oblivious of real danger and sorrow. Peter Pan never changes and never grows up.

Growing up is such a barbarous business, full of inconvenience…and pimples.
Captain Hook from Peter Pan

In sharp contrast to this fictional figure, children in Kenya and Cambodia have no choice but to face the realities of adulthood already at an early age. In 2016, 41% of the Kenyan population was younger than 15 years old. This age group represents a mere 13, 14 and 15% of the total population in Germany, Austria and Switzerland respectively. Also in 2016, the average age of the Kenyan population was 19.5 years and the life expectancy was at 64 years of age. The low life expectancy rate is due largely to the spread of HIV and AIDS. This also means many of Kenya’s children are orphans. In 2016, the average per capita income of Kenya was at $3,400, i.e. a mere 6% of the Swiss average of $59,400. A huge part of the the Kenyan children face massive financial hardship and subsequently have to work to contribute to the meager household income. They do not have much time to enjoy their childhood and just be children. This is one of the main reasons why the Masai population continues to ask for the construction of safe havens such as nurseries and kindergartens for their children. Here you will find more information about the Smart Nurseries project.

*) Source: The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, U.S.