Thursday, July 1, 2010

Flashback: Christmas Dinners

In browsing through old blog posts today, I realized that we never posted about the end result of our Christmas Dinner fund raising project (better late than never)!

Thanks to your generosity, we were able to provide dinners for 19 families in Kibera. Each family received rice, chapati flour, meat, cooking oil, sugar and cookies. They were all very excited and grateful.

Here are the pictures that we took of the families that were supported:






Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Prize giving day!

Last month, we held the prize giving day for the new Points Program we have started with our soccer teams. Points were awarded by our coaches during every practice from January to April in five different categories and the three boys from each team with the highest total were given a prize.

On prize giving day, everyone had soda and a ceremony was held where the winners were recognized and given certificates. We are currently working on distributing their prizes, which will consist of school needs such as backpacks, uniforms, school supplies and school fee payment.

The winners were really excited and a lot of the boys expressed that the team was helping them build skills in all areas of their life, not just soccer.



Under 10 winners from left to right: Wycliffe Nyariki (First Place), Enoch Ouma (Second Place), Austin Shikwekwe (Third Place)

Under 12 winners (with coach) from left to right: Boniface Odhiambo (First Place), Paul Kiminza (Second Place), Samuel Wilson (Third Place)

Under 18 winners from left to right: Charles Omondi (First Place), Bernard Chacha (Second Place), Ferdinand Odhiambo (Third Place)

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

New Uweza shop!

Uweza has sold goods created by HIV positive support groups (mainly women) in Kibera since 2008. The proceeds have been used to assist these women in purchasing food, paying rent, and covering the costs of sending their children to school. Funds have also been used to provide hospital care and essential medication.

You can now purchase items created by these women on our website!

Visit http://www.uweza.org/shop.html to learn more about this project and make a purchase!


Sunday, June 20, 2010

One Year Ago Today...

One of our sponsored students, Jane (or "Jenny" Muthoni) lost a life-long battle with HIV/AIDS. She was just 16 years old.

The world has lost a beautiful and inspirational young lady. Her dream, from the very first time we met her in a hospital bed, was to be able to finish high school. Thanks to a generous sponsor, she was able to attend school in the months prior to her passing.

In remembrance of her, here are a collection of pictures of Jenny on her first day back to school and blog posts that we have written to share her story.

Jenny's Passing - September 21, 2009

Going to School - February 2, 2009

Visiting Jenny at Home - August 1, 2008

Meeting Jenny - July 9, 2008


Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Tunza Counselors April and May reports

According to their most recent reports (apologies for being a little late on posting them), a lot of issues are currently taking place at the center. We are really grateful that Becky and Collins are there weekly to work with the kids. They provide them with some sense of stability and a positive outlet for what they are going through. We will try and see what else we can do to help.

Click HERE to read the April report.

Click HERE to read the May report.

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Frightening Kenyan Statistics

Under 5 Mortality Rate (per 1,000 births)

105 in 1990
128 in 2008

Infant Mortality Rate

68 in 1990
81 in 2008

Life Expectancy

52 years in 1970
60 years in 1990
54 years in 2008

GDP per capita average annual growth rate

1.2% 1970 to 1990
0.1% 1990 to 2008


Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Guest blog: Gilbert Nyakundi Bita

Gilbert has started working with us as a health education facilitator in Kibera. He has worked with our soccer teams and spoken to them about issues such as self esteem and HIV/AIDS. Today he has written a blog about what he would like to accomplish through his work with Uweza.
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According to the World Health Organization, Health is defined as: The general well being of an individual, physically, socially and mentally; not merely the absence of disease or infirmity! This in itself tells us that none of us is healthy! We all have areas that pins us down, and so is the community we live in!

Coming together as members of the global community, we can be able to achieve a healthy community. We at Uweza Aid Foundation are up to the goal of a healthy community, working with different departments but all under one goal “Healthy Community”

My name is Gilbert Nyakundi Bita; I am working as a volunteer facilitator in Uweza Aid Foundation. In the facilitation Department my aim is achieving the following goals:
* To enhance Behavior change and Behavior formation in regards to HIV/AIDS.
* To create awareness on HIV/AIDS.
* To enlighten the youth on how best they can use their free time.
* Help bring out the potentials within individuals
* Unite the youths and the community towards a healthy growth.

To achieve the above goals I have set up plans working with the youths starting with just few youths as follows:
* Recruit youths to peer educators
* Have regular seminars with the youths and some older members of the community.
* Recruit youth groups within the community
* Have the youths give regular reports regarding the peer education and the activities they are involved.
* Link the youths with other groups and organizations within and out of the community.

To have a healthy you and I, a healthy community is for sure. Through education, transformation to the community is achieved or carried out!

Involving the youth is helping the community use her potential at early stages. Remember “a well informed community is always for the positive incoming change and easily makes wise decisions” resources within the community are well used and managed through education by involvement of the youths too. I mean what can we say of security? Talk of manipulation, how about wasting a full potential in people? All these are taken care of by giving the right information to the subjects (Youths and community members). In brief Information followed by action is an achievement!!!(Gilbert 2010)

Most of the people are interested to know what propels this work especially what makes me like my job as a facilitator! Just to borrow some of Myles Munroe’s fact “Our minds are not empty vessels to be filled!.....”…..our minds just need a tapping reminder to be active!

I do facilitation first to bring out the you in you and help me get the me in me!

Another important thing is to give back/contribute to the community. It’s very fulfilling to see community members implement what they learn from me!

Gilbert N. Bita


Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Appreciation

We say it over and over again but it can't be said enough. We're so grateful to everyone that has donated, fund raised, spread the word, shared a link, blogged, tweeted, and e-mailed so that we can keep providing assistance to the people of Kibera.

We wanted to take the time to thank and recognize some organizations that have supported us in the past year.

So a big thank you to...

Vincentown United Methodist Church

Magnolia Road United Methodist Church


Tabernacle United Methodist Church

The Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation

Viv&Ingrid

Faces of Kibera

Check out their websites and stay tuned for more posts about our amazing supporters. And while you're at it, send us an e-mail if you'd like to find out about more ways to get involved!

Thanks for reading!
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