Good Luck on KCSE!!

We want to recognize Dennis Odhiambo (left) and Johnson Musyoka (right), two very dedicated and studious Uweza football players that started their Kenyan Certificate of Secondary Education (K.C.S.E) exams today and will be taking them for the next three weeks. Scores on KCSE play a huge role in determining whether or not a student will be able to continue on to university, which school they can attend, and if they will be able to get loans/scholarships.

Good Luck Dennis and Johnson!

Two Uweza teams bring home trophies!!

Today has been a great day for the Uweza Soccer Program as two of our teams have, for the first time in Uweza history, won first place in a tournament! Three Uweza teams, Under-16 girls, Under-15 boys, and Under-13 boys competed in the annual peace tournament held by Amani Kibera. Amani means peace in Kiswahili and according to their website: "this unique initiative continues to engage young people of different ages, ethnic and religious backgrounds to utilize their diverse sporting and cultural talents to promote peace and inculcate a culture of non-violence." In 2009, Uweza's Under-10 team won third place in the Amani tournament.

Uweza's girls team played great defense and did not allow any goals to be scored against them. They won their final match 1-0. The Uweza Under-15 boys team also played great defense and won every single match they played in penalty kicks. The Under-13 team played great as well but were unfortunately defeated in the semi-finals.



In reward for their victories, both teams won large trophies, 7 pairs of shin guards (an Uweza first!), jerseys for their coaches, and new soccer balls.



The kids were so excited and are preparing tomorrow for a victory parade where they will cheer and carry the trophy from their training ground to the Community Center.

Congratulations Uweza teams!!



More photos from tournament have been posted here: http://uweza.org/gallery/amanitournament.html

Kibera Connection Project - Hawaiian and Kenyan pen pals

As part of our Kibera Connection Project, students that study at the Uweza Community Center have been exchanging letters with students in 7th grade at Punahou School in Hawaii. Both groups are really excited to have pen pals so far away and are learning a lot about each other and their respective countries!


Here are some examples of the letters the students have written:

Teava, Ke’ala, and Alana from Punahou School, Hawaii


Hello, we are your new pen-pals from Hawai’i! Aloha means hello in Hawaiian. Our names are Teava, Ke’ala, and Alana. We are 7th graders from Punahou School. We are extremely excited about being your pen-pals for the coming months and we have many questions. We look forward to learning a lot from you!

Keʻala is 13 years old, and loves to play American football, basketball and volleyball. He also enjoys going to the beach. He has an older sister. His favorite subject in school is P.E and he would like to be an engineer when he grows up. His favorite food is hamburgers. Alana is 12 years old and likes to go to the beach, read, and horseback ride. She has a older sister and her favorite subject in school is science. She wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up. Teava is 12 years old and his favorite hobbies are swimming, reading, and playing video games. He has a younger brother. His favorite subject in school in improvisation and he hopes to be an actor when he gets older. His favorite food is Sicilian pizza and he wants to live in Italy one day.

Hawai’i is an island in the middle of the Pacific ocean that is part of the United States of America. Our state is known for our beautiful beaches, many tourist attractions, and unique Hawaiian cuisine such as plate lunches, loco mocos (hamburger with rice and gravy) . A popular hobby many Hawaiians have is going to the beach and doing things that take advantage of the fact that we are surrounded by water such as swimming, surfing, or getting a tan. Surfing is an ancient Hawaiian sport where you stand on a board and ride a wave.

America is a large country on the equator with 50 states. Our president is Barack Obama and our capital is Washington DC. We use dollars and cents and inches and feet for money and measurement. Some things many Americans love doing are playing sports, watching TV, and eating. America is known for freedom, football, and food. Some foods America is know for are hot-dogs, hamburgers, and pizza. America has also pioneered the film and fast food industries in the 1900s. We look forward to learning more about Kibera from you.

We had a great time writing this letter and sharing with you. We do have a couple of questions for you. How old are you? Are you a boy or girl? What are your favorite hobbies? What is your favorite food? We thank you for your time and we canʻt wait to hear back from you!

Sincerely,
Ke’ala, Teava, and Alana

David Johnson from Uweza Community Center, Kibera

Dear friends Keala, Alana, and Teava,

I am greeting you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. How are you all. I hope you are all fine. My name is called DAVID MUTHUWI JOHNSON. The main purpose for writing this letter is to appreciate your letter that you sent to us.

Furthermore, am so happy to know your names and how life is in your country. I would also like to inform you how life is in our country Kenya. Here is full of happiness, full of joy and also peaceful. This is because every body here is allowed to do his/her commitments and hobbies in peace.

First, I would like to introduce my hobby to you before telling you any other thing else. My hobby is to watch cartoon and practice my favorite subject maths. I also like eating chicken which is my favorite food too.

In our country, we have got so many interesting things e.g. wildlife and also cultural ceremonies. These are the most leading producers of government revenue. In our country, we also have cool and hot climate which can also be good for you too. For more information, you are invited to our country in order for you to see the big five which are also part of the wildlife. You will also be able to see the lakes with hot springs e.g. Lake Bongoria.

Yours Lovely,
David M. Johnson

Counseling Program at the Center

Students in Kibera were on break from school for the month of August and we took this opportunity to launch a daily counseling program for youth at the Community Center. Many of the participants were players from the Uweza soccer team. The program lasted for three weeks and was lead by Becky, Uweza's Counseling Manager and Joyce, Uweza's Girls Soccer Coach. We hope to continue this program once or twice a week for the rest of the schooly ear.

Below is a blog post written by Becky about the program.

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This was an am amazing moment to relate with sponsored children as we talk heart to heart matter of life.

From day one we created a rapport where started by setting the ground rules of journey we walk together.

The aim of this counselling program was to help the young people deal with the difficult situation they face in their lives as they grow up. Beside soccer program the management of Uweza came up with this educating counselling program so that they can be all rounded teenager/ youth.

However, there was a lot of relationship with the soccer and counselling where kids could identify with e.g discipline in life and in the field, focus in life, books, and in the field, friendship among others attribute we were learning. Both boy and girls did topics together which was very interactive and healthy.

During this learning lesson I provided them with a supportive environment that will help them build their self confidence, acquire knowledge, dispel myths, develop positive values and attitudes , and adopt responsible practices when in school, at the field , at home , with their friends or at the centre. Every day they would do a home work or a reflection of the things they have learnt and this helped me to assess how far they are getting the information

Some of the topics we went through are as follows.

Self awareness and self worth : The purpose of this lesson was to help them build self confidence, self acceptance and to value themselves. Typically adolescents are not happy with who they are or their situation, they want to be taller or shorter, to have money to live in a different house etc. This topic can protect them from negative influences and accept who they are and what they have.

Body changes during Puberty : Mostly teenagers learn about body changes of puberty and sex from their peers, they may hear information that is confusing and lead them to risky behaviour. The session was to provide teenagers with correct information about changes in their bodies. It also includes new things they needed to consider during this time like personal hygiene.

Consequences of premarital and extramarital sex : Curiosity and peer pressure are very real forces in the lives of teenagers. The purpose of this session was to help teenagers value the purpose of sex in marriage and to understand there can be negative consequences, physical, emotional, spiritual and mental- when they have sex outside marriage relationship.



The facts about HIV/ AIDS and STIs: This session was dealing with facts about HIV/ AIDS and STIs. It contained many facts, though I tried to keep them vey simple and clear, kept them engaged and involved with the knowledge they were receiving.

Valuing Abstinence : Though they were aware of consequences of premarital sex, they may still decide to have sex in spite of risk to their health and well being. They may be seeking, acceptance, admiration and affection from their peers. In this session i was trying to help them discover that they can still have these things without being sexually active.



Dangers of drugs, alcohol and the influence of the media: Young people may want to make good choices, but there are many influences and temptations that can persuade them to make bad choices and decisions. Using drugs and alcohol can put them in to a great risk to their life and
health. This session aimed at helping them to be aware of these dangers and to consider how these things can affect their health, goals, and decision. It also focused on negative peer influences and build skills to help them overcome peer pressure, allowing following what is right.

However, this program is good but it needs a lot of follow up, because the environment the said teenagers are growing in is among the contributing factor to risky behaviours. Thus, there is a lot of work to be done for these teenagers if this information is to sink through and be put into practice.

The program was wrapped up with skit, poem, song and drama which was like a summary of what we were learning throughout the two weeks. With the help of coach Joyce it was very good.

Life for Girls in Kibera

Last week, we started a three-week session of counseling classes at the Community Center. Becky has been working with boys and girls ages 9 and up and exploring topics such as self-esteem, strengths and weaknesses, and the changes that come with puberty.

As a homework assignment, the girls wrote essays about their lives and they provide a glimpse into what life is like for girls growing up in Kibera.

Essay #1: Football Team

I am thirteen years old and in Standard Six. Before I join the football team I was feeling lonely at home. I was just playing with my friends. The time reached one of my friends came and told me there is a team of Football girls. She told me I go and join the Football team. The first day I was afraid of playing. I did not know if I can play Football. The time reached I continue practising Football and now I know how to play Football.

Essay #2: A Journey To My Life

It was a chilly morning when our class teacher told us to imagine if our life will end up in a miserable life. And I was wondering if my life will end up while I shall have my both parents. By good luck, my dear Lord has just blessed me with both my parents Mother and Father and a family of three brothers and two sisters.

One day my aunt told me to visit her at her house. I reached there and she told me that to tell her my Ambition. I told her that when I grow up I will be a lawyer. And God will be with me for ever in my family got that they were my beloved parents, I hugged them and I was so happy not different from a king in his palace.

Essay #3: A Journey by My Life

It was the year two thousand and seven when I was in Class Three my father dead and then my life is not bad but one thing that I see hard when my father dead I see only one thing that every body has his father but me I don't have my father so that my life is hard but I concentrate with everything that I am doing. But when I was growing up then my mother also dead when I was in class four but I have stress of two weeks but the next week all the stress that I have gone away until now I was in class seven on the year two thousand and eleven.

But right now I am staying with my brother but he is not the first born, the first born is not staying here in Nairobi, he is staying at home with my last brother and me I am staying with the second born and me I am the last born at our home...and the time I am right now my life is very nice and I am happy with every body on our house but the [school] fees is problem.

Essay #4: Untitled

I was born in 1998, at that time my parents did not have money to take me to school and to buy food for us to eat and inside the house we did not have chairs, table, television and any other things. We can turned to pray. As for me, I was very sad because others were very rich and get food every day and eat and sleep but us we just sleep because we did not have food!

But my father and mother always talk to me never ever cry my child, one day God will bless us, he is not sleeping he is seeing us. After that my life started changing and we were getting food and somewhere to sleep until now we were very happy and healthy.

Essay #5: My Life

I'm coming from a family of seven children. I'm coming from a very suffered family. I can't say suffering because we are not suffering now. It was all over. We used to live a life of terrible things, even the school fees was a very big money to pay. And my dad searched a cheaper school for him to be able to pay. I worked hard focusing to something. I never cared about my problems. I prayed and worked hard at school just to get what I wanted and by a good luck, God heard my prayer and sent a sponsor.

And that is where my way began to open. It was very hard for her to transfer me to another school. But she managed to transfer me to the school where I'm now at. She paid everything for me until where I am now. A month later, my father found a job and all our dreams began coming true. And now our problems are over. We are focusing to a wonderful dream.

Congratulations Becky!

Becky Gitau, who has worked with Uweza as a counselor since 2008, is graduating from Pan African Christian University today with a B.A. in Counseling Psychology. She hopes to continue with on her education and receive a Masters in Clinical Psychology.


Congratulations Becky!!

Partnership with Kora

Uweza recently teamed up with Kora Designs, a jewelry company that "merges the worlds of beautiful jewelry and sustainable business development in the belief that both can and will benefit. Our handmade pieces feature recycled materials found and used by local artisans in African developing communities." Kora means "work" in Kinyarwanda, Rwanda's native language. One of Kora's artisans is based in Kibera and uses bone and horn collected from local butcheries to create jewelry.

This year, Kora has created the Uweza necklace, which features dyed recycled cow bone with aluminum wrapping and was designed specifically for us! 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the necklace will go directly toward supporting the Uweza Community Center.

The necklace comes in two different colors, and can be purchased on Kora's website. Be sure to browse through the rest of their beautiful pieces as well!

Uweza Girls League

Our girls coach Joyce has organized for the Uweza girls team to play in a league with other girls Under-16 teams from outside of Kibera for a few months now. Every weekend, 25 girls cram into a 14-seat minibus and travel to Dagoretti to play a match. They are currently in fourth place in the league, having won two matches and drawn two.

Today, they had their hardest match yet against a team who has been playing with senior (adult) girls teams for a long time and has won several tournaments. There was also extra pressure on the girls as the league's sponsors were watching the match.

Every week as part of the league, both teams sit down for a small life skills talk before they play. Today's talk was about stigma.

The girls played a great game but struggled in the second half and lost 0-2. It was a very emotional loss for a lot of the girls as it was their first loss in the league and they really did their best. Many of the fans were commenting on Uweza's players and how talented and hard-working they were.




Two players from each team participating in the league, chosen by the league's organizers, will get the chance to attend a course in photography, life skills and soccer in Kilifi on the Kenyan coast.

Despite the loss, the girls had a great time. They have four matches to go and still have the opportunity to place in the top three in the league, which would earn them a new set of uniforms and some balls. We wish them the best of luck and will keep you posted!

Uweza Community Center Launch

Last month, we held the official launch and opening of the Uweza Community Center! In attendance were over 200 Uweza staff, program participants, parents, neighbors, and community leaders. A face painter from Kibera entertained children in attendance with face painting and balloons. Children spent their time dancing, hanging out and creating drawings of their future career goals. A talented painter from Kibera donated his artwork for the event to decorate the center.




After a question and answer session and speeches from Uweza staff, the chief of the area congratulated Uweza on the good work in the community and spoke about how much the community appreciated being involved in the center's opening and being made aware of our work. He wished us luck and expressed hoped that we would get many more donations.



The event was capped off with a delicious lunch. Everyone really enjoyed the day and we are very excited to start officially using our center!


Check out more photos from the event here: http://uweza.org/gallery/communitycenterlaunch.html.

Introducing the Uweza Community Center

It has been a while since we have posted because we have been busy at our new Community Center! As of last month, thanks to your generosity, we were able to raise enough money to complete the purchase of the building and make it our own. Congratulations to Sarah Dunnagan in New Orleans for winning the drawing to name a room!

In the past weeks, our Under-18 soccer team has helped us clean and paint the center.



Check out the photo galleries of the cleaning and painting for more pictures.

The students from our Sponsorship Program have started coming to the center after school to do their homework under the guidance of a qualified tuition. Kibera Agenda 4 Business Savings, the savings and loan group that we frequently partner with also held their first meeting at the center this afternoon.

Tomorrow, we will officially open the center and are celebrating with a launch party. If you are in Kenya, please feel free to stop by!

After working in Kibera for more than three years and running around without an office or meeting place, this is a huge accomplishment for us and we are so grateful to our supporters for making it a possibile. We are really excited for the coming months as the center will allow us to meet more frequently, work more efficiently and create new programs to better serve children and families in Kibera.