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
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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!
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!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
New Soccer Program!
In January, we started a new program with our four soccer teams in order to help them build skills and adopt behaviors that will be useful throughout their lives. Our coaches told us of a concern that many boys that play soccer in the slum become distracted from school or put all of their hopes into becoming major league soccer players. As a result, they become disappointed as adults when they find they should have focused more on academics or discover that they won't be able to play soccer for a living. Many of these boys may turn to drugs or crime.
As part of the new program, coaches award a certain amount "points" to their players during each practice. Points are awarded for performance in six different areas:
1. Attendance
2. Cleanliness
3. Timekeeping
4. Attitude/Discipline
5. Soccer Skills, Effort and Improvement
6. Academic Performance in school
At the end of each school term, coaches will total the points for all of the players. The three players with the highest point totals will receive funds toward educational costs (school supplies, school fees, uniforms, etc). Older boys that are no longer in school may receive funds for business start-up or training in a specific area such as driving or computers.
Joel Otieno, age 13, Points Leader for the Under 14 team
During the term, the boys with the highest point totals are eligible for special privileges. This coming weekend, the 22 players on our Under-17 and Under-14 teams that have earned the highest amount of points will be participating in a two-day tournament. They will be traveling out of Kibera to play against other teams from throughout Nairobi and receive brand new shoes to play in.
Our coaches have reported that attendance and the efforts of the boys have improved and we hope that the new program will motivate them to always do their best in soccer, in school and in life.
As part of the new program, coaches award a certain amount "points" to their players during each practice. Points are awarded for performance in six different areas:
1. Attendance
2. Cleanliness
3. Timekeeping
4. Attitude/Discipline
5. Soccer Skills, Effort and Improvement
6. Academic Performance in school
At the end of each school term, coaches will total the points for all of the players. The three players with the highest point totals will receive funds toward educational costs (school supplies, school fees, uniforms, etc). Older boys that are no longer in school may receive funds for business start-up or training in a specific area such as driving or computers.
During the term, the boys with the highest point totals are eligible for special privileges. This coming weekend, the 22 players on our Under-17 and Under-14 teams that have earned the highest amount of points will be participating in a two-day tournament. They will be traveling out of Kibera to play against other teams from throughout Nairobi and receive brand new shoes to play in.
Our coaches have reported that attendance and the efforts of the boys have improved and we hope that the new program will motivate them to always do their best in soccer, in school and in life.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Tunza Counselors February Report
The Tunza counselors continue to adjust their program to cater to the specific needs of the kids at Tunza and they are making a lot of progress.
Click HERE to read about their work in February.
Click HERE to read about their work in February.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Counselors January Report
Click HERE to read the report written by the counselors we have hired to work at Tunza Children's Center about their work during the month of January.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Counselors December Report
This month's report is pretty long and heavy, with a lot of major issues. A lot of the issues revolve around the older kids finishing school and transitioning into adulthood. We are very glad that the counselors are there to work with the kids during this time.
We are working with the counselors to set up a 2 or 3 day camp for the older kids in Feburary. It will be held somewhere away from the home and will give them time to sort out the issues that they are facing and will continue to face as they become older as well as a chance to receive advice and guidance.
Although a lot of the issues mentioned may be out of our control, we will really try and see what we can do to help the kids. Having the counselors to talk to them every week is already a big help so thank you to our donors for funding their services!
Click HERE to read their report.
Counselors are paid about $30 each ($60 total) per weekly session. If you would like to help us fund counseling for the Tunza kids through a one-time or monthly donation, go HERE.
We are working with the counselors to set up a 2 or 3 day camp for the older kids in Feburary. It will be held somewhere away from the home and will give them time to sort out the issues that they are facing and will continue to face as they become older as well as a chance to receive advice and guidance.
Although a lot of the issues mentioned may be out of our control, we will really try and see what we can do to help the kids. Having the counselors to talk to them every week is already a big help so thank you to our donors for funding their services!
Click HERE to read their report.
Counselors are paid about $30 each ($60 total) per weekly session. If you would like to help us fund counseling for the Tunza kids through a one-time or monthly donation, go HERE.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
HOME (Help Orphans with Milk and Eggs)
HOME is a project started by a volunteer named Kelsey to provide the kids at Tunza in Ngong with chickens and a cow. In the last few weeks, HOME provided Tunza with a cow, which will provide milk, and 100 chickens, to lay eggs that can be sold to earn income and eaten by the kids. Three farm buildings were also built.
To read more about this exciting project, check out the HOME blog here: http://kenyakelseykenya.blogspot.com/
To read more about this exciting project, check out the HOME blog here: http://kenyakelseykenya.blogspot.com/
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Thank you!
We have once again created a video to show you some of the ways funds were used this year and to thank you for your support.
Hope you enjoy it!
Hope you enjoy it!
Friday, December 25, 2009
Merry Christmas from Uweza!
Quick update on our Christmas Dinner Sponsorship: thanks to you, 19 families in Kibera received the makings of a special Christmas dinner (rice, chapati, meat, cooking oil, sugar and cookies) today. More details (and pictures) coming soon.
Hope everyone enjoyed the holiday!
Hope everyone enjoyed the holiday!
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