Greetings from Kibera!

I revisited Kibera Mpira Mtaani (their website is under construction-so I cannot pass it on at the moment) on the weekend with Anisa, who is heavily involved and committed to the organisation. I've written about the project a couple of  times before.  Firstly when I visited to do some painting with children on the weekend and then the time I made and took play dough.

The project is successfully developing and growing; becoming more and more self-sufficient.

This time we went to try and teach some of the teachers and older students to make greetings cards, so that they could be sold to raise funds for the organisation.

Phew-it was hard work! Some of the ladies were fantastic-so enthusiastic and motivated. Others were 'deafeated' not long after we began. A few more sessions are needed before the ladies will be confident in their tasks (it also became pretty obvious early on that an investment into a guillotine is needed!) but it was a great start.

Working overtime

 Although I have been to Kibera before, today's visit was a new experience. The seasons have changed. The recent rains have made the mud pathways even more uneven and bumpy now that the sun have dried them out. The paths are filled with rubbish; you can't really take your eyes off the route for long. Time has no meaning in Kibera. All your senses are working overtime; it is quite an intense experience, so a mornings visit seems like a full days work.

The office for my friend's project Kibera Mpira Mtaani, the study room (filled with 6 newly-donated computers) and the TV room (remember-I wrote about how the project is becoming self-sustainable before) are all above eco-toilets. So, as you can imagine, with the heat comes the intoxicating smells. You try not to show you have noticed. To screw your face up. But keeping the conversation flowing becomes difficult.

Thankfully we didn't stay there long. Vincent (one of the local employees and founders of the project) showed us the new tents and chairs the project has bought, which they can now hire out. Then we moved onto the 'classroom' , where the project holds after-school workshops and homework sessions. Local schools are now in their long 8 week holiday, so children are happy to go somewhere to read, play and learn in a safe and stimulating environment. As it is Christmas time, donations of bright and colourful books have filled the book shelves since my last visit; families are making spaces for their new toys and presents. The 'classroom' is really a very happy place to be. It is a relief to be inside it.

Anisa and I both made play dough for today's visit. The play dough seemed to go down well. A few cheeky chaps did of course want to try to eat it, but soon realised it wasn't a good idea! Helicopters, planes, girls with long hair,chairs and baskets were created. I worked on a snake (!) for a while, then spent the rest of my time picked the play dough off my hands!

Merry Christmas greetings were passed and goodbyes (until next time) said.

Fun was had by all, including my friend's adorable little girl, Yara, who visited for the first time today.

PS-I was offered this very cool t-shirt, but I reminded him that it may be a little small! :)

PPS-If you feel like you have not done your share of giving this Christmas, you can make a donation here to the project.

Notes from Nairobi: Reminders that I am in Africa

This weekend I visited the infamous Kabira  for the first time. This Kibera (meaning forest or jungle)...opposed to the country club I was a member of in Kampala...this Kibera is a community in Nairobi with over 1 million people. (I will write more about Kibera in more detail another time- but did you see the Comic Relief documentary that sent British celebrities to live and work in the ‘slum’ ; ‘Rich, Famous & In The Slums’ ? ) The problems of Kibera are known around the world and money is thrown at it.( I will write more about  There are said to be approximately one NGO worker for every person living in the community-quite a figure.

The projects that work are (of course) self-sustainable.  On Saturday I got invited by a friend to visit a project, Kibera Mpra Mtaani,which she is heavily involved in; it is becoming self sustainable and (more importantly) a success! 

The project works by using football as a tool to reach out to young people. One of the things the organisation was able to do was buy a small plot of land at Kibera (from the very rich landowners...) for an Education Centre. The facility is a haven for pupils that go to school, that need a place to do homework (with lights etc).  There are weekend sessions, to keep children from spending money on watching porn and out of trouble. A lot of these teaching sessions are fun and active using resources that are not always available in local schools (not something the children often get to experience at school)-for example paints and colours were taken today to do some art with the children. There is a full-time member of staff and volunteer teaching assistants that run study sessions. To make the organisation establish sustainability it spent donated funds on a satellite to view football games. People  have to pay a small amount to watch the game (which is above some Eco toilets...and has a good view of Kibera!) and the money is then pumped into the after school/weekend education facility. I was shown the new fridge that the organisation got from Cocacola to sell sodas at games to raise funds. Sounds simple, it is in theory, and it is massively successful.

I got to meet  Steven, the first pupil that has used the facility and was supported by the organisation and is now starting University on Monday, studying Education. 

The next step or the club is to expand their facility (as there are often days with over 200 children in the tin hut) and build an ICT suite – again which would be self sustainable.

It was great to see the project working and to think about future activities and how I can become more involved with the project. We are going to make play dough to take for the session.

 

Visit the website and show your support; it is a fantastic organisation!

Community Development Project

Oh, I have been so excited about completing and sharing this project! 

The Community Development Club at school, that my friend Erika and I lead have been linking up with a local school for the deaf. We have been learning sign language (don't test me though!) and we had a big 'Survivor' event to raise money for the school.

The children in the club decided that the dining hall needed a renovation.

Over the past month broken window panes were replaced, curtains were made along with curtain rails, new plastic bowls and cutlery purchased for the lunches and tables were made to measure. The chalkboard was even given a face-lift!

The best part (and the most time consuming!) was painting the mural. The pupils decided on the design and an arty teacher friend, Esther, drew all the outlines and directed us (read led) with the painting.

It has been a long process but a lot of fun. We had to recruit other teacher friends to help with all the hard to reach bits!!!

Our favourite wee man!

We sang, gossiped, wobbled on ladders and tables (!), 'nearly died' (well-that was Esther!),danced, took photos, ate far too many Pringles and painted...and painted...and painted!

"I can't see! I can't see!"

"Ahhh. That's better!"

 All the hours were worth it! The 'grand opening' of the hall was today-with the usual Ugandan pomp and ceremony. The pupils (at both schools) were amazed at what we had ALL achieved! So were we!

After a long morning painting...think the fumes went to our heads!
Erika, Esther and I

Well done team! x

Just thinking about Japan

I've returned home to my bathroom in a bit of disarray; my tolietries have all been knocked off the shelf. The only evidence in my flat of the small earthquake that I didn't feel this morning.

The Earth may have moved for many people this morning in Kampala, but not for me! The quake was measured at 5.0 in magnitude in the Lake Albert region, West of Kampala.

It didn't effect my day, but it did give us all a reminder of how awful it has been for those in North East Japan; experiencing a 8.9 earhtquake, resulting in a tsunami, then after shocks of up to 6.0 on the Richter magnitude scale. 

Many of my pupils also felt this morning's tremor and this led onto a great discussion about Japan and what we could do to help.

My friend and I lead the Community Development Club, and are always thinking about new ways to raise awareness and funds; the last being a Survivor event. Fun!

But I am now scratching my head; my buy a wish (setting off balloons) idea wasn't received well. Bake sales are tired and not BIG enough. We need an easy to plan event so that we can get the ball rolling straight away. Make calligraphy cards in art and sell them? The Crane project? A mufti day- dress in Japanese national dress (eek-is that P.C?) A kareokee battle?

I would love your ideas?

Update  -30.03.11
Just to let you know what we went with in the end. We decided to 'send our love to Japan'. We are mapping a route of hearts from Uganda to Japan. Pupils/parents buy a heart as a donation and stick it on the map. We have pink, red and gold hearts that vary in value. Cute idea or what!? I love it. We are doing well, but are still hoping more people will purchase them. I'll add some photos soon!