In an update recently received (2009), Fr. Mahon tells us of all the good works performed in Kenya. Although their primary support comes from Ireland, we are among Fr. John Mahon’s friends in Canada; see FUNDING, item 9. below.

Fr. Mahon, Sept, 2010

On location in Kenya.

Pictures provided by Fr Mahon

 

KWAKAKULU ORPHANAGE PROJECT

Date: 30.11.09

PROGRESS REPORT – 2009

1. INTRODUCTION

Kwakakulu Orphanage Project is a community based organization registered under the Ministry of culture and social services whose main activities comprise of assistance to the orphans. This assistance comprises of:
• Education: Tuition fees, uniforms, transport, books etc.
• Food
• Personal clothing
• Shelter
• Health

The project also supports the guardians who stay with the orphans in:

• Food relief especially during famine periods.
• Farming: Provision of recommended quality seeds for planting and terracing to prevent soil erosion.
• Training on: Family health seminars ie. HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Farming as a business.
Plant disease control.
Keeping of animals – zero grazing (cows, goats).
Food preservation.
Modern farming techniques ie. Drip irrigation, greenhouses.
Poultry keeping
Bee keeping
Growing of mushrooms
Agro forestry
Cooking using solar energy
Water conservation techniques
• Building houses for vulnerable families
• Building water tanks
• Construction of Gabions at the river to hold water for irrigation
The project has also constructed a youth polytechnic where we train the youth acquire skills in masonry, carpentry, tailoring, welding and soon motor vehicle mechanics and ICT.

2. PROJECT HISTORY
Kwakakulu Orphanage Project commenced in the year 2000 with only 16 orphans. There are now 105 orphans being assisted.

The project assists only orphans from Kwakakulu Sub-location of Emali Location, Mulala Division in Nzaui District. The majority of the orphans are born of single mothers. The major cause of deaths has been HIV/AIDS disease. The majority of the people from the village cross to the nearby Emali town on the busy Mombasa-Nairobi Highway to look for casual jobs. Their interaction with long distance truck drivers has caused many deaths in our village resulting to the increase of orphans in our area year after year.

3. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION

The project is administered by a committee of NINE women: three from each of the Sub-locational zones. It is the responsibility of each zone representatives to assume motherly care of all the orphans within their area and report to the main committee which sits once every month or whenever there is need. The committee members are selected by the guardians on merit and need not be guardians themselves. They must be respected women of high integrity.

The committee is also assisted by three patrons who need not attend committee meetings but must attend general meetings where guardians do also attend. Two of the patrons are Men and the third a Woman.

Besides, Fr. John Mahon does also come down regularly to hold meetings with the committee and sometimes to attend general meetings. All major policy decisions are made by the committee in consultation with Fr. John Mahon.

4. EDUCATION

The main reason for starting this project was to ensure that all orphans from our area would have the opportunity to have all the basic needs any child with parents would have:- food, clothing and especially education. The project has so far guaranteed that no oprhanaged child from Kwakakulu has missed this opportunity. We have children now enrolled for studies from primary school, secondary school, technical schools up to university level. The committee did put up a youth polytechnic in the village to cater for primary/secondary drop-outs who are given the opportunity to acquire skills for employment in carpentry, masonry, tailoring and welding.

For this noble duty the committee is greatly appreciative of the total support given through Fr. John Mahon, as for now by Springhill Trust Fund and earlier on by St. Josephs Academy Kildare, Ireland and individual friends of Fr. John Mahon.

We do appreciate the construction of new polytechnic buildings all put up with funds from Springhill Trust Fund and Irish Aid. It is now a beacon mark at the village and named Springhill Youth Polytechnic Kwakakulu.

Many thanks go to the Trust Manager Lisa Maher and her staff at the Trust who have made it possible for the village to have this new school. The many visits by Eammon Tynnan, the founder of the Trust, and Lisa to Kwakakulu does underline our relationship with the Irish people.

Our orphans are at the moment in different levels of education as follows:
LEVEL NO
Primary School 42
Secondary School 13
Technical Schools 22
University Colleges 3
So far 7 of our orphans have completed their courses, 3 are employed and 4 are looking for employment.

5. GUARDIAN SUPPORT/COMMUNITY BENEFITS
All orphans stay with their grandparents or their next of kin. We do not have a childrens’ home. All along, the project has strived to improve on the living conditions of all families with orphaned children by doing the following:

i. IMPROVED FARMING TECHNIQUES FOR THE WHOLE VILLAGE
By holding several agricultural seminars facilitated by agricultural officers from our Division, District, KARI and others, the people of Kwakakulu and the surrounding areas have benefited immensely by learning how to do farming as a business i.e to:
• Prepare their farms before planting i.e. terracing in order to prevent soil erosion.
• Plant drought resistant crops i.e. sorghum, millet, cassava, cowpeas, maize etc.
• Plant fruit trees i.e. mangoes, orange for commercial purposes.
• Apply manure in order to increase crop yield.
• Keep goats, cows at zero grazing and growing of fodder crops.
• Grow vegetables i.e. kales, tomatoes in gunny bags (kitchen garden).
We are grateful that every zone has been given a set of cows/donkey complete with a plough to assist the guardians to till their farms. All farms belonging to our guardians have been terraced. There will be improved yield from farming at Kwakakulu resulting from this initiative and this will translate to reduction of poverty in the area besides ensuring food security. Every of our guardian homes has a kitchen garden.

ii. IRRIGATION USING RIVER WATER
The village is traversed by Muooni river which is seasonal. The village has a seven kilometer river frontage and though all the sand from this river has been scooped and sold in Nairobi, the river has several points where natural rock crosses from bank to bank. At these points water collects to form pools which last for a longer period during the dry seasons. The project has started to build some gabions on top of the rocks to increase the height and therefore hold more water. Some women and youth who grow crops on the river banks have formed groups to increase food production through irrigation.

The project has already provided three money maker pumps to assist these groups to raise water from the river to the banks. These pumps are easy to use, do not require fuel and can raise water up to 46 feet high.

There will be need to build water storage facilities along the river and buy more of these pumps to ensure irrigation goes on throughout the year. There has been many cases, of water drying just when most needed for crops to mature. Most of our guardian families own farms close to the river. Others can also rent land for irrigation from those near the river.

iii. AGROFORESTRY
Most of the indigenous trees in our area have been cut down to make charcoal. The area is pathetically bare and gets too hot.

To mitigate on this problem the project has:-
• Introduced a new technology of making bricks which one does not need to burn. We have three brick making machines at the polytechnic.
• Put up a tree nursery at the polytechnic both for indigenous trees i.e. Acacia trees and fruit trees e.g. mangoes, oranges, pawpaws etc. Already over 3000 tree seedlings have been given out for planting this season and more are to be given soon. We will mobilize all groups at the river frontage to have their own tree nurseries and encourage all their members to plant many trees at the river. Tree nurseries are also a way of getting financial gains through the sale of the tree seedlings.

We have been twice visited by people from KEFRI (Kenya Forest Research Institute) based at Kibwezi and KARI (Kenya Agricultural Research Institute) to assist in giving us more knowledge on trees that suit our area. We intend to encourage the people to plant as many trees as possible to make our area green.

KARI intends to set up a training base here at the polytechnic. We have a big conference hall which accommodates more than 300 people built with assistance from Springhill Trust Fund and Irish Aid and named Fr. John Mahon Conference Centre. Many seminars have been conducted in this hall since it was completed two years ago.

iv. DAIRY FARMING
Most of the people from Kwakakulu are predominantly pastorists/peasant farmers. Unfortunately recent droughts have left over 90% of the people without any animals. The project intends to assist the people to learn modern methods of keeping animals through zero grazing.

Before the on-set of the short rains this year we held a seminar on zero-grazing facilitated by both our divisional and district livestock officers.

Those who attended were equipped with knowledge on how to keep animals at zero grazing by constructing suitable simple animal structures, planting fodder crops i.e. nappier and boma Rhodes grass, sasbania sasban for goats etc.

The project has already provided the seeds and the seedlings to all our guardians and groups at the river. Those who grow these fodder crops will be able to buy dairy goats and cows by borrowing funds from the local funding agencies i.e. Kenya Women Finance, K-Rep bank, Equity bank or even from the youth and women fund at the constituency level. However, there is need for support to our guardians some of whom are very old so that they too can have milk for their families. At present a litre of milk is costing KSh. 52.00!

The project has planted fodder crops at the polytechnic and intends to put up a animal section for demonstration purposes.

v. WATER CONSERVATION SKILLS
Rainfall is getting less and less every season and so there is urgent need for all people to conserve water using all available means for domestic and animal use.
• One method is to encourage people to harvest rain water and store it in water tanks. These can be either plastic or brick. At the polytechnic we have already a curved brick making machine to make bricks for constructing water tanks. We have already put up one water tank at one of our guardians homes and we intend to continue doing more.
• We have also demonstrated at the polytechnic a method of collecting water using dug out pans lined with dam-lining polythene as another way of collecting water. The bigger the dug pan the more water one gets. This water can be stored in a plastic tank when it fills and used for growing crops at home.

vi. COOKING USING SOLAR ENERGY
In order to minimize on further destruction of our tree cover the project has commenced the making of solar cookers to be used by the families. We have already held two demonstrations on how to cook using a solar cooker. The technology is simple and the method reliable because we have sun light nearly all year. This has not yet completely picked up but it will with time. The materials needed to make solar cookers are only cartons boxes and tin foil all which are locally available.

We are trying to make charcoal from farm waste as another alternative source of energy for cooking.

After we establish our zero grazing units at the polytechnic, we intend to cook using bio-gas from the cow dung as another source of energy. All these technologies will be transferred to the public through demonstrations.

vii. GROWING CROPS IN GREEN HOUSES

All these years the project has continued to get assistance from donors. There is need now to be self-reliant through initiatives that ensure income to sustain our project.

One initiative is to grow crops in green houses that can be sold to generate income within a short period of time and ensure maximum yield.

Through knowledge acquired from Amiran K. Ltd an Israel company we are now growing crops in five green houses. The first one will be ready for harvesting early in December this year and the others from February next year. We do believe this will be a sure method of generating income for the project because the yield from each green house is high and guaranteed.

Due to the erratic rainfall patterns at our area, there is great need for sinking a borehole to ensure steady and reliable supply of water for drip irrigation. We have already forwarded this proposal to our donor after getting information from a drilling company. Without a borehole, it will not be possible to grow crops in the green houses as each fruit bearing tomato plant requires 1.5 litres of water daily. In each green house we have 600 plants and 900 plants on the outside garden. For one green house, the inside crop requires 900 litres of water daily.

6. OTHER PROPOSED LOCAL SOURCE OF INCOME

The project owns a plot size 100ft by 100ft at the busy commercial site at Emali town which was donated to us by Mr. Thaddeus Mutiso.
Originally the intention was for the committee to put up rental rooms on this plot. However the recent agreement is to put up more green houses there since the plot has already been fenced. This will increase our income to the project. There is ready market for all crops at Emali town.

7. THE POLYTECHNIC

Springhill Youth polytechnic though an institution with students like any other, is also a centre where many new skills and ideas are being tried for the benefit of the local community.

The buildings in the school were put up by the orphans themselves with instructions from a qualified mason. The bricks were made by the orphans. The buildings are roofed with tiles also made by the orphans (girls and boys). The steel windows were made by the students there including all the doors, chairs, tables and teachers drawer desks.

The institution has qualified teachers paid from the collection from the school. The school has solar energy. All people from the area charge their phones here at a fee. The polytechnic has carpentry, tailoring and welding sections which do a lot to generate income from orders placed by the local community.

Some of the local primary schools have their uniforms made at this polytechnic. All welding needs for the community are being done here too. The polytechnic has a diesel welding set and a gas welder.

There is an ICT class with old computers that is developing and a new MVM workshop for the soon to be introduced new course.

It has also an agriculture section where new farming methods are being introduced to the local community.

We intend to ensure that all students who take courses at our polytechnic will be computer literate and must also learn modern farming technologies at this centre.

We do need a volunteer teacher to establish a full ICT training facility to enable all students at the school to acquire skills besides training the project management committee members and teachers from the local primary schools. Because the school is young and the enrolment low due to lack of boarding facilities, the committee will not be able to pay the salary of a fully qualified computer teacher.

8. FAMILY HEALTH SEMINARS
As mentioned above, the major cause of our problems has been HIV/AIDS disease which continues to claim many lives within our area and add to us the burden of caring for more orphans.

For the last four years we have continued to highlight to all members of our village the causes and prevention of HIV/AIDS through regular seminars. We have invited people living with AIDS from Kibera in Nairobi to sensitize our community about taking care of those affected including forming support groups. These seminars have also been conducted by very qualified personel from our local government hospitals, NGO representatives and organizations dealing with HIV/AIDS prevention and support i.e. our Constituency AIDS Control Council (CACC).

We have also successfully linked with the Precious Blood Sisters of Mbitini Catholic Dispensary who are also very much involved in HIV/AIDS management to run these courses.

Through these courses our people have removed the stigma that is associated with this disease. More and more people are freely going for VCT (Voluntary Counseling and Testing) to know their status. This service is being provided freely at Mbitini catholic dispensary and is available also at the government dispensaries. Support groups have been formed. These encourage those affected to accept to live with the disease and continue to work. For a long period now people who get very sick have preferred to be taken to “Mbirikani Clinic”.

This clinic is at Kajiado district (Maasai land) and is 50 kilometres away from Emali town on Emali-Oloitokitok road. The clinic is run by whites and is the preferred choice of the sick!

It is friendly even to those terminally sick, offers quality medicine and all at No cost. The clinic has all equipment and medicine for HIV/AIDS disease. Had this centre not been there, very many people would not be living by now. People are taken there on death bed stretchers but come back walking within days! Besides, some of those who have gone there assume very good health shortly.

This has made the clinic to be very famous and thus it has attracted very many sick people from far. The workers there are overwhelmed by numbers. The cost of going there is KSh. 200/- (return journey) per person from Emali town the many poor people cannot afford this!

Our government facilities lack equipment for HIV/AIDS management. We are concerned about the numbers going there and the costs involved. We wish to request our donor (Springhill Trust Fund) to assist in availing the required machines to the Precious Blood Sisters in Mbitini catholic dispensary so that the sick from this side of Ukambani may stop going to Imbirikani clinic. We have already submitted the costs of these machines to our donor through Fr. John Mahon.

9. FUNDING
Kwakakulu Orphanage Project is funded fully by Springhill Trust Fund through Fr. John Mahon. The project committee receives funds periodically from Fr. John in form of cheque payments.

All monies are banked at its bank Account at the Kenya Commercial Bank Machakos Branch through its Account: Kwakakulu Orphanage Project.

Some other individuals from outside wishing to assist the project do so through Fr. John Mahon. We have received donations from Fr. John Mahon’s friends in Canada, Ireland, Netherlands and England.

10. PRESENT PROJECT COMMITTEE MEMBERS
i. Mrs. Christine Mulee Mwalimu - Chairlady
ii. Mrs. Rabecca Wandii Pius - Secretary
iii. Mrs. Cypriana Grace John - Treasurer
iv. Mrs. Theresia Muoti Paul - Member
v. Mrs. Lilian Mwende Ngovi - Member
vi. Mrs. Elizabeth Wanzuu Nzivau - Member
vii. Mrs. Cecilia Kalusi Nganga - Member
viii. Mrs. Rachael Kala - Member

One member passed away recently and will be replaced during our general meeting later this month.

11. PROJECT CONTACT ADDRESS
Postal address – P.O. Box 179-90121, Emali
E-mail address – kwakakuluorphanage@gmail.com
Contact Phone No. - 0721262001

12. PROGRESS REPORT FORWARDED BY:
i. Mrs. Christine Mulee Mwalimu – Chairlady
ii. Mrs. Rabbeca Wandii Pius – Secretary
iii. Mrs. Cypriana Grace John - Treasurer

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