The way forward!

Since returning from the field I have spent three days in Kisumu, the capital of Nyanza province. It is one of my tasks to find strong local partners for co-operations. The number of NGOs operating in Nyanza is very high, the potential for synergies is enormous. TaC is currently exploring possibilities of co-operation in the following areas: health, holiday attachment, and higher education. In 2010 only one girl will graduate from form 4, but next year TaC will present 22 candidates! That means, there is only one year left to come up with a strategy for what I like to call "phase 2". What was the impact of the work of TaC, if we abandon the children after form 4? What have we then really done in the end of the day?
I therefore established contact with a good college in Kisumu that has a lot of experience in educating orphaned youth and assisting them to create a meaningful and bright future for themselves. The director has agreed to give a career talk during our beneficiaries' annual gathering in December! That will enable them to start thinking about their way forward.
The health co-operation will be the easiest to set up, Tac will soon have a solid policy and a reliable medical partner to refer her emergency cases to. At the same time, I was exploring possibilities for attachments and career exposures during holidays. The time off school is such a high risk area for our beneficiaries. Their homes can be hazardously dangerous for their mental and physical health, we better find alternatives for our harshest cases, before the schools close again by the end of November. And lastly - what to do with future drop-outs? There is no way to guarantee that all beneficiaries will clear form 4 and make it to university. But there are at least two wonderful NGOs around here, who are specialized in absorbing and empowering drop-outs by training them in life skills. It's all there, TaC doesn't need to reinvent the wheel! Isn't that good news? Partnership is the way forward!

What happened to Marceline?

During the first M&E mission in July 2010, we came across the harsh case of Marceline, a highly talented total orphan and well performing student who was abandoned by relatives and sponsors equally. I have mentioned her in my post on the 14th of July. What happened to her since then?
Many people were touched by her story and contributed specifically for her, so that we could start considering TaC-sponsorship for her. William, our co-ordinator, talked to the school several times, until they were ready to waive the largest amount of Marceline's astronomic balance of about 50'000 Shilling. Yesterday we visited the school again and I insisted on new negotiations. We were quite tough and managed to convince the school to waive all outstanding balances in 2009 and 2010. TaC would only step in from 2011 onwards. Eventually, they agreed to share the burden! Once we received the consenting document from the school, we called all our TaC-girls in, informed Marceline about her scholarship and welcomed her to the TaC-family. At first, Marceline didn't say much, as she was probably too surprised by the events. But when she sat down with the five other girls for the photo-shooting, she quickly opened up and gave us her most beautiful smile.

A few success stories

Today was the last day of the second Monitoring & Evaluation field mission. All in all we visited 13 schools and interviewed 22 TaC-beneficiaries. Most schools were visited for the first time, only two were visited in order to follow up our measures taken since the first visit. For example: in August, seven of our beneficiaries who struggled with diseases were taken to hospital for a medical check-up. I have by now seen four of them again - and you know what? Those four are all in good health, energetic, and in most cases even their performance has improved! I was most impressed by one boy in Yala, who didn't perform well back in July and made a lethargic impression on me. When I met him again today, I almost didn't recognize him: a smart young man with a cheerful smile and an impressive report form in his pocket. His teacher complimented highly on the increased performance and thinks of the boy as a promising case. Three girls, who struggled with eye problems, have also received treatment and are no longer disturbed nor distracted by sickness. One of them proudly presented her new glasses to us...
During the first visit we found that one boy had run away from his boarding school and was even suspected for theft. It was not easy to track him down and when we eventually managed, we were very disappointed by his behavior, but decided to give him a last chance: if he manages to inscribe himself in a different school on his own and doesn't misbehave anymore, we wouldn't drop him. The boy apparently grasped the seriousness of his situation. He indicated the school he would attend and promised not to let us down a second time. I must say, I didn't quite believe him back then. Today however, we paid a surprise visit to his new school. We found the boy in class, friendly and relaxed. The principal and his deputy praised him and his performance and proudly presented the results of the last exam-cycle, where he scored the second best result. We told the principal to keep an eye on him and bid good-bye to the school with a smile of relief on our faces.

Q&A

Q&A sounds very harmless. But at times I am really afraid of my own questions and even more so of the answers. Today was such a day. After the NRHS gave me a lift to Siaya, the project-coordinator and I drove to Mbaga Girls', where TaC sponsors two young ladies. The deputy talked to us and urged us to sponsor a third girl at their school, a pathetic case, as she puts it. I agreed to at least talk to that girl. The girl is a total orphan, an aunt, who is a widow and a mother of four herself, took her in. The girl is very well performing at school and until last year, an uncle paid her fees. However, he suddenly stopped paying and moved away. He is not even picking the phone when she tries to reach him. The girl has a younger sister, but hasn't seen her for over 4 years, as she was taken in by an uncle in a remote place.
Those questions are already quite tough on the children, as they have to go through their losses with me. I then normally ask about how the guardian generates income and where the children spend their time off school. Turns out that this aunt, who is by now very sick and bedridden, brews and sells alcohol in her house. I get quite alerted and ask who uses to consume that alcohol. The girl says, that there are always drunken men at home, i.e. the customers. I then want to know where exactly she sleeps, while she is at her aunt's place. Well, there is no choice, as there is only one room. By now, I am horribly uneasy. I try to find out from the girl how those men behave towards her. After a while of me going round in circles, she simply says: there is no way they would leave me alone...
The only thing I can do for this girl right now is to tell her, never to lose hope. I kindly remind her that there is a way out and that this way is called education.
A story like this can have two effects: it either really depresses you or it does the contrary. I'd always opt for the contrary. Carry on!

A Saturday in Kisumu

After taking a good rest in a simple, but spacious hotel in Kisumu, I install myself on the rooftop of the hotel in order to go through my paperwork. Sitting in a shady place and enjoying a fresh breeze from lake Victoria sure makes typing and wiritng a most enjoyable activity. Yet, I clearly underestimated the breeze. There is a sudden blow, all my papers are thrown to the ground and with them my phone. My virtually undestroyable, off-road proof Nokia from 2003 (!) doesn't cope this time. I once dropped it from a third floor, it burst into pieces and when I put it back togehter again, it produced its welcoming beep as if nothing had happended. Not today. After a few vain attempts to repair the mobile, I go downstairs, looking for someone to help me. The first guy I bump into refers to himself as a technician. That turns out to be utterly true: after five minutes of meticulous analysis, he pulls my most faithful phone back into life! Back on the rooftop I meet a young lady and get to talk to her. She turns out to be a medical doctor doing her research in the field of HIV transmission. We find out that her team will drive to Siaya on Monday morning - this is exactly where I need to go as well by the same time! She offers a lift and I gladly accept. Like that, William, our project-coordinator, doesn't need to come to Kisumu the night before to pick me up. We save around 4000 Shilling like that - money that can be spent on much smarter things than fuel and accommodation! Nyanza Reproductive Health Society, you sure made my day!

A sad story - with a happy end?

Today, we start early in the morning by visiting Maranda Boys' Secondary School, one of the highest performing schools of the region, and even in Kenya. After talking to the officials of the school, I get to see our sponsored student here. When I shake his hand, I notice with concern that it is completely disfigured. I normally take each student aside in order to talk to them privately. At Maranda, we sit down under a wonderful tree and I get to talk to the boy. The boy's mother died when he was only three years old, and he says he has no memories of her. The father followed her a few years later. The boy's eldest brother was then the head of the family and apparently managed keeping the five siblings together. Unfortunately, this brother passed away last year, leaving the younger siblings in the care of a step brother. This step brother is a simple farmer who is not able to feed himself, let alone four other people. There are no other relatives alive to assist those teenagers. The boy is extremely stressed about his home. He says he is fine as long as he can be at school, but the moment the school closes for holidays, another ordeal begins. I then ask about his health whereupon he reports some problems, telling me that he was given the diagnosis malaria. When I ask him what they gave him at the dispensary in order to cure his alleged malaria, he replies that he is usually given Panadol... Malaria and Panadol - how do those two go together, honestly? I suspect the boy struggles with something else, we shall arrange for a proper health check soon. Finally I get to ask about his hand. He tells me that he was left alone in the house when he was still a toddler. He crawled into the fire and that's how he lost his hand. It is not functional, but doesn't seem to disturb him much as he elegantly uses his left hand for everything.
During such talks I often cannot believe the amount of neglect, pain, stress and trauma these children have been going through at such a young age. Yet, they somehow find the strength to carry on, just like this student of ours at Maranda who remains ambitious and really wants to fight his way out of poverty. Lets try our level best to ensure that this sad story has a happy end. It's not too late.

A wonderful girls’ school in Usigu division

What do we actually do during a school visit? The principals are informed about the visit of TaC-representatives some days beforehand. They are to produce reports about the student’s academic and personal development and to discuss any issues with us. Today we visited two girls’ schools, one of them is called Lwak. Lwak is a very big school with a population of over 1000 students! The principal is a nun, who is truly committed to her school. Thanks to the school’s capability and transparency, they attracted many serious donors over the last few years. Terre des hommes sponsors 100 girls here, a Canadian NGO around 80. Rotarians have donated new sanitary facilities and new buildings are put up with various funds at almost every corner. After the meeting with the principal (and sometimes the class teacher), we ask to be taken around to assess the school’s facilities. We found Lwak to be very organized, extremely well kept, very tidy (the first school to have dust bins!), bustling with new buildings and initiatives. In order to generate a small income, the school hosts a bakery and rears chicken. They even have their own dairy cattle as well as pigs. Health care is not neglected here: there is a qualified nurse on stand-by, the school possesses a dispensary and a sick bay. Further, the principal keeps stunningly professional files of all sponsored students, every Shilling is accounted for. We learn a lot today. And surely, this is exactly the kind of school we want to co-operate closely in the future. After talking to the principal and evaluating the facilities, we got to see our sponsored student here, a girl we are very proud to have. Macreen excels in all subjects and wants to become a lawyer. When I ask her which cases she would want to tackle, she immediately replies that she wants to fight for the right of the girl child. The potential and determination of this 15 year old impress me: Macreen is a clear high potential, who will make TaC even more proud in the future.
During the interviews I normally also ask about the guardians, the siblings, how the children spend their time off school, and about potential health problems. If we encounter medical problems, we arrange for health checks and our local volunteers try to contact the guardians for further consultancy. Lastly, we decide whether or not to shortlist the school for further collaboration. In a case like today, that is not even a question though!

Back to Nyanza – The first two days

On Tuesday, I left Nairobi at 7 am by Easy Coach and actually really enjoyed the rather long bus ride through the stunning Rift Valley up to lake Victoria. There is nothing as calm as a green tea field. And there is nothing as bustling as all those small markets along the main road. I reach Kisumu in the early afternoon and transfer immediately to the hotel where I take a rest before meeting OGRA’s Dr. Obewa again. The meeting is efficient and fruitful, we agree on meeting for a second time next week in order to draft our cooperation. The next morning, William (our project-coordinator) and I leave Kisumu around 8 in the morning and pick up Philip (the secretary of our Usigu committee) on the way. Together we visit two boys’ secondary schools in Usigu division. Both schools are performing really well, are well kept and undergo promising developments. Both are benefitting from a project called ecosan. Biogas tanks will help reduce the amount of firewood used in the kitchen and will hence help cutting down on CO2 emissions. Both schools are very cooperative and interested in strengthening the cooperation with TaC. Our two students are doing well and aiming high. In the late afternoon we reach Bondo, where we will stay overnight. But before we can think of resting, my two fellow volunteers have to undergo a rather rough session in computer training. They have both received new netbooks and need to get more familiar with the programmes and things like e-mail and internet. Sunset marks the end of the lesson and we all happily devour our dinner in the pension’s restaurant. Let’s call it a day? Alas, not quite. I sit on my bed for another three hours to write down the data gathered today and ... well: keep my blog going.

What happened since July?

(Outdated blogs, goodness, they are so boring...! Huh!)

So - what happened since the first field mission in July 2010?
Many things indeed. Good things. Exciting things. After Margaret and I came home from the visit of the project site in the first half of July 2010, I was busy writing my report about the state of Project Nyanza launched in 2007. My report grew into a massive 44 page document and was presented during a teleconference to the UK board of TaC. I was very happy to learn later on, that many of my recommendations were accepted. TaC now pursues a more holistic approach or in other words: has significantly increased the budget per student. From now on TaC does not only pay the school fees, but makes sure the beneficiaries have sufficient uniforms, better equipment at school, access to medical care and hopefully from next year on even a little pocket money to cover their basic needs. Moreover, the annual gathering like the one that took place in 2009, has now become institutionalized. This year's annual gathering will take place in mid-December. During the meeting, the students will have the chance to bond, challenge each other, learn about career opportunities, listen to role models and acquire life skills. Last but not least: there is even some time for games and sports.
It is my great honour and pleasure to currently implement the recommendations I have given previously. That includes basically all organizational aspects and one could describe it as a general professionalization of TaC in Kenya: infrastructure, communication, formalization of processes, set-up of co-operations, networking, outreach, and of course: fund-raising. Especially Kenyan fund-raising, as there hasn't been any Kenyan contributor other than our extremely committed volunteers here.
My next task is to visit the project site for a second time, evaluate the schools not covered by the first visit, and interview the students I haven't met yet. Further, I will discuss co-operations, meet government officials and representatives of other NGOs. I will try my very best to keep you posted on the events during the second field mission!