Today Julliet Makhapila told me about her Diversity in Kenya Communites project in Njoro, Nakuru, Kenya. She told me about the event that she arranged there on 17th November 2012.
She showed me the programme which is copied below.
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17-Nov_2012
DIVERSITY IN KENYA COMMUNITIES
The event promises to be a weekend packed with presentations, workshops and debates to inspire and inform members of the community about the services we provide and how the community can get involved about its own community. Come along to support our cause and you are welcome to become members using our services at a cost of 300 shillings per year.
9.30am Arrival Registration tea, snack and networking, workshops display available between 8.30am-10.00am
Registration: There will be a registration desk in the entrance Building where we’ll welcome you. For those attending you will only be required to register your name and contact details.
10.00 am Word of encouragement and Opening Prayers: Pastor Albert Okinda Bethel Christian fellowship and manager at Njoro youth polytechnic.
Diversity in Kenyan community is given Word of encouragement and Opening by the manager at Njoro youth polytechnic.
10.20 am Opening remarks for Diversity in Kenyan community C.E.O: Presented on behalf by Regina
Mrs Regina presents the opening remarks on behalf of the C.E.O of Diversity in communities Julliet Makhapila and reads the content of letter sent. Paul njuguna translates the letter in Kiswahili.
10.30am opening remarks for Diversity in Kenya community .Presented on behalf of the chairman by Mr Paul Njuguna Vice secretary and volunteer Co-ordinator
Mr Paul Njuguna presents the opening remarks on behalf of the chairman and reads the content of letter sent. Mrs Situma translates the letter in Kiswahili.
10.40am Appreciation for the office premises we rent from Friends Church: presented by Mr Mugo on behalf of the Chairman Mr. Julius Makhapila and C.E.O Julliet Makhapila
We take this opportunity for thanking Friend’s Church and the presiding Clerk and particularly the women of Friend’s Church, for allocating to us our office premises to enhance the welfare and improve the lives of the community through the work that we do. We look forward to a very long term working relationship and please continue to pray for us and to support the works for our community and all that we come into contact with.
10.45am Diversity in Kenyan communities’ presentation: Presented by Mr Paul Njuguna Vice secretary and volunteer Co-ordinator
We explain the work we do in the community and also promote Diversity in Kenya Community. We explain our works so far and our services. We want to promote back best practices on structures and governance of Community based programmes and share our experience and works with the community. We promote diversity and believe in peace, love and unity and presentation slide of Diversity in Kenyan Community or talk if we have no PowerPoint. Our mission statement and vision is transforming lives.
Who we are, what have we done so far, where we are located and what services have we got in our offices right now.
11.05 am Diversity in Kenya Communities (Touch a Heart programme)
Following our feeding programme of our Active Njoro Project that we piloted with selected OVC Children from DEB primary school and its success, the community reciprocated this in some schools and the community. Our hard work helped to create jobs for Banana café, improve the health and the well being of the children selected from DEB primary school, support the need towards the guardian by providing a lunch time meal towards the selected children from DEB, providing a tour education for the children to learn in their community, we have continued to develop programmes that we identify to enhance the community growth in social and the economic sector pillar towards for the vision 2030.
What we noticed with our head master of DEB primary school Mr Kagiri was the children selected and benefiting who were of poor back ground achieving better results and performance. The number of the children began, to attend schools more frequently and were no longer missing out on schools. Within a very short time the weight of the children increased and the woman serving the children, Mama Shiru, developed her café and increased her sales. We had the community really admiring the programme and the District Education officer commended the project as one of its kind. The police also admired the project as it enhanced the education of children who were likely to fall out of school and commit crime due to lack of being in schools and also fall into being exploited and missing out on schools due to poor health and malnutrition and poverty.
Following that programme, we are today after working with a number of you and the communities and continue spending own resources and monies conducting an exercise in the community in search of the children from poor neighbourhoods who have never used any services before. Explaining how this programme will work and the current beneficiaries who are with us today. We have invited all of you to increase the participation of our community and services, to reduce the numbers of children dropping out of schools due to pregnancy, to reduce the rate of HIV in our community, reduce the community being exploited through prostitution, help create jobs for our youth, help create education programmes that will help our youth into employment, help reduce poverty in our communities, encourage sports into our communities, encourage and promote diversity issues and create a vibrant community that supports each other and cares for one another. Our vision is transforming lives.
11. 20 am one or two songs performed by the children benefiting from Diversity in Kenya Communities supported by our volunteer Mugo’s daughter Rachel.
The children show case some songs that they know and take pleasure in and benefit us with delight and boost their confidence and motivation.
11.40 am How does food impact on pupils schools? Headmaster of D.E.B primary school Mr Bernard Kagiri (Public school) 10 Minutes
We are delighted to have with us the Head master of DEB primary school Mr. Bernard Kagiri who also did an exchange programme between DEB primary school and Wincham primary school based in United Kingdom. In it, he shared the programme we were doing in his school and also came back enthusiastic with more ideas for the schools around benefiting subject to resources being provided by the government. He noted the parents around our community came from poor backgrounds and could not afford any high costs on school fees or increasing any costs in schools as parents were already over stretched. He encouraged the government to do more into supporting the children in the schools more and to create feeding programmes in our schools following an example that we had demonstrated. Mr Kagiri’s admirable sense in helping the children to learn more has enabled DEB primary schools to improve results and the school continues to grow and support the teachers , the community and the school children. Mr Kagiri has supported our programmes and has worked very closely with us. He has helped DKC into developing and shaping up our services and capture how schools would develop well in our local community. He has enabled us to develop what we have here today and we appreciate him and extend our thanks to him.
11.40am Impact of poverty on young people on education in the community Head Master of Ndarugu Primary School David Waweru. (public school) 10 minutes
Head master of Ndarugu primary school has seen deficiency of children in malnutrition, seen poverty on young people on education and in the community and wants to share with us how we can eradicate this within the resources that we have in the community. He has a enthusiasm of supporting children to come out of poverty and not being trapped by their poor backgrounds when in education so that in future the children can do well. He wants to create a better learning environment for his school and also enable more children not to drop out of school environment and encourage the community organisation into to support the children into educational activities.
11.50am What does a sustainable environment mean and how can we bring it about in the community? Acting County director of environment Cliff Bakach 15 minutes.
Our former District environment officer now the acting County director of environment shares with us what sustainable environment means and how we can bring this in our community. He touches briefly on the roles of community organisations to improve the environment community funds and how he works within the community to ensure the community based organisation work are supported to enhance project management in environmental and conservation. We take the opportunity to welcome him and to ensure and help him build awareness and provide us with adequate information amongst our neighbourhood and for public interaction with our local community. He also shares with us what activities the community and schools be involved and how the government can create grass roots resources towards funding local community environment projects and generate jobs markets and income for the community , guardians and parents and their children at schools.
12.05 “Challenges the community faces in trying to Help OVC and the poor community” Presented by
Events organiser Julie: Brian's Inn – Njoro 7 minutes.
Volunteer from compassion: Maggie Wachira 8 minutes
This session will be presented by two people who work with orphans and are both knowledgeable in working with orphans and disadvantaged children and youth. They bring along the challenges the community faces in time when we all need to feed our own families and high prices in our shops on food, transport, fuel etc. They share with us the problems they face on the jobs they do, the problems that are presented by OVC and some good examples where the poor have benefited and enhanced the community. Eg the community plants trees, guardians and members of the community creating micro finance savings using schemes such as table banking/merry go round, education programmes geared towards the guardian of ovc and supporting of the children from the members of the community.
12.20pm Diversity in Kenya communities OVC : Peter Njuguna
Presentations on the children photographs who will be benefiting on the current programme of touch a heart showing the work we have done so far and also explaining we are looking for donations and sponsors for the children we have in matching the needs of the children we have taken so far. We ask to encourage sponsors from businesses and also banks to sponsor our children and their needs.
12.30 What problems do our young mothers face?
A short talk by one of the young mothers in the community benefiting from Diversity in Kenyan communities.
12.35pm Songs from the children and a song from our guest invited head teachers and mistress.
Here we listen to our head teachers surprising us they can sing and following sing a song with combined team effort from all the schools benefiting from the programme.
12.45pm -1.45 Lunch and networking a time for relaxing, chatting, mingling and food.
Enjoying our lunch, and please take time to visit the workshops provided and your platform in networking. During lunch we encourage the community to visit the stands we have provided and also network. At the work shops we have five stands and tables each show casing the following. We have two rows serving lunch and refreshments one for children and the other for adults.
(work shops display available between 12.45 and 1.45 pm)
Cancer Awareness: Volunteer Ben and Joseph
Talking to the guardians and visitors today’s day we are highlighting prostate cancer and breast cancer and the need of our men going for screening especially after the age of 45years old and women from the age of 50 years plus.
Diabetic : Volunteer Frashia, and Phillis
Our volunteers take the role in helping us identify with our struggle in diabetic and how to control and manage diabetic. Please also seek further advice from the local health centre incase you think you may have diabetic.
Hiv and Typhoid: Volunterer Mwangi and Mary
Helping to talk to children and youth to remember to wash their hands in schools before eating their lunch and after eating their lunch.
Clean water: Ben Kinoko and Any volunteer who is available
Encouraging the members to boil water for drinking especially water that is not from the pipes and to boil water from the river.
1.45pm How do we reduce the number of young girls drop out from schools due to early pregnancy? Kilimo primary Mr. Waiharo 10 minutes
The C.E.O of Diversity in Kenyan Communities Julliet Makhapila went to Kilimo primary school. She has kept in contact with her old primary school , Head master Mr Oganga, the late MS Cheboi, and extends warm welcome to Mr waiharo to also let us know how Kilimo primary schools is performing in national examination. In my days, it was the best school around in performance. I was not the best student in school work although excelled in other school activities. Today, I enjoy reading and books and good in school works and a community developer. Mr waiharo is the head master of Kilimo primary school and discusses where we are in schools and what more the community and school can be doing to reduce the number of young girls drop out from school.
1.55pm How would we reduce the number of young girls drop out from schools due to early pregnancy from faith schools eg? Catholic schools, Muslim schools? Head master Mr Adhola St Lwanga (Catholic School) 12 minutes
Mr Adhola is the head teacher of st lwanga primary school. He also taught the C.E.O sister peninah Makhapila in Kilimo primary school. He currently teaches the children of peninah Makhapila and his school in Njoro has been producing admirable results. He is constantly aiming to improve the school results and shares with us what faith schools can do to reduce school young girls drop out due to pregnancy and poverty. He also shares with us the dilemma in some faith schools in using contraceptives when children reach teenage years.
2.05pm Impact of HIV, and Aids in our own Community, from parent/guardians and children. How do we reduce this?
Head teacher of Tengesha primary school : Ms Nora Wahigi (Public school) 10minutes.
Our primary school which we might not hear very often about and the head teacher talks on, Impact of HIV, and Aids in our own Community, from parent/guardians and children. How do we reduce this?
2.15pm. How do we encourage the youth to save monies: Mr Paul Njuguna
Briefly speaks on income generating programmes on savings available in the community and also how the guardians can benefit on what is around to help guardians and the local community to save monies.
2.20pm Panel youth civic education presented by mugo, BenMuchiri, Paul Njuguna, headmaster David waweru, and Regina
Hear we have interaction on youth civic education where the panel has 4minutes to talk empowering our youth into civics education and greater future leaders for tomorrow.
2.50pm Panel members and Youth: How can the community promote diversity using sports and well being of the community? Panel speakers, Mr Ben Muchiri, Mr Rodney Oganga, Madam Regina Gichinga, Pastor Nyando, Head teacher Nora from Tengesha encouraging sports on young girls especially during puberty.
Diversity in Kenyan communities during this session aims to promotes Diversity in the community using sports as a means to end tribal matters, encourage the community enjoying games, and having a healthy youth. Diversity in Kenyan communities has supported and empowered the youth in the communities playing basket ball and the youth call them selves themselves Mtaa jazz co-ordinated by volunteer Rodney Oganga.. Out of this programme when the balls have worn out, other young children basket ball was supported and empowered which benefits children below the ages of 14years old and supported by John onyimbo
Volunteer leader on football Ben Muchiri talks on football in Afraha stadium and our involvement, Rodney talks on basket ball, Regina and Paul talks on sports with disabled people mainly volley ball and the Paralympics games and our aim towards supporting sports towards disabled people especially in volleyball and eventually basket ball through Mr simiyu . Paul njuguna talks on the Paralympics games and sports that we shore up and our commitment towards paralympic and the Olympic games that have just finished.
3.20pm children leave the room to get ready to perform a song: Mugo daughter
Announcement that this is a video talking about cancer and all children asked to leave the room and get ready to perform a song for the event again with mrs mugo daughter.
3.30pm Health awareness cancer information presented in projector Mr Paul Njuguna
A small video clip showing what is cancer to the guardians and visitors only.
3.45pm children performing a song
Children dancing and show casing songs they enjoy.
4.00pm District Education officer speech.
A word of encouragement from our DEO or representative.
4.10pm Chief Police
A word of encouragement from Mr kiragu or representative
4.20pmVote of thanks from the entire management committee. Mrs Patricia Makhapila presented on behalf by Mr Paul Njuguna
A vote of thanks from and the entire management committee and becoming members of our community once you fill in our membership forms which can be collected at our office every Mondays between 9am-11am.
4.25pm A word of encouragement and ending prayer: Pastor John Kihima from Agape Church
Pastor John is married with children and does a lot of biblical teaching in the community. He is a village elder and has been involved and played a part in protecting the environment in Ndarugu river by encouraging the community to plant trees along the river and educate the community in the importance our river Ndarugu. He closes us with prayer.
4.35Pm. End of our days EVENT
We hope you have enjoyed the day with us and please email us with your feedback so we can improve our sessions. Or provide feed back on our comment book in the office currently located at Friend’s Church.leaving and networking, tidying of the ACK venue building ready for Sunday service for tomorrow.jor