FEED A CHILD TO STAY IN SCHOOL

The recent Kenyan Government statistics that almost 200,000 girls had gotten pregnant was the saddest story I have heard arising from the effect of COVID-19 lockdown despite other stories that domestic violence have increased and there has been many unexplained deaths in the families. It is obvious that hopelessness is creeping up in people's lives and majority are in need of dire help.

This is particularly true in the slums where life is about hand to mouth. People get their daily bread from doing hawking business to walking every morning to industries looking for casual jobs. That is not possible now duew to lockdown, our community members are in such desperate situation and no wonder such depressing reports!

It is with this in mind that for the last three months of the reporting period, our concern has been how to get involved to help alleviate this problem. We have provided food items to the community members particularly targetting parents and guardians who are now with our pupils and students. Since all schools were closed it is not possible for our feeding program in school to continue. We have also through the help of other partrner organizations provided our girls with sanitary towels in the hope that they will not be lured into sex as an exchange of such needs and food.

During the reporting period we have achieved the following;

1. Provided food items to 500 households worth US$1,500.
2. Gave washing soap to 1000 households worth US$1,200.
3. Provided masks worth US$500 to 1000 people.
4. Created a vertical kitchen gardens within our compound and right now carrying out training so that the slum dwellers may replicate the same gardens in their compounds to ensure they have enough vegetables
5. Gave free water to 1000 households for drinking and domestic use for the last two months during this reporting period from our borehole.
6. Provided counselling services and training to our pupils particularly girls to caution them against those who would take advantage of them.

All these have been possible through our GlobalGiving donors, well-wishers, local supporters and also through partnership with other organizations without which we would not have achieved much.

Challenges

1. On the GlobalGiving FEED THE CHILD account, it has been almost impossible to get our supporters to give anything. The majority of those supporters are looking to us for provision.
2. We have not succeeded in getting consistent donors who would give every month whether there is GlobalGiving campaign or not.
3. We have not been involved even in the campaign initiated by the GlobalGiving because our donor base has been mostly those who are so affected.

Way Forward

Our desire is to continue mobilizing many donors to join us for these noble purposes of ensuring a future to the poor children and other members of our community. We are even more determined knowing that sometimes calamities beyond our control are bound to happen. We will appeal to our donors to be consistent by giving monthly donations.

We appeal to our donors to continue supporting us and share the same with their friends to enlarge our donor base. In this reporting period we received from GlobalGiving a total of only US$ 891 which include funds from the girlfund cohort where we are among the the eight (8) winners. This alone would not have made us achieve all that we achieved during this reporting period.  With more of your support we will achieve much and help save lives of such vulnerable girls and children whom without our help will be wasted and sadly a bright future totally destroyed. You and we together will achieve much! Welcome.