learning through transition

First Quarter Update: Kibera Projects (Jan 2008 - April 2008)

I would like to start by (on behalf of people in Kibera) thanking you all for your support - moral and financial. You have literally changed the lives of many people and continue to do so.

You have built businesses, created employment and given people hope.

And as one of you said to me 'with hope anything is possible'.

The Achievements:
1. 31 businesses opened
2. Kibera Youth Initiative for Community Development Resource Centre opened
3. Mama Tunzas Children's home suported through crisis
4. Kiberas first Organic Farm started
5. Bathroom/ Toilet Facilities Block project initiated

The Challenges:
1. Projects with the men's group stalled
2. Drug/ Alcohol abuse
3. Mama Tunza's Children's Home
4. Setting Limits as KYICD grows
5. Raising more funds

As there is a huge amount to report so I am going to go through this in a mainly bullet point format - if there is anything that you would like more information on please do get in touch and I will do my best to fill you in.

The Challenges:
1. The men's group (bridge of hope)
- KYICD were meant to help them open 4 businesses. Only one has opened the carwash which is still running but we have not given them any further funding because there has been low accountability and ownership of the project by the men.
- we would still like to work with them but feel that they need to fullfill the following conditions:
- formal registration of their group and opening of a group bank account
- 'in house' training by kibera youth reform - another successful community based organisation
if they manage to do the above and we see a change in their operations then we shall work with them to get the scrap metal business opened. We shall also facilitate their business training
through SACOMA an organisation that specialises in dealing with small, medium enterprises (SMEs).

Lessons learnt:
- how to manage what groups see as 'who owns the project/ business'
- how to consider other social factors e.g. drug/ alcohol abuse
- how to engender social responsibility in the group (e.g. when their own personal crises arose)

2. Drug/ Alcohol abuse
This is rife in Kibera especialy among young people especially the men. KYICD realised that if our goal is sustainability this is a key factor that cannot be ignored. To that end we are
working on setting up a drug/ alohol rehabilitation programme.
This programme will initially take the place of counselling and workshops in the office space.

KYICD also hope to partner with organisations in nairobi that provide services that we can tap into without a huge capital outlay required.

3. Mama Tunza's Children's Home
Mama Tunza approached KYICD and said that she would like a bigger piece of land near where she is at present as her already very crowded home now homes 87 children and schools 230. It is quite
chaotic.

We have been buying supplies and co-ordinating medical facilities for the home however it now transpires that there is a larger organisation called faces of kibera who are wanting to move the
home out of kibera to ensure better facilities for the children.

While this seems like a great idea I know of various other similar projects that have failed as despite the squalor the residents have not actually wanted to leave Kibera. Mama Tunza also said
to us she would rather stay in the locale but with better facilities.

Also once the home moves it becomes more difficult for children who need it to access it. There is also the issue that Mama Tunza who operates in kiswahili may not have an equivalent place in a new management structure.

The piece of land she wants to move to in Kibera is also not without controversy - at least 20 families are currently settled there and it is worth noting that there are no title deeds in kibera even if KYICD were to facilitate the purchase of such a plot.

Lessons learnt:
- information management when dealing with a project that has many parties with vested interests
- the difficulties in improving facilities for people with great need - what do they want?
- when to engage and when to withdraw

At the moment KYICD are definitely not going to get involved in any future plans that the home has and are also wondering about wether or not it is best to continue with the supplies we have
been giving due to concerns about how they are being managed.

please give your thoughts on this matter if you have any.
(kindly note that all the money that has already been donated for use specifically by the children's home has already been used up.)

4. Setting the Limits
The projects are growing. The success of the Organic Farm (more about this later) has seen community leaders from EVERY district in Kibera approach KYICD to ask if we can facilitate the same in their neighbourhood.

Business ideas are being received on a daily basis.

We have moved from what was an essentially emergency mission to help people get back onto their feet into a situation where we would like to foster those magic words of all words 'sustainable development.'

To that end we know that we cannot do everything - so what can we do?

The principles behind this was to support grassroots work - everything was meant to facilitate ideas by the people of Kibera for the people of Kibera and to that end all the money you have so graciously sent has been directed.

KYICD have decided the following:
- all the money raised will be continue to go directly to the peole of Kibera, i will still continue to volunteer for the projects as do most of the people who have been called in to consult (there are 2 exceptions which will be explained later in the mail).
- (with guidance when necessary) decision making will continue to be based in Kibera
- KYICD will only give financial contributions to other groups that are registered and meet basic standards such as having a group bank account etc.
- KYICD will only give micro-credit that is 'revolving' - i.e. to be returned to the group so that others may benefit from it
- KYICD will only accept 'silent' corporate sponsorship i.e. if their is no branding etc involved so that ownership remains with the people in Kibera


5. Raising more Funds
We need more money, however the aim is for KYICD to become self-sufficient in 3 years. we are working on figures at the moment to get a better idea of how much we will need. However to give
you some ideas:
- it costs about 250,000KSH (1800 pounds/ $3850 US) to get an organic farm up and running (that includes the fact that the site has to be cleared in the first place as most are probably going
to be on rubbish dumping sites) - though we are working hard to see if we can bring that down.
- it costs 40,000KSH a month (300 pounds/ $600 US) to keep the resource centre running note that most of this money goes to employing 2 young people from Kibera that are doing a lot of community work there.

Lessons Learnt:
- The difficult transition from being an emergency operation which saw the bulk of the work being done by myself and other volunteers to becoming a sustainable community based organisation. They
need the resource centre in Kibera - I don't live there.
- Cultivating sustainability by nuturing creative talents on the ground - the 2 young people now running the resource centre are exceptional and there are many such waiting to be 'discovered'.
The committee of the Youth Reform group are also outstanding.

With all of that said - here is what we have done with the money that has been raised so far.

1. 31 businesses have opened in Kibera! Many of the Jitadihi women's group have been able to return to Toi Market - that would not have been possible without your help. All the businesses
that opened or re-opened are still running 4 months later - a good start!

2. KYICD have opened a resource centre on the Karanja Rd in the heart of Kibera. These offices have 2 computers, printer, internet facilities and are already providing a place for young people
to do amongst many other things:
- have a safe space for meetings
- receive training
- write up business proposals/ cv's - gain access to computer facilities
- hold workshops
- connect with people from around the world/ gain access to education materials

The resource centre is employing 2 young people from Kibera - Augustine (a trained accountant) and Celestine. The phone number is +254 (0)202387712. Do feel free to give them a call, drop by for a vist - arrange to visit the projects with augustine.

The best thing about the resource centre is unlike many other NGOs who have their primary offices in a different part of the city to the people they are serving this space is completely accesible to young people in kibera.

Even if they cannot afford transport - they can walk to it.

KYICD have also managed to secure free SME business training support from SACOMA as well as free marketing training from ATOM both market leaders in Kenya in their areas of expertise. This is going to be used to bolster those who access the micro-credit.

3. Mama Tunzas Children's home
Clothes, Foods, Medical assistance - KYICD has facilitated them. It has also partnered the home with a local school that has been visiting the home regularly taking supplies and fostering friendships from different backgrounds.

4. Kibera's first Ogranic Farm
I was very worried about this project because it was the only project I had suggested. Would an outside idea be taken up by Kibera Youth Reform and claimed as its own? Everyone thought I was
completely mad - it is not possible they said to grow food in Kibera.

Well it has happened and it is going to be organic!

For a more detailed description of the people I roped in to help and how it has happened see:
http://greendreams.edublogs.org One of the farm consultants - Zak is being paid 10,000KSH (75 pounds $150 US) for his efforts (one of the exeptions i mentioned earlier)

For that he is on the ground every other day for the month of may training Youth reform.

Many Thanks to Su Kahumbu of Green Dreams and Johara Bellali an environmental engineer who are volunteering their time to make this possible. Already the comfrey trees bordering the plot are
growing and as of Sunday 11th May vegetables have already been planted!

A grain storage specialist who knows how to keep food fresh for 50 years plus after it has been harvested has agreed to come in and do a training for the Youth Reform so that some grain stocks can be built up from the first harvest.

The energy and feeling around the shamba (farm) is electric.

Everyone wants to know how it was possible, who funded it, where did all the tools, the things - even the earthworms! come from - but mainly can they have one for their neighbourhood? I am hoping to meet with community leaders this Saturday to see if it possible.

The areas we hope to target first are: Soweto, Silaya and Makongeni

OK - i admit it my personal challenge was to have this farm up and running by these long rains - Its happening - i'd like to see the same for the other 19 or so areas by the next long rains towards the end of the year!

5. Bathroom/ Toilet Block
This was a project proposal by Kibera Youth Reform. 2 showers and toilets that would provide much needed facilities in an area known for its flying toilets (people do their business into a plastic bag and then throw it as far away from their residence as possible).

The original costing came to about 280,000KSH (2100 pounds, $4000 US) KYICD challenged Youth Reform to come up with 10% of the money and within a month they handed me 28,000KSH cash. It was time to get the project going! Johara has not only come up with a design that should work to maximise scarce water resources - the building is going to be natural...

... she has managed to get Simon who is an expert on lime plastering and builing natural buildings to work on the project. He is the other exception and has agreed to train the Youth Reform for 10,000 KSH (75 pounds, $150 US).

like Zak this is next to nothing comapred to what their expertise would usually cost.

Well - I think that has probably given you enough of an idea of what has been going on. People are yet to feel the effects of the political solution on the ground though - many internally disaplced people are being forced to return home and don't feel safe - yet.

many will not return home - the plethora of issues remain.

Erick continues to excel in his job at Acted - he got 33/36 at a recent assesment and if the project gets funding he should hopefully get a years contract from mid-June. He hopes to get his interim driving licence next week.

I am still juggling motherhood, work and kibera though the resource centre opening has helped immensely. I look forward to the days when you will be receiving these emails from augustine and to the first harvest from the farm!

STOP PRESS:
Augustine has received a buisness proposal from amongst the youth group who looks like she might be the first recipient of the official revolving fund. She wrote a viable business plan and he is working on with her cash flow projections for the next year.

I have started to look for major funding for the farm projects. The options we are exploring so far are government community development funds and also looking at charitable organisations that sponsor this type of work.

If you have any suggestions/ leads - do let me know.
As usual please feel free to forward this email to anyone you feel might be interested. The website should be updated in the next week - and we are working on a new one for the farms!