Organizational Information:
Aid Kenya
Foundation (AKF) is a nonprofit humanitarian aid and development assistance
charitable foundation founded in January 2007 with a mission of ‘Changing
Lives, Impacting Humanity’.
The
Foundation focuses its feel-good programs and projects through the Humanitarian
Aid & Development Assistance Program(HADAP), a program focusing on
orphaned & vulnerable children, teenage mothers, women and youth at risk
and the disadvantaged populations in rural-urban Kenya in the area of
mobilizing food, sanitary towels, organizing medical camps, and civic education
on community issues.
The
Foundation also promotes artisans, handcraft makers, and farmers, under the
Foundation's Fair Trade Initiative Kenya Project. The Foundation
also co-founded, Centre for Orphaned Children(Wanalea Children’s Home),
a children center caring and supporting OVC kids from Kajiado and Nairobi’s
urban slums and rural Kenya. The Foundation is working to establish The Lifeshield Community Resource Centers in Kitutu Village, Kisii County; Nairobi; and in the Maasai heartland of Kajiado- a
project aimed to protect, rescue, mentor, rehabilitate and offering vocational
training and occupational skills to in and out of school girls and youth. The
Foundation hosts and posts international volunteers to it’s projects under the Experiential
Learning & Cultural Exchange Program, as well it conducts Stop FGM
Now Campaigns Project, aimed at combating female genital mutilation on girls
and women, and mobilizing sanitary towels for distribution to school-going
girls.
Management: The Foundation is accountably,
professionally and transparently managed by an Executive Management Council
headed by the Executive Director, and Board of Trustees headed by the Chairman.
The Foundation has an excellent team of staff and taps the talents, and
services of volunteers and Goodwill Ambassadors who are qualified to design,
develop, implement, evaluate and monitor a program, project or any assignment,
research or undertaking.
Office
Headquarters: The
Foundation is headquartered in Kenya’s capital Nairobi, at General Conference
Building, Riverside Drive, Westlands, as well it maintains three field offices
across Kenya with Coast Regional Office located at Serena Road, Off
Mombasa-Malindi Road
Our Board of
Trustee is composed of the following:
Dr. Ezekiel Okemwa
(Chairman);
Dee DePriest;
Joost Van Berkom;
Joost Van Berkom;
Juddy K. Anyona;
Gabriela Chioveanu;
Gabriela Chioveanu;
Stephen Kinuthia;
Erastus Mong’are, HSC
Humphreys Okumu;
Rose Nyanchoka;
Armstrong Ongera II
(Secretary/Executive Director);
Official
Contact Persons:
Mr. Armstrong O. Ongera, Jr.,
Executive Director, Aid Kenya Foundation;
Tel. +254 708984030;
E-Mail: <info@aidkenyafoundation.org>
Or
Juddy
K. Anyona,
Administrator
E-Mail:
AFKpwani@gmail.com
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PROJECT
PROPOSAL ON BASIC EDUCATION SUPPORT TO ORPHANED AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN MILALANI
VILLAGE IN SABAKI LOCATION, MALINDI, KILIFI COUNTY IN KENYA
EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
The
HIV/AIDS pandemic; poverty; and drug and alcohol abuse at Milalani Village in
Sabaki
Location, Malindi, in Kilifi County in Kenya has caused untold suffering to the
people
of Milalani Village. There are over 5000 people who have been directly or
indirectly
affected by HIV/AIDS; and drug abuse in Sabaki Location and their lives
have
been impacted by this scourge for now over 20 years now. Most of those affected
are
children and women. The areas where the children are settled are poor, isolated
and
rural where employment opportunities are scarce and difficult to come by.
The
mode of livelihood remains chiefly subsistence farming, selling Mnazi, and
fruits.
The
children have therefore found themselves trapped in this situation of poverty,
insecurity
and general unemployment. Fathers, mothers and guardians find it difficult
to
feed their children, paying school fees, school dues and medical expenses are
not
possible.
Having
realized this situation many parents have resorted to self help employment
and
self help project to redress the situation. For instance OVC and People Living
HIV/AIDS;
guardian parents started have teamed up with Aid Kenya Foundation to
establish
an orphanage, Mission of Hope Children’s Center, to shelter orphaned,
homeless
and vulnerable children from Milalani village, and surrounding communities
across
the Coast; as well a school- Milalani Community School, to offer basic
education
to
Milalani village children who have never been enrolled in school since birth.
For the
community’s
children, the school will boost of an increased school enrolment.
Also
through the Foundation’s Education For Orphans Scholarship Program the
Foundation
project to work with individuals, corporations, foundations, churches, and
religious
institutions, hotels, and other well wishers to sponsor 0ver 10,500 children
and
students from the community, across the Coast Region and at large so that they
can
have an education over the next 10 years. Education in Kenya is simply
expensive
going
by the poverty levels of the people in Milalani village. Parents can’t afford
the
fees
for regular public or private schools.
It
is in the context of the above situation that as Aid Kenya Foundation, we are
focused
to
promote education in the Coast Region of Kenya under the Foundation’s Education
For
Orphans Scholarship Program through local and international collaboration and
partnership.
By promoting education, the Foundation shall be working toward
achieving
UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); the Government of Kenya’s
Vision
2030; and the Foundation’s Humanitarian Aid & Development Assistance Strategic
Action Plan 2012-2022.
The provision of scholarship, and scholastic
materials to orphans and vulnerable children is geared towards improving on
their retention at school.
This
project will raise the status of those orphans, poor and vulnerable school drop
outs
and enable them to access education once again.
Aid
Kenya Foundation is seeking for US $ 1,500,000 to fund the project.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF
MISSION OF HOPE CHILDRENS CENTER
The
dream of Mission of Hope Children’s Center (The Mission Center) was initially
born
out of the Malindi Hope Project research that was conduct by Aid Kenya
Foundation
under the leadership of the Foundation’s Executive Director, Mr.
Armstrong
O’Brian Ongera, Jr., who had done similar projects in Nairobi’s urban
slums
of Kibera, and Kitui Ndogo; Kware Slums in Ongata Rongai in Kajiado County,
in
the Rift Valley just outside Nairobi; and in Kitutu Community in Kisiii County.
After
meeting and interviewing parents, guardians, the community elders and seeing
many
parentless children whose parents died of HIV/AIDS suffer, and many o the kids
going
to the Beach in Malindi to waste themselves, Mr. Armstrong convinced the
Foundation’s
Board of Trustees to work towards establishing the Mission of Hope
Children’s
Center and the Milalani Community School. Based on the experience of Mr.
Armstrong’s
leadership, experience, passion and believe in the education of the
children
and teenage mothers, he was tasked to work towards achieving the
Foundation’s
dream for the people of Coast.
Due
to increased child suffering and abuse and rampant illiteracy in the Coast
Region
of
Kenya, the two projects will help empower the children with education and
skills.
Vision
To bring lasting and
a positive change to the young children and the community they live in.
Mission
To make a real
lasting difference to the lives of children through provision of quality education, care and support.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
An
educated Child is an empowered child. We believe in the philosophy of Nelson
Mandela: ”Education Is The Most Powerful Weapon
Which You Can Use To Change The World”
BACKGROUND
HIV/AIDS
is not just a serious threat to our social-economic development; it is a real
threat
to our existence. It has reduced many families to a status of beggars in Sabaki
location
and the entire Kilifi County whereby in Sabaki location alone we have about
3000
Orphans and many more destitute and vulnerable children who are at the mercy
of
God. There is no family in Sabaki location and the entire Kilifi County which
is left
untouched
by the sufferings caused by the HIV/AIDS which is increasing rapidly.
Many
children whose parents die of HIV/AIDS lack the basic necessities in life.
Traditional
extended family structures are overburdened, most vulnerable being the
working
age which die and leave their families impoverished. Also, there is no birth
control
in the region, so an average woman can give birth more than ten times.
Achievement
of literacy is undermined due to lack of finances. Many children drop
out
of school to seek for food. Poverty and unemployment add salt to injury. Many
families
suffer and lack the basic needs and victims of the circumstances are children.
It
is in this state of depravity that at the Mission of Hope Children’s Center was
initiated
by the Foundation in coordination with concerned members of the
community
in a rural village at Milalani, in Sabaki Location of Malindi, Kilifi County
North
Coast of Kenya to give hope to these innocent children.
INTRODUCTION
HIV/AIDS
is a deadly pandemic occurring in every County in Kenya. It is responsible
for
the death of 2.5 million Kenyans since 1990’s. These deaths have left behind
more
than
three million orphans. About 1,000 Kenyans die daily from AIDS. There is still
no
straight cure for AIDS; estimates suggest that over 3 million out of 40 million
are
infected.
Due
to poverty and unemployment, the responsibility of providing to the sibling has
become
a burden to many parents. As a result of neglect and such harsh conditions
many
children opt to go to the streets to beg for food to survive at very tender
ages.
Some
children due to neglect by parents who are sometimes torn apart in broken
relationships
resulting from poverty and unemployment.
Aid
Kenya Foundation, founded and established Mission of Hope Children’s Center
which
is a project geared towards providing a secure environment for the HIV/AIDS
infected
and affected orphans, destitute and street children, feeding, clothing, medical
care,
education, spiritual nourishment, love, a listening ear to their cry and a home
away
from home. It majors in care, support and education program.
OUR COMMITMENT
The
Mission of Hope Children’s Center does not receive any government funding to
support
its programs. We are dependent on individual contributions which account for
the
majority of our annual budget. Without your support, our mission of educating,
protecting,
and caring for these orphans could not be fulfilled. These are all our
children
- when you contribute to the Mission of Hope Children’s Center, you
become
a member of the Mission of Hope Children’s Center family.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
The
large numbers of orphans in this country are resulting from the combination of
HIV/AIDS.
Kilifi County in Kenya is an extremely poor area with tremendous
inequality
in income distribution. While it possesses substantial resources,
agricultural,
and fishery resources, its physical and social infrastructure is not well
developed,
and serious social disorders continue to hamper economic development.
Nearly
half of the working-age population engages in subsistence agriculture.
In
a situation where parents themselves are poor and cannot get employment, it
becomes
even a greater difficulty for their children and orphans to access quality
education
and other scholastic materials. The state of abject poverty facing the
orphans
and vulnerable children needs to be addressed. The orphans and vulnerable
children
themselves have become increasingly concerned about their own poverty.
They
have felt for the need of some sort of action by either themselves or
benevolent
agencies
to redress the situation. For example, seeing that nothing was forthcoming in
regards
to their education, some orphans and vulnerable children have started going
to
the beaches to beg from the tourists. It is on this spirit that some group of
individuals
formed themselves into a project (basic support for children education
project)
to try to revive the hopes of these children.
The
project therefore addresses the following problems and benefits to orphans and
OVCs;
The
school dropouts find themselves in a vicious circle of poverty and
helplessness,
they
cannot afford basic necessities for school, they barely have enough to eat, and
they
cannot buy school uniforms. The success of this project will address these
issues.
Most
of the beneficiaries are orphans and family heads as children living in a
challenging
world and environment, they are marginalized. This project will empower
them.
Aid
Kenya Foundation has started offering scholar materials for some needy
children,
but
the scheme requires financial support for procuring items such as exercise
books,
pens,
pencil, geometric sets, uniforms, supplementary food for weak orphans’ and
some
IGA for OVCs. There will be no financial returns.
IMPLEMENTATION
The
project team will be directly involved in all phases of the project. The team
however
from time to time requires technical and specialized services such as that of
financial
management and project management. The group has formed a local
management
committee from amongst themselves, consisting of chairperson,
secretary,
treasurer and two others members.
The
committee is responsible for the running of the project, it also reports to the
founders
during meetings Aid Kenya Foundation is the umbrella organization
rendering
general supervisory and management role. The Foundation shall continue
to
support the project up to the time it attains self reliance.
The
Foundation’s staff include: The Executive Director, International Goodwill
Ambassador,
Regional Coordinator, Project Manager, Community Development
Facilitator,
Accounts Assistant and Seven Board members who shall also monitor and
report
on progress of the activities of the project.
Implementation
time table is attached
PROJECT JUSTIFICATION
-Orphans & At-risk Children have a right
to shelter, food, clothing, medical care,
education
and other basic needs.
-Orphans& At-risk Children are the future
generation of which a big percentage
is
now orphaned, destitute, vulnerable and at risk because their needs are
deprived.
-
The higher level of girls’ education the longer they postpone marriage, child
bearing
and are more likely to safe guard their health.
-Provision of education has a direct and
positive impact on maternal and child
health
survival.
-Universal education not only give children an
opportunity for better life but also
help
reduce community’s rate of infection and death from avoidable health
hazards
like AIDS.
-Spiritual, social and emotional guidance help
bring up more sober and
responsible
persons in the society hence reducing the breeding of dangerous
rebels
who will endanger the peace and development of the community.
MAIN
OBJECTIVE
To promote education, health, quality life for the orphaned,
vulnerable and the destitute children while endeavoring to develop the whole
person for positive contribution to society.
What
we do.
SPECIFIC
OBJECTIVES
-To
support orphans and vulnerable children in the maintaining them at the Mission
of Hope Children Center and as well as providing psychological support;
-To support 350
orphans and vulnerable children in maintaining them in guardianship of their extended
families in every possible way from the provision of food to payment of school
fees. Currently, 154 of the kids are at the shelter and we seek to renovate a
new compound donated to the Foundation to relocate some of the most vulnerable
to be under protective care.
-Providing Food, Health care, text books, school uniform
accommodation, education, basic rights to HIV/AIDS infected and affected
orphans & vulnerable children.
-Empowering HIV/AIDS infected and affected orphans at risk
children by sponsoring them through scholarships to acquire quality education
through university/vocational levels.
-Dig a borehole and provide water to HIV/AIDS infected and
affected orphans &vulnerable children use and use water for irrigation and
plant vegetable to be used at the orphanage.
-Develop 3 green houses to provide food to the orphans&
OVCs and the community.
-Providing micro-finance services to widows and widowers living
with HIV/AIDS to start small income generating businesses to sustain themselves
and their families.
-To provide healthcare facilities to the communities
especially the orphaned children.
-Sponsorship for school fees and other educational
requirements.
-Providing clothing and all that can place the orphaned and
vulnerable children to the comfort of a home.
OUR
PROGRAMS COMPONENTS
-Reading and writing program.
-After school tutorials.
-Health and Nutrition especially to those suffering from
different ailments and need special care and attention.
-Physical education
-Social interaction and Development
-Youth leadership and Development program
SELECTION
PROCESS
The next question we will tackle is who or how do we pick or
determine who to benefit from the programs available.
The whole process is initiated by Aid Kenya Foundation through a letter to the District
Children’s Officer (DCO) in each district through Kenya. The DCO is the
secretary to the Area Advisory Council (AAC) in each district, an assignment
with the responsibility of distributing the application form to schools and
other institutions in the district within a given duration is vested on the
DCO.The forms are made available at Kilifi District Education Office and the
officer in charge of that office convenes the board where the nomination list
is prepared. The list and minutes of the board meeting are forwarded to the
organization who then in conjunction with the Government authorities/Administration verifies the legitimacy of the list of the intended
beneficiaries of the scholarship program.
Students meeting the definition of orphaned and vulnerable
children are nominated by the District Education Board using the following
criteria;
-Applicants should be able to produce death certificates or
burial permit(s) of guardian or parents. In the absence of the required
documentation the applicant’s status as an orphan or vulnerable child must be
confirmed by the District Administration and School Principal
-The Administration and management of the scholarship is
carried out by Aid Kenya Foundation, The Board of Trustee, and The Sponsor (s)
MONITORING,
EVALUATION AND PROJECT SUSTAINABILITY
To ensure project objectives are in
place project monitoring will be done from day to day this will therefore be
achieved through;
-Center visits
-Center reports
-School enrollment, both primary and secondary
-School reports
-Physical and Emotional changes.
Evaluation will be done termly to determine project progress
and reports made to donors.
The organization will use the following monitoring and
evaluation tools based on the project activities and expected outcomes:
1) Quarterly Reports,
2) Minutes of Executive committee meetings
3) Receipts and vouchers
4) Records for inputs/outputs.
On issues regarding project sustainability it really depends
on the free will donations the organization receives. This donations are
basically from the community and those who are well off or well doing in their
different doings in life also companies and different sectors of both private
and public sectors willing to make the mission a success. Apart from the
mission relying on well wishers out of the project that it will be running with
different individuals that will allow and ensure the programmes run smoothly
and for a long time.
THE
FACILITIES NEEDED AT THE MISSION OF HOPE CHILDREN’S CENTER
The organizations aim
is to better every child’s living, health and education situation therefore any
items given with the will of help in achieve the organizations goals will be
appreciated in kind or cash but in order to have the home in place the organization
has come up with a budget to build the home and items that will enable the
children feel home. The List of Item and Budget is hereby attached or submitted
upon request.
In the future the organization hopes to reduce illiteracy
and reduce level on government aid from the marginalized community especially
families with children and those suffering from deadly terminal illnesses.
Summarily the organizations dreams and objectives with the help of several
partners are;-
1 )Sponsor children in different levels of education through
the scholarship system.
2) Integrated farming
3) Innovation of computer and IT skills
4) Hire professional personnel
5) Start income generating projects and production units to
boost the centers income.
CONCLUSION
In concluding we will attach some stories and photographs of
some of the beneficiaries of the center that the organization wishes to extend
to enable a larger holding capacity so as not to leave other children out of
the program. The organization really appreciates the will and wish expressed to
be part of making a difference in the community.
Our website provides
forms and information of how an individual or sponsor can be of help to the Foundation to
meet its objectives.
Changing Lives, Impacting Humanity!
