Makindu Children’s Program new Executive Director Helen Gundlach and Board Member Dan Dizney visited the Makindu Children’s Centre in March & April. Helen and Dan had a great trip, and spent their days meeting the MCC staff, children, guardians, the Kenyan Advisory Council members, the Nairobi East rotary club, and more. One of the highlights of their trip was escorting a large number of Makindu kids on a sarafari to Tsavo National Park.
Spring break for many Makindu Centre students came at the end of March and throughout part of April. Students come home during their vacation and join a structured program at the Centre, which includes include counseling on various life issues, a review of their progress at school, and one-on-one individual support. Particular attention has been given to children sitting for examinations later this year.
The shamba is lush and green. This follows the onset of the long rains. The prospects look good for a good harvest in about three months time. The whole shamba is under various crops. Fruit seedlings planted earlier are doing well. Indigenous vegetables planted last month are now being harvested and will contribute to reduced vegetable purchases in the coming months. Maize and beans have been planted and are have already germinated. MCC has continued to harvest bananas from the shamba and we expect this to continue in the future owing to increased acreage of plantains.
The guardians group has been dynamic during the month. They have secured new registration, continued to raise money, and are expected to open a bank account by the mid of the next month. The group has plans to start loaning money to its members in three months time.
The weavers group has very active during March. The group will have another basket sale in April, and capacity building activities within the group has started to strengthen the group’s external marketing of their products in Nairobi. Sales were reported modest (Kenya Shilling 6500). This is significant, because the co-op is learning to engage more with other buyers, which ultimately increases revenue for the individual members.
Notable news in March centered on a report released surveying household health and economics. The report exposes some facts on the state of medical care in Kenya:
Individuals in rural Kenya, where poverty levels are high, are the hardest hit. The majority of rural Kenyans have no insurance coverage, and their health problems are compounded by poor access to basic amenities such as housing, water, sanitation and electricity. (For example, 28% of the population of Kenya live in temporary structures). 56% of the population in Kenya lives below the poverty line.
Malaria still tops the list of diseases that affect Kenyans. Close behind it are respiratory infections, diarrhea, tuberculosis, accidents and injuries in that order. Interestingly, although reports exist indicating that HIV/AIDS kills 700 people every day, only one percent of the population is admitted to Kenyan hospitals suffering from AIDS related diseases. (Only 17% of the Ministry of Health’s budget is earmarked for HIV/AIDS.)
Page Last Modified 30APR2008 08:06:50]
