The Volunteer Services committee presents an
opportunity for members to share their skills, time and
positive energy in the community. The places listed
here are not exclusive. If anyone knows of
places that would welcome our members as volunteers, please
contact the chair and be willing to put your name as the
contact person.
If you feel like you want to do something but are
having a hard time getting out by yourself, call or send an
email! There is usually someone else who would be
delighted to go with you and see what the experience might be
like. Consider joining the committee and being in
the forefront of volunteer
opportunities!
Women's Prison Project
The women in Remand are awaiting a
hearing/trial. Many
have no resources or family to help
them. Some of the women also have their babies with
them. We have developed opportunities for
volunteering within the prison remand through Faraja Trust and
the resource center they have
established.
The
resource center is administered by Faraja Trust, our liaison
to the prison. Christine Odero, from Faraja, is the
facilitator at the resource center. If anyone would like
to volunteer at the resource center, please contact the
volunteer chair to set up an orientation with Christine.
What kinds of things would a volunteer do at the resource
center? There are sewing machines, knitting machines,
books, puzzles, etc. If you have a special skill, like
embroidery, new patterns for sewing, crocheting, etc, they
would be welcomed there. If you are able to teach
marketing skills, self-esteem, etc, that would also be
welcome. The commitment of time is up to you; one
day, once a week, once a month.
In May 2010 AWA was able to facilitate a training
at the remand with one of our other partners, AIHD (Africa
Institute for health and development) and the women from the
CAP (community action project) they initiated in Mitumba
Slum. Two women
from Mitumba came to the remand for 2 weeks and trained the
remandees and some of the inmates in the making of products
from recycled plastic bags. The results have been
fantastic – handbags, shopping bags, waste baskets, clutch
purses, table mats, etc.
On 1st Sept 2010 Faraja Trust, in
partnership with Kenya Prisons Service, officially launched
the Eco-Friendly Plastic Bag project. Faraja Trust will be
assisting the KPS in administering this project as the market
develops for these products so that the “artist”, Prison
Welfare fund, and the project overhead will all benefit from
the proceeds of sales.
Please bring ONE (or more!) of the items below to
any general meeting or coffee
morning. It will be distributed by an AWA
member directly to the women in the Remand
section of the
prison:
- toiletries -
toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, toilet paper, sanitary products,
lotion, shampoo, baby diapers, baby oil, baby
powder
- baby clothes, baby
formula
- books, magazines, bibles
-
old sweaters and jackets for the cold weather
in June and July
- flip flops, underwear,
socks
THANK YOU to those who have generously donated
toiletries and sanitary products and support of these training
programs!
Euphrasia Women’s Center
Euphrasia Women’s Center is a facility that teaches
young women from the slums the art of tailoring, stitching,
beading, etc.
They are located in South B and have been a partner
with AWA for many years.
You might have seen them at one of our coffee mornings
selling their aprons, hats, embroidered table cloths,
etc.
Volunteers are needed on either Mondays or
Wednesdays
1. teach English on Wednesday
mornings
2. cookery and baking Monday
mornings.
Those interested in English should contact Lucy
at awaofKenya@gmail.com
The tutoring really helps the girls prepare for
their tailoring exam in addition to improving their
communication skills
Those interested in cooking – no cooking
experience or expertise required! - should contact
Renate at awaofkenya@gmail.com
Some of our culinary goals for the girls
are:
table etiquette, food safety awareness, food
handling awareness, basic cooking utensils and techniques,
exposure to a variety of recipes and, the best one: cake
making and decorating!
ANYONE is welcome and we encourage you to
come and observe and then determine if you'd like to teach
them one of your own favorite recipes!
Orphanages
1.
Hope House Orphanage
39 Kaputei Gardens, off Othaya Rd, near Gatanga
Rd. They are recipients of our feeding program. Contact: Shirley Stone
(AWA member) awaofkenya@gmail.com
Volunteers must be interviewed and trained. They
prefer a set schedule but can discuss with each volunteer on a
case by case basic. They also welcome volunteers who want to
share their expertise to the staff, foster parents, adoptive
parents, etc. Hold, feed, change, play with
babies
2. New Life House Near Yaya Center
off Lenana Road
Volunteers are welcome ANYTIME, but are preferred
outside of 1-2 pm which is naptime. A set schedule is always
welcome but not required. Hold, feed, change play with babies,
but also help around the facility if desired.
3. Halfway House near Runda off Limuru
Road
Volunteers are welcome ANYTIME. They may also
welcome volunteers who want to share their expertise with the
mothers who are transitioning from prison to community life,
now with their babies. Contact: volunteer chair at
awaofkenya@gmail.com
Zana Africa Girl’s
project:
This project has many facets. There are youth
counselors that go into the slums and facilitate discussion
sessions with young girls to enhance their self esteem and
provide them knowledge on keeping themselves safe. Another project is the
development of biodegradable sanitary pads which is close to
being ready for production. Zana Africa also
distributes sanitary pads to girls to encourage them to stay
in school.
If you would like to know more and see how you can
volunteer, please either check out their website
www.zanaafrica.org or contact the
director, Megan: 0722 715 603 for more
information.
Mitumba Community Action Project:
AWA members can assist this project by collecting
plastic bags!
Volunteers can help by identifying places that the CAP
can sell their products and also encourage others to collect
and recycle bags.
If you would like to help, please contact awaofkenya@gmail.com
Share the Spirit
Share the Spirit is a biannual community service
event in collaboration with the US Mission to Kenya and the
State Alumni program administered by the US Mission. The events take place
the weekend after President’s Day in February and the weekend
after Independence Day in July. So far we have had
more than 100 volunteers give their time to paint a community
school in Kayole and plant 1000 tree seedlings along the
Riparian of the Ngong river providing a future place of
respite for a slum community. Join us in developing
other community projects that focus on helping Women, Children
and the Elderly of Kenya!
Volunteer Services End of Year Report
2009-2010
Volunteering in the community is a fundamental
activity for many of our members. This year we have
achieved access to the Langata Women's Prison Remand Resource
Center. AWA members have contributed over 300
toothbrushes, over 300 packs of sanitary pads, undergarments,
good quality used clothing and toiletries to these women who
enter remand with what is on their bodies, often with no shoes
or undergarments. AWA has contributed soccer balls and
children's books and toys to the on-site preschool The Mitumba Trust CAP
ladies from the recycled bag project in South C have trained
interested remandees in how to make the bags, while
encouraging recycling and cleaning up the environment.
At the same time, women from Dorcas beads will come to teach
paper beading from recycled magazines to both the remandees
and Mitumba group!
We continue to list volunteer opportunities in the
Karibu. AWA members continue to support Hope House
Babies, Halfway House and New Life orphanages, and other
facilities, with their time.
Euphrasia Women's Center has been a recipient
of many volunteer hours from AWA members. On Mondays,
volunteers help with teaching interested young women
about cooking and on Wednesdays volunteers teach some of these
same women English. The Euphrasia women are learning
about stitching and tailoring and have brought many of their
products to sell at some of our
functions.
Many of the women in these projects would benefit
from someone who could help them understand how to market
their products. If that is your interest, please
consider contributing some of your
time.
This year AWA initiated the Share the Spirit
activity - a collaborative effort with the US Embassy and
Kenyan Alumni who have lived in the US. The first
recipient of this initiative was Orbit Village who got
their classrooms painted. There were over 100
volunteers who not only gave of their time, but received back
by knowing that the work they did that day improved the spirit
of over 600 school children! Volunteers who are not
usually able to get to a project like Orbit village
learned of the challenges of the children and staff and their
achievements despite these challenges. Share the Spirit
is biannual, so we will see you in Jan
2010!
Respectfully,
Randi
