Written by Alison | 22 February 2011

James Woodward is co-founder of Kickstart Kids International, an Australian-based organisation operating in Kenya. Their main focus is their Familia Moja Children’s Centre where James and fellow founder James Harrison travelled recently to reunite Familia Moja boys David, Rasto and Boni with their guardians.

"Upon arrival in his small hometown village, I asked 14 year old David what he would like for Christmas" says James W, "and after taking a minute to consider, he asked if he could buy a mattress for his mother to sleep on". David was born in the Kayole slums of Nairobi and met James in 2007 when he was just ten years old. He used to sleep directly on a hard concrete floor, a common bed for many. Now at Familia Moja he has his very own mattress, pillow, blanket and sheets but his mother still lives in a small hut with a dirt floor.

"David is indeed a very special young man", James tells us.

James H is currently studying medicine with long-time AVIF volunteer Zoe, in Sydney and wanted to visit a community hospital so of course we sent him along to meet Bramuel, administrator of the Arrowweb Community Hospital in Kayole. Since the visit Kickstart have embarked on a new initiative to assist with volunteer nursing, sending crucial support to the nursing staff. James says "It was a humbling experience to watch [the staff] serve the patients at the hospital so efficiently under tough conditions".

Kickstart are also running a two week medical student volunteering trip at the end of June so if you are currently studying medicine and would be interested in applying, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Kickstart are also now successfully operating a borehole well at their 2nd children’s centre, now "pumping at a phenomenal rate", so they are hoping to sell excess water to the community as an income generating activity. Likewise the well is going in, as we speak, at the Mercy Home in Maseno, where Zoe first visited back in 2007. More recently Zoe returned to Maseno to spend invaulable, inspiring time nursing in the local hospital.

The other fantastic news about Mercy Home is that ex-head girl Leo, now studying Business at MMUST has been accepted into the Business in Development Women in Business Challenge, submitting a business plan for a Recycling Company in the area, recycling plastics to create jobs and opportunity in the community as well as outputs such as fencing and building materials. If you'd like to get involved volunteering and sharing expertise please get in touch. Its good for you! .........

 

...Volunteering England were recently commissioned to research the effects of Volunteering and found it can increase longevity, reduce stress and depression, as well aS help people keep fit and enable them to cope better with illness. 63% of 25-34 year olds and 62% of over-65's interviewed said that volunteering helps them feels less stressed while 71% of volunteers offering their professional skills and experience, even purely online, said it combat ted depression. Volunteering can provide a route to meeting new people, making great friends, bringing a wealth of new experience and most definitely make any CV look incredible.

Give it a go -  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

 

The Business in Development Challenge seeks to assist "Women, anywhere in the world, who want to start or grow an existing small and medium sized enterprise (SME) in a developing country". The Challenge brings two prizes. For the five finalists a business trip to The Netherlands for training, b2b and investor meetings. For the absolute winner, tailor made advisory services worth €5,000 from UnitedSucces, the worldwide network for business women owners. The important part is that ALL participants receive feedback to improve their plan and Leo has already been assigned a coach to assist her in the completion of her business plan. Her business plan is also eligible for the BiD Network Investor Matchmaking Services. We're all wishing Leo the best of luck and all the courage in the world to succeed.

 

Written by Alison | 05 February 2011

I'm still buzzing from Englands amazing opening game against Wales last night in the RBS 6 Nations; winning 26:19. Still wondering which RBS person thought it would be a good idea to paint the RBS logo onto the grass and cover all the players in blue paint but thats another story. As always "sport" shows its a powerful force for bringing people together, regardless of patriotic feelings. You can watch the live matches here e.g. ITALY - IRELAND from Rome.

Football is not my favourite game but I am well aware of its power too, all around the world and in Kenya, especially. Even in the rural north western villages of Khalaba and Shibanze where volunteers Stacey and Rachel are currently living, the game plays a vital role in keeping spirits up and kids active. If you can't buy a football, you can still make one!

My good friend, Imbuhira, passed on her friends organisation, the wonderful Maliza Umasikini which promotes Empowerment For All through sports (name translation: Poverty Eradication). Their programs and activities "develop lasting practical solutions to improve the general well-being of the nation.."

I've linked them with Michael Nam's football academy in and around Naivasha, who also recently linked with the Chapeltown Youth Development Centre down the road in Leeds, UK.  I've also asked for collaboration with a large sports consultancy firm based in Nairobi linked strongly with Ubabalo, who promote Sport as having the "POWER to change lives, bridge cultures and transform communities. There are many other organisations that need to collaborate to harness sports power for change, especially; Walter Machio's Michezo Afrika and the Nairobi Junior League and Mashariki Afrika Sports Leadership School. Australia's Little Sports Organisation, headed by Mike Flynn and 50 others, is now not so little, "bursting with child attendances of 12,000 children per week!"

If you wish to help with any of these projects please just email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Written by Alison | 31 January 2011

Thanks to Stacey for the title and her wonderful updates on her own blog. Canadian volunteer, Stacey, is definitely making an impression in the villages of Khalaba and Shibanze :

"Before I'd even left the project site [to go running], I was asked to jump up and down. I obliged, which the older ladies thought was pretty funny. After that I headed out on the open road. Basically everyone I saw was yelling 'mzungu habari, mzungu habari' so I was pretty much constantly saying mzuri, mzuri in response. Similar to India, I also had many motorbikes and bicycles stopped to ask if I needed a ride, I must be in a rush. The best comment I got though, was an older lady who actually stopped me to ask 'what is wrong!!'. It was pretty funny."

Stacey has now been joined by Rachel (from Wales) in the west of Kenya at the Tumaini Centre. Already there is progress with sports and running groups, since Stacey is a keen runner. This picture is one of Staceys of a typical football made from plastic bags and twine. She purchased a "real" one too and has become very popular.

Stacey has been regularly updating her own blog which you can access here, one of many wonderful excerpts follows:

They have a big piece of plywood that they have painted black to make a chalkboard. The kids are learning the alphabet here, they point at it with a stick and have the other kids repeat after them. When they do a good job, the teachers says 'mpigie makofi' which means 'clap for him/her'. The kids all clap and sing this song in english 'well done, well done, try again another day, a very good girl/boy'. While they are singing the student at the front will dance.

Stacey is now coaching Rachel in how to further the progress of the projects but, as Stacey writes,  "the project works in two separate villages, Khalaba and Shibanze. ... Harambe is the closest town to these areas, but it is pretty small and Bungoma is the nearest bigger place. The project has two elementary schools, Tumaini Academy and Vision Academy. I will be volunteering at Tumaini Academy on Mondays and Thursdays and at Vision Academy on Tuesdays. On Wednesdays and Fridays I will be working on other things with the projects."

We'll update you as Rachel settles in ..........

Written by Alison | 12 January 2011

Ke - nang - ge   ma - re

Welcome

AVIF would like to introduce Tashi Yang Zoom, the tibetan English teacher responsible for our newest placement. Situated 4000m up on "the roof of the world" is a community in rural Tibet, 160km from Lhasa, the capital city.

Tashi was born in Nyemo in 1981, the youngest of 12 (now 8 !?) children; 4 older brothers and 3 older sisters.

Tashi studied Tibetan in elementary school then helped on her parents farm until 2000 when she travelled to Lhasa against all odds and found work at a Tibetan restaurant. There she saved 3000RMB, enough to study English. After marrying in 2003 and the arrival of her son she returned to study English at the Tibetan Academy of Social Science and in Nov 2007 opened the New Vision English Language School in Tsedang prefecture. By 2008 she was able to begin a second school in her hometown of Nyemo too.

Nyemo lies SW of Lhasa and Tsedang in the area shown as Shannan to the SE.

From Lhasa to Tsedang or Nyemo takes 2-3 hours by bus.  Nyemo means "Wheat Ear" in Tibetan Language. Nyemo County is located in the middle south of the Tibet Autonomous Region and north of the middle reaches of Yarlung Zangbo River.

 

It covers an area of 3272 square kilometers, with a population of 28,000. The average altitude of the county is about 4000 metres and contains many kinds of fauna and flora. Farmers here grow barley, wheat, broad beans, peas, corn, buckwheat, and rapeseed, making it one of the major grain and oil producing regions in Tibet. Agriculture and farming are booming in the county and handicraft products; pulu (woollen fabric), Tibetan incense, Tibetan paper and potteries are also flourishing.

 

Some of the children are pictured here with sweet tea and noodles. On the right is Tennor, he is ten years old.  To his left, in the red/blue/white hat is 9 year old Tenzin Lhamo. Tashi trieds to take them to restaurants on occasion where they can get a meal and practise English together. If you'd like to visit  or to simply help online please contact us: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it