African Child Initiative

Mukuyuni church update: It's coming up!

2011-09-09T20:14:00.002+03:00

This is an update in the building progress of Mukuyuni church, with some pictures taken during the summertime.

We did a second fundraisering and the church is now coming up, as you can see. The Mukuyuni community is providing all labour and other services for free and other services, as more people are joining the project.

Our current church.

Congregation after Mass. New Church building behind.

View of Church from the front. There are two rooms on either side of the Altar, one being a changing room and the other an office that will also have a sacrament facility.

View towards East. Kanzalu hills far off. Miu is on the valley.

50% of church compound fenced by our neighbour. Some materials on site.

View towards West and gravel stockpile.

View towards south. Main entrance to the new church.

View from the bottom of the plot.

View of the interior of the church. The floor slab was not yet done. Altar can be seen at the far end. Note the power pole at the back that is to serve our neighbours below and the church, once complete.

Part of the church development committee: L-R Vice Chairman Fredrick Mutinda, CMA Chair Charles Wambua, St Joakim Chairman Barnabas Mutisya, Treasurer (and mother) Idah Mwania and Secretary Angelina Musyoka.

Mukuyuni catholic church under construction

2011-04-14T19:29:00.007+03:00

Mukuyuni catholic church is a communitary initiative. The construction of this church started late last year after a small fund rising in the comunity.

Among those who have done so much contribution of the church is the Mutisya family that were pioneers and engineneer David Mwania of Mukuyuni village who did the design and has contributed a lot to the project.

The whole community has done great job in labour and manpower.

After the completion it wil host about 350 people seated and later a nursery school will be built for the children of the village.We are now looking for more funding to finish the church and start new constructive endeavours.

Adopt a project in Kenya? Yes, you can!

2011-02-12T22:06:00.002+03:00

Three ongoing projects you can sponsor:

PROJECT/P/AFCICDF/2011/01 Youth Training in Mukimi: A Path Out of Poverty
Goal: To provide employment opportunities for youth in Mukimi location.
Region: Africa, Kenya, Kangundo, Katitu
Status: Needs Funding
Budget: USD 2000
Comments: Concerned citizens created this project to provide meaningful opportunities for youths on their Village. Your donation will provide hope for young people in a society where employment and access to higher education is limited.
Implementation team: Katitu youth self help group
Traing centre: William centre - Mukuyuni
Long term goal: to reduce the rate of drugs/HIV/poverty, increase the level of production and create hope and opportunities

PROJECT/Y/AFCICDF/2011/02
HIV/AIDS Education for Youth
Goal: To fight the growing spread of HIV/AIDS in Mukimi, and the stigma and myths associated with the disease, through an education campaign in the six secondary schools and in public baraza [meeting in villages].
Region: Africa, Kenya, Kangundo, Katitu area
Status: Needs Funding
Budget: USD 1200
Comments: Since over 90% of youth attend some schools and other come to market centres in Mukimi, the most effective way to reach youth is through the sports and schools. Through a combination of trainings and informational booklet distribution on villages we will inform the Mukimi youth population about the dangers of drug abuse and HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention.
Implementation team: Katitu youth self help group
Traing centre: William centre - Mukuyuni
Long term goal: to see more discipline and participation of the youth in fight against the above, reduced cases of drug abuse and also improved health among the youth.

PROJECT/G/AFCICDF/2011/03
Education for Rural Girls in Mukimi
Goal: To provide educational opportunities for motivated girls from rural families who are unable or unwilling to pay the girls' school fees to continue their education into high school
Region: Africa, Kenya, Kangundo, Katitu area
Status: Needs Funding
Budget: USD 200 per girl so far we identified 10 need cases of bright girls. 200 USD covers the expenses for one child, for an entire year.
Comments: Many girls who show strong interest and ability are not supported by their families in their quest for education. The Katitu youth self help group identifies motivated girls from impoverished families, and provides them with school fees and offer free computer classes in our office when they are on holidays. Starting in the Mukimi region, this program is working through schools which serve rural youth.
Implementation and monitoring team: Katitu youth self help group.
Long term goal: the future of these girls will be better off, supporting child education has proved to be like planting fruits for the community. The goal is to provide educational opportunities for orphans and children of destitute families.

Please contact us if you wish to help.

New office in Mukuyuni and official certification

2011-01-25T18:26:00.009+03:00

¡Happy 2011!
Now the office for African Child at Mukuyuni is finally complete and equipped with modern machines to serve as host place in order to coordinate communitary work around the area. It is called William Centre Mukuyuni and outsides have been painted in bright green.
The primary goal of the office is the coordination of African Child Initiative & CDF projects as well as to channel all available resources and information gathering for community development.
We are now able to host 8 volunteers at one time and a maximum of 15 working on one or more projects, so we are now completely ready for work-camps and volunteering initiatives. There is a computer and internet access in now available.

On the other hand, we now have got official certification for the Youth Self Help Group from the Ministry of Gender, Children & Social Development, which has been registered under the big village name Katitu since the name African Child was not available in our district.
¡All great news!

Mukuyuni catholic church funding

2010-11-11T20:22:00.001+03:00

We have started the fund for building the Mukuyuni catholic church. We hope that you will join the cause.

Choirs of hope

2010-01-06T18:35:00.014+03:00

Choirs of hope and joy can luckily be heard from just everywhere recently. African Child Initiative & Community Development Forum loves music and thinks that it is a great way to learn, create and share in every community.

That is why the african child intiative chairman gave uniforms to the choir St Joachim Catholic Church in Mukuyuni.

We donated the uniforms and the equipment for the new choir. In the pictures we can see the choir band playing and the choir master receiving the gifts.

This is a vibrant, talented and creative community as you can see. Now listen some gospel from this other choir close to Umoja in the following short videos.

Letter of thanks

2009-11-07T20:08:00.002+03:00

Wednesday October 14

Dear Alfonso de la Fuente Ruiz

On behalf of Mukuyuni village, I would like to thank you for your generous donation of your time, money, ideas, resources and goodwill. Your contribution makes it possible for us to get in touch with the world and understand the needs of our people, as we celebrated 2 years since you hosted our blog and have been the keeper we have no words to say thank you but pray for you to stay longer and live to see the dreams of our vision come true.

African Child Initiative & Community Development Forum weblog has been a key tool to our efforts and success to mobilize resources and funds to keep hope for our people.

Since its inception in 2006, African Child Initiative & Community Development Forum has donated and participated in projects in the field of informatics and computing, volunteering, hospitality, civic education, cultural exchange, community mobilization, homestays, projects for the old, school renovation and equipment, slum project and poverty eradication.

This is only possible because of thoughtful contributions from people like you.

In 2010, we plan to create another success story by having you as our Goodwill Ambassador. As you know, the cost of success is sacrifice and hard work. We thank you for all you advice and time.

We hope for your continued support in the future.

Please keep this written acknowledgment of your donation and support for long time appreciation for your and our cause.

Once again thank you for your generous donation.

Sincerely,

Name

THADEUS MUTINDA MUTISYA

Title

CHAIRMAN OF BOARD

Organization

African Child Initiative
&
Community Development Forum

Busy months, to bring up something new

2009-09-08T10:10:00.009+03:00

Last months the blog had no updates whatsoever, but that does not mean there was no action! We bring you today some news from AFR&CDF friends all round the world.

Let´s start off with this video recorded at Mukuyuni village by Glory Ho and Michael Boudreaux. Visit their websites at the underlined text for much more.

And last but not least, we must say that Brian Thacker, the writer of the book "Sleeping Around, a couch Surfing tour round the globe" and related to the CouchSurfing global initiative, has authored a special chapter for Mukuyuni and Thadeus Mutinda Mutisya! Please check this out here.

As he says: "after meeting them you may never feel like leaving home again."

Donation from Jacky and Ryan (United Kingdom)

2009-04-09T14:24:00.010+03:00

African Child Initiative received a donation on the 4th march 2009 in shape of scanner, photocopy machine and printer from Jacky and Ryan of the United Kingdom. Jacky and Ryan both work for UK local authorities.

They also donated food valued 150 euros and gifts for children, which were handed over to a need children home in Mombasa.

Furthermore, Mukuyuni primary school has received software for their computers valued about 1500€ from a UK organization named Virtual Image. This donation was presented to African Child Initiative by Jack and Ryan on behalf of the donating company, whom we wish to thank as well.

The software programs will go along with the previous donation of computers by Cindy group and Alfonso who were the pioneers of the Mukuyuni primary school informatics project and will soon celebrate two years of cooperation with the friends of Mukuyuni village.
Later on, Jacky and Ryan were presented with a certificate of apreciation by the chairman of AFI&CDF, Thadeus Mutisya.

We thank them all for their support and we hope to do more work with them in the near future.

Volunteer teaching in Mukuyuni Primary School, Kenya

2009-03-06T00:43:00.012+03:00

TEACHING ENGLISH, MATHEMATICS, SPORTS AND COMPUTERS IN MUKUYINI PRIMARY SCHOOL

Brief history of the project: Mukuyuni primary school is a join govermental and comunitarial intiative for the children of the village. It's main sponsor is the local salvation army church and it has classes from stad. 1 to stad. 8 and it boosts of good perfomance in results of stad 8. The head teacher and its staff have been doing a good job and with partnership with AFCI&CDF and friends we donated eight comptuters for school. Therefore we want to have the children learn computers, as it is the only school around the location to start this project, so we require to have volunteers. These would help to teach informatics and also to improve the level of written and spoken english.

Volunteer work: Volunteers' major duties would include:

-Teaching informatics and information technology (I.T.)
-Teaching the pupils English and Math
-Counseling the young girls and boys

Language: English

Special requirements: Volunteers with strong motivation to teach, knowledge of computers and other useful skills.

Details: The volunteers will be working from monday to friday, five hours a day and are needed to assist in the school. However, volunteers with sports background, like football, netball, basketball etc. are also need as sporting activities are an important part of the project improvements. Volunteers need to contribute/initiate ideas and by that would be promoting the growth of the School. This is an opportunity for the volunteers to work at community/grassroots level in capacity building and training in self-sustainability.

Duration of the project: The schools in Kenya (Public Primary Schools) run from January to April, from May to August and from September to November. Any of the terms is open and welcome to participate in the workcamp.

Orientation: Orientation meeting will take place in Nairobi before proceeding to the project.

Accommodation: With a host family (You only buy your food)

Location: Mukuyuni Primary School is located in Eastern province, Kangundo District. This place is situated in Eastern, Kenya, its geographical coordinates are 1° 18' 0" South, 37° 21' 0" East and its about 70 kilometres away from the capitol city NAIROBI.

Participation fee: None, but donations of any amount to the school are really appreciated.

Leisure activities: In your spare time you will enjoy the beauties of the countryside and friendlyness of the people around. Visits to the fourteen waterfalls, neighbour city of Kangundo and mountains nearby are highly recommended.

Our profile and contact data

2009-03-06T00:33:00.003+03:00

Organisation Name:	African Child Initiative & Community Development Forum
Email:	africanpartnership @yahoo.com
Serial:	AFICDF/01/2007
Province:	Eastern Province
District:	Kangundo
Division:	Kivaani
Location:	Kivaani
Sub Location:	Katitu
Physical Address:	Mukuyuni village, office located mukuyuni market at wab hotel, near mukuyuni primary school about 6 kilometres from kangundo town on the main kangundo mwala road
Number of Members:	300
Date Formed:	jan 2007
Chairman Name:	Thadeus. M. Mutisya
Chairman Telephone:	+ 254 720 615730
Secretary Name:	Francis Wambua
Treasurer Name:	Teresia Mwongeli
Vision:	To make a difference in life of the comunity by use of technology and available resources
Objectives:	Provide the that much needed suport in development and comunity mobilization and bring change and result for a better living
Current Source of Funding:	Membership contribution, friends of Mukuyuni village,

Getting to know Mukuyuni

2009-02-28T14:29:00.018+03:00

A visit to Mukuyuni village, just about 60 kms. out of Nairobi will be a life time experience. Most families now have opened their homes for cultural exchange, and we can always organize the visit.

The village is situated on nicely rolling hills covered with relatively dense vegetation about some beautiful views on the neighboring hills and villages. The local fertile soil is utilized mostly for crops, corn and coffee. Coffee can be sold to a local farmer market society that further sells it to Nairobi , or directly to the tradesman. Logically, the earnings are doubled if selling directly to Nairobi. Apart from coffee, maize is also grown and cattle rearing, although done in small scale farming. So one could say most of the families here survive in farming as there are no factories and few commercial establishments. There is one primary school, Mukuyuni primary school, and a few churches.

Since the start of this year there is electricity, and some incoming projects have been intiated by the African Child Intiative. These project include welding and chicken rearing. The majority of the villages grows coffee, and one problem is that people often grow coffee together with corn, that sometimes lowers the coffee quality, making it harder to sell it to Nairobi.

Most of the village are related to and from the Kamba comunity. Transport is by matatu to the centre, and during tuesday and friday there is market day for trade and sell the production from the village. Mukuyuni lucks running water and thanks to AFI&CDF, the water fund and the comunity at large, there is a new dam located at Mutisya farm where his father donated the land. We plan to have more dam or bore hole though. The problem is often connected with the distribution of money from the province capital: Machakos. Only limited amount of money makes it here and thus the development is limited.

A majority of the vilage speaks swahili but now the local school can teach informatics and computing in either that language or english. Young people have become pioneers with visions and excellent communication skills. Plans now are under way to establish a comunity centre and a library, as this will help open the village to the outside world of technology. Here there will be a computer with internet access, many books to read and study, and a place to relax.

Last but not least, we offer volunteering chance, opportunities in the local school for teaching and we hope to get as many expert or anyway helpful and willing people to come and help improving our knowledge in computers and technology. You can read here some experiences vistors had while visiting the locals.

African Child Intiative has worked for the last two years to develop a work plan and project paper for the comunity and with the help of our friends we have already set some of the projects up. We do hope, as we celebrate our second year this february 2009, that we will achive our goal of building the comunity centre, and making our village one of the few within the area with modern facilities for the development of the local comunity.

Building Kenya after the post-election violence

2008-02-19T12:29:00.009+03:00

GET INVOLVED BY VOLUNTEERING/DONATING/VISITING

Schools, churches, businesses, homes were among those damaged, burned and destroyed during the recent post election violence in Kenya.

Over half a million kenyans were displaced and a thousand killed. Children were left orphans and hopeless and many families left in the cold. As most of these people run to the IDPs camps [2], now it is time for them to restart and continue with life, therefore the big challenge.

Click here for VIDEO about IDP Camp Darfur in Naivasha.

We at ACI&CDF have decided to launch an initiative to help more so the most affected areas in the city: Kibera, Huruma, Mathare slums of Nairobi. In partnership with the local community groups there, we have started the Project "YOU CAN SAVE, YOU CAN HELP" from which we target friends of Kenya to help us by donating in kind material to the affected.
We need five hundred each of: blankets, mattresses, cooking stoves, lamps and sleeping bags, as well as learning materials for children and any clothing. All of these will go along in helping over a thousand displaced individuals to start up a new life as things are starting to get back to normality.

We also will facilitate visit or volunteering to those coming to our country who want to help directly in this chance to aid our brothers and sisters who suffered during this harsh times.
For more information and ways of donating please contact us. Together another Kenya is possible: PEACE, LOVE AND UNITY.

Volunteering: be our development partner

2008-01-11T10:58:00.000+03:00

VOLUNTEERING WITH AFRICAN CHILD INITIATIVE & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FORUM.

ACIDF/004/VK/08
PROJECT NAME: A home for children.
NATURE OF WORK: TEACHING, CHILD CARE, ENVIRONMENT, SPORT AND ENTERTAINMENT

LOCATION: COUNTRY KENYA - PROVINCE EASTERNER - DIVISION KANGUNDO

DESCRIPTION:

Currently the home is hosting 130 children in the place. At the beginning the initial project was to uplift the needy children in the community. However, this project has been over-ruled by the current objective of assisting children who have orphaned by natural deaths or HIV/AIDS. A child would only be admitted to the children home if he or her meets the following criteria of eligibility:

If orphaned by natural deaths
If orphaned by HIV/AIDS
If the parent(s) are either physically or mentally handicapped
If the parent(s) have been convicted for a very long sentence and the future of the children is likely to be affected (e.g. lack of education).
When a child is living under extreme poverty such that survival is very uncertain.

ACIDF/005/VK/08
NAME OF ORGANIZATION: Shalom Community Center.
NATURE OF WORK: TEACHING, CHILD CARE, ENVIROMENT, COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION AND SPORT
LOCATION: COUNTRY KENYA - PROVINCE NAIROBI - DIVISION EMBAKASI, MUKURU SLUMS

DESCRIPTION:

Shalom community is a small independent school in the slums of Nairobi. The school provides education for forty students in very minimal conditions. There are two tiny classrooms with no materials, nor trained teachers.

The school surroundings are a den of sewage and leaking toilets with a very unpleasant smell from it, with a nearby bar, kiosks and other shanties.
It is important that the school should have a fence so that outsiders do not trespass thus disturbing the children from learning. At the time, the fact of the school having no fence conducts even to some children who are not members of the school passing by and making it a play ground simply because they can see other children in the school.
Currently African child initiative and community development forum is involved in the renovation and painting of this school, so it will have a new face as the schools opens and therefore we need partners and volunteers willing to work for a real worthy cause and able to make the whole project a big success thus helping the community in the slums.

ACIDF/007/VK/08
PROJECT NAME: Imani Community Center.
NATURE OF WORK: TEACHING, CHILD CARE, ENVIROMENT, COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION AND SPORT
LOCATION: COUNTRY KENYA - PROVINCE NAIROBI - DIVISION EMBAKASI, MUKURU SLUMS
DESCRIPTION:

Imani Community Center is non-political, non-profit community based organization operating from within Mukuru Slum in Nairobi at empowering community to end poverty, illiteracy and diseases. Strictly promoted by government, its activities in the Mukuru location have the endeavor to operate within regulations of the governing community- based organizations as mandated by the Ministry of Sports Gender and Cultural Services, and the law of Kenya.
Principles, aims and objectives of Imani Community Center:

The desire to reach many communities through the activities and operations in Mukuru and its neighboring slums.
To provide early childhood education to school-going children and youths.
To provide support and care to the orphans and other venerable children.
To undertake home-based care services to those sick and windowed
To provide A feeding program to school children and community in general.
To access youth with recreational activities to erradicate idleness
To educate and to campaign against drug abuse among the youths

For details about volunteering placement, donating to the projects and working with us, please email all you questions and needs. We will we get back to you the soonest,

EMAIL: africanpartnership@yahoo.com

SMS : +254 720 615730

Juhudi Youth Group: A poverty erradication project

2008-01-10T14:21:00.000+03:00

JUHUDI YOUTH GROUP:
A Poverty Erradication Project

Due to lack of funds, a group of about twenty-five young women from Mukuyuni village who did not make it to the high school have benefited from a tailoring course, courtesy of the African Child Initiative and Community Development Forum.
Most of them are below thirty-four years singles and them can now be proud of an income generating project after receiving eight sewing machines and some other materials in order to start a tailoring business in the region.
They will be able to make school uniforms, clothes, repairs and also bedsheets which they can sell to the locals at fair prices and therefore share the profits.
This project will need further funding to expand on making mats, pillows, seat covers, etcetera, so that it achieves maximum profits. The group is currently working within a rented building and if plans and funds are available they will soon move to a big premises so they can train other and create more products.
Sewing machines were brought by Mr. Thaddeus Mutisya, ACICDF chairman, on behalf of the the students of the ScholarShip university.
Special thanks to the coordinators, Cindy Devola, Javier Cerecer and Alfonso de la Fuente, who visited the group for a talk in August 2007.

Modern electronics at Mukuyuni primary school

2007-12-14T22:39:00.000+03:00

Presentation of modern electronics and personal computers to all local comunity school at Mukuyuni primary school.

The donation was managed by the African Child Initiative and Development Forum new executive chairman.

Funds to buy the equipment were raised by the students from the Scholarship University - Charity Fundraising Onboard (september voyage 2007).

It was a great day and joy spread across the whole village. One of the pupils said:

"We are NOW part of the world"

Mukuyuni help age group receives the water pump

2007-11-28T14:21:00.000+03:00

The kenian "Mukuyuni help age group" received a water pump handed over by responsibles for the African Child Initiative.
" Mukuyuni Help Age Group" is a group of elderly women that meet regularly to provide support to each other through conversation, education and dance. They are a diverse group of senior citizens as old as ninety, still with sparkles in their eyes and fire in their hearts. They also inspire each other to stay active, healthy and more financially independent through their own income generating project. They are currently renting a small area of land where they cultivate vegetables to sell at the local market.
The project has been very successful and they would like to expand, rent more land and begin to plant french beans for export. The women are remarkable strong considering their age and currently walk exceptionally long distances in order to carry water to where it is needed. To expand the work load would increase even more making the transport of water extremely challenging. The environmental effects of uncontrolled erosion in the close waterway is being affecting them as well.

Ver mapa más grandeA fundraising campaign was launched this fall by a visitor from Spain in the public lighting company he works at, managing to raise the required funding for the project and even getting some surplus. The extra money will be used to send twenty kilograms of computer equipment with open source software installed and as well some educational gifts for the child at a close school.
From now on the Mukuyunian group will be able to improve the irrigation processes thanks to the new pump that is getting installed, improving their life quality and that of the many peoplo who depend on them.
We appreciate from here the generous collaboration and also encourage everyone to take part into the other projects this organization is listing below. The audio of the document may be heard as well by clicking on the triangular button.

¿What is it all about?

2007-10-30T12:16:00.001+03:00

AFRICAN CHILD INITIATIVE AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FORUM is a community empowering programme working with self-help groups, income generating projects, host families, and the community in Kivaani location, Kangundo District, in Kenya, to support Government and donor efforts in order to eradicate poverty and improve the social and economic situation of the villagers.

We also work with the church, schools, and youth polytechnics as a focal point of civic education and modern communication networking. It is the forum where the villagers are making world wide contacts by hosting guests freely and exchanging cultural values. Our home stay programme have opened doors with contacts from all continents and in return some of our guests have participated in funding some of the community projects.

Furthermore we lobby for the african childhood who stay in the village and fight difficulties meeting their daily needs due to a certain disadvantage; for instance: if the child had lost one or both parents due to H.I.V./Aids or if the parents are too poor to afford offering the child the basic needs and education. Our popular programme called Omega Child is the core for formula for success and in order to support African Child in this programme we conduce long distance adoptions, talent search, placement at a children home, and other initiatives.

Our core values are networking and collaboration as a basis for acquiring and sharing cultural diversity. We advocate for community participation and resource mobilization, planning, monitoring and evaluation of the projects for the benefit of the community and the funding agents.

We indeed collaborate with young people, parents, teachers, professionals, community leaders and others the effort to empower young people and promote their contribution in the community around the issues of familiar planning, health, H.I.V./Aids, environment conservation, leadership, and any other key inter-related socioeconomic affairs. There are affiliated projects in the slums as some of those young people living in the village come to the city after school, in search of jobs hence having a new home in the slum after failing to secure any job in the city. At the moment we are encouraging them to come back to the village and help in mobilizing the available resources and participate within the project.

In summary, African child initiative has 4 key areas of intervention in the village:

Poverty eradication
Entrepreneurship encouraging
Community development
Education and learning with special emphasis in computer literacy

We identify critical issues that concern this villages, slums, and community and translate them into short term and long term programmes.

OUR MISSION

To approach community development from the grass roots.

OUR VISION

To advocate for self and community empowerment.

How can you be of help to our initiative?

You can make any form of contribution (materials, cash, skills and ideas) towards any of our numerous projects.
You can be part of the network, campaign or volunteer to work with one or any of our projects.
Be part of our cultural ambassadors by visiting our village and joining our cultural exchange programme.

Thadeus M. Mutisya

Executive Chairman

This website is created

2007-10-30T11:26:00.000+03:00

Today this website is created in order to serve as a communication tool for the kenyan non-profit organization dubbed "African Child Initiative and Community Development Forum".

This aggregate will help raise funding, cooperation and communication for projects in Kenya, around themes such as Youthcare, Slums, Women equality in rights, Acrobatics, Hospitality, Masai Mara and Mukuyuni village.

Designed by Alfonso de la Fuente (Spain, 2007)