Kalungu Women's Group

Hello!
I am in a cyber cafe in Machakos town printing a few documents for Exodus that I have been working on with Elijah and our intern, Carol. I made a powerpoint for Exodus and I am still hoping to make a video and set up a website.

CORE VALUES
•Cultivate a spirit of hard work and holistic development
•Empower target groups with technical skills and knowledge of life skills
•Reduce poverty through sustainable methods
•Raise responsible servant leaders
•Respect for positive values, attitude, and behaviour
•Empower women in society
•Promote responsible parenting
•Encourage effective and efficient communication in relationships and for development

MISSION STATEMENT
To nuture poverty reduction strategies and raise the standard of living amoung the people of Africa as reflected through improved health service, food self-sufficiency, education, character building, and positive behaviour change, with an overarching goal of sustainable development

VISION
To develop a new generation of responsible visionary and strategic leaders who will participate in the society to promote effective development through positive transformation of attitude

TARGET GROUPS
•Orphans and vulnerable children
•Youth
•Women seeking empowerment
•Persons affected by AIDS/HIV
•Disabled persons
•Widows

OBJECTIVES
•To raise, mobilize, and disburse funds and other resources to our target group
•To initiate development projects which acknowledge individual and group potential to improve socio-economic status through developed skills
•To build mutually beneficial networks to other partner organisations
•To train in modern farming techniques and assist farmers in agricultural managerial skills
•To establish educational centres which provide a conducive learning environment for both genders

Time Schedule
Monday Through Friday after school
5:00-6:00 Chores/Free Time
6:00-6:30 Bathe
6:30-8:15 Study
8:15-8:30 Fellowship
8:30-9:00 Supper
9:00 Sleep
9:00-10:00 Optional Study Time

Saturday
7:00-8:00 English class
8:00-8:30 Breakfast
8:30-12:30 Chores
12:30-1:00 Lunch
1:00-6:30 Free Time
6:30-8:00 Study Time
8:00-8:30 Fellowship
8:30-9:00 Supper
9:00 Sleep
9:00-10:00 Optional Study Time

Sunday
8:00- 10:00 or 1:00 Church
1:00-1:30 Lunch
1:30-7:00 Event or Free Time
Meetings with kids and staff
7:00-8:00 Bathe and prepare for school
8:00-8:30 Fellowship
8:30-9:00 Supper
9:00 Sleep
9:00-10:00 Optional Study Time

We also made a meal schedule and budget. Also, I am happy to say that we have 32 children's books now and I am still hoping to get more. The kids love reading the story books and I have been giving them English assignments. Carol, a guy called Mutua, and I are the only staff at the Children's Home now, besides the house mom who comes in the day. It is certainly now easy taking care of and managing 23 kids, but at least they are good. I have had to do a lot of care for sick and injured kids and I've managed, but I will need to study more on health when I come back to the U.S.

On Monday, we visited a Women's Self Help Group in a place called Kalungu. It was really inspiring to meet them. This group of women have built a sand dam to benefit the community. They weren't the architects, but they were the construction workers and I can say that if you could see how far they carried bags of cement you wouldn't believe those 29 women accomplished the task. It was a food for work program. They also have dug terraces to help with erosion and dug furrows for irrigation. Their group has been really successful in generating food and income for their families, as some of their husbands stay away in Nairobi.

Everything is going well, despite the usual challenges of co-directing a children's home. Elijah is usually busy with trainings and other projects and he's stays in another home so thats why I say I'm "co-directing."