The message included in this BLOG came from the leadership in Rionchogu, when you read this think of what information you could share in your third language, My Gusii or Swahili will not offer much in the way of communication, and I ask myself, who is it that may have not taken the opportunity handed to them. . . .is it I Lord?
Brother Bud, the GADL Board members , sponsors and all well wishers and friends. We wish to take this chance to welcome you all to read through the GAD Kenya progress report for 2008.
GAD Kenya programme is a registered (CBO) community based organization that is a non governmental, non- profit making and non- denominational human development agency whose major thrust is the improvement of the quality of life of Rionchogu Community members . It is a sponsorship programme that is based on the establishment of relationship that is achieved through correspondence and visits and exchange of cultural experiences.
GAD Kenya started operating in 2007 by supporting 10 orphans, the aged and widows. And by Dec 2007 a church roof was built that is mad wall and iron roofed. . By 2008 January, 8 students were supported with scholarship Bursary and by the same year the number of students increased to 23. By June 2008. 25 members have benefited from Micro franchise fund for small businesses. Come September 2008, 4 families benefited also from the provision of daily cows. In Early November 2008 , spraying pumps were in place for the spraying of ant- mosquitoes chemicals for malaria, spray daily cows against ticks , and spray against insecticides and fungicides in horticultural farming. In the same month of November 2008 ,a community – Van ( Land cruser) of high capacity that was donated and received in the community to assist the transport patients to hospital ,transport students to school ,transport food and help in other travel matters.
In Dec, 12th 2008 our church was officially registered as “King of Victory Church” with registration certificate NO 29558 by the registrar of Societies and we have applied for the registration of GAD- Kenya as independent organization that is now a waiting for approval.
HOW WE OPERATE
GAD- K uses a wide variety of innovative Technologies to assist the people of Rionchogu and Kisii as a whole to achieve sustainability in their lives.
The approaches we use are cost effective and practical way of tackling the very real challenges faced by the people of Rionchogu .
Note that approximately 80% of Africans live in rural areas including Kenya ; their options to improve livelihoods largely, depends on agriculture which has been hindered by lack of enough land because of the large population in the African countries.
We believe that the real and lasting change can only be achieved by enabling and empowering the local people through education, training them the modern simple methods of farming and providing them with the necessary support to break the cycle of poverty and begging.
1. ADMINISTRATION
The GAD Kenya personnels who together with the programme committees work as a team to formulate ,co-ordinate, supervise and implement programes.
Committees
a) Management committee (GAD Kenya Board)
b) Education committee
c) Credit – Small enterprise development committee ( Micro franchise committee)
d) Agricultural committee
e) Sponsor relation committee
f) Primary Health care committee
2. COMMUNITY PROGRAMMES
A) EDUCATION
While formal and informal education is one of the basic needs of a child, the GAD-K funds received through GADL are used to make attendance possible by providing scholarship bursary to secondary school enrolled children.
Bellow is a table showing children enrollment per class / form / training.
Class / form/ training Boys Girls Total
01
Form 1 4 3 7
02
Form 2 6 2 8
03
Form 3 3 2 5
04
Form 4 0 0 0
05
Vocational training 1 0 1
06
College / universities 0 1 1
07
Special school deaf 0 2 2
08
Std eight (primary 6 14 20
09
Drop out of school 0 0 0
Total 20 24 44
Scholarship bursary was given to those that were in secondary, vocational training and college and special school ( deaf). Education is light . thanks to Brother Bud and all well wishes . We expect that the number for scholarship will grow to over 40 and we believe God will provide the resources.
Adult Education
We as GAD- Kenya board are also encouraging adult literacy classes aimed at transformation, developing capacities and capabilities to be able to identify and positively respond, to their own problems affecting them directly or indirectly by mobilizing of resources within their reach.
B) AGRICULTURE:
The aim of the programme is to improve social- economic conditions, poverty elimination and equality among the beneficiaries. Thus the community need a kind of therapy to enable them believe in themselves, develop confidence and take control of their own situations in life. However because we are living in an agricultural region , the GAD- Kenya women who are having a merry – go round programme to assist themselves, decided to contribute twenty shillings weekly and they raised enough to hire a peace of land to plant tomatoes. The tomatoes did not do well due to heavy rains and lack of spraying chemicals. These women have decided to assist the orphans ,widows ,the aged and the sick with the proceeds they got from the tomatoes during this Christmas season.
We hope in future when God will provide the resources GAD- K shall assist the beneficiaries with farm – in- put for encouragement and increased food production. We are happy to note that our collaboration and participation with the government extension workers has made it possible for our beneficiaries to learn good and simple modern farming methods aimed at increased productivity. While we are doing this to increase family household incomes, the dairy programme was launched by September where by four (4) daily cows were given to four families. In this daily cow programme , the cow remains the property of GAD- K, the first calf shall be surrended to GAD- K to be given to the next beneficiary and the process shall continue until all needy families have the cow and this will justify our mission on development geared or focused on family level. This is where we shall need full participation and commitments from our beneficiaries to make this programme benefit them and hence improve their living standards. But our beneficiaries need to know that, our work through (GAD- K) is to enable them develop themselves given some assistance. This programme is bringing appositive sense in economic opportunity , health and nutrition.
C) MICRO FRANCHISE DEVELOPMENT
Special thanks goes to sister Anastansia for her efforts to create a credit – facility for micro franchise and to continually make it grow.
The micro Franchise development is to bring an economic opportunity and a sense of new hope in the future. The good of micro franchise it to increase income at household levels, so as to enhance independence through empowerment of participants in entrepreneurship management. Empowerment is enabling participants to be self – reliant, sustainable, improve their living standards and the family to manage themselves.
Credit scheme on Micro franchise started mid- June 2008 at acapital of kshs 75,000 was disbursed to 25 clients and the repayment period was 12 months and interest rate was 4 % per annum . To date kshs 105 has been disbursed with the same repayment period and interest rate repayment started on the month of July , that is the last Friday of every month to date. Therefore, first repayment July 2008 was 100% , 2nd repayment August was 96.84% , 3rd repayment Sept 2008 was 88.2%, 4th repayment Oct 2008 was 100%, 5th repayment Nov 2008 was 73. 53 % .
The overall repayment percentage is 91.714%. This excludes the month of December 2008. However our analysis shows that these women are more honest and reliable as they are also committed to surface their family needs. As can be witnessed the loan defaulters are 8.286%. This was because of their bisiness price fluctuation ,family financial constraits ,lack of enough training on small businesses, poor screening and selection of our clients as we has not known their business abilities by then
The women have split and formed work groups. They are soliciting for funds to hire apiece of land to enable them carry out an income generating activities like ( horticultural farming) to strength their financial capabilities as well as act as farm demonstration center. They need to be assisted as they have created a sense of ownership in their Merry- go round and working groups.
D) HEALTH
We at GAD- K hope that primary Health care addresses the fundamental basic needs such as food, housing ,control of communicable diseases , environmental sanitation and above all it is concerned with the health of vulnerable groups in the community ,particularly women and children. Our collaboration with the government . Health has promoted awareness and the health of the community is raised. The vehicle ( van) has also provided visual proof of hope that the sick can now be transported and healed unlike in the past.
We also hope that in future when God shall provide the resources GAD- K shall be able to pay for medical bill to the patients or provide National Hospital insurance Fund (NHIF) card to assist them meet their medical bills easly.
E) WATER
Water is a basic human need resource and Rionchogu community need it.
The geological survey for water has been conducted and we are waiting for authorization certificate from the ministry of water lake vicoria water Basin department so to allow water drilling to be done. This will require funds for drilling and supplying of the water.
F) ELECTRICITY
The electricity is a major problem especially in rural area in African countries been but the supply is held up by lack of resources (funds).Because of the high cost of power installation from the Kenya power and lighting company ,the board has agreed to install power for two families at atime .this will be cheap in comparison to the the cost of installing power for the whole village.
Brother Bud, GADL, well-wishers and friends thank you for the mercies the God has provided you all for us and we shall live to glory Him for ever and ever Amen.
Lastly I take this chance on behalf of Riochogu community to thank you for accepting to extend support to this part of the world – Kenya Africa.
Many God bless you most abundantly, have a nice merry x mass and a prosperous new year 2009
Edward