Family Hope Charity

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Family Hope Charity and Korogocho

2011-12-18T18:51:00.001-08:00

"What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future.

It is the fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that

every path leads to peace. Agnes Pharo

Holiday best wishes from Family Hope Charity and the children of Korogocho/Nairobi.

Friday's Men's Recovery Group Korogocho

2011-12-14T21:07:00.000-08:00

Today Uncle (James Wainaina) and I (Tom O'Hern) want you to help us answer a question we have had in our minds for the past few months. We need your help and your wisdom here.

If a young man is going to completely destroy his life, his future, live as miserable as possible, and lose everyone's respect including his own, what is the best way to do it?

No point in being subtle with these guys. Stay tune for the results.

Greetings from Tom O'Hern

2011-12-05T21:04:00.000-08:00

December 6, 2011: Feast of St. Nicholas.

Pictured are some of the kids of Korogocho, visiting the 'mzungu' who is having a

support meeting with their mothers, aunts and sisters.

Just finishing a busy weekend visiting the local bars in Korogocho with "Uncle" Wainaina

in search of men who would prefer to chose life no matter how difficult it may be-----

over the slow gradual death of a life of continued, heavy drinking of rot gut booze.

There is a beauty in all of these men that has been spoiled by too many frustrations and too

few opportunities. You have to be blunt in dealing with these guys because they are 'graduate

school' level abusers---no one beer and I'm done for these guys. The questions for discussion

last Friday: "Most people consider drunkards to be useless people; do you consider yourself

to be useless? Most men who drink heavily over a long period of time lose all self-respect.

When we first started 'discussing' these questions, there was alot of shouting, name callling

and protests that they were not useless men---and we agree. Eventually at the end of the

hour the 25 or so men and women in the 'den' were quiet, paying attention, and thinking

about possibilities in life they hadn't thought of in a long time.

It is a tragedy to see the beauty of a human life be so distorted and hopeless. I hope we

continue to befriend some of these guys and awaken in them a belief in a better life.

Holiday Greetings!

2011-11-30T23:31:00.001-08:00

Holiday Fundraising

2011-11-30T22:39:00.001-08:00

Greetings from Nairobi Everyone!

Hi from Nairobi

2011-11-19T09:41:00.001-08:00

Hello Everyone!
Each Friday I meet with a group of about 30 mothers, many who are HIV+, whose lives have been affected by someone's substance abuse. They live in Korogocho slum where I and my colleagues work. I try to use a 'fictitious' story with them to encourage sharing and discussion. Many of the stories I use while made up, are exactly what these women go through or so they tell me.
I've enclosed here the one I yesterday.

Mrs Shabazz is walking in the rain this night, having spent the whole day trying to find work. She used to
have a job cleaning the house and washing clothes for a lady in Kasarani (middle class neighborhood near
Korogocho) but was chased away the other day. This happen after Shabazz refused to work for less than 100kshs ($1.10) per day that the woman had been paying her up to this point. Shabazz tried to explain to the woman, who by the way has a very good job with Barclay's Bank, that she couldn't work for less than a 100Kshs because after
she used 40Kshs for bus fare to and from work, she would have nothing left to feed her children. Shabazz further
told the woman that she was scared of being thrown out of her 10' x 10' room she shares with her children because
she owes 2500Kshs in back rent and can't find a way to pay it off. The lady from Kasarani told her to go away,
saying that everyone has problems in Kenya these days and not to bother her with her sad story. So all Shabazz
has tonight to feed her five children is four pieces of stale bread and water.

Shabazzz is always sad and never feels happy Oh, she can laugh at some of the things that happen to her alright, like this lady in Kasarani who thinks SHE HAS PROBLEMS when she is making 60,000Kshs per month.
Shabazz is sad because other ladies who don't work as hard as she does, nor try to take care of their children as well as she does, always seem to have enough money. Mrs. Shabazz hates waking up in the morning now because she has no idea where she is going to find work. She could try Eastleigh but she hears many stories of housekeepers being sexually assaulted. Currently, two of her children are sick and she doesn't have the 50kshs (55 cents) needed to take them to the clinic and Shabazz certainly doesn't have the money to pay for their medicine. Walking home tonight means meeting her boy friend who wants, expects and demands to be fed and to be taken care of with sex, and to have a place to sleep since he is homeless-----BUT NEVER GIVES HER ANYTHING IN RETURN.

The thing that makes Shabazz so sad is she knows she is hard working and a good woman. She has tried very hard
to be a good mother to her five children, puts up with her boy friend when five other women have thrown him out, and worked hard for this lady in Kasarani. Why are these things happening to me, she asks herself? Is it because I
don't go to Church any more? Is it because that lady in Dandora got a witch doctor to place a curse on me after I quarreled with her? Is it because God hates me and likes playing jokes on poor mothers? When I think about praying,
all it does is make me more sad and depressed. "Our Father who art in heaven"----but does he ever come to Korogocho?
"Give us today our daily bread"-----then why are my children always hungry?

Shabazz is very sad and doesn't know what to do.

These are Family Hope Charity's clients (my organization). We love these women and we

* befriend them,

* listen to them and their stories with compassion and respect,

* and when the feeling of being taken seriously begins to sink in,

* we watch them slowly awaken to the possibility of a better life

away from drugs and alcohol.

* And as they move away, they begin to find ways to support themselves,

either on their own or with FHC's help.

* And when they can support themselves they can take care of their

children;

* then there are more happy children in Korogocho and less

sad and depressed kids.

That's the kind of Christmas that would be worth giving these women.

Charcoal Project

2011-11-07T04:14:00.001-08:00

Thanks to James "Uncle" Wainaina, one of Family Hope Charity's

'Recovery Coaches," FHC will receive a 70,000Kshs = around $800 USD grant

from a donor through St. John's Catholic Church in Korogocho. This will enable FHC to

purchase an electric charcoal briquette making machine. And with this new

machine we will be able to employ a good number of HIV+ recovering alcoholics

and drug addicts from Korogocho slum in Eastlands Nairobi. The charcoal briquettes

that are made are from recycled materials like saw dust,charcoal dust, molasses,

and black soil. There seems to be a good market for these and we are hopeful.

For the poor, employment means hope, and hope means valuing your life and

valuing your life means not depending on drugs or alcohol to make it through

the day. Men that are hopeful are fathers that take care of their children

and husbands who can provide for their spouses.

So once again thanks Uncle!!!!! Pictured is Tom, Director of Family Hope Charity

and "Uncle." James Wainaina.

The complexity of recovery.

2011-11-03T05:37:00.000-07:00

Most of Family Hope Charity's clients suffer from some mix of chronic destitution,

violence, ignorance, HIV/Aids, and substance abuse. So the struggle to find a life

to hope in is very tough. Our observations about the differences between our male

clients and female clients and their approach to recovery is;

Women: Men:

*Can more easily redirect themselves *Are generally lost and despondent.

*Suffer a great deal but don't fall into self-pity that much *Are drowning in self-pity and feel

as useless as people often treat them.

*Seem to be able and willing to work *Find the idea of working with other

together. men like themselves very difficult to conceive.

*Are motivated by re-awakened maternal *Are usually estranged from their wives and

care and concern for their children. children and feel badly about it, but don't know

what to do.

What do you think about these observations?

Tom O'Hern

"When I'm keeping busy, I'm able to keep sober."

2011-08-11T14:24:00.000-07:00

Tom O'Hern sends greetings from Kenya. He also sends testimonials - photos and words from FHC clients that demonstrate the importance of the word "Hope" in our name. These pictures and brief statements say more than we ever could about why we do the work we do.

"My name is Patrick, am 32 years old and am working on the charcoal briquette making project that was started by Family Hope Charity in my home, Korogocho. I’ve been sober for six months now. I am grateful for FHC for starting this project and know it will be a struggle. I feel happy when I’m working with my new friends. When I’m keeping busy I am able to keep sober. Having something to look forward to instead of being idle has made a big difference in my life. The money we are getting helps me pay my rent, by some food, and take care of basic needs like taking a shower, buying water and getting soap. I say thank you to the supporters of Family Hope Charity. I attend the support group meetings each week and Tom helps us focus on keeping sober and courageous."

"HI everyone, my name is Njenga. I’m a member of Ghetto United Football Club—Korogocho and also working on Family Hope Charity’s charcoal briquette project. Am happy to be doing this. Ghetto United has helped me get my health back since I used to use miraa, magoka, and banghi too, too much. (Banghi is marijuana) I’m very fit now. Tom has put me in charge of the charcoal project. We want it to work but are having many troubles, but we will try. With the little money I’m earning, I’m able to move from idleness to staying off banghi. When you are off drugs, you can do more. I spend my time constructively now instead of getting in trouble like robbery to feed my brothers and sisters. This job is giving me hope. Now that I have some money, I and my brothers and sisters don’t go hungry any more. Thank you Family Hope Charity."

"My name is John and I take this time to greet the supporters of Family Hope Charity. We know you are well and we are grateful. Family Hope Charity’s support group and charcoal briquette making project has kept me from my drunken ways. Now with the little money I get, I no longer have to sleep outside, or in abandon buildings or in a ditch alongside the road. Now I eat every day so my ART’s are more helpful. Working with the charcoal keeps me away from the bad boys who could get me in trouble. I have more security when I’m not involved with the drinkers because the police don’t hassle me as much. When I’m idle it is easy to drink and when I drink it makes things worse and worse. When your mind is idle you have no hope."

If you've given to Family Hope Charity this year, these photos and statements should make you feel wonderful - you are truly changing lives and getting people started on a new, hopeful path. If you've been considering a donation, we hope these simple stories of hard-working, sincere individuals who have allowed us to help them on their journey inspire you to get involved with us.

What's New In Nairobi

2011-07-11T11:20:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Tom and his crew in Nairobi, with Tom's typical gallows humor: "What's the difference between Nairobi and the Titanic? When the Titanic went down, the lights were on." Life in Naibori is hard, day in, day out, with very little that the rest of us would recognize as genuine relief. Take a look at some photos and updates Tom posted recently on our Facebook page. Which reminds me - are you following us on Facebook? Tom posts regularly and it's a great opportunity for you to keep in touch, get the latest news and also give us your feedback, prayers, words of support, whatever comes to mind. http://www.facebook.com/FamilyHopeCharity
Like us today and you'll be in the loop.

If you think we have challenges creating jobs here in the United States, try to imagine what it is like in the slums of Kenya. There are no corporations, no Internet start-ups, no employment agencies - people often have to rely upon the work of their hands and a lot of creative, entrepreneurial ideas! Tom is always trying something new, however, and the FHC football club gents and some of our recovery group members have banded together for an income-generating project: making charcoal.

Tom writes, "The charcoal is eco-friendly, recycling, among other things, coffee husks, maize husks, saw dust, charcoal dust---combined with clay as a binder. With the high cost of kerosene, wood and charcoal, we hope to find a market in Nairobi's eastern informal settlements." In the photo above you see the set up process, and to the right, the guys get to work preparing the mixture.

Like little boys everywhere, the kids of the slums are fascinated by bustling activity and equipment, so here are our "charcoal making superintendents."

Ever walked on a mountain of garbage? Here, Tom checks out the massive Dandora garbage dump. Yes, it's a never-ending sea of trash, but it holds income-generating potential via recycling projects. Tom writes, "The potential for recycling plastic bags is out of sight!"

Family Hope has recently started meeting with a group of disabled residents of western Kenya. Mostly visually or hearing impaired, these residents want a chance to work and contribute to their communities, rather than only living on charitable donations. An inspiring and hopeful mission for us all!

Finally - Family Hope Charity doesn't often ask for assistance for specific individuals. The young man in this photo needs your help in order to pay for surgery and chemotherapy. We need the equivalent of $600 American dollars - think about it, if just 30 people contributed $20, he'd be on his way to the promise of a brighter, healthier future. Can you help? Email our US Board members at: davidkunzweiler@yahoo.com or our Kenyan folks at: familyhope@familyhopecharity.org to get a mailing address for your donation. Your contribution is tax deductible, and just as important, it will be life-changing to a person in need.

Putting The "Hope" In Family Hope Charity

2011-03-15T14:04:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to let you know that our two Chicago area fundraisers were a terrific success! The "Rock, Pizza and Pop" event on March 5, 2011, raised $1,300 and the Irish concert for Africa on March 12, 2011, raised approximately $2,500.

Think about it: almost $4,000 raised painlessly - with amazing music, delicious but simple food and a whole lot of goodwill on the part of attendees. They snapped up raffle tickets by the dozens and stuffed the donation baskets with above-and-beyond financial offerings. That's been the whole point of our "5 K 4 Africa" campaign. If many people give, whatever they can - on Saturday night, some folks threw a $50 into the donation hat, some tossed in a couple of singles - it all adds up. Together, we accomplish so much more than we can as individuals, right? If our story inspires you, please help us out by making a donation, in whatever amount that might be. You can send it to our fiscal sponsor, listed below. (Make checks payable to The Staudinger Foundation) You can make a secure online donation via Paypal on the Web site of Totus Tuus, our other fiscal sponsor.

Mail donations to:
Family Hope Charity
c/o The Staudinger Foundation
P.O. Box 1208
Flagstaff, AZ 86002

You will receive a letter confirming your tax deductible donation. We thank all who attended or contributed to our two fundraising events. Your generosity allows Tom O'Hern and our Kenyan staff to continue bringing hope to the people of Korogocho.

"You have rescued us from darkness."

2011-03-08T14:47:00.000-08:00

Said by an HIV+ mother to Charles Chege, a Family Hope Charity substance abuse recovery coach.

“Hail thee, festival day!
Blest day that art hallowed for ever;
Day whereon Christ arose,
Breaking the kingdom of death.”

Easter Hymn: R. Vaughn Williams (1906)

You won’t find a harder-working group in the Korogocho-Nairobi slum than Kenyan mothers. Often facing life as single parents, you will see them walking the streets of Nairobi carrying huge bundles on their heads, a child on their backs and a sack in each hand — all in an effort to put bread on the table each day for their children.

But the pressures of living with and in Korogocho’s demonic poverty can overwhelm a person. ‘Living life on life’s terms’ can seem like a cruel slap in the face. HIV/Aids, alcohol-drug abuse, ignorance, violence, and absolute destitution can make a person wonder if indeed Christ did break the kingdom of death as the Easter hymn triumphantly proclaims.

Family Hope Charity’s substance abuse recovery coaches go door to door in Korogocho/Nairobi searching for HIV+ men and women who have been abandoned and left to die in their drunken misery.

Our recovery coaches offer these mothers and fathers friendship, acceptance, group support, and a chance to improve their lives by participating in income-generating projects.

Every $100 contributed by you, our Family Hope Charity friends and supporters, allows us to keep our coaches in the community, searching for those most have forgotten and consider useless.

Please remember Family Hope Charity in your Lenten prayer and almsgiving this year.Your donation is Christ working through you to break the kingdom of death, a kingdom all too tangible in the Korogocho slum. In grateful thanks, Tom O'Hern, Director, Family Hope Charity.

Tax exempt donations can be sent to our fiscal sponsors:

Family Hope Charity
c/c The Staudinger Foundation
P.O. Box 1208
Flagstaff, AZ 86002

Totus Tuus Ministries Web site
17236 St Gertrude Drive
Covington, LA 70453
Use the link to the Totus Tuus Web site and you can make a secure online donation via Paypal

A New Look

2011-02-23T13:54:00.000-08:00

Family Hope Charity has seen such a whirlwind of activity lately that it seemed like the time for a little "interior design." Tom has brought in a Kenyan consultant who is doing some redesign on our official Web site, www.familyhopecharity.org, to make it more appealing to supporters around the world. It seemed only fitting that we should revamp the blog as well, to complement the look of the Web site. Let us know what you think and thanks for stopping by! Remember to "like" us on Facebook so you can get Tom's frequent updates from Nairobi. He is very close to getting final approval on the rebuilding of Makwk clinic and that is BIG news.

Speaking of big news, we're proud to announce a second Chicago-area fundraiser. This time it's Irish Music For Africa, on Saturday, March 12, 2011 at 7:30 PM. Come and hear a great program of popular Irish favorites from local musicians Marcy Weckler-Barr, Theresa Donohoo, Gerry Aylward and Dave Kunzweiler. The concert is free and a freewill offering will be collected with all proceeds benefiting Family Hope's work. That's Saturday, March 12, 2011 and we thank our gracious location donors, St. Thomas of Villanova parish in Palatine, IL. The concert will be held at the church, located at 1201 East Anderson Drive in Palatine, IL. You can find directions at the parish Web site, www.stov.org It's the perfect way to spend the weekend before St. Patrick's Day so don't miss this exciting event!

Family Hope Fundraiser - March 5, 2011, Barrington, IL

2011-01-25T13:41:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not, Springtime is not that far away. In addition to warmer, longer days and a glimpse of sunshine and greenery, there is something else to look forward to this March - a fundraising event for Family Hope Charity! All are invited:

Pizza, Pop and Rock for Mkawk
Saturday, March 5, 2011 - 7-11 PM
Upstairs at Wool Street Grill, 128 Wool Street in Barrington, IL (right next to the Metra station and parking lot)
Tickets: $25.00 a person, price includes all you can eat pizza, salad and pop.
Cash bar will be available.

Live musical entertainment by Steven Spahn (acoustic rock like John Mayer and Fleetwood Mac) followed by danceable classic rock from Synod, playing hits from the '60s-today.
Tickets will be available at the door - but space is limited so considering purchasing in advance.
For ticket purchase information, email Karen McBride at Family Hope Charity.
This will be a family friendly event but the music may be too loud for very young children.

Come out for a fun evening with great music and support Family Hope's efforts
to rebuild the Mkawk Clinic in Nairobi, Kenya!

Christmas 2010 from Nairobi

2010-12-20T15:46:00.000-08:00

Greetings from Tom O'Hern and the FHC staff in Nairobi, Kenya.

The two young men in the photo, Stephen Wainaina and James Njenga, are residents of Korogocho slum. Both are also HIV/Aids orphans and recovering substance abusers and they will be the first members of our building construction skills training program, starting in January 15, 2011. They will no longer have to wade through the heavily polluted Nairobi River to find plastic bags to re-sell in order to support themselves and their siblings.

Meet Gladys, one of our HIV+ mothers. She was infected with the disease by her husband who has since abandoned her and her six children. She is a member of Family Hope Charity’s savings and support group and soon will get a loan to begin a small business and increase her capacity to support her children.

We need your help. What can you give?

The Christmas green of hope: hope comes from being able to support yourself. For every $500 we raise during the holiday season, we will be able to train a young man from Korogocho slum in basic building construction skills. Once trained, our graduate will be able to support the 7-15 household members who depend on his earning capacity. We want to train 15 young men in this five month program. You contribution will lift 225 people out of abject poverty.

The Christmas red of courage: courage is instilled in a person when they have someone who believes in them and can show them a better way of living. For every $500 we raise during the holiday season we will be able to train and support a substance abuse ‘recovery coach.’ This coach, a local recovering person from Korogocho, will go door to door in search of those languishing in the misery of HIV/Aids and substance abuse. Our recovery coaches will encourage these men and women to join support groups and craft a personal recovery plan. Your donation will give hundreds of men and women in Korogocho a chance to start a new life.

The Christmas gold of love: as Mother Teresa once said, real poverty is being lonely and unloved. The people of Korogocho live in an environment where love is scarcer than money -- and that is saying a lot. When we acknowledge your support in the presence of our clients, their gratitude for your assistance will last for years. They know you care for them and that will reside in their hearts forever.

The Christmas blue of peace: the trainees you support will construct a new health centre in Korogocho which will house the slum’s first maternity unit. Korogocho has a high maternal and infant mortality rate. This new facility will give the gift of peace to pregnant mothers and their unborn and newborn babies through accessible, affordable, quality health care. Family Hope Charity will build a clean, comfortable structure that will serve160,000 people.

Give someone in need the true gifts of Christmas this year - give someone a chance at a new life. Donate through one of our two fiscal sponsors (below). We are pleased to announce that secure online donations are now accepted through one of our fiscal sponsors, Totus Tuus Ministries. Look for the Paypal button on their home page.

All the best,
Tom O'Hern

Donate through one of our two financial sponsors for tax-exempt purposes:

The Staudinger Foundation
c/o Lou Franz, C.M.
P.O. Box 1208
Flagstaff, AZ 86002

OR

Totus Tuus Ministries
17236 St. Gertrude Drive
Covington, LA 70453

Meet Our FHC Football Team - Stephen Wainaina

2010-12-16T15:51:00.000-08:00

Tom O'Hern sat down with a few members of the FHC Korogocho slum football team and asked them to tell you about life in Korogocho and their hopes and dreams for a better life. Here is what Stephen Wainaina had to say.

I am 17 years old and live with my aunt, Catherine Mugoiri, and my two sisters, Eunice who is 14 and Gladys who is 7 years old. My mother, Cathleen Mugoiri died when I was eight years old as the result of drinking too much local brew. I have no idea who my father is and even my mother didn’t know. My aunt is very sick these days and since she was drunk ,as she always is, when she took my little sister Gladys to the hospital, she was chased away by the doctors and nurses. Gladys has a kidney infection and is very sick.

I feel very weak as I’m not able to help in anyway, not financially or otherwise. Life has nothing good here and poverty stinks. Now my little sister is in the hospital and I don’t know how I will raise the money to pay for her bills. I could give the hospital my services to pay off the bill but I don’t think that is possible.

My aunt is very sick these days and it is believed she took some local brew that contained methanol. She has almost completely lost her sight. I’m not totally hopeless though as Family Hope Charity is planning some good things for us. I want to partake in the Family Hope Charity training program next year and earn my first certificate ever. Here in Kenya there are things called certificates and I have never been given one in my whole life, not even a birth certificate. After the training program I hope to go back to school. I dropped out in 7^th grade several years ago and even though I’m big with a bad voice, I’d be willing even to go back to 5^th grade to catch up again. I want to go to university one day and earn a medical degree. I want to come back to Korogocho not as a hustler but as a doctor giving free medical treatment.

I pray that our coach (Tom O’Hern) can convince his fellow citizens in America to help us in our dreams and take me back to school.

Your contributions to Family Hope Charity can help Stephen and others like him break free of the cycle of poverty, disease and substance abuse. Please give what you can - use the links to contribute through our fiscal sponsors. Thank you.

Thanksgiving Greetings From Tom and Family Hope Charity

2010-11-23T15:07:00.000-08:00

Tom sends his greetings with positive news about progress in Korogocho, Nairobi, Kenya - but as always, your help is needed. Read on:

Pictured at the right are some of the 25 young men of the “Ghetto United Football Club” who have expressed the desire to free themselves from the chains of substance abuse. Organizing and sponsoring this team are part of Family Hope Charity’s outreach to youth who struggle with substance abuse, HIV+/Aids or chronic poverty. Participating in the team allows them to experience the self-discipline and work ethic needed to live a substance-free life.

We invite you to join us in supporting these youth and the other poor residents of Korogocho slum in Nairobi through the following projects:

1. Apprenticeships to learn the construction trade through a hands-on learning project: rebuilding the community clinic in Korogocho slum. This clinic serves 1,000 clients a week, mostly poor women and children, and desperately needs an overhaul which would double its capacity. Work has already begun to get the apprentice workers prepared - this life-changing project will be underway soon.

2. Matching funds for a daily savings program: 60 HIV+ mothers - hard-working, energetic single women - are currently saving small amounts of money each day. Family Hope will encourage their efforts by supplying matching funds, enabling them to begin income-generating projects to build a better, more sustainable life.

3. Training of local “recovery coaches”: Local men and women recovering from drug/alcohol dependency will train to become recovery coaches, establishing relationships with substance abusers (particularly those who are HIV+) in Korogocho and assisting them in developing recovery plans.

We at Family Hope Charity invite you to become one of the “5K4Africa,” or, “Five Thousand For Africa.”

Hope and courage arise when we know others believe in us – can you share some of your Thanksgiving blessings with our hard-working mothers and youths this year?

Your contribution WILL make a difference!

Send your tax-exempt contributions to either of our fiscal sponsors:
The Staudinger Foundation
c/o Fr. Lou Franz, C.M.
P.O. Box 1208
Flagstaff, AZ 86002

OR

Totus Tuus Ministries
17236 St. Gertrude Drive
Covington, LA 70453

Want to really keep up-to-date on Tom's progress? Join us on Facebook! Our community there is growing every day and Tom posts regularly. We welcome your comments and suggestions, there, too, so "like" Family Hope Charity today!

Coming Soon

2010-09-22T11:50:00.000-07:00

The blog has been on hiatus while we reorganize and plan for Tom's visit here to the States. Tom is in Illinois right now, after stops in Arizona and Louisiana, and he brings great ideas for projects in Nairobi and the surrounding areas. You'll be hearing from us soon about "5 k 4 Africa," or, "Five Thousand For Africa." Stay tuned!

Easter Greetings from Tom!

2010-04-03T13:24:00.000-07:00

May the saddest day of your future be no worse
than the happiest day of your past!
(Irish Saying)

Easter greetings to friends and supporters of Family Hope Charity, from Tom O’Hern and my Kenyan colleagues Jack Oduor, Henry Kunusiah, Michael Mwilili.

On Palm Sunday I attended Mass at the Holy Family Cathedral. The celebrant was this little old Italian priest with huge dark bushy eyebrows that would turn Groucho Marx green with envy. Fr. Gemina usually preaches a pretty good homily. He’s a very demonstrative speaker with hands and arms flying in all directions to punctuate every point. I’ve always thought it was hard to preach about the Resurrection in poor countries like Kenya, especially to slum dwellers who experience violence, deprivation, disease and despair every day. But Father Gemina made the best point about Easter I’ve heard in a long time. He stated that all Christians by their words and actions are called to make sure that all our brothers and sisters never forget that every Good Friday is followed by Easter Sunday. That suffering is never the last word and whether it is in this life or the next and it won’t be the final word in our lives. The poor people that Family Hope Charity works with have endless troubles. The real threat they face, though is giving into the conviction that their life will be nothing more than Good Friday now and forever.

The Christ our clients see at work in you through your generosity and kindness to Family Hope Charity has helped them believe that the possibilities of Easter Sunday can come into their lives too. Recently, we were able to make a substantial donation to a community owned and operated slum clinic in Nairobi that is the only source of health care to the poorest of the poor in that area. The donation which was from funds you have given us, will allow them to set up a school book bag making project. The proceeds from the book bags that are sold will go to buying medicine and medical equipment for the clinic, enabling it to continue to provide extremely low cost medical care to children under 5 who might not otherwise receive treatment.

Your future generosity will allow Family Hope Charity to:

1) Partner with Catholic Relief Services in setting up a peace and reconciliation program in a section of the Rift Valley of Kenya which was the scene of many deaths and much destruction after the 2007 national elections. Our contribution is to set up and guide ‘daily savings groups’ which enable poor people to work together on income generating projects that help them fulfil their dreams. Experience shows that people from various tribes who work together and experience success together are less likely to turn on each other.

2) Partner with Rotary International to build a bio-centre at an HIV/Aids orphanage located on an island in Lake Victoria. Bio-centres are sanitation facilities that utilize the methane generated from human waste for cooking food and heating water. The orphanage kitchen will use this facility to prepare meals for the orphans and the showers will provide clean bathing facilities for these young children.

Send any donations to Family Hope Charity’s fiscal sponsors:
Jim Seghers
Totus Tuus Ministries
17236 St. Gertrude Dr.
Covington, Louisiana 70435

Fr. Louis Franz, C.M.
The Staudinger Foundation
P.O. Box 1208
Flagstaff, Arizona 86002

More photos from Korogocho:

Sewing room for the income generating project; the room is located above the clinic.

Entertainment in Korogocho; most slum residents can't afford entertainment or recreation outside the slum.

Garbage and waste fill the slums as the result of no city services. Disease runs rampant.

The Dandora City of Nairobi dumpsite. The site causes many noxious and poisonous fumes to spread into Korgocho slum, resulting in a hire rate of respiratory infections. Ironically, it is estimated that about 10,000 residents of Korgocho make theri living, sorting out garbage for recycling in this dump.

Water source for many residents, outside the clinic.

More news and photos from Tom about life in Korogocho

2010-03-25T10:15:00.000-07:00

Two houses in Korogocho and the usual narrow walkway. 100,000 people live crammed into a space of about 3 square miles.

Typical store front Church in Korogocho. Slum dwellers, in particular women, are fervent and regular Church goers.

A woman doing 'jua kali' that is hot sun businesses.

Road side small business are the staple form of employment for slum residents, especially women. You can be sure that this woman looks a lot older than her actual age.

A community toilet and bathing facility. A possible project for Family Hope Charity and Rohii would be to build a bio-centre. Bio-Centres are sanitation facilities that provide communal showers and toilets which are managed by the community.

The waste product is converted into methane gas that people can use for boiling water and cooking.

One of several orphanages in Korogocho. Because of HIV/Aids, violence and low life expectancy of slum residents, there are numerous orphans.

Lenten update from Korogocho clinic in Nairobi

2010-03-19T21:08:00.000-07:00

Tom sends news and photos of a new project, the Korogocho clinic in Nairobi.

"I have two dreams for the place:

We rebuild the clinic, using our youth focused construction skills training program;
We locate a poor people, slum focused substance abuse recovery program in the clinic. Not a rehab center, but a peer driven and operated program, with some professional mentoring, that helps slum dwellers, who wish to, overcome their substance abuse issues.

Pat Maloney is doing some fundraising for this project and I've sent her some pictures and brief narrative about Korogocho. So maybe these pics can be put on the website and blog? Along with some more narrative?

The immediate task for the clinic which is all community operated and run, relying totally on volunteer help, is to get them started in an income generating project. they will make school book bags made out of scraps of old blue jeans. Three local people would be hired to do this and then profits would go to the clinic to buy meds and other medical equipment."

See photos below from Tom's visit to Korogocho - more information and photos to follow in the coming days. Your donations, even in seemingly small amounts, can make a significant different in the life of this community - please use the donation link in the sidebar.

Lent 2010: Family Hope Charity, Kenya

2010-03-04T09:38:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago I got up early to listen to the end of the Super Bowl on the Voice of America radio station here in Nairobi. Even though I’m a lifelong Bears fan and if you think that is bad, a lifelong Cub fan, I was hoping and praying that the Saints would triumph. And miracle of miracles, they gave the city of New Orleans and Louisiana its first Super Bowl championship. This past summer a friend was driving me around the city of New Orleans to experience its charm and to see the lingering effects of hurricane Katrina. I still remember seeing those pictures of women and children stranded on roof tops and others begging for help in front of the New Orleans convention center. Those memories made me want to see the Saints triumph even more. If ever a city needed a boost and a little bit of cheer that a successful sports team can bring it was New Orleans.

For many women in Kenya though, Katrina is an everyday phenomenon. But as the lady pictured demonstrates, they literally carry the lives of their children and family members on their backs through the hurricane of chronic poverty. Whether it is fetching wood for cooking, carrying babies, bring food to sell on the street corners---women are the backbone of Kenya. Two initiatives that Family Hope Charity is spearheading are a daily savings scheme and a community based substance abuse program. Daily savings schemes allow a number of poor women to put together their meagre savings---sometimes no more than 15 to 25 cents per day---and over time save enough to start income generating projects that will greatly assist them in feeding and supporting their children. Our community based substance abuse initiative will be an attempt to help women find a forum where they can share the pain, frustration and anger that comes with having an active addict as part of their life. Alcohol abuse is the root of so much suffering and misery in Nairobi’s slums it would take something the size of a big city phone book to catalogue it all.

So this Lent consider making a Lenten donation to Family Hope Charity. Give a helping hand to hundreds of African women like the lady pictured above. “Your ‘widow’s mite’ can work wonders. Thanks to all of you who have helped in the past. My prayers and best wishes to you and your family. May the strength and peace of the Crucified and Risen Christ fill every part of your life.

Tom O’Hern----Director of Family Hope Charity.

Send Chicken Feed to Kenya This Christmas...

2009-12-14T15:56:00.001-08:00

In the form of U.S. dollars, of course!

Dear Friends and Supporters of Family Hope Charity,

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and all you hold dear in life!

Although not a tourist attraction, the chicken is by far the most widespread and versatile animal in Kenya. I don’t know the exact number of chickens alive at any one moment in this country nor the number being consumed each day but it has to be in the millions. Besides providing fried food for many people (and I mean really fried!), chickens play a number of roles in Kenyan society.

In the slums they eat millions of bugs - Mother Nature’s pest control. Secondly, I’m told they produce great fertilizer that can be used either for slum kitchen gardens or for sale. Chickens also support many poor people because they can be raised in the most impossible of environments - like Nairobi’s slums. And even in harsh conditions, they multiply fairly quickly, enabling someone who is selling them to turn a profit in a short period of time. Hens are very protective and caring of their chicks and so are slum mothers and guardians who will do just about ANYTHING to care for and support their children. Young roosters get into a lot of trouble if idle and so do a lot of young Kenyan males who lack employable skills. Chickens and poor Kenyans are pretty resourceful and can turn a dime into a dollar given a few breaks. A slum acquaintance of mine for example is now supporting his family of six by selling fruit in an upscale section of Nairobi. He truly started this business with chicken feed--- only $20. However, chickens need to be taken care of and placed in a safe environment, otherwise there are too many dangers and threats to their lives. Poor Kenyans need to be taken care of, too, because without concerned people like you the dangers of slum life are too numerous and too overwhelming.

Your support can help the mothers of these children create a better life!

This Christmas season, I’m asking you to support some short term projects Family Hope Charity is currently engaged in or will be starting soon. We are trying to raise $5000 during the holidays. The choice of the following projects will depend on Family Hope Charity finalizing our assessment of their organizational credibility and trustworthiness as a partner. The projects are:

1) Setting up a revolving fund for a women’s HIV/Aids group in the Kiambiu/Nairobi slum. We will give them $1000 = 75,000 Kenya shillings. With this start up grant they can begin lending to members of the group. The interest they charge each other will slowly build up the amount available for lending. Then either as a group or as individuals they can attempt more ambitious income generating projects for the support of themselves and children.

2) Starting Alcoholics Anonymous and/or Al Anon groups in Kuresoi/Rift Valley of Kenya. Alcohol and drugs fueled the wave of violence that plagued this part of the country for three months after the December 2007 election. There is a great need for a variety of programs and initiatives that promote reconciliation and forgiveness in an area that saw hundreds killed and thousands lose their homes and livelihoods. AA and Al-Anon can indirectly contribute to rebuilding society by offering addicts and their families a way of restarting their lives and taking responsibility for their actions.

3) Starting Alcoholics Anonymous and Al Anon groups in Kiambiu. Alcohol and drugs fuel much of the violence and abuse that many slum women and children are subjected to. AA can offer a new way of life to addicts, especially addicts prone to violence and abuse. Al-Anon can offer hope to those affected by someone’s addiction.

4) Working with a clinic in Korogocho, the slum next to Kiambiu in Nairobi. This clinic sees on average 200 people a day with only one trained nurse on staff. Family Hope Charity will try to set up an income generating project—e.g. raising chickens— either to help provide regular income for the clinic or provide money for the HIV positive mothers who use the clinic and its services. We are currently exploring
ways to expand the facility. If we get funding for this expansion, we can train slum youth in building construction skills who then would put up the addition.

5) Helping a women’s group in Kuresoi build a chicken coop. These women were victims of the 2007 post-election violence and in many cases, lost everything. With the chickens they raise they will be able to support 30 different families, each having around 10 members each.

I’d like to express my gratitude once again to all of you for your past support and prayers.Your support of these projects will help Family Hope Charity continue to implement practical initiatives, targeting the most vulnerable victims of poverty and violence---women and children. You can send your tax exempt ‘chicken feed’ to either of our two fiscal sponsors below:

Totus Tuus Ministries
c/o Jim Seghers
17236 St. Gertrude Drive
Covington, Louisiana 70435

The Staudinger Foundation
c/o Fr. Lou Franz, C.M
P.O. Box 1208
Flagstaff, Arizona 86002

Happy Thanksgiving Day from Nairobi, Kenya

2009-11-26T14:09:00.000-08:00

A Thanksgiving Message From Tom O'Hern

No, the picture to the right is not Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity and Glen Beck doing research for their latest fair and fearless news broadcast----or is it? (That may have offended half of you---sorry couldn’t resist. Okay it could also be Keith Olberman, I know!) These young, playful pachyderms are enjoying the sun and mud in Nairobi National Park, a huge wild life reserve within the city limits. Your support--financial and otherwise--during the course of this past year has helped Family Hope Charity put a smile and a bit of elephant like playfulness back in the lives a good number of poor Kenyans. I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your generous support to FHC.

With your assistance, Family Hope was able to:

Help 15 slum mothers start, equip and begin operating a day care center in an eastern Nairobi which is currently caring for 40 babies. Without this service the mothers of these infants would not be able to find work each day to feed their children and their babies wouldn’t eat. It is as simple as that.

Build an additional classroom for a nursery school which also serves poor slum families in eastern Nairobi. The new room has allowed this school to double the number of children they serve. The mission of the school is to give slum children the psychological and educational foundation they need to start their primary school on equal footing with children from economically able families.

Put together a volunteer program in collaboration with another charitable organization, which recruits and supports professionally trained Kenyan nurses, lab techs and medical officers and posts them in poor mission hospitals throughout the country. Most of the time the receiving facility is the only medical option available to the poor and needy in a given area.

Also, Jack Oduor, my Family Hope Charity colleague, was able to organize 400 people into 20 ‘daily savings groups’ in Kuresoi. These ‘daily savings groups’ help poor people pool their meagre resources and enable them to work together to operate income generating activities that would be beyond their individual capabilities.

While the elephants pictured in this letter are not Fox news personalities, it could easily portray the kind of leadership that the big shots in the government of Kenya have been providing for their people during the past two years—namely a prolonged frolic in the muck of corruption. Kenya inaugurated its 4th president on the second to the last day of December 2007. Most Kenyans believed the election was stolen and the swearing in of President Kibaki, under the cover of dark in a private ceremony, triggered two months of chaos throughout the country that left 1300 people dead and 600,000 displaced. Kenya has yet to recover from the shock and horror of those few months. Bitterness and cynicism are a fact of public life these days.

The current political climate in Kenya has influenced the progress of Family Hope Charity projects in two parts of the country. In Kuresoi/Rift Valley, we have to wait and see if there will be a repeat of the violence after a local MP is indicted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity in December. Second, in Kiambiu/Nairobi slum we have wait and see if the local community based organizations we are working with can legally prevent their local city councillor from invalidating their property title deeds and selling off the land to his chronies. The kind of disrespect for the poor that is behind both of these issues is common place in Kenya today.

Those of you who know me know that the slow pace of accomplishment is not something I enjoy. But the evil of corruption has woven its tentacles around just about every human relationship and endeavour in Kenya.

In spite of all this nonsense, here’s what Family Hope Charity is going to do in the upcoming months:

Together with my two Kenyan colleagues, we will continue to organize and mentor the 20 daily savings groups in Kuresoi and help them unite into a larger advocacy group that can represent their needs and concerns to government authorities.

Start a similar ‘daily savings group’ network in Kiambiu/Nairobi.

Secure the funding needed to start a building construction and life skills training program for youth living in Kuresoi and Kiambiu. The building construction ‘lessons’ for the trainees will be on-the-job training that focuses on the erection of a BIO-CENTRE. A BIO-CENTRE is a sanitation facility that uses the methane from human waste for cooking and for heating water for bathing.

Run a training program in peace building and conflict resolution targeting youth and women in Kuresoi who were victims and in some cases perpetrators of the post election violence.

Conduct some seminars for youth in Kuresoi and Kiambiu on substance abuse since
alcohol and drugs were a major factor in escalating the violence and destruction of the post election violence.

Organize and implement two community health projects targeting the needs of the poor:
1. Community integration officers who are HIV+ men and women that will be sent
  into the slums and villages with the task of tracking down expectant or young mothers
  who are in danger of passing on the HIV virus to their children. Once identifying
  these mothers and members of their households, the integration officers will
  refer them to medical facilities for proper treatment and care.
2. Slum champions who are medically trained Kenyans whose mission will be to go
  into slums like Kiambiu and search for the abandoned and neglected whom no one is
  reaching. Once these elderly, crippled, HIV infected, orphaned, are found the
  champions will put them in contact with health facilities or organizations that can care
  for them.

The purpose of everything Family Hope Charity does is to restore dignity, hope and playfulness to poor families whose lives have been undermined by poverty and violence. So again wishing yours and all you know a Happy Thanksgiving.

Keep Family Hope Charity in your prayers and if you can help us with the expenses of these projects please do so. Our fiscal sponsors for tax exempt donations are:

The Staudinger Foundation
c/o Fr. Lou Franz, C.M.
P.O. Box 1208
Flagstaff, AZ 86002

AND

Totus Tuus Ministries
c/o Jim Seghers
17236 St. Gertrude Drive
Covington, LA 70435

Welcome to Family Hope!

2009-09-25T14:24:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the new online home of Family Hope Charity.

My name is Tom O'Hern. For many years my ‘hobby’ has been assisting chronically poor people acquire the training and skills needed to start their own small business. This interest of mine together with the encouragement and support of several friends lead me to start Family Hope Charity in 2006.

The mission of Family Hope Charity:

Family Hope is currently working in Kiambiu/Nairobi; a slum of about 60,000 residents on Nairobi's east side and eastern slums, and also in Kuresoi District; Kuresoi District is in the southern Rift Valley and has been 'ground zero' for post election violence every five years dating back to 1992. (If you do any Googling of post election violence in Kenya, especially for pictures Kuresoi, Molo, etc. you will see the results for yourself.)

The purpose of this latest project:

To train youth in employable skills of three kinds, if, God willing, things go like they did in Zambia;

Building construction skills, using ecologically responsible materials and techniques;
Small business skills: most of Kenya's economy is one gigantic flea market;
Whatever life skills are needed to help a chronically poor, young person take advantage of the opportunity being presented to him or her.

The buildings that the young trainees would build would be for poor people. We are working on two possibilities right now, and aiming long range for a third possibility:

Short range: build a chicken coop for a women's self-help group in Kuresoi representing about 30 families. These mothers would be asked to save a certain amount and then our program would come in with other funds to construct the building. This would give us a chance to try out and refine our building technologies and our training program;
A 'bio-centre' which is a sanitation facility that converts human waste into methane that is used for cooking and heating water or bathing. We are going to try to put this project together with the assistance of a couple of other organizations. We would try to build it on a school site in Kuresoi. The waste generated by the students would make the methane and reduce their dependency on wood, trees, charcoal, etc.
Long range: We trained and started 13 different 'daily savings' groups this week (October 9, 2009). The total number involved is about 375. Their long range goal will be to save for housing. And then we would try to position ourselves as the builders of those houses.

Our mission is to construct decent, cost-effective houses for the poor, using labor-intensive technology. Using common, inexpensive materials, we're able to keep costs very low, allowing for more families to move into decent living spaces. The local labor is trained on the skills of brick-making, construction, painting, land preparation, and even floor plan design. After building a few homes, these previously unskilled laborers have learned a new craft and have found a way to support themselves while continuing to build homes for other families in need.

"Think of all the people in your life who believed in you, who gave you a little break, or who gave you a boost in self-confidence that changed your life, even if it was in a small way. I'm asking for your help so that poor HIV/AIDS affected families will come to know that someone believes in them and in their ability to turn their lives around."

Please browse around this site to explore the work we've been doing and check back for regular updates on our progress.

I'll be using this Web site to share what we've accomplished in Africa, to keep you informed about upcoming projects and yes, to ask for your support.

Family Hope Charity in Zambia - Construction and Life Skills Training

2009-09-24T13:55:00.000-07:00

For many years my ‘hobby’ has been assisting chronically poor people acquire the training and skills needed to start their own small business. This interest of mine together with the encouragement and support of several friends, lead me to start Family Hope Charity in 2006. As a way of preparing myself and Family Hope Charity to engage in this ‘hobby’ full time in Kenya, I spent two years in Kabwe, central Zambia, working with two HIV/Aids non-governmental organizations. I was asked by these NGO’s to design and implement a construction and life skills training program that targeted street youth living in a large slum called Makululu on the edge of the city of Kabwe. The construction skills training was a ‘hands-on’ learn-by-doing program because most of the young trainees were illiterate both in English and in their mother tongue. The ‘lessons’ were the actual construction of houses for the guardians of HIV/Aids orphans and their dependants. These guardians were usually grandmothers in their 60’s and 70’s raising their orphaned grandchildren since their own children had died of HIV/Aids. Pictured above is the third group of street youth we worked with standing near some of the houses they along with the other groups of homeless street youth built for HIV/Aids orphans. The last training project the street kids worked on and completed was construction of a 400 square foot youth centre in Makululu. To give the young trainees a broad exposure to a variety of construction technologies we used traditional masonry and also stabilized soil construction.

During the two years I was in Kabwe, Family Hope Charity trained 40 young men and women in building construction and erected eleven different structures, including seven houses, two workshops, one dormitory for a street boy centre and one youth centre. Towards the end of my time in Kabwe we had attracted the attention of a Canadian foundation that wanted to build a secondary school in Makululu and were commmitted to using our street kid trainees as the building crew. The program was also receiving offers to construct commericial building as a way of raising money to sustain the project. The two young men pictured above, who were part of our second class were able to get work in Kabwe as bricklayers after participating in our program and are seen here constructing a house for a local merchant.

Family Hope Charity in Kenya - 2009

2009-09-24T13:52:00.000-07:00

Located on the coast of the Indian Ocean in East Africa, Kenya has a population of about 38 million. There are 45 different ethnic/tribal groups in Kenya who trace their origins to three distinct racial groups who at various times in history migrated to East Africa, some from as far away as Egypt. The groups are; the Bantu, the Nilotes and the Cushites. This ethnic diversity is one of many of the beautiful characteristics of the people of Kenya. Recently though, it has also been a source of much political tension which has bread a great deal of violence. The country’s principal economic drivers are tourism, tea, coffee and manufacturing. The population of Kenya is by enlarge very poor with up to 68% living on less than $1USD per day. Kenya is the home of Family Hope Charity and its two programs for the chronically poor; Kujenga Tumaini in Kiambiu/Nairobi and Nyumba za Amani in Kuresoi/Rift Valley.

The capital of Kenya is the city of Nairobi and has a population of approximately 4million. Nairobi is really three cities in one; there is the white/expatriate Nairobi (e.g. Karen--a section of Nairobi named after Karen Blixen,) the Asian/Indian Nairobi, and the African Nairobi which contains 70% of the
population who live mostly in the city’s large slums. And although the slums are the home of most Nairobians they only take up 5% of the city’s land mass. Consequently, these ‘informal settlements’ are crowded, filthy, violent and places certainly not an area one would wish to bring up family.

Contact Us - How To Donate

2009-09-20T16:28:00.000-07:00

Family Hope Charity

You can send a donation by check to:
Family Hope Charity
P.O. Box 2838
Palatine, IL 60078

Make check payable to:
Family Hope Charity

Thank you! Every dollar we receive from donations like yours can make a world of difference to the poor in Nairobi, Kenya.

Totus Tuus Ministries supports Family Hope Charity with prayers, encouragement and resources. They also act as a fiscal sponsor to our organization. You will receive an acknowledgment of your donation and it may come from Totus Tuus, on our behalf.

Totus Tuus Ministries Web site
17236 St Gertrude Drive
Covington, LA 70453

1-985-875-9363

seghers@bellsouth.net

More from Tom O'Hern on video!

Hear Tom speak from Africa, watch a YouTube slideshow

2009-09-20T16:25:00.000-07:00

FHC in the Future - Building Bridges

2009-09-20T16:11:00.000-07:00

The bridge in the picture above crosses the Nairobi River and connects the people of Kiambiu slum to the rest of Nairobi. Through economic deprivation and all that it brings, in the lives of slum residents, it is a bridge few people cross on the way to a better life for themselves and their families. Family Hope Charity and its collaborating partner organizations hope to build many bridges that will connect the poor and suffering of Kuresoi and Kiambiu to a better and more hopeful future.

FHC in Kuresoi, part II - "We need help to get started again."

2009-09-20T16:05:00.000-07:00

Against the historical background of violence and bloodshed in Kuresoi, Family Hope Charity is teaming up with two local community based organizations to initiate and implement three projects that will attempt to rebuild and/or establish long lasting and constructive relationships among the three ethnic groups of Kuresoi, the Kikuyu, Kalenjin and Kisii. These three projects are:

1) A ‘daily savings group’ that will help Kuresoi residents to begin to accumulate a little initial
financial capital and begin to rebuild their businesses and homes.

2) A construction and life skills training program targeting the youth of Kuresoi, who because of
protracted unemployment and idleness, were the principal perpetrators of the post election
violence of 2008.

3) An ‘early warning system’ run by the youth of Kuresoi which is a community network of
observers trained in recognizing the signs of potential conflict and trouble within the villages,
mediate disputes between the various ethnic communities, and even engage in some
reconciliation and healing exercises.

The key dimension of any program that Family Hope Charity sponsors and implements in Kuresoi is that both the participants and beneficiaries will be members of all three local ethnic communities - and, that all members of each group will be treated as equal partners and given the respect and fair treatment they deserve.

Over 40,000 homes were destroyed during the post-election violence. As mentiioned before, the hillsides of Kuresoi are completely empty of houses these days. Pictured above is a delivery of building materials made available by the Danish Refugee Commission and the UNHCR for the residents of Kuresoi. The materials are supposed to be used to construct temporary housing until people can afford once again to build a more substantial home. Family Hope Charity and our partner community based organizations want to be key players in rebuilding the homes of all the people and families of Kuresoi whose lives were shattered by the senseless violence of January-March 2008.

Pictured above are some children from the local “IDP” camp in Kuresoi—who because of the selfish interests of Kenya’s politicians, have become destitute, hopeless and despairing refugees in their own country. A local chief told me in a meeting I attended that he and most of his neighbors and friends—whether they are Kikuyu, Kalenjin or Kisii---believe that if the government and other outsiders simply leave them alone they will be able stay in peace with one another. The chief also stated that he and the others from Kuresoi are not looking for charity. “We need help to get started again. Then we can resume taking care of ourselves like we have always done in the past.”

Family Hope Charity in Kuresoi - Kenya's Great Rift Valley

2009-09-20T16:02:00.000-07:00

Family Hope Charity is also working in Kuresoi located in Kenya’s spectacular southern Great Rift Valley. The Great Rift Valley is a geographic wonder and really is a rift in the earth’s surface stretching from the Sea of Galilee in Israel to the center of the Republic of South Africa. Unfortunately in Kenya, the Rift Valley and Kuresoi in particular has also been the not so wonderous ‘ground zero’ of numerous incidences of unspeakable violence and resulting misery and desolation for hundreds of thousands of Kenyans every time there has been a national election since 1992. During the post-election violence of early 2008, 1300 Kenyans were killed and 600,000 dislocated and most of them were residents of the Rift Valey. These dislocated citizens of Kenya, labelled by international relief agencies with the euphemistic title ‘internally displaced persons (IDP’s),’ have still not recovered from the loss of life and livelihood that was the result of two months of fighting among three different tribal groups.

If you were visiting Kuresoi today and glanced over the rolling hills of Kuresoi, you wouldn’t see a single house because all of them were burned down during that time. It was a frightful episode of Kenya’s history. Neighbors and friends, who happened to be of different tribal communities, were encouraged by politicians to attack under just about any pretense, real or fanciful. And even though the residents of Kuresoi did not benefit one bit from the violence and blood shed of 2008 or any other previous election time, there are still lingering resentments, bitterness and talk of further trouble.

Read on to learn how Family Hope Charity is working to initiate and implement three projects that will attempt to rebuild and/or establish long lasting and constructive relationships among the three ethnic groups of Kuresoi, the Kikuyu, Kalenjin and Kisii.

Kiambiu Youth Group and Kiambiu Usafi

2009-09-20T15:57:00.000-07:00

Family Hope Charity is working with two local community based organizations in Kiambiu/Nairobi—a youth group (Kiambiu Youth Group—pictured above at the toilet and bathing facility they run in the slum) that has a membership of about 350 and a self-help group (Kiambiu Usafi) with a membership of about 300. We’re in the initial stages of setting up a construction and life skills training program. The trainees would come from the Kiambiu Youth Group and their hands on training would be constructing houses for the members of the Kiambiu Usafi self-help group. Owners of the new houses would either occupy them themselves or rent them out to bring much needed income into their families.

Another program Family Hope Charity will be involved in at both of our project sites--Kiambiu/Nairobi and Kuresoi/Rift Valley, will be the organizing and mentoring of groups of slum dwellers and rural poor into ‘daily savings groups.’ These savings plans have proved to be a very effective way for poor people to harness what little money they have and when combined with the meager savings of other members of the group can quickly begin to generate capital that wouldn’t be possible for any one person acting alone. Each member is expected to save something little each day. Quickly the group’s kitty begins to grow and when it gets to around $500 or so they can either 1) apply for a loan from a micro-finance institution, 2) loan some of it to a member of the group to start a business, 3) or take the money and as group start a income generating project. A year and a half ago, the ladies pictured above along with 26 of their neighbours managed to start saving 25 cents a day and in a year or so accumulated about $1800. With that money they bought five mud houses (one pictured) that they converted into chicken coops. They are now raising about 2000 chicks and the income generated supports thirty families who have on the average ten members.

These men are operating a ‘mkokoteni,’ which is a cart they use to haul goods all around Nairobi and in Nairobi’s slums. They are without a doubt some of the hardest working guys in the city. It is men like these that makes you want to do anything you can to give poor people a chance at a better life. You will see these guys pulling or pushing a thousand pounds of goods often 10 to 15 miles at a time 24/7.

Return to Kenya - Life in Kiambiu, October 2008

2009-09-20T15:46:00.000-07:00

I returned to Kenya in October 2008 to set up a similar skills training program in a slum in eastern Nairobi called Kiambiu. Kiambiu is located on Ministry of Defense property and is the home to about 60,000 residents (officially called illegal squatters) in an area covering about 20 acres. Most slum dwellers have to improvise and hustle to earn their daily bread and small self-employed businesses are the norm. For example, the above gentleman is selling charcoal outside his small house.

Life in Kiambiu is tough and the living conditions are extremely unsanitary. Above you is an example of some of the pit latrines used by hundreds of people every day. The waste is dumped directly into the Nairobi River--the same water that is used for cleaning and cooking. So slum dwellers are subject to many water borne diseases.

Pictured above are typical houses in Kiambiu and Kuresoi, made from mud and wattle, with dirt floors. A typical dwelling will have ten residents. Family Hope Charity is working with some people to design an affordable and more attractive model of a house similar to what we constructed in Kabwe, Zambia that will contribute to healthy living.