Cecilia's Children Kenya (KEN-104)

Type: Education: Primary school - Country: Kenya

Brief description and main aims

The project aims at alleviating poverty in Chulaimbo area by providing education and feeding to orphans and vulnerable children while also offering entrepreneurship training and micro loan for beneficiaries to start income generating activites for economical self reliance. 

Main Activities

• Education
• Feeding
• Counseling
• Safe House for children needing care and protection due to neglect, abuse and abandonment
• Micro loan/ Family Economic Empowerment
• Entrepreneurship training
• Case Management
• Follow ups/ Home visits

Volunteer tasks

• Teaching
• Help in making meals
• Help in serving meals
• Assist in fundraising activities
• Home visits
• Assist during case management
• Assist in identifying needy children for admission into program
• Assist in recruiting guardians into the micro loan/ family empowerment program
• Assist in follow up of beneficiaries of micro loan/ family empowerment program beneficiaries
• Participate in project research
• Initiating community projects in line with their areas of expertise

Volunteer requirements / Skills

• Knowledge of spoken English
• Minimum high school education
• Having any relevant skills set is an added advantage
• Respect for local culture
• Modest dressing that doesn’t clash with local culture

Location

Cecilias Children is situated 18 kilometres from Kisumu City centre. The organization is approximately 1.5 kilometres from the Kisumu to Busia highway. It is in a rural setting with high levels of poverty. Most people practice subsistence farming on small pieces of land measuring between a quarter acre to one acre. The farm produce is not enough to meet most families food and financial needs and so many go to work as casual farm labourers for slightly well off members of the community. They earn on average 2 US dollars for a days work. Christianity is the dominant religion although it exists side by side with African cultural beliefs.

The community is part of the wider Luo speaking people that has been marginalized by successive governments since independence for being in the opposition. As such they have been denied development funds leading to high poverty levels, disease and lack of opportunities for individuals to advance. There is one public hospital that offers only diagnostic service. Prescribed drugs have to be purchased by the residents who might not be having the money to buy the medication. There are several public schools that offer free education though standards are low due to overcrowding in classrooms. The public schools are not completely free since the child’s caregiver has to pay some fee. 

Hosting Situation (Board and Lodging)

Living with a host family.

More Information

Number of volunteers in project: 2