Helping the Sengwer Tribe of Kenya work their way out of poverty
ACHIEVEMENTS WE ARE PROUD OF: Projects funded by Sengwer Aid
All help and support is introduced slowly and sensitively and is in line with what the community as a whole are asking for. Care is taken to ensure that every single penny donated to Sengwer Aid will benefit the community and will be spent wisely. At present our resources are being focussed on 4 main projects:
1.) Sopetap Seed Project- supplying families with seed for the next harvest, ensuring stability of food sources in years to come. A condition of grants is that enough seed is set aside for the next planting season.
2.) Education Bursary Fund- when Sengwer families are asked what is the most important thing for their children, they will usually say 'Education'. Sengwer Aid is funding a yearly grant to the community's Bursary Fund Scheme. Local people decide how this money will be best-used to help poor families with the cost of getting bright kids through secondary school. When children leave school with qualifications they can then get jobs which will feed the whole family.
3.) Talau Water Project- this is the 3rd very successful gravity-feed water project, bringing plentiful water down the hillside to benefit the whole community, including the local church and the primary school. Hard-working water committees mobilise the entire community, digging trenches to install the pipes bought by grants. Clean, uncontaminated water brings many benefits to health, agriculture, livestock and household chores. It also means that women and children no longer need to carry heavy water containers for long distances.
4.) Talau Health Centre- a grant has been given to fund the building of a new Health Centre in a remote area with no medical facilities. In the past sick and injured people, mums having problems giving birth, etc., had to be carried many miles to the nearest town. This centre will serve a wide area, is welcomed by the community, bringing many improvements to health. Since Sengwer Aid was established in 2003, financial assistance has also been given to a variety of small projects, all run by registered committees made up of local leaders:
5.) Small Grants Scheme Small starter grants have been given to a variety of community groups, e.g. Kamoi Health Centre, Maize Farming Co-operative, Kayech & Kalya Womens Groups selling 2nd hand clothes, Athletics Coaching Camp, Tree Nursery, Uniform and Shoes to Primary School children. Assistance has also been given to:
6.) Sengwer Culture & Information Centre (SCIC) at Kapolet Money was raised to fund the building of a large community building, used as a centre for the Sengwer community from near and far. The community built the Centre themselves, a huge task that they are very proud of. It includes an office with internet access, a museum to preserve language, culture and traditions; also collection & preservation of plants and trees for herbal medicines. A great place for groups to meet and hold workshops, e.g. women's groups, youth groups, leaders groups. Dormitory accommodation has also been built, useful for those who have walked 3 days to get there.
7.) Eco-Tourism Project In the grounds of the SCIC, several traditional grass-thatch mud houses have been built to accommodate visitors to the area. Local people ensure visitors are warmly welcomed and make them comfortable during their stay.
8.) Water Projects Grants have been given to enable Water Committees at 3 locations (Kapcherop, Kapolet and Talau) to harness gravity-feed water and pipe it down for community use. Helpful in so many ways: women no longer have to carry heavy water for long distances, easy access for domestic use, livestock, irrigation, health needs.
9.) Sengwer Women's Jewellery Co-operative Money was given to the group to fund the set-up costs of a jewellery making business. The project is now thriving and has been so successful that the women have had a useful source of regular income to feed and cloth their children. They also lease a plot of land from their profits to grow and trade maize, giving them even more profit!
10.) Goat & Chicken Gift Cards Gift cards have been sold which tell the lucky recipient that they have been bought a goat or a pair of chickens which has been given to a Sengwer family in need; a gift that will last and grow. Eggs and milk help when food is scarce and can also be sold to generate much-needed income. This project has been temporarily suspended.
11.) School Twinning Projects Exchange of drawings, letters and questions between Sengwer and English children to enable cross-cultural friendship and understanding.
12.) AIDS / HIV Training & Awareness Training was set up for 1 man & 1 woman so they could spread the message to the community of ways to stay safe. As yet there is relatively little problem in this rural area, but incidences are increasing.