Feed A 1000 Children - North-eastern Going Green - HOME
Transcription
Feed A 1000 Children - North-eastern Going Green - HOME
PROGRESS REPORT October 2009 Feed A 1000 Children MESSAGE OF THE DIRECTOR My heartfelt gratitude goes to the men and women who, despite constrains of their budgets, dug into their purses and opened their hands ... It is an inspiring moment to our team as we report the progress that we have made. Not long ago, we were committed ourselves to helping the children of North-eastern and your support made it happen. Our report on the feed A 1000 children program comes as an appreciation to all those who made it possible. Few months ago, we came to you and requested your support towards the children of North-eastern province; and your response was very encouraging. It was an honour for me to lead the team however small it was. Your support made it possible to our team to make the life changing impact that North-eastern Province needed. The carrying character that you manifested as you donated towards this cause was so life-enriching that it made our team go extra miles. It is with greatest respect and appreciation that I acknowledge the efforts of those four brave young people who went to the streets to seek for support on behalf of the children. Their hard work proved their belief in the basic principal that says; “I am my brother’s keeper”. To the people who donated to these four young people, I most show respect for they trusted them and more so, trusted their cause. Though our program has not started with much money or many endorsement, your commitment to programs that work has inspired my faith, and proved to me that we will make it happen. On this note, I would like to thank Daystar University for the unyielding support it has provided. Together with its student association, we were able to organize a fund raising table, which facilitated the participation of many. The courage manifested by the last year’s chairman (David Ekiru) cannot go unnoticed. The cooperation of Daystar Christian Fellowship was of such a motivating magnitude that we are happy to report it now. We are thankful to the administration, for the provision of a storage facility and a good environment for operations. My gratitude goes to the parade of organizations that donated towards this cause. Most of all, I would like to thank Knight Frank; a company that provided us with space at the premises they manage to facilitate fund raising events. It is with the same spirit that I would like to recognize the efforts of the Adventist Centre for Care and Support (ACCS) together with the office of mission of Nairobi Pentecostal Church (valley road). These two organizations openly supported the cause by organizing collects and availing the donations to our program. On top of that, I would like to inform you that this road has not been just a smooth ride towards success. It was full of disappointments and set backs. In this regard, I would like re-comfort all the fellow staff members of NEGG whose efforts were met with disappointment; by telling them that their courage to press on made this happen. Above all else, I am thankful to you. We met in different settings but no matter where it was, you kept the faith and the enthusiasm without which this program would not be possible. This reminds me of the many times; you dropped your coins and note bills in our boxes, the times when you met us at your shopping mall doorstep and decided to donate cash, food or cloths to help feed a child you had never seen. My heartfelt gratitude goes to the men and women who, despite constrains of their budgets, dug into their purses and opened their hands to adopt one, two, or three children in our adoption plan. Your commitment to this transformational activity gave us the courage to keep moving. It is for all that you did, that we have come forth to present to you the work your donation has done. And of course, present to you our vision, which is designed to help our brothers and sisters in North-eastern province to gain independence on relief food. Our aim being to stand with you in the fight against hunger, desertification, poverty and global climate change, we hope that you will be with us every step of the way. MWEMA NDUNGO Director OVERVIEW OF NORTH-EASTERN PROVINCE Desertification and Deterioration of pastures For a region that relies on livestock as primary source of income, pastures are the most important assets to the community. Prolonged drought (which leads to desertification) is the most pertinent problems that face the region since it is a situation that deteriorates pastures. The lack of greener pastures contributes to the overheating of the region. (global warming) Reduction in quality of livestock and famine Recognizing that the primary food of the people and the livestock is the farm products, it is even more understandable that the deterioration of pastures leads to a reduction in the quality of livestock. Most times, when confronted by serious drought there is even a loss of livestock to the drought. At times, this situation leads the population to face acute hunger, which in extreme Poverty The levels of poverty are higher in the North-eastern province than in the rest of the country. According to the strategic plan of the ministry of state for the development of northern Kenya and other arid lands, the poverty levels have increased from 65% in 1994 to 74% in 2005/06. This has proven to be a stumbling block to the achievement of the Kenya Vision 2030, and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goal. Non-exploitation of the Tana– River water The non-exploitation of the Tana River water to facilitate development in the region has also been considered as a hindrance to achieving the development needed in the region. (As highlighted in the vision 2030).This river flows from the North-west of Garissa district and goes along the North-eastern province all the way to the Indian Ocean. FIRST ACTION: FEED A 1000 CHILDREN Collection of Donations Our collect of donations was done in different manners. Our team of collectors were mostly helped by Daystar University and Knight Frank; who both provided space to facilitate collections. The manpower was mainly provided by volunteers of the Operation Healing the Wounds (OHW-International), which is the mother organization to the North-eastern Going Green project. Other organizations like NPC and ACCS collected and gave us donations. Storage of Donations Due to the quantities of Donation we receive, we always add them to the ones we collected earlier. The flow of donations, which is drop by drop, becomes a fortune in the storage facility. The storage facility is donated by Daystar University, the commitment of this university towards humanity and community work has really been a benediction to our project. Transportation of Donations to Site Though transportation is almost always the challenge, due to the distance we have to cover to get the donations to Northeastern province; your cash donations have been very helpful in making it possible for the aid to reach the people on time. Delivery of Donations For all that you entrust us, we make sure it reaches the destination you send it to. We deliver your donation to the children of North-eastern province in person. Our teams are committed to delivering the promise that we make to you as you donate, and we carry through our commitment in the delivering the food, cloths, and all other material to the people designed for. Our priority is hence found in the satisfaction of all of you who openly support our cause, and of course responding to the challenges faced by the needy people, you seek to help. OUR VISION FOR NORTH-EASTERN PROVINCE Building of the first manmade lake The building of the first manmade lake in the country is the best solution to the problems of North-eastern province for it will help in fighting desertification by availing water during droughts, and by providing a place to rest the water that would have cause floods during rainy seasons. The whole mechanism of building the lake, will also facilitate the development of irrigated agriculture. Development of pastures for the livestock The deterioration of pastures means disaster to the economy and to the eco-system. It is to respond to this challenge that our project prioritizes the development of pastures for the livestock. Aware of the problems faced by the communities to find pastures and of conflicts that are generated by the lack of sufficient pastures, we are committed to transforming the region by grassing the land. Development of Irrigated Agriculture Acknowledging that the region has great farming potential, we believe that the section of the population that has adopted farming as their lifestyle should also be encouraged. It is in this respect that we are leaving room for farming as part of greening North-eastern province. This will also respond to the call echoed in the vision 2030, which convoke the augmentation of irrigated farming land in the country to ensure food security. First class tourist destination The lake being the main provider of water in the Northeastern province, its astonishing nature will make it a sure tourist attraction. Designed as the shield in the national flag, that makes it one of the most attracting places in the country and the fact that the district is blessed with white sand; it gives room to the development of white sandy beaches on the shores of the lake. OUR UPCOMING EVENTS, ANDHOW TO GET INVOLVED Baking Expo The Baking Expo is the first exposition that brings together the best chefs and their beloved clients to raise awareness about the issues facing the sectors of education, environment, health, and poverty reduction. It is a platform that recreates the scenario of a family dinner in which people get to discuss about matters affecting the family while enjoying a meal. This is achieved by the fact that the chefs will be exposing their best produce and while being sampled by the people in attendance, they also get to discuss and meditate about the matters. The baking expo is an annual event. Tree planting and clean up As part of Green Decision, which is our main campaign, we will be having tree planting events to support our fight against global warming. It will be also taking place in part of the country to support the protection of the sources of Tana River, which is crucial to the provision of water to three main provinces of this country. We will be having also clean up exercises, to reduce the proliferation of plastic bags and the promotion of biodegradable items. This has started already by our participation in the green generation campaign of 98.4 Capital fm. To get involved in any of these events write to: info.negg@gmail.com OUR PARTNERS Adventist Centre for Care and Support (ACCS) Business Journal Africa Capital fm (98.4) Daystar University Eco-plant LTD Knight Frank Nairobi Pentecostal Church (NPC valley Road) Operation Healing the Wounds (OHW-International) Valentine Cake House Womankind Kenya Your participation as an organization will be appreciated too. For enquiries of partnership check the next page ACTIVITIES ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION AND REHABILITATION NETWORKING AND PARTNERSHIPS CREATIVE BRAIN-STORMING ADVOCACY AND POLICY REFORMS North-eastern Going Green (NEGG) Town Campus, Daystar University P.O.Box 44400-00100 Nairobi , Kenya Office cell: +254 (0) 728 778 000 E-mail: info.negg@gmail.com Website: www.negg.weebly.com