Deaf Ministry was started in 2004 in Kisumu, Kenya. Its mission is to spread the word of God to Deaf children and adults throughout Nyanza Province of Western Kenya. The members' activities include: - Organizing sports competitions for Deaf and hearing - Providing Deaf awareness and sign language recognition to the general public through drama - Providing guidance and counseling for Deaf people in areas such as health and employment - Encouraging self-sufficiency with projects such as vegetable growing. The vision of the deafministry is to meet the social and spiritual needs of the deaf, and deafblind people through innovation christian work.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
1. Child and student sponsor
Deaf ministry is providing an opportunity for the deaf/deafblind in western Kenya to get an education. Without this help ,the cycle of poverty and ignorance will continue. By sponsoring one or two of these children or young adults you are helping us to break that chain.
For $35 USD,15 Pound or 35 EURO per month you can help us to equip them to lead full and productive lives.
2. Evangelist and church support
Deaf ministry is represented on every church for the deaf. 15 churches are bringing GoodNews to the deaf and deafblind people. Your financial and prayful support of a deaf worker is one way that you help the spread the gospel to the deaf and deafblind peolple.
3. Sponsor a project
How about an agricultural project, sewing workshop, carpentry, health project, camp, sign language project, deaf/deafblind awareness project and among others. These projects are to help deaf/deafblind people in need of employments and self esteem.
To get in touch with us contact us through Nele Gabriel and learn more about us.
This School for the Deaf is located in Maseno, a 20-minutes Matatu ride from Kisumu. I had a great time spending some days at the school and I am happy to return this summer for an internship. I am going to post more information about the school and other important connections soon and hope to get help from my friends on the spot ;)
I spent my first time of my Kenya-safari in Kangundo. In search of Schools for the Deaf I was introduced to my hostfamily in Kangundo. Me and some other volunteers (Hey Julia, Anna and Martino) stayed with Alice and her family in a wonderful house some minutes walk from the center of Kangundo. Alice is in charge of the Halfway Home Care and Support Center (see other post). I worked for three weeks at the Kathithiyamaa Primary School in the Special Section for mentally handicapped children. Although it wasn’t the school I was looking for (School for the Deaf) I had a great time and learned a lot about the kenyan school system and the way of life in Kangundo and surrounding.
Besides working at the school and having a wonderful time with my hostfamily we helped working at the Halfway Home Care and Support Center. Every Saturday there was a lot to do: Cooking, playing, organizing.... creating a good time for the children!
1.1 The Halfway home care and support center (HHCSC) was founded on the basis of creating a favorable environment in order to alleviate the unfortunate situations facing the children orphaned and made vulnerable by the HIV/Aids pandemic.
The project runs as a community based organization registered in the year 2004, 7th December with registration number MKS/CD/1/R/G 1930, under the ministry of gender sports and culture.
1. VISION: Home for the homeless orphans and the elderly, comfort for the weak and hope for the despaired.
2. MISSION: Caring for the neglected orphans and elderly guardians due to HIV/Aids by supporting them with meals, clothing, psychological and spiritual support, comforting all of them through positive interactions and attitude building.
1.2 The center partners with other institutions to effectively meet its objectives which include food and material support, forming effective approaches to famine prediction and food assessment methodologies, information on farming understandings and improvements, techniques and managerial skills, disease control and treatment, home based care therapies. Other institutions and organizations the center has partnered with include Kanco, Amref, Ministry of health, Religious institutions, local authority and other Community based organizations. Through this, the center has acquired information through trainings held e.g by the ARMREF, MOH and KANCO.
2.0 PROBLEM STATEMENT AND JUSTIFICATION.
With positive proven progress, life expectancy has greatly increased and the remaining challenge is the reduction of the high rate of new infections taking into account the need for behavioral and lifestyle change, capacity building among the affected and infected, advocating for nutritious consumption of foodstuffs, treatment seeking and adherence. The impact in the above changes will be felt if poverty levels drop and the infected middle aged groups will have enough strength and be able to work and provide for their families. The center hopes to better the livelihoods of the affected and infected by activating the above.
Food insecurity in kangundo division has been a big challenge since 1984, the area is over populated with poor agricultural practices and balancing, high cost of farm inputs e.g fertilizers, hybrid seedlings and labor which has enhanced poor productions and high pricing of food commodities.
The center has foreseen the food shortage to be felt in a few months time with the recent political instability felt in the country that affected the country’s main food basket region (the north rift) and the rapid selling of maize and beans by farmers in kangundo region to other areas at a profit will leave the area with no stored food. The doubling of food items has also pushed more families deeper into poverty. Demographic changes, changing diets, energy prices and climate changes has increased the high cost of living at a higher percentage living the destitute children scrambling for survival.
The center wishes to be funded in order to secure a better livelihood of the orphaned and other vulnerable children’s lives by putting into practice food production and preservation methods using alternative farming cultures and to expand their income generating activities.
3.0 PROJECT DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
Some of the identified activities include beekeeping for honey harvesting, sisal and beadwork, vegetable production and selling, dairy goat breeding, and aquaculture.
These activities will benefit both the beneficiaries and the communities in general in that more knowledge will be dispersed to more people and commodities made available in bulk e.g dairy goat’s highly nutritious milk and butter, availability of food tubers and vegetables even in dry periods, honey and royal jelly etc. Out of this fifty-two beneficiaries will have access to a balanced meal at a free cost and six children living with HIV/Aids will benefit from the dairy goat, fish and bee products.
The guardians are directly involved in implementing the projects by actively being involved in both project planning implementation and progressive undertakings. During school holidays the beneficiaries are trained on beadwork making which is finished and final commoditiessold at a profit.
The activities are carried out on a roaster schedule since the projects are not in the same compound. Three members donated their farms in order to each appoint and monitor oneself on a particular project for better achievements. The grouprented trees at katine to hang their bee hives and together with the willing guardians are trained on bee keeping and honey harvesting. This they identified as a very lucrative business with a kilogram of honey costing 200kshs.
The projectsrun with the help of Agricultural officers, Nalep,Fisheries department,Busy bees beekeepers who assist materially, with knowledge and practical skills.
PROJECT MONITORING AND EVALUATION.
Both external and internal evaluators selected by the halfway home care and support center members carry out monitoring and evaluation. The officials who include the chairlady, treasurer, secretary and members are selected as the internal evaluators while officials from the agricultural offices are the external ones. Activities are measured as successful by the quantity and quality of the end product if of a greater quantity and quality. A progressive report is filled according to the daily undertaking and produce and compared to the initial undertakings.
The projects are an income source to the center, knowledge and skills are given and set as examples, availability of commodities at cheaper price instead of traveling to Tala or Nairobi market for fish, pure honey or dairy goat milk it will be at a nearer outlet.
Challenges that could affect the project include climatical changes, lack of enough resources, thefts and political instabilities.
SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY.
The integration of alternative farming e.g. Aquaculture and beekeeping which are long term and seasonal friendly will ensure enough circulation of money to run the center and other seasonal income generating activities e.g. vegetable farming.
This are also permanent projects since they are reproductive and multiplies in a short period of time e.g. A dairy Goat gives birth twice a year. The fish reproduce in tens, and the bees are natural and at a free cost!
TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
Group members will each invite other groups from different villages to attend all the agricultural, health or any other training held. Announcements will also be done in nearby churches and area chief’s camps for any willing persons to attend. Incase of funding the group treasurer will account and prepare breakdowns on every purchase or sale of an item. This will be read to the participating members on a weekly basis and the chairlady will countersign.
The project is child focused though it involves both men and women despite of their age, race or religion.
Below is a six month budget cost per activity.
SIX-MONTH FEEDING PROGRAM.
ACTIVITY
UNIT
NO.OF UNITS
UNIT RATE
TOTAL COST
Nutritional support.
Bags of beans
10
4800
48000
Bags of maize
12
3200
38400
Green grams
50kgs
80
4000
Soya flour
30kgs
100
3000
Millet flour
50kgs
80
4000
Cooking fat
30kgs
120
3600
Fuel
7bags
450
3150
Salt
6pkts
10
60
Sugar
50kgs
64
3200
Total
107,410
Sustainable long-term nutritional support.
1.Dairy goat breeding/high protein milk.
Dairy goats
Transport (from source)
Structure materials
4
1
3
12000
15000
15000
48000
15000
45000
TOTAL
108,000
The two dairy goats will benefit ten children living with HIV/Aids and sale a liter per day at the cast of 120Kshs that will be saved in a separate account for the benefit of the children.
The center is also awaiting for the aqua project that also needs expansion since the fish are almost breeding and there is need for decongestion. The cost of the extra fish pond will be posted as soon as we hold meetings with the fisheries officer.
The center hopes that they will get partners who will be willing to run the above prioritized areas of need and all are welcome.
gelist and church support
s are to help deaf/deafblind people in need of employments and self esteem.
