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TABLE  OF  CONTENTS                   page  no.  

 

Article  I)  AGRICULTURE  &  FOOD  SECURITY  DEPARTMENT…………………….2  

Article  II)  EDUCATION  DEPARTMENT……………………………………………………7  

Article  III)  SOCIAL  WORK,  HEALTH  &  WELFARE  DEPARTMENT……………….13  

   

 

 

NDCO  

FIRST  QUARTER  REPORT  THE  NOTRE  DAME  CHILDREN  OUTREACH    March  2015  

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Article i) AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SECURITY DEPARTMENT

INTRODUCTION

The first three months of this year have been dry with no rains, which has on the other hand given farmers good time to harvest their produce especially by January, it has provided an atmosphere for farm preparation e.g. ploughing and clearing of land. It is the first quarter of the long rainy season which is usually known for rains and vegetables shortage in this region, whereby kitchen gardens are of more importance to provide fresh vegetables to the practicing households. Under the department, it has been a quarter of follow up to the beneficiaries on the planned projects being carried out.

The department is also facilitating other income generating projects within the community and to the project; among which includes group saving and loaning, poultry production to the identified vulnerable families and local dairy production within the project.

ACTIVITIES

• Analysis of the last season’s • harvest among the caregivers • Follow up on progress of kitchen gardening • Follow up on land preparation • Training on post harvest management

HH No.

CENTER NAME

HOUSEHOLD HEAD NAME

QUANTITY HARVESTED (90 KG BAG)- MAIZE

ESTIMATED COST (KSH)

1 Nyalieng’a Pamela Odul 3.25 Bags 10400 2 Nyalieng’a David Otuoma 2 Bags 8000 3 Nyalieng’a Caroline Odero 4 Bags 12800 4 Nyalieng’a Caren Atieno 1.75 bags 5600 5 Nyalieng’a Francisca Asiago 3.5 bags 11200 6 Abala Judith Ongaro 2.5 Bags 10000 7 Achego Mary Olonde 3.75 Bags 15000 8 Mariwa Pesila Otieno 2.25 Bags 9000 9 Rachar Milka Oyugi 5 Bags 20000 10 Got Kado Plister Nyanjwa 4.5 Bags 18000 11 Ariwa Margaret Mwai 3 Bags 12000 12 Got Kabok Conslata Anyango 4 Bags 16000 13 God Ndiru Conslata Otieno 6 Bags 24000 14 Onanda Pamela Ongoi 5.25 Bags 21000 15 Ayuyu Mary Atieno Ochanda 3.5 Bags 14000 16 Maugo Joyce Adoyo Opiyo 1.75 Bags 7000 17 Chiepe Florence Akoth 3.5 Bags 14000

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                                                                                                                                                                                                                 TOTAL            297,000  

Among the visited families (13), five are having well established kitchen gardens having traditional vegetables e.g. black night shade, mellow jute, pumpkin, spider flower among other preferred vegetables and kales.

Figure   a)   Florence   Akoth,   a   widow   and  mother   to   five   children   supported   by  NDCO,   Watering   her   vegetables   at   her  kitchen  garden.  She  is  earning  at  least  Ksh  50   per   day   from   the   sale   of   surplus  produce.          

Figure  B).   Florence  Akoth  harvesting  cow   Pease   leaves   for   a   customer,  from  her  kitchen  garden.  

 

 

 

Figure  c).  A  kitchen  garden  for  Florence  Akoth,  showing  varied  vegetables.

18 Awach Dismas Orwa 5.25 Bags 21000 19 Alara Angeline Aladho 3.25 Bags 13000 20 Kondeyo Siprina Opapa 2.5 Bags 10000 21 Kondeyo Nicholas Omondi 3.5 Bags 14000 22 Oneno Judith Atieno 2.75 Bags 11000

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Pertaining readiness for cultivation this season, many have prepared their lands at least a parcel and the preparation still continues for those having big or many parcels. For the lands on gravelous or sandy soils too have not been ploughed since they are hard and waits for rains to fall.

For the produce those have been processed, training on how to store them free from grain borers using organic method or grain storage chemicals, have been facilitated. This has been done with an aim of longer storage for future use and to help the beneficiaries know the merits and demerits of using either of the above mentioned methods of storage. Crop rotation and soil erosion prevention and control methods and measures have been trained too to the beneficiaries to help maintain and add soil nutrients and to help control soil borne and family crops’ diseases and pests.

Local dairy cow’s project

Through partnership and collaboration with Joining Hearts and Hands (JHH) organization we have been supported with two local breed cows i.e. heifer and a cow by JHH organization for milk production. Local cows have been reached due to harsh climatic condition of the region and for milk production. The surplus shall be sold to raise income for project sustainability. Prolonged drought has caused adverse effect to the project in terms of feed scarcity and water shortage.

Group savings and loaning

Is a continuous project being implemented in partnership with CARE- International, Kenya that is empowering the low income earning people in the community to embrace saving culture and to make them access funds for initiating and or expand income generating projects. From two groups visited this month it has been an enthusiasm and esteem to the project.

OBJECTIVES  

a. To promote and improve saving culture of the low income earners within the society. b. To promote and improve communities level of socialization thus peace c. To mobilize community through groups’ formation towards their development agenda. d. To help the rural communities sidelined by formal financial institutions have access to

funds for the initiations and expansion of their income generating projects.

 

 

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ACTIVITIES  

1. Awareness creation and groups formation 2. Trainings on savings and loaning pillars and values 3. Training on financial literacy 4. Training on selection, planning and management of income generating projects 5. Facilitation of groups’ registration and uwezo bank account opening.

IMPLEMENTATION  

It is with great joy to what this project has done to the community more so to the vulnerable families; on the general improvement of their living standards. Through members’ experience, the project has promoted stability, gender equality, literacy, self reliance among other livelihoods.  

Enhanced stability: - the project through its fund accessibility objective has made it easier for the beneficiaries to obtain small loans to help them facilitate their daily household needs. However, it has reduced the rate of dependency level right from the household level to the entire village or to other relatives. It has also reduced laziness, idleness, and imposed creative mind to source for cash to save and to pay loans; hence unnecessary gatherings from where gossiping, quarrels and antisocial activities usually emanates.

Gender equality and self reliance: - it has and is promoting equal participation and sharing of some financial needs and ideas in their respective households. This has at least brought some sense of equality and equity among spouses and more so to the women side who in most circumstances depends on their husbands solely for financial support.

Figures 1-3. Members of Manga A GSL group sharing out after transacting for 12 months. They are receiving back what they have saved and interest earned.

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Improved literacy level: - the project through loaning feature is enabling members to access fund which they use to pay school fee for their children in various levels of education. This has increased the number of children joining and continuing with their education at various levels especially from secondary level to tertiary education.

26 GSL groups have been trained on selection planning and management of business projects. This is aimed at improving the beneficiaries’ skills in business by choosing right business project that suits the society and ones capability; management and competitiveness’ skills. 41 groups have been trained on financial education, 5 are ongoing training on the same. This is helping them on planning for savings and loan management by critically knowing their income sources and expenditure and the important of making budget at personal  level.    

CHALLENGES

There is delay in land preparation to many caretakers due to lack of means for ploughing large size farms for good quantity harvest. The other challenge is on the frequency of illnesses among care takers that make them not to be consistent to farm activities thus not timely to the operations. Feeds shortage for animals especially during dry season has been witnessed. The month of March has marked the fifth month of drought right from November 2014. This has caused serious weathering of plants in the region, death of animals and birds

ACHIEVEMENTS

From the last season’s analysis caretakers have adopted the use of hybrid seeds and fertilizer for crops production. Appreciation for establishment of kitchen gardens by the caregivers who have maintained their plots. Good quality harvest through use of improved cultivars and techniques. Eight more students have joined form one in different secondary schools through guidance practicing GSL. More and many groups are being formed and a total of 187 GSL groups have been formed, trained and transacting. The project has high adoptability by the community hence positive progress towards its planned objectives. 21 GSL groups have registered with the social services department Homa Bay sub county.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Caregivers’ have to be encouraged to practice timely farm operations to help compete with the unpredictable rainfall. Practice of agro forestry should be encouraged to help them have access to organic manure for crops production at no cost. There is need to plant fodder for cows for consistent food availability even during drought. For drought management there is need for irrigation to help solve problem of food scarcity during dry spell.

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Article ii) EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

INTRODUCTION

1st quarter commenced on the  third week of the month due to prolonged teacher’s strike, the pupil’s and students therefore reported to their various learning institutions on the same week. All the pupils and the students came back healthy, willing and ready to learn, apart from Dorothy Achieng’ who is a student at St. Josephine Bakhita Girls has not reported since the year begun because she has been sickling and we later confirmed that she is expectant.

This year we have a total of 211 sponsored pupils and students, in primary we have 81 pupils, 42 are in public primary schools, 28 are in private primary/ Academy, and 11 are in Boarding primary and 1 kid who has not yet started schooling. In secondary we have 117 students, 70 are boys and 47 are girls. We also have 10 students in tertiary institutions, 4 are at St.Benards Training Institute in Homa/bay, 4 are at Nakuru Teachers Collage and 2 are in the university.

We had 12 transfers, 10 pupils and 1 student transferred to various schools. In primary One transferred from Nyalieng’a to St. Mary’s Nyabururu Girls, three to St.Clares Kiptere from Nyalieng’a, Shooting Stars Academy and Alara Korayo Primary School, one from Shooting Stars to Nyalieng’a Primary, one from Nyabururu Girls to St.Anna Maria, three to Shooting Stars from Nyalieng’a, Achego primary and Pap Kamathayo Primary and one from Ndiru Junior to Achego Primary. In secondary, one student transferred from St. Josephine’s Bakhita to St. Lucy’s Raruowa.

Eleven of our kids did KCSE in 2014, out of which 10 were JHH and 1 was NDCO, they attained the following grades;

NAME SCHOOL GRADE Godfrey Odongo Okoyo Orero Boys Secondary B+ Benard Ochieng’ Abongo Oriwo Boys B- Evance Omondi Opuch St.Paul’s Ligisa C+ Quinter Awuor Mirogi Girls C+ Clinton Odiwuor Osano St.Paul’s Ligisa C Gorety Akoth Otieno St Paul’s Ligisa C Immaculate Akoth Mirogi Girls C Benard Odhiambo Osano St. Paul’s Ligisa C- Vincent Otieno St.Paul’s Ligisa C- Caroline Immaculate Akoth St. Josephine’s Bakhita D+ Vincent Otieno St.Paul’s Ligisa D+

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ACTIVITIES

Form one admission

New student’s admission took place on 9th and 10th of February, 2015 at St Paul’s Ligisa, St Josephine’s Bakhita, Oriwo Boys Secondary schools, St. Francis Nyangajo Girls High School and St. Lucy Raruowa.

We have a total of 33 students newly admitted in various secondary schools.24 are Joining Hearts and Hands Sponsored students and 9 students are Notre Dame Children Outreach beneficiaries. We have 16 girls who have joined St, Josephine Bakhita Girls and one at St. Francis Nyangajo Girls.11 boys joined St.Paul’s Ligisa secondary, 2 joined Oriwo Boys 1 joined Luora Secondary, 2 are in St. John’s Minor Seminary Rakwaro.

Two of the beneficiaries also joined St.Benards Technical Training in Homa/Bay Town.

 

 

 

 

St  .Josephine’s      

Bahkita  Girls  School    

 

St.  Paul’s  Ligisa  Secondary                  

  PREPARING FOR BOARDING SCHOOL

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Academic/Education days  

Academic days/Education days are organized by schools so as to congratulate and motivate best performers and teachers who have strived hard towards the attainment of the targeted goals, the invited guest speakers also encourage the students and the pupils to work hard so as to achieve best grades and to become better people in future.

On 27th February, 2015 Rachar Primary School had education day to celebrate their last years overwhelming performance, they emerged position three in the District, and one of the JHH sponsored students from this school attained position one with 366 marks out of 500.Presents were given to the best performers and to the teachers who contributed to the success performance.

During Academic days/Education days, the teachers also award trophies to the best performing classes including the best performers per subject, this enhances competition among the pupil’s and improves the academic performance of both the pupils and the school.

Education Day cum prize giving Day at Rachar Primary school pupil’s during entertainments.

St. Clares Kiptere Boarding School, awarded trophies to the best performing class during academic day. Charles Opiyo and Calvince Odiwuor were among those who were awarded.

School visits/Visiting Days

We visited 9 secondary schools both boarding and day, 4 boarding primary and 23 primary day schools. During school visiting days we normally have time with kids and talk about academics, consult with teachers and any other issue which affect kids’ performance in order to boost their learning. We also do guidance and counseling, give health talk and monitor their health progress because a child can only perform in class when he/she is healthy.

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Visiting Day at St. Clares Kiptere Visiting Day at St .Mary’s Nyabururu

School fee payments

We have paid school fees to 11 secondary schools, 4 boarding primary schools, 19 primary day /public schools, 5 private/ academy primary schools, 3 colleges and 1 technical institute. Some we paid for the whole year while others paid per term.  

School uniforms

In primary we have distributed new school uniforms to 22 pupils and 8students who joined form one, we also bought new shoes to 12 pupils and students, three students who joined St. Benards polytechnic in Homa/bay were also bought for new uniforms and shoes.

Books

In the 1st quarter, 80 text books were issued to the pupils and students, 26 books were issued to secondary students and 29 to the primary pupils. In addition, the following books were also issued to the students joining form one:

• Oxford Dictionary-6 • Kamusi karne ya 21-6 • Holy Bible-4 • Atlas-2 • Four Figure Mathematical Table-4 • Class Readers-3

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Assisting in the care of the NDH Children.

We monitor the study of the pupil’s staying at the NDH at night and even during weekends. The attendance have been overwhelming, and the young kids have started to realize that education is the only key to success hence they have shown a positive attitude towards learning. This exercise is likely to bring a positive improvement in terms of academic performance of the children.

NDH kids attending the lesson

Co-curriculum activities

Other than academics the beneficiaries also participate in co-curriculum activities like poems, drama festivals, music festivals and sporting activities such as ball games and athletics. The photos below show the volleyball and football matches for primary schools.

ACHIEVEMENTS

All the seventeen girls who were short listed to join form one turned up, none of them got pregnant or behaved in a way to suggest that they are not interested in schooling. That was a positive sign showing that they are ready to learn.

All the sixteen boys who qualified to join form one turned up.

All the old Bakhita Girls were promoted to the next class.

This month we have not encountered any case of school dropout. One of the students who dropped out last year is now in school after continuous counseling.

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CHALLENGES

There is an agreement and condition for scholarship. JHH pays up to Ksh 35,000 only, any addition money is catered for by the guardians. Shopping, uniform and all other school requirements are to be taken care of by the guardian. But on admission day, some come without all the requirements and that puts NDCO in a very awkward situation because it appears like we are intentionally violating school rules.

There are five students who have repeated form one at St.Paul’s Ligisa Secondary School and one girl who have repeated form one and transferred to St. Lucy’s Raruowa.

RECOMMENDATIONS

We are planning to transfer some of the NDCO students from St. Paul’s Ligisa to other schools because their standard could not match the high standards of the school this is due to the large number of students in their various classes they don’t have enough time for consultation with the teachers, this transfer shall save us on cost and minimize frequent repeating of classes by the students.

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Article iii) SOCIAL WORK, HEALTH AND WELFARE

INTRODUCTION

Notre Dame Children Outreach Program resumed on 2nd of January 2015 where the year and monthly activities were planned. By the grace of God the year started well and the following were the activities for January, February and March.

• Pregnancy test for all girls above 14 years.

• Deworming of kids and guardians

• Environmental health talk.

• Monitor kids and guardians health progress.

• Provision of nutrition food support.

• NHIF mobilization and registration

Pregnancy test

Pregnancy test was done twice in the first quarter. 23 girls in primary and 70 girls in secondary schools, totaling to 93 girls who went through the test at the NDCO premises by the help of social worker and Sister Esther. All the primary girls tested were free but out of the 70 secondary girls test, 1 girl was found positive. That to us was an achievement because always at the beginning of the year we normally lose a big number of girls due to early pregnancy and early marriages for both primary and secondary girls.

Deworming

Through homes and schools visiting, 70 kids and their guardians were dewormed. We are sure that the tablet will cover them from anti-fungal infections and worms for three months because we deworm after every three months.

Environmental health talks

We didn’t do any talk in January because we were still making a manual for the talk which will guide us for the whole year. We came up with the following topics, and the actual talk started in February.

• Self empowerment

• Body and environmental hygiene

• Prevention of home accidents

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• Prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV and Aids(PMTCT)

• Exclusive breastfeeding/complementary feeding

• Malaria as a common ailment.

The pictures are some of the groups we visited during health talk which was done through home visits, school visits, saving and loaning groups and Notre Dame Home. We have conducted five talks in five different groups in February and March, and two topics have been covered i.e. malaria as a common ailment, prevention of home accidents, body and environmental hygiene. Our main objectives for carrying out these talks are;

• To have a conducive environment for a healthy stay.

• To have strong and healthy people who are capable to take care of themselves.

• To improve personal hygiene and environmental hygiene.

• To prevent common ailments like malaria, typhoid and diarrhea since prevention is better than cure.

• To create awareness of first Aid management in case

of outbreak or accident.

• To be aware of home accidents and preventive measures.

• To know signs and symptoms of common ailments

• To know how to prevent and care for our environment.

• To know causes and preventive measures.

• To know where to seek for help in times of need.

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NHIF Registration

We have registered nine families for NHIF services. During mobilization we had a big number of the people who were interested in the idea, but as the increment of 500 shillings was announced by the NHIF office, it demoralized many people because the increment is three times higher than the usual amount. After registration, the card is ready for use after two months.

Monitor kids and guardians health progress

In February we had more cases of ailments compared to January where we only experienced one referral to Aga Khan Hospital in Homa Bay and two referrals to Homa Bay district hospital for

further management. In March there was no referral but a number of kids who got sick were taken to mission hospital for common ailments. Susan Achieng and Eugene Otieno have been suffering from ear problem and Eugene has multiple problems which have prevented him from going to school up to now that he is turning five years. He is yet to go for speech therapy because the doctor suspected that he might have brain damage.

Susan and Eugene with their guardians, being attended to by nurse at the district hospital.

Deaths

We lost one guardian at the beginning of February. Lillian Jogoo was only 35 years of age but sickness made her very vulnerable. She has been sick since the year 2008 after the death of her husband. She was HIV positive and later got paralyzed and on 16th February, she was laid to rest.

Lillian even in her sickness was running a shop business to feed her kids.

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Old is Gold

As we monitor health progress of kids and guardians, we met some of the old guardians we have in the program and attended to their needs especially helped them to reach health centers for medication. We cherish them so much because they are our pillars.

Patricia Aende a guardian to Saline Adhiambo and John Ouma is down due to fracture, she has also been sick for years but by the grace of God she still has the strength to smile.

The above guardians are doing well even though most of them are very old and their organs like ears, eyes and bones are failing them. Some cases are normally managed at the health centers near their homes and some they live with.

Provision of nutrition food support

We have one addition to the stay at NDH which is increasing the number to twenty, twelve girls and eight boys. Nineteen are in primary and Brenda is the only secondary student here. She is in form four in a day school and her home is very far from the school so she was accommodated at NDH to shorten the distance. The number usually increases during half term break and holidays since some of our kids do not have a proper place to go to so they stay at NDH throughout. Menu remains the same too except for the big days like Christmas.

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Social worker with NDH kids enjoying nyoyo and tea at lunch hour.

Guardians meeting

We usually meet with guardians three times in a year unless there is emergency that needs more than the number that is planned. We already had the first meeting in February where 80 guardians attended. Even though the turn up was poor, guardians who were present laid down some structures that will increase the attendance whenever we have a meeting.

ACHIEVEMENTS

All the planned activities for the first quarter were carried out successfully. Some of the referrals made worked out positively because we have never experienced the same, for instance the girl who was referred to Aga Khan recovered fully.

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CHALLENGES

When we do follow-ups at home, we get contradicting stories about our children because the guardians find it hard to say the truth about them hence this makes it difficult for us to deal with an issue before it goes too far. For instance we had a big task of looking for some kids from their relatives because they were missing from their usual resident homes yet the guardians were just starring from far.

RECOMMENDATIONS

It will do us good if the program is registered with social department and also collaborate with children office so that all the challenges we are facing with our kids be referred to children office for legal action, in case of those who elope with our girls, impregnate them or any kind of abuse.

We also need to do more training and awareness creation with our guardians because some behave the way they do due to ignorance.

CONCLUSION

It is only three months since the year started and we are already seeing fruits of our labor. We are hoping to double our efforts and make sure that our planned activities run smoothly and accurate so as to achieve the goals we have set for the year.