THE PROJECTS HISTORY SCENARIO The community lives in extremely poor conditions and being labourers in the coffee estates surrounding farms, their wages are very low because they have seasonal employment. They are engaged as labourers only when coffee is ripe and ready for picking or when there is weeding to be done. When the plantation owners do not need them, then they are laid off. The community in reference lives far below the poverty line and they can hardly afford a meal per day. POPULATION This particular group of villagers which lives on a fifty-acre piece of land and who settled on the land more than 42 years ago since 1968. This group of people comprises about 3100 (three thousand one hundred) persons who live in shanties whose roofs are almost caving in and their mud walls almost falling apart. We have acquired a ¾ acre plot within the village recently and on which we are looking forward and praying to erect decent buildings for the Center. |
41 Girls 39 Boys |
PROBLEMS Water There is no water or sanitation in this rural slum even basic necessities like health are not provided. The nearest river is contaminated since it’s the one used in processing coffee therefore slimy, smelly murky and polluted throughout the year. This river is several kilometres from the village. We therefore have very many cases of Typhoid and other water borne diseases. The river has since dried up completely due to the severe draught that we are experiencing.
Health The nearest hospital where this community can get medical attention is about fifteen kilometres away and the people being poor and out of work are unable to afford transport or medical attention since in all Kenya government hospitals cost sharing is very strongly emphasized on. In the last one year, we have lost six children because they could not get transport to the hospital in good time. Family Planning Since family planning is sought in government hospitals, which is far from the target group, the birth rate of this group is very high. Single parenthood is normal and most women have many children. A few women, according to the projects research have between 8 and 13 (thirteen) children per single mother who share a very little room. Due to congestion of families and poor construction of houses, contagious diseases spread very fast. Education The community is illiterate. Of all that huge population, we do not have a single child in high school. Children from our center are now in state primary schools lower classes. Those who have gone through primary school drop out due to lack of school fees which MUST be paid before enrolling. They do not get sponsors.
DEVELOPMENT CLIPE through its Board of Directors has been looking for funding from within and without Kenya but Kenya is facing very hard times economically and it is not therefore easy to get funding locally. The project started with very few children in nursery school and a feeding programme for all.
The project is currently running St Cecilia Redemption Centre with 52 children. Last year we had a Tailoring class but we did not enroll new students this year because famine in Kenya and draught that accompanied it became very severe and our budget could not meet the challenges that come with our demands. We needed new sewing machines because the project gave the 2008 graduads to go and put up small businesses so as to support their own children.
The population has many orphans who CLIPE feeds and clothes. They have been orphaned by Tuberculosis, waterborne diseases that are rampant due to lack of clean water, Typhoid, HIV/ AIDS and of late, famine. CLIPE desperately needs support from well wishers who may understand the plight of these people as explained above. There are many other problems this community is facing and CLIPE would like to tackle them to alleviate their poverty to a manageable level. Most of the times we are in deficit Our needs and projects.
Susan Mwaniki |
