Cabinet Secretary apoointees CVs by State House Kenya

Cabinet Secretary apoointees CVs by State House Kenya

Local champions pla

FRONTLINE SMS

The FrontlineSMS team is always keen to engage with those using FrontlineSMS for social change projects across the world. It is really valuable for us to hear user’s stories, and find out the advantages and challenges of using our software in action. This summer, Tufts University student and FrontlineSMS intern Emily Wyner visited Nairobi, with support from Groupshot and the Institute for Global Leadership, to find out more about FrontlineSMS users in this buzzing city. Here she shares her experiences of helping a youth project get started using FrontlineSMS software.

Jipange representatives meet to learn about and discuss FrontlineSMS / Image Credit: Adam White

Throughout my time with FrontlineSMS, one thing has become very clear: effective program design is crucial to successfully integrating mobile software into social change initiatives. I was delighted when given the opportunity to help Plan Kenya (part of Plan International) in piloting their use of FrontlineSMS to help support their local partners. This was my chance to observe and assist the process of getting started with FrontlineSMS from initial thoughts, plans, and assumptions to final implementation. I have discovered some interesting things along the way, and it’s great to be able to share the beginning of this journey.

My initial visit with Plan Kenya was really exciting. I first spoke with Aggrey and Irumu, members of the Plan team, to give them a thorough run-down of what FrontlineSMS software is and does. They asked some brilliant questions about cost and requirements, and were keen to lay the groundwork for a sustainable project. We brainstormed smart ways to pilot the software on a small scale, such as using it for internal office communication and management or setting up one Nairobi-based youth group with FrontlineSMS to determine if it improves relations with their members. Soon enough, I was sent onward to meet with Purity and Bernard, Plan Kenya’s ICT experts. They too were very enthusiastic about the software, and promised to be in touch regarding some of the pilot prospects.

Following this they arranged for me to meet with some representatives from Jipange, an umbrella organization of 16 youth groups in the Embakasi area, and one of the organizations Plan Kenya supports. I went to meet with Jipange accompanied by Purity and Aggrey, as well as Adam from Groupshot and Jordan from TechChange, too. Plan Kenya had set up the meeting in order to discuss and arrange for Jipange to pilot FrontlineSMS in their programming.

Jordan, Adam and I began by giving the members of Jipange an overview of FrontlineSMS. Along the way, there were certain reactions that really stood out and some really insightful questions. I particularly remember a young woman named Wanjiru, founder of The Change Initiative, asking whether or not FrontlineSMS would allow her to send text messages to certain groups of people at a time, such as all the leaders of the 16 groups or all the members of one particular group. This led us to explain the suitability of the FrontlineSMS contact groups function for this project. This is the kind of question that is great to hear when introducing a new technology tool. It asks if FrontlineSMS has the capacity to do what Jipange already does (or needs to do) in a cleaner, faster, and easier way.

FrontlineSMS software is demonstrated to Jipange members / Image credit: Adam White

This is key; when a preexisting organization adopts the use of FrontlineSMS, the software should not necessarily fundamentally alter their programming; rather, it is a tool by which the programming can be made more efficient and effective. For all new users of FrontlineSMS it is necessary to know your target audience, why you are going to reach them, and how you intend on presenting yourself as a reliable, trustworthy communicator.

One eye on technology and the other on program design, the discussion with Jipange continued on with both eyes focused. More and more Jipange members joined in with questions and comments. People were chiming in with ideas about how FrontlineSMS could be used in good governance initiatives or the formation of a Jipange-run business. It became clear that everyone was set on starting to use the software.

Going forward, Jipange members (and the Plan Kenya staff who work with them) will now be in control of when and how they begin to use FrontlineSMS. They know the basics, there is support from FrontlineSMS if needed, yet most importantly they have a clear vision of how they intend on using FrontlineSMS for fundamental communication that is essential to their programming.

It will be great to keep in touch with Jipange and their progress with integrating FrontlineSMS into their daily activities. The members I met were enthusiastic and innovative, and it will be exciting to hear about the ways they go on to use FrontlineSMS in future.

Good luck, Jipange and all new FrontlineSMS users out there! Don’t forget to keep in touch. One of the best resources we have is each others’ stories.

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EYAGD

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Child Rights Training at St. Veronica Community School

REPORT ON SCHOOL BASED PROGRAMS CHILD RIGHT’S AND RESPONSIBILITIES ON 28^th March 2012 AT ST. VERONICA COMMUNITY SCHOOL. By Jipange Youth Organization



ST. VERONICA COMMUNITY SCHOOL

 The Jipange Members were ready for the day school outreach program at St. Veronica’s community school, which is a community, based training institution located in Soweto area, Kayole location, Embakasi District, they arrived at 330pm and went straight to the class that was waiting for them

On arrival to the class the students were ready for the teachings and on the look on their face can be shown. The day’s team leader Mr. John Ogutu introduced his team and later gave a brief introduction of the organization and its mandate plus the day’s objective and activities.

Miss Juliana Olayo introduced the days training by involving the students on a discussion of who is a child, this were the suggestions from them 

·         Mtoto

·         Child

·         Kid

·         Someone who’s breastfeeding




One of the answering a question.

 She later explained to the class who the child is "A child is any human being below the age of eighteen years, unless under the law applicable to the child.
Rights
Are legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement, also, rights are the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people, according to some legal system, social convention, or ethical theory.

Children's rights

Are the human rights of children with particular attention to the rights of special protection and care afforded to the young, including their right to association with both biological parents, human identity as well as the basic needs for food, universal state-paid education, health care and criminal laws appropriate for the age and development of the child. Interpretations of children's rights range from allowing children the capacity for autonomous action to the enforcement of children being physically, mentally and emotionally free from abuse, though what constitutes "abuse" is a matter of debate. Other definitions include the rights to care and nurturing

She later asked the class to name any rights the know and it’s applicable to them

·         Right to life

·         Right to education

·         Right to eat

·         Right to move and walk

·         Right not to be harassed by fellow students



Innocent, one of the Jipange Youth members, asking the kids
a question regarding the topic



 And the other team members assisted with the following

·         Right to health

·         Right to express yourself

·         Right to parental love and care

·         Right to protection

An some were explained by the other members of the team

The right to Education: every child has the right to education so that he/she can help their parents in future

The right to Expression: Every child has a right to express himself freely in whichever way he likes. Majority of children however are exploited by their elders and not allowed to express.

 The right to Information: Every child has a right to know his basic rights and his position in the society. High incidence of illiteracy and ignorance among the deprived and underprivileged children prevents them from having access to information about them and their society.

The right to Nutrition: every child has the right to eat good food for his development

The right to Health & Care: When a child gets sick he/ she is entitled to get medical care no matter the religion

The right to protection from Abuse: Children should not be exploited or abused in any way possible like hard labor at home or at school or commercial sex work by their seniors

The right to protection from Neglect: Every child has a right to lead a well protected and secure life away from neglect. However, children working under exploitative and inhuman conditions get neglected badly.

The right to Development: Every child has the right to development that lets the child explore her/his full potential. Unfavorable living conditions of underprivileged children prevent them from growing in a free and uninhibited way.

The right to Recreation: Every child has a right to spend some time on recreational pursuits like sports, entertainment and hobbies to explore and develop. Majority of poor children do not get time to spend on recreational activities.

The right to Name & Nationality: Every child has a right to identify himself with a nation. A vast majority of underprivileged children are treated like commodities and exported to other countries as labour or prostitutes

Some of the Problems mostly experienced by the children

• Refugees (children make up over half of the world's refugees)
• Hazardous labor exploitation
• physical abuse
• sexual violence and exploitation
• recruitment as child soldiers
• Police abuse and arbitrary detention of street children
• Orphans and abandoned children without adequate care
• Sexual abuse and trafficking
• Lack of access to education, or substandard education

After The rights discussion, Martin Mureithi talked about responsibility accompanied by every right

Responsibility The state, quality, or fact of being responsible, something for which one is responsible; a duty, obligation, or burden.

Examples of responsibility

At Home

Helping at home in:

 Washing, cleaning the house, to be sent by the parent, and respecting the parents and elders and many others

At School

They should respect the Teachers, fellow students, finish homework, and be clean at all times and to help their fellow students in the day to day work

The day’s activities ended at around 430pm with a song, national anthem and word of prayer from one of the students and the team left the school towards the Jipange resource center for the days evaluation.

Cyrus, a Jipange Youth member, together with the children during the closing prayer of the session

Challenges experienced by the Team during the Outreach

·         Transport to facilitate easy movement from the Resource center to the School situated 3 kilometers away

·         The team did not have motivational gifts for the children

·         The handouts on the days teaching were not available since the team wasn’t prepared

·         Language significance since the students couldn’t understand some of the English terms and there were to be translated back to Kiswahili

·         The team did not have refreshments (water) and some were forced to buy at the local shop since clean water is not easily available at the area

Jipange Team who spearheaded the activity

·         Juliana Olayo

·         John Ogutu

·         Nderitu Peter

·         Beryl juma

·         Martha Njeri

·         Sharon Mwangi

·         Cyrus Njuguna

·         Martin Mureithi

·         Innocent Heraniah

·         Willis Namenya

·         George Oduor

 JIPANGE YOUTH ORGANIZATION

Jipange Youth organization is an umbrella organization of 16 youth groups in Nairobi. Jipange therefore seeks to realize improved development and democratic outcomes through the active engagement of young citizens in policy, planning and resource decision making, in particular:  girl children, children impacted by HIV and AIDS, Children living with disability, children affected by violence and children of ethnic minority and discriminated cases.

Jipange Youth Organization has identified governance processes and institutions and structures that are involved in management of devolved funds, water, education, health, food and has engaged them.



Some of the Jipange Youth Members

Jipange has been empowered and been offered an opportunity to access information in participate in the governance agenda

Vision: Advocate for good governance and empower the youth

Mission: Be the best coalition of youth groups, empowering the youth and promoting the practice of good governance on community development projects

Activities of Jipange

• We have a youth Resource centre
• Public accountability board
• Social Audit – devolved funds projects
• Youth’s Empowerment trainings
• Advocacy for children rights and good governance
• Advocating for drug free society
• Hiring of seats for both public and private functions

Our Achievements

Ø  Membership in committee

Ø  Conducted civic education

Ø  Water piping in Matopeni

Ø  Erecting street lights in kayole south- implemented in phases 1-4

Ø  Social Audit

Ø  Exchange programs

Ø  KKV – Trees for Jobs programme

Ø  Reproductive Health – Counseling, Girl child education and referrals.

Ø  Garbage collection

Ø  Refugee Support Programs

Ø  IGA’s – Barbershop, Salon, flower projects etc

Ø  Consultancy – research, survey, training, proposal writing, concept paper, development & project management

Ø  Partnering with L.S.O.

Ø  Partnership with Feed the Children

Our Partners

• Plan Kenya
• World Vision
• Feed the Children
• National training consortium (trained TOT’s)
• Little Sports organization
• Ministry of Education
• Ministry of Gender, children & Social Development
• City Council of Nairobi
• Ministry of Youth and Sports
• Charitable organizations/churches.
• Networking with local CBO’s and NGO’s

Our Projects

ü  Consultancy

ü  Creative Arts

ü  Reproductive Health

ü  I.G.A’s

ü  Entrepreneurship

ü  Construction of Infrastructure

ü  Water Projects

ü  Garbage Collection & Drainage Sanitation

ü  Refugee Support Programs

ü  HIV/AIDS mitigation campaigns

Targets

a)      Capacity building – increase awareness, knowledge and skills

b)      Mainstreaming gender

c)       Providing for access to information through youth empowerment center

d)      Improving civic values and attitudes and promoting positivity and good behavior

e)      Reduce corruption

f)       Improving youth participation at all levels