Youth care co-workers from the East Africa Region converged at the SOS Regional Training Centre towards the end of May to review the first phase of the youth care co-workers training which started in 2008.
While gracing the occasion, Mr. George Nyakora, regional training director & HR advisor, welcomed the participants to the workshop. He noted the importance of realizing the expected outcomes of the workshop and further observed how the importance of human resource development of the youth care co-workers will impact on their youth work. Mr Nyakora informed the participants that the village directors, youth care co-workers and mothers trainings would benefit the children and the youth. He also informed the participants that the youth care co-workers training takes cognizance of the new realignments taking place within the organization and that special attention will be given to the youth since they represent the end product of the organization’s work. Mr. Nyakora concluded 
his remarks by thanking the participants for their participation and wished them fruitful discussions on how the SOS youth can be supported on the road to success.
This workshop focused on how to conceive and implement youth programmes, as well as on how to mainstream the outcome of the research projects into action. Pertinent concepts were shared, and good practice was illustrated to guide future work in this area. The ultimate aim of the course was to contribute towards the adoption and effective implementation of youth programs favoring the optimum use of the available resources towards full engagement of the youth. More specifically, upon completing their training, participants should have known better the features and operational aspects of the different program approaches.
It brought together youth care co-workers from Zanzibar, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya and Somali. It adopted a highly participatory approach allowing for constructive exchange of ideas and information.
This year’s annual inter-villages games were held in Nairobi SOS Children’s village in the month of April amid pomp and color. The games were officially opened by the mother representative from Nairobi in front of eager spectators. She urged the participants to uphold good sportsmanship and find time to interact with one another. “Your participation in these games today already declares you winners”, she said. “Therefore, get into the pitch and enjoy the games while you mingle, she added.
The games are part of a forum that enables youth and children from all the villages to interact and get to know each other. All the four villages in Kenya were represented. Meru, which is the youngest village, participated in the junior men and women’s football games. Other areas of competitive sports included basketball, table tennis and athletics. Crazy Olympics was basically non-competitive and targeted mainly the young children. It included activities such as sack race, egg race and water and bucket filling race.
The opening game of the tournament set the tone of the event with the Nairobi senior football team causing a major upset in defeating the favored Eldoret 3 goals to 1. Nairobi versus Eldoret women’s basketball match provided a gripping contest before Eldoret tasted their first victory. Both the senior and junior men’s football teams from Eldoret finished third while the girls senior and junior football teams finished second. In basketball, the men finished second.
In table tennis, Nairobi scooped the overall trophy in both the boys’ and girls’ categories with Eldoret finishing second position. The climax of the games was athletics in which Eldoret won by a massive 20 points. Overall, Eldoret finished second having been dethroned from first position since the inception of the tournament two years ago by SOS Children’s Village, Nairobi.
The delighted reactions on the faces of the players at the final siren highlighted the significance of the victory in the eyes of their supporters.
The presentation of the trophies brought down the curtain on a successful two days of completion. The Human Resource Officer, Ms Lydia Were officiated at the closing ceremony and congratulated the villages on their participation, acknowledging the efforts involved in bringing the youth together for the tournament. There was commendable improvement in the standard of competition.
The man who was once proclaimed in the standard society magazine of 31st July 2005 as Africa’s strongest man visited SOS Children’s Village Eldoret towards the end of last term for a fundraising show. Ordinarily, Conrad Edward Njeru Karukenya alias Tiger Power who is 67 years and weighing 111 kilograms would pass for a man in his late thirties. But his power and strength stuns many spectators who attend his shows. When he came to Eldoret, he did not fail to impress and many children and staff were left awed by his antics. He did what has become part of his routine everyday life-display of raw power one might expect to see from an Olympic gymnast. The show attracted approximately 700 hundred children and was purposely held for fundraising.
Prior to the show, he advised the youth and children on the benefits of exercise, dangers of alcohol and drugs and substance abuse, nutrition, good living, responsible citizenship and an awareness talk on HIV/AIDS.
The breathtaking show saw tiger power break three six inch nails with his teeth. In another stunning stunt, he carried one crates full of half litter soda with his teeth. To further display his might, he pulled the entire student population in a tug of war and won. Equally thrilling was when he carried other 3 staff members and a drum filled with water. The show stopper was when he had a 4×4wd drive vehicle run over his stomach which children and staff on board.
Tiger power prides at having performed at various international shows across the world, some of which include Festival Mundial in Holland, T-trax decibel in Manchester UK and Womex in Essen, Germany. He has also enjoyed uninterrupted attendance in arena events in all Agricultural Society of Kenya.
It was undoubtedly a fun filled day for the children and youth as the holiday mood set in at the end of first tem.
Members of the Board in front of the sponsored house.
This month marked a new dawn in SOS Children’s Village Eldoret when the SOS Children’s Village Kenya Board of Trustee members led by the Chairman, Dr. Martin Oduor-Otieno took over the sponsorship of family house 1. This sponsorship by the board of trustees is unique and one of its kind in Kenya and indeed the East African region. Dr. Martin Oduor-Otieno, a respectable financial expert and currently the CEO of Kenya Commercial Bank has taken on this commitment with a keen interest in the well-being of children.
Continue reading ‘Leading by example: Kenya Board of Trustees sponsor a house in SOS Children’s Village Eldoret’
After a long and agonizing break since December, the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results were announced last month rekindling the joy and celebration that was experienced after finishing the form four exams. This marks a major milestone in the life of our youth who must now start defining what they want out of their lives.
For them, the joy of completing form four was a welcome relief from the hustle and b
ustle of school routine. This feeling of “freedom” is akin to a heavy load being removed from their backs, at least for now. Each one of them is now busy trying to acquire a national identity card and gain the freedom to decide their own destiny. They have also been engaged in voluntary service activities before they join colleges to further their studies.
The hard part has now begun – selection of courses to pursue in tertiary learning institutions. The announcement of the results also means that they have to think about what they want from their lives. The results set the stage for the dreaded question when the youth care co-workers, mothers and other co-workers will sit them down and ask each one of them what they would want to do in life.
This is why the planned career counseling this week will help them to develop an idea of exactly what they want to be in life. Such basic assistance will be crucial because they have had little exposure to the outside world for them to be able to evaluate where they want to go. All they have is ideas of what they have been exposed to by their caregivers, relatives, close neighbours and friends. They therefore aspire to be like one of their parents or friend and relatives they admire. They will then be able to discover themselves and hence map out a distinct future for themselves.
SOS Children’s Village Eldoret hosted a 10-day group counselling workshop on stress management in February for its youth. Approximately 80 youth attended the seminar whose aim was to raise young peoples’ awareness of how to cope with stress. The workshop also enlightened the youth on various avenues through which they can make their lives a bit easier and have a more open minded perspective and attitude in the future.
Dubbed “emptying the emotional distress” and presided over by Paul Boyle, a trauma and healing specialist, the workshop provided a forum for youth to relive their traumatic experiences and were helped to deal with the unfinished business in their lives. The facilitator managed to give guidance to the youth to examine what constitutes a well lived and successful life, as well as learning coping skills to enable them to deal with the pressures of modern life. He helped them to focus on finding meaning and purpose in life, educated them in regard to protective factors, as well as taught them skills of coping with trauma.
They were encouraged to reflect upon what he called the “ingredients of a balanced life” and to attempt to put those ingredients into practice. The climax of the workshop was a foot massage for all the participants.
The feedback from the youth was encouraging as most of them were happy to have gained some level of self awareness. “This is a wonderful program which should have come earlier”, said Francis. Angelina said that she had greatly benefited from the workshop and wished it could be regular. ‘It is my hope that we will have such forums more frequently”, she said. Others were touched to the core and made confessions of their mischief to the care givers.
It was all smiles as 11 SOS children who sat for their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) in 2009 joined Form One of secondary school. The students reported to their new schools last week, all of which were provincial or national schools, with excellent reputations. We encourage the children to work hard and aim high.
For all of them, this is their first experience living away from home for an extended period of time. It is a definite break from home and a complete 180-degree turn from the life they are currently used to. Apart from the increased academic demands there is also formation of new friendship with class mates, knowing the teachers, and adjustment to the unfamiliar environment.
An overjoyed Dorothy from house 4 said that she hopes to do well in her new school. Mercy from house 12 asserts that she is up to the challenge and promises to manage the basic tasks such as eating, sleeping, and going to class. Even as most of them were excited to take on this new experience of boarding life, others were feeling apprehensive about making this change. “I am feeling nervous”, said George from house 1. Being one of the first major transitions, this is understood, assured the Youth Care Co-workers Coordinator.
The beauty of this transition, which undoubtedly comes with great expectations, is that the youth will gain independence and take charge of the many choices and decisions that we have made for them in the past. A typical day in school is more structured and so there is a lot of reading inside of class.
Wriiten by Fred Ochieng, Youth Care Co-worker Coordinator
SOS Children’s Village Eldoret passed yet another major milestone on Sunday 31st January 2010 with the celebration of the youth graduation ceremony (when youth leave the family house to live in a neaby youth facility). The event, which was held at the Noble Guest House & C
onference Center in Eldoret, saw 8 youth graduating to the youth facility. It was a moment of jubilation as the graduands arrived at the hall colourfully dressed and palpably excited. The ceremony, which was full of pomp and colour, was presided over by the village director, Mr. Peter Mungai.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony in which co-workers as well as invited guests from the community took part, Mr. Mungai wished the youth the best in their future as they mark this major milestone in their lives. “I am today handing you over to the youth care co-workers who will continue guiding you on the path to independence. Today you celebrate this significant step in your lives – graduating from the family house to the youth facility, which for all of you is the beginning of the next phase of your life on the road to becoming independent and product
ive members of society”, said Mr. Mungai. He urged the youth to utilize their time well and ensure that they will have completed their education by disengagement time.
Pastor Mwalo, while giving a sermon to the congregation advised the youth to hold on to the guidance and instructions they had received from their caregivers in all aspects of their lives. The Hermann Gmeiner school principal, Mr. Omobe encouraged the youth to focus on building their character. “I want to emphasize that you endeavour to model good behavior at all times so that your younger brothers and sisters can learn from you”, he said.
The mothers poured their hearts out and urged the youth to be responsible, disciplined and make education their priority. “Make the best of what you have learnt from here”, remarked Mama Rogers. She dissuaded the youth from associating with friends who bring out the worst in them. “Our presence here today is an expression of our love for you”, added Mama Wambui.
The graduates, who were looking forward to this day with great anticipation, each spoke eloquently of what they learned from their mothers while in the family house and how they will apply what they learnt in their life in future. Each graduate received a gift from their mothers. Charo Yaa, one of the graduates, could not hide his joy at joining the youth facility. “I would like to thank my mother and other co-workers for the support, care and guidance they have given me while in the family house,” he said. “You did a wonderful job in training me mama.”
Towards the end of March month, three wives of celebrated European football stars were hosted at SOS Children’s Village Eldoret for a film documentary that will drum up support for the construction of a fifth SOS Children’s Village in Kisumu. Bouchra of the Gunners striker Robin Van Persie and her associates, Winonah de Jong and Esmeralda Blokland-Jaliens, spouses of Machester City midfielder, De Jong and Blokland-Jaliens who plays in the Dutch league’s AZ Alkmaar’s Blokland-Jaliens brought hope for the poor and needy children in Kisumu.
The trio were moved to tears by the conditions in the slums and the poor state the residents were living in. “It was such an amazing experience and hard to describe our emotions when we finally came face to face with the situation around here”, said Mrs. Van Persie. “We live in a distant part of the world and we thought our coming here would of great benefit for the hundreds of children in Kenya who are in need”, said Bouchra.
In Eldoret, they had the most fantastic reception and were shown round the houses and other facilities within the project. They helped the mothers with their routines such as preparing dinner and breakfast for children and taking them to school, helping with homework and milking the cows. They typically packed hope and joy to the children and gave them reasons to smile. The children were very excited and enjoyed every moment with the visitors.
