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.

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.

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.

The aim of their coming to Kenya was to help raise funds for the construction of a fifth SOS Children’s Village in Kenya which will be situated in Kisumu. Prior to their coming to Eldoret, they had visited the informal settlements in Kisumu and came face to face with the stark poverty of the children in the lakeside town and expressed their desire to help.

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.

It was an emotional farewell on the day of their departure as the children had bonded with them that it became so difficult to leave each other. It was so touching.
For SOS Children’s Village, it was a memory, which will remain vividly etched in the minds of co-workers and children at large.

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.

“I would hope that whatever assistance the board is able to offer will go along way into ensuring that children are given holistic support and eventually become useful and productive members of society,” said the chairman. He applauded the co-workers and mothers for a good job well done. He added that the decision by the board to become sponsors is based on the positive work being done by the SOS Children’s Villages Kenya team led by Ruth Okowa, national director.

Board Chairman, Martin Oduor-Otieno addresses SOS co-workers

Dr. Martin pointed out that he was impressed by the enthusiasm with which the co-workers led by the national director are engaged with their duties for children.  “You are doing a wonderful job,” and we will offer our support to you in whichever way, he said.

Mr. Wilhelm Huber for his part said that they were delighted to take up the sponsorship adding that it is only by leading from the front that we can be able to influence other people to become supporters of our work.

The ceremony was also witnessed by other members who included: Mr. Simon Ndunda, Wilhelm Huber (Regional Director), Carol Musyoka, Rachael Mbai, Claudio Croce (Deputy Regional Director) and Ruth Okowa, (National Director).

The national director expressed her appreciation to the board for accepting to sponsor a house in Eldoret noting that this was a very proud alliance for us to forge forward in our fundraising initiatives. She was also pleased with the decision by most members of staff to become sponsors and encouraged more to join and become part of the growing sponsorship base.

Planting a tree in the village

The village director, Mr. Peter Mungai led staff and children in receiving the board members. He was equally overjoyed by the decision of the board to sponsor house 1. The visitors each planted a tree in the village before proceeding to unveil the plaque and cutting of the ribbon to officially inaugurate the house.

For them, the joy of completing form four was a welcome relief from the hustle and bustle 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.

It was a wonderful bonding session when mothers took time to reflect on their work. Of significance was to firmly anchor children so that they can stand on their own feet later on. There was a renewed sense of personal responsibility for their families. And so as they filled their plates with the sumptuous meal, they challenged each other to a season of service for the children.

The highlight of their day out was a hospital visit to one of our staff members, Reuben Kivunaga, as a show of outward expression of love. They also took time to visit other patients and to wish them well.

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.