Oct 14, 2011

Starting of YVC and my Work in Kibera!

Everyday I saw children in streets snatching people’s purses and all that I wished to do something which I could help to recruit more youths out there and learn like I did and develop something for themselves rather than wait for the government to come help them or well wishers (donors).

First I tried to help children in Kibera and I knew the only way to make change is to start training these kids when they are young. By the end of 2006 I had a group of about 30 youth and 25 young kids’ soccer team aged between 5-15 years.

The school I used to volunteer in Kibera
At that moment we wanted to form a grassroots organization which works around Kibera for Kibera children and youth, we helped children by organizing soccer competitions with the aim of bringing them together for a common goal, such as: soccer and education, awareness of drugs abuse, HIV/AIDS and other harmful information or things affecting them in they daily life.


Women group in Kibera slum
In 2007 our friends from other parts of Kenya heard of our work in Kibera and also wanted us to get them involved. From my former organization I had knew so many people from different parts of country and all over the world.
After consultation with members and friends, we decided to extend our services to other parts of the country, and by doing this we had to register our group from CBO to NGO so as to be able to start an exchange program, both nationally and internationally. This is how Youth Volunteer for Change (YVC) was born out of the CBO youth work for change.
Formation of youth volunteer for change YVC was not so easy just like most of the youth we started with could not even manage to donate anything even if I told them to pay registration fee some could not be able to raise little shillings of Kshs of 200 which first we asked to enable us be able to do paper work and other requirement.
Anyway sometime if you really mean of doing something and you really want to you have to work up and down and do anything for it!
For sure we have come from far and still our journey is long to go on I have written hundreds of note books in my house in the field of every little information I need and see hear and understand, from 2007 I met this lady from France and as friend we talked a lot and took her to Kibera where I used to volunteer in school and women group and we become friends, from there we used to communicate a lot every week  by the phone send messages she sometime feel so bad of how Kenyan beg from her or her family or project coordinator did not understand her and so on, but as Kenyan who understand our culture I used to cool her down direct her how to respond to such challenges and move on.
By the end of 2007 we had in Kenya tribal clashes many people lost their life, properties, loved one and opportunity in they working place. I can’t say I was lucky one and also I lost a lot of trust with many who used to be my friends and close work mate. There was a need to help run up and down see how I can help few people I  knew mostly in Kibera where I used to work I went there and everything was dark and scarily the fear of death enmity and been not in the right place.
Anyway at the some time I had this friend from USA she was staying with me at the time in my small house and everywhere every one feared death or been burnt down or beaten or something can happen at anytime we couldn’t sleep well at night fearing somebody can take advantage break our house at the time, after few days things started getting worse every day and I had to organize to take my friend to Westland where life was at list better and save but before the day she got too sick and because of fear and separation of all this challenges we had no money left and to take her to hospital became very difficult no matatu or bus to travel with, but  at God grace we got one when we were almost fed up with waiting which was charging maybe three time more than a normal price which we had no option than to take it and take my friend to hospital.
With the help of friends who were in Westland at the moment we managed to get taxi after she was tested in one of the main big hospital in Nairobi which took her now to Westland where she could stay for while to see what happen, but after getting there they government insisted that all the foreigners must go back to they countries or other countries in Africa until the conflict in Kenya settle down.
After that anyway I managed to help few other foreigners the volunteers who were in Nairobi at time one was in the worse place Kibera and after they were all save I started thinking of my friends and the Kibera mama and children, by the time everything was getting back to normal but there were thousands of internally dispraised people all over the country. That the time as I was in steps of forming organization we talked with friends to friends to see how we can also get involved in helping the needy who needed food clothes and other things.
We organized national and international fundraising from friends who knew us and we managed to get a lot of clothes food and other basic human requirement which was donated to women group in Kibera,
In life you can learn a lot of things and see a lot as well over come so much challenges people are born different every day and we all have different way of doing things but it difficult to understand people and be at list 80% good to everybody.
To tell the truth I got a lot of trust from my friends after all this struggle and I managed to get a lot of support in forming YVC and helping the needy but as I wished so much and I wanted so much to form organization which can empower us and have freedom to work whenever I want under the management of people who I really trust, knew and understand for while it was my biggest dream. 
look out for search of of the truth what man can do................. next

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