- Location:
Muhuru Bay, Migori, South West Kenya
- Theme:
HIV/AIDS Education and Awareness
- Project overview:
Shining Star ECDC and Orphans School is located in Migori County, Nyatike Sub-county, Muhuru division, Muhuru -East location in Tagache Sub-location, along Muhuru-Migori road.
The School was founded in 1999 by Mr. Hevrone Killmess Mairah due to lack of access to educational institutions in the area due to its remote setting, challenges posed by orphans the majority of whose parents are ravaged by HIV/AIDS pandemic and the high illiteracy levels within the community coupled high unemployment.
In 2000 the school had a good number of children and 3 teachers and the community enjoyed the being of Shinning Star.
In 2001 the school was temporarily closed due to the conflict within the local community until 2002 when this was resolved and the community agreed to host the School at the local Church due to lack of classroom buildings.
2003 the land was bought and demarcation done.
In 2005 the first classroom was built by a volunteer called Steffi Rahn a 19-year old from Germany.
2009 started hosting volunteers from KVDA courtesy of the Germany Government sponsored program “Weltwaerts” that afforded young Germans an opportunity to volunteer in Africa, Asia and Latin America
2010 Shinning Star was registered with the Kenyan Government and 2011 she got fully registered and put in Kenyan list.
2012 started building dormitory for both orphans and those having parents with the help of former KVDA volunteer from Germany named Daniel, which is still under construction.
2013 the School started goat farming and poultry farming that is still underway. It also set aside space for an orphanage home and new toilets that are already finished.
There are more plans in the pipeline e.g. Agriculture, Business loaning for the widows and youths, competitive sports between local clubs and the School where trophies, balls and other gifts will be awarded to the participating teams
The School has a population of 360 children, 11 teachers and 5 support staff.
The School has classes from Kindergarten to Standard eight.
Shining Star ECDC and Orphans School is a community based education institution and caters for the needs of the orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) that had been rendered destitute.
Fishing is the mainstay of the local community thanks to the expansive Lake Victoria. Due to the easy cash courtesy of the Lake, young people have been lured to drop out of School to engage in fishing and this has negatively impacted on the community since it has resulted in early marriages, school drop outs, early and unplanned pregnancies not forgetting the spread of HIV/AIDS that has resulted in increased number of OVC’s in the community. Community empowerment is crucial in achieving the overall objective of attaining sustainable development.
- PROJECT Activities:
Volunteers will work for six hours daily from Monday to Friday with focus on the following manual work and intercultural activities...
- Brick making and construction work at the School.
- French, German, English, Mathematics and Science subjects; Development of club activities in the school; Promotion of sports and Extra curriculum activities such as physical education; working in the school garden.
- The aim of the placement is to enhance service delivery to the children especially in the teaching curriculum.
- Community awareness programs on emerging development issues.
- THEME:
HIV/AIDS EDUCATION AND AWARENESS
HIV and AIDS education is an essential part of HIV prevention. In Kenya AIDS education is part of the curriculum in both Primary and Secondary Schools and for a number of years Kenya has delivered educational campaigns to raise nationwide awareness on the issue. Nearly all adults aged 15-64 had heard about AIDS, nine out of ten adults knew that a healthy-looking person could be infected with HIV and most knew how to reduce their chances of becoming infected with the virus. Awareness of the need to use condoms was high with 75 percent of women and 81 percent of men in this age group aware that condoms reduce the risk of HIV infection.
HIV/AIDS is a major epidemic in the Lake Victoria region. This is as a result of wife inheritance, polygamy and careless sex at the shores of Lake Victoria in exchange of fish Majority of the young generation are not going to school due to the fact that of poverty levels are high and have unprotected sex as a social activity.
Defining the impacts of AIDS on children can be in demographic or social terms. In terms of its demographic impacts, HIV/AIDS affects children in the following ways: Higher infant and child morbidity and mortality rates; Lower life expectancy; higher rates of orphaning.
The issue of definitions is pertinent regarding the emergence of rights based approaches to supporting children affected by AIDS, as questions of vulnerability, categorization and targeting are under scrutiny. HIV/AIDS has many direct and indirect impacts on children’s rights, ranging from the consequences of the psychological impact of losing one or both parents, to reduced access to quality education and health services.
The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is underpinned by four major principles: the right to survival, development and protection from abuse and neglect; the right to have a voice and be listened to; that the best interests of the child should be of primary consideration; the right to freedom from discrimination.
- The main aspects of focus are:
to foster links between HIV/AIDS prevention activities, home based care, and efforts to support orphans and other vulnerable children; to target the most vulnerable children and communities; to give particular attention to the gender-specific needs of boys and girls; to involve children and adolescents as part of the solution; to strengthen the role of schools and education systems; to reduce stigma and discrimination; to strengthen the caring capacities of families through community-based mechanisms; to strengthen the economic coping capacities of families and communities; to enhance the capacity of families and communities to respond to the; psychosocial needs of orphans and vulnerable children, and their caregivers; to find sustainable ways to remove children from hazardous and exploitative work; to accelerate learning and information exchange; to strengthen partnerships at all levels and build coalitions among key stakeholders; to ensure that external support does not undermine community initiative and motivation.
- Orientation:
Will be done on 4th October 2014 at KVDA Residence in Nairobi and the team will leave for the project on the morning of 5th October 2014.
- Airport pick-up services:
This will be done subject to provision of full flight details. The port of entry to Kenya is Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. Volunteers will stay at KVDA Residence in Nairobi at a fee.
- ACCOMMODATION:
Volunteers will stay in a homestead within the community with very basic living conditions. Volunteers have an obligation to climb down the level of the people with the aim of exposure to development challenges. KVDA will provide foodstuffs and volunteers will cook their own meals in turns. Water is available from springs and it is recommended that drinking water should be boiled or medicated. Mineral water available at supermarkets is also recommended. There is no electricity connection at the project but volunteers can charge their electric appliances at the nearest market center.
- LANGUAGE:
English is the language of the work camp. There will be a possibility of learning Kiswahili and other international and local languages as cultural diversity is a major component in international service.
