At my last day in Thika, and with my research in Kiandutu slum completed, I can look back at my stay and the course of my research with a lot of content.

Although I have had some challenges, my research went more smoothly than I expected. Already in the first part, the structured interviews, I was surprised by the welcoming attitude of the women and their willingness to participate. Sometimes women even shared a lot of personal details with me and were more than willing to help me in getting a grasp of the dynamics in Kiandutu. Other times interviewing was a challenge, but every single interview was interesting and brought me a step closer to answering my research questions.

Kiandutu Slum in Thika

In total I was able to interview 60 women. This gave me quite some information on life in Kiandutu; on the difficulties and challenges, the social security, relations and cooperation in the community, and the way in which women make use of organizations trying to improve their well-being. I very much enjoyed interacting with them and I am thankful that they invited me into their houses and also into their lives.

Teuntje (right front ) – during one of the interviews

After these 60 interviews I performed 8 in-depth interviews. These gave me a richer understanding of the social dynamics and how and why behind my earlier findings. These interviews were more personal, because I tried to address the current social dynamics in Kiandutu through the personal life stories of the women. With every participant I talked in 1.5 hours about her past, her present life and her visions of the future, while connecting this to the current situation in Kiandutu. Again I was surprised by the nice conversations, their openness, and the insights and richer understanding they gave me.

For the last and most challenging phase of my research, I have organized two focus group sessions with two different groups of women. One group was actively organizing activities in Kiandutu to increase collective well-being. The other group of women was not actively undertaking such activities. In these group discussions I find out more about the constraints that are keeping them from doing so. Interviewing these groups was quite a challenge, but with the help I have received from Macheo it all turned out fine.

Macheo staff (Center) in Kiandutu

I can look back at a wonderful and interesting time that has brought me so many new insights and has taught me many valuable lessons. It has been an experience that will stay with me for life. I would like to thank Macheo for giving me the opportunity to conduct my research and for all the support I have received. Through that, you have helped to make it possible to graduate for my Master’s in International Development Studies in August of this year.

Asanteni, nimeshukuru sana!

Enjoy this movie!

Joost – Giving yoghurt to Macheo children

On Wednesday 18^th April 2012, Macheo’s employees and children were happy to taste the first sample of Laki Laki yoghurt; a new income generating strategy that’s in its pilot stage. In this project, Laki Laki “The perfect sunriser for everyone” buys fresh milk from Macheo and processes it into yoghurt. The sample yoghurt came in three flavours; mango, strawberry and vanilla.

Through this partnership, Macheo looks forward to a better future in dairy farming with the milk returns improving after value addition. This will lead to more sustainability of our many child-focused programs and Macheo as a whole.

Laki Laki is mainly targeting the tourist market, and since Macheo will be mentioned on the bottles, we also hope to achieve more exposure for our cause.

Very soon you will find Laki Laki yoghurt stocked in Kenya petrol stations, lodges and hotels. We invite you to buy Laki Laki yoghurt and in that way help Macheo realize her mission which is “to empower and protect vulnerable children and their communities so that these children can lead a bright future”.
As you can see from the pictures our children really enjoyed the yoghurt! And they were very curious about the process of yoghurt-making, so we are also planning a trip to the Laki Laki factory.

For more information about Laki Laki products please visit www.lakilaki.nl

The child was accompanied by one of Macheo’s drivers, a housemother and one of the social workers. Because the background and current situation of the family members is not stable enough to let the child stay with the family alone, one of the housemothers came along to accompany the child during the entire duration of her home visit.

For the child, it is very important to visit her family members once in a while. She needs to stay in touch with them while growing up to be able to re-integrate with them later in life. The family also needs to be given the opportunity to watch the child grow up and to spend time with her. At the same time the child needs to have protection and to be assured of being safe when she spends time at home. Because Macheo encourages contact between the child and the remaining family members, those who cannot go on a home visit alone are accompanied. In this way, the child stays in touch with the family, has the opportunity to build a good and stable relation with them and at the same time is assured of being safe.

When the small group of Macheo’s staff reached the home of the family, they were being welcomed with great hospitality. They were invited into the house and were given a big plate for lunch. The mother talked with the social worker about her past and the reason for the child to be admitted to Macheo Children’s Centre. She showed understanding of the things that went wrong before and seems to be more able to live a stable life. The investments and time Macheo spent in family building and in keeping close contact with the family really seemed to pay off.

Although the child was a bit shy at first and needed to get adjusted to the different situation of having her mum and sibling around, she started to smile and play after a while. When the child got back at Macheo, she was happy and excited and seemed to really have enjoyed her time at home. This clearly showed the importance of letting a child go home once in a while.

All in all, it was a very positive encounter and the family seems to make progress. Still, the risks are currently too high for the child to stay with the family alone. Macheo will therefore continue accompanying the child on her home visits as long as needed.

Baby Ishmael – in house purple

Baby Ishmael Mbugua was born on 6^th February 2011 in Thika Level 5 Hospital. He was abandoned by his mother on 9^th February 2011 at the same hospital and to date her where about is not known, despite the Kenyan Police trying to find her. She clearly doesn’t want to be found.

From then baby Ishmael has walked a long journey before he got the new parents; first he had to stay in the hospital nursery which was not good for his growth and social development. The hospital social workers and the children department called Macheo for Ishmael rescue which was done through facilitation of relevant departments.

Since then; baby Ishmael has been staying in Macheo Children Home where he has grown to a cheerful, active and charming boy. Through his stay in house purple; Ishmael had developed a strong bondage with all children in Macheo Children Home and with Aunty Teresia Wangari his house mother.

During his farewell party children were reluctant to release baby Ishmael although they had to, because they understood that it was for a good cause as said by one of their own Samuel Wangondu. Aunty Teresia was emotional when making her remark during this occasion just as many did; all of us were happy with baby Ishmael success and wished him the best as we look forward of him to grow and became a responsible, honest, wise and good citizen.

Macheo Children’s Home tries to do what is best for each individual child. If a child is totally abandoned, we (and the Kenyan Government) believe adoption is the best way forward. When there is family left we try to work with this family as much as possible to see if a future reintegration could be possible.

Goodbye, Ishmael, we will dearly miss you!

Elizabeth (left) with her children – looking on is Okoth & Monica (Macheo staff)

This is the story of Elizabeth Atieno who stays in Kiandutu slum in Thika.Elizabeth is a victim of 2007 post-election violence. All of her properties were damaged during that time and she was lucky to escape safely with her 5 children and husband. Her children have never been in school as she and her husband could not afford their school fees. Elizabeth’s first born Fredrick Omondi, benefited from Macheo’s education empowerment program which helps children that have attained school going age but have never attended school. Others in the program are children who dropped out of school for various reasons such as being not able to pay school fees, lack of uniform and neglect. Fredrick was 9.5 years on during enrollment. Elizabeth’s other children are aged between 4.5 years and 7 months.

Elizabeth unpacks a sack of charcoal

Elizabeth’s last born Melvin is malnourished because the family is not able to eat properly. Some time they sleep hungry especially when the father, a casual labourer does not get work. Elizabeth sometimes washes clothes for pay but it proves difficult because she does it with her child at the back.

Elizabeth demonstrates a 2kg measure

On Friday 30^th March this year Macheo through seed capital program bought a sack of charcoals and provided it to Elizabeth to start a small business near her house where she can look after her children as she runs her business.  She sells the charcoal in small quantities, tins of 2kg. During our follow up on Monday we found that she had already sold the whole bag and bought another one which she was selling then. Elizabeth is now happy and told us that she will save the profit and later buy basic necessities, she really need such as bed, Kitchen utensils among many. She can also feed her family at least twice in a day.

Macheo is also helping them to get the document they lost like national ID card and also register for National Hospital Insurance Fund. Elizabeth is also attending our seminars where participants are trained on good parenting, entrepreneurship, good family planning methods, among others.

Susan – Bring the water from a bucket

Last Sunday, volunteers of Macheo Children’s Centre organized a small event for the children of Macheo Children Home with some traditional Dutch games!

We started with a game with a spoon and a ball. The kids had to walk through a racing track while the ball should stay on the spoon.Every house had a team; even the house mothers joined in. Besides this game we had other games which included:

Rope pulling where we had two teams pulling each other in a test of strength…

Paul Kiragu – Balancing the ball while his team cheers

Jumping rope is also among the games that were played during this event, it involved three participants two of whom turn the rope and another one jumps. Many children enjoyed this together with the house mothers and volunteers.

Sack race followed; balancing the body as you jump forward towards the finish line was a challenge to many of the children but brought joy to the spectators who cheered their team enthusiastically.

The last game was a challenge between the girls and the boys. Both teams had to bring the water from one bucket to another at the other side of the track. When the boys realized that they would not win the game, they decided not to bring the water cup by cup, but bring the whole bucket instead. Result: a lot of discussions between the children, but especially a lot of laughter and joy.

Grace – skipping the rope

The kids enjoyed the day very much and we are sure that they will repeat these games in the near future.

For my Master’s program International Development Studies at the University of Amsterdam, I am spending three months at Macheo Children’s Centre. In August of 2011 I have been working as a volunteer for Macheo. The past 1,5 months I have been doing research in Kiandutu slum amongst women. My main interest is how women try to achieve well-being for themselves and their children, if they try to achieve collective well-being for the community and what their priorities in life are in order to achieve these forms of well-being.

Use of social networks to improve wellbeing
I especially focus on the social network that they use in order to ‘live well’, both informal (e.g., friends, family, church, neighbors) and formal (community based organizations, NGOs, governmental services, etc.). In doing so, I for example wish to obtain information about all sorts of organizations operating in Kiandutu that women know about. Next, I strive to know in what way they make use of these organizations.

Taking own initiatives into account when organizing support
I am very curious if women in Kiandutu try to organize things themselves to make life in Kiandutu more pleasant and to increase the collective well-being of the community. This is because I am personally most interested in the opinions and stories of the women on the ground, on the grass root level, and in identifying their attempts to undertake action in increasing collective well-being. The government or NGOs do not always take efforts of the women themselves into account. More insight into this could be valuable to (re)organize support.

Performing research in Kiandutu
Currently I am finishing the first phase of my research, for which I am doing 60 individual interviews. The interviews are structured by a questionnaire and take around 1,5 to 2 hours. They contain questions about for instance the living situation of the women, the level of education of everyone in the household, satisfaction with their housing, health care, environment, et cetera, as well as questions about their formal and informal social relations.

I am doing the interviews myself with help from Edward, who is living in Kiandutu. Although I have studied Swahili before my arrival in Thika, Edward’s help is very welcome in making contact with women, doing the difficult interpretation and in assuring my safety in the slum.

Next week I will start the second phase of my research, in which I will perform 10 in-depth open interviews to obtain richer insights. I will also organize focus group sessions in which I will bring 8 to 12 women together to find out how women are using social relations collectively to achieve well- being for the community. I will continue researching in Kiandutu until the 4th of May. In the coming months, I will share more information about my experiences on Macheo’s blog.

Macheo Children Centre through its family empowerment program organized a seminar on 13^th March 2012 to educate people on alcoholism and its effect in parenting.

Festus Mugengi facilitating the seminar

The participants were educated on alcoholism and its effect in a family. They were told that alcoholism is actually a diseased condition due to the excessive use of alcoholic beverages. Many people do not accept this fact until it gets to a level of physical effects. Some family members find it hard to counsel the addicts which deteriorate the condition.

Macheo had earlier identified several families who required continuous counseling on drug abuse. One of them, Rachael Wangari who has been drinking for the last 12 years and suffers from uncommon skin condition due to the long use of alcoholic beverages, told our field workers that she drinks because of stress; other related it to peer pressure, easy access to cheap alcohol like “Chang’aa”, relationship problems, culture where use of alcohol is common and accepted among others.

Some of the participants

Festus Mugengi who facilitated the seminar explained to them the effects of alcohol especially to women in child bearing age who are the most affect in Kiandutu; these effects include, giving birth to a deformed child. These deformities may range from brain and skull to other physical deformities such as small eye openings, thin upper lips, long flat faces, central nervous system among other.

Also addicted parents may not be responsible enough to provide their children with the necessary needs. They were advised to be good role model to their children because the young ones emulate their parents in most cases. Also research has shown that children who are brought up by alcoholic parents are vulnerable to domestic violence, sexual abuse, and teenage pregnancy among other, which violate their rights. Such children also have high chances of becoming alcoholic when they grow up.

Many of them, who participated in the seminar, seemed to be ready to accept their condition as this is the entry point to positive change and agreed with us that this is really a problem which all of us should strive to revert. Macheo Children’s Centre through it family empowerment program will do regular follow up to help the participants to change positively. This is done through home visits, counseling and other cases are referred to the relevant bodies.

Rachael Wangari- suffers from uncommon skin condition

When we do this our children and every body will life in a better environment; have responsible society and a healthy nation.