by Teuntje Koomen

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.

Drug abuse has been a challenge in the society especially in informal settlement where many people are not employed or engaged in any income generating activity. In Kiandutu (a slum in Thika) alcoholism is a major problem in many families which has affected children to a point of not been provided with basic needs.

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.

International Women’s Day started as a socialist political event but it lost that flavour with time. Today, in many places of the world people celebrate it differently, where some people take this opportunity to appreciate women’s achievement, others show general respect.

This year Macheo Children’s Centre celebrates Florence Nyutho. She is one of the women who we have been working closely with in some of our programs. Florence is the Head Teacher Rubiru Primary School. Apart from running the school, she has been doing some noble things especially to children in the community, outside the school activities. She is a lady with a big heart and has reached out to help children from families in need using her personal resources and also goes an extra mile to seek for support of such children.  These are things many people will not have time for or simply are not willing to do.

Florence (Left) testing water filter – One of Macheo projects in the school

Florence deserves respect for being more than a head teacher, more than a mother but for being a hero to all the children who she has reached out to. She has been supporting children by ensuring Education Program sponsored by Macheo is running efficiently and that the children are benefiting.  She has also spent her personal money and mobilized friends to build a house for a child headed family of Hannah Kanini who now schools in Matunda Primary School.

She has supported John Mbacha who had gone through serious social and health problems and ensured that he is settled in school after she sort for help through Macheo. She also facilitated building a house for John.

The most recent and unforgettable act of kindness, expressed after Florence went out of her way to ensure a story of a boy who had suffered for the last 9 years was published and aired on NTV, all with intentions that someone would reach out and help Musili. Musili is now 9 years old and for the last 9 years, he has gone through unspeakable pain, psychological trauma after suffering a rare skin condition (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtEg40AuiwE). But thanks to a hero, who is Florence, Musili has gotten help.

Florence and pupils pose next to newly installed water filters

Florence has continued to reach out to other needy children by providing them with food and other basic daily necessities. We take this opportunity to congratulate her for the good work she is doing which is in line with our mission “To empower and protect vulnerable children and their communities so that these children can lead a bright future”.  We are impressed by how much Florence has been able to achieve and we wanted to share her achievements this International Women’s Day. She is an inspiration to other women, a rare glimmer of hope, a role model to the children who believe women can overcome challenges they face in their lives.

We also thank all women who go an extra mile and we appreciate and celebrate you today for making a change around you.

Happy International Women’s Day.

Shouts could be heard from as far as the gate, as the MCH children came home back from school. They were all shouting as they run towards house red, not caring of the heavy bags on their backs that seemed less heavy at the particular moment.  Following the sounds outside the office, we were happy to see and hear what the shouts were all about.  They were celebrating and welcoming the two new guests in their home the best way they could.

Shiko was at the balcony jumping up and down as if to signal all the children where the good news were coming from. She was full of joy, as she welcomed all the children and introduced them to Evans and Martin, who will be living in house red.

Aunty Teresiah did not evade any question as the children asked many, stared, a bit shy but happy for the two new guests who will get a chance to live a brighter future.

28^th February 2012, will go down history for Evans and Martin and Macheo Children’s Centre community, as the day two were added in our family. We are happy as they will have an opportunity to live in a stimulating environment that will see them grow physically, psychologically and spiritually.