We don’t say goodbye...

After hard work and great achievements Hatua Likoni team is ready to break for the holidays. Most of the targets for the year 2012 have been achieved.



The Programs Director, Kwame is glad and grateful to all for their contributions, “we sincerely appreciate, thank you” he says with a smile on his face. He has happily noted that Hatua has achieved most of the goals that were set for the year ending 2012, some of the achievements are: the organization has added thirty eight new students to its scholarship fund. It officially opened the library on February. Hatua has as well formed a sub-organisation, Likoni Youth Agenda whose main aim is to give civic education to the youth. Also, its civic education campaign has reached over 900 Likoni secondary school students.

According to Kwame, come the year 2013, the organization has many goals it hopes to achieve and asks all our supporters to continue with the same spirit and help make Likoni a better place by eradicating poverty through education. Some of the goals are; to add 45 new scholarship students, conduct academic research, organize a fundraising dinner to raise funds for sponsoring students to mention but a few.

We would like to sincerely thank all our supporters; always remember that without your support our mission and vision cannot be achieved. In whatever way you have contributed to making Hatua family complete be blessed. Remember, whenever Hatua youth have a better life and smile it’s because of you. The following is a poem from one of Hatua’s beneficiaries;

Hatua is like ... Athman Mohammed

a paradise everyone needs to be in,
it holds people's hands
helping them be what they want to be
four years in Hatua
surely nimepiga Hatua*
in my education
hence, Hatua is helpful.
*I have stepped forward

As for the Hatua team they have this to say; 

The whole season has given us a reason to smile. We are finally breaking for the holiday but as Hatua family we don’t say goodbye because it means we are going away, we just say, see you next year. We pray to God to help us to continue achieving our mission of reducing poverty and unemployment in Likoni.

Vote on Facebook to help Hatua win a new website!

We have entered a competition to win a free website. A new website will help us to reach out to more potential donors and to share more about our work with both the Mombasa and international community.

Please vote for our video on Facebook by clicking here to help us win! We appreciate each and every vote, please spread the word!

To vote for Hatua to win a new website, click this link: https://apps.facebook.com/contestshq/contests/289810/voteable_entries?view_entries=1

Then vote thumbs up for Hatua Likoni's video. You will be asked to install the app - please do, otherwise your vote won't be counted! (You can uninstall the app at the end of the month when the competition is over!) Then share the link with all your friends!

We appreciate each and every vote - a new website will really help us spread the word about Hatua and to reach out to new donors.

Thank you so much!

Hatua Students Fun Day

On Friday 14 December 2012, Hatua students, were treated to a trip at Gede Ruins monument and Malindi Marine park.

This trip was both educational and fun as the students had a lot to learn and explore. Every end of year after attending school, mentoring classes, writing reports and performing well at their end of term reports, the students are awarded by being taken to a trip.

"It's a way to motivate and encourage them to work hard," said their mentoring and career guidance coordinator Winnie. They choose a place that the students will have fun and at the same time learn something from. This time it was Gede historical site.

At Gede historical site, there was a lot to learn about the history of the the site which is one of the 12th Century Swahili towns along the African coast that retains memories of an evolved Urban culture. The tour guide, Katana Mtsumi was so conversant with the site as he happily narrated to them about the site.

The students had a lot of questions to ask as they were interested to learn more about the site, one of them asked what proved that the site was there many years back. This was answered by being shown remains of mosques, a palace, residential houses, elaborate pillar tombs and a tombstone built for the revered one with an epitaph incised in plaster with the date AH 802 (AD 1399).

They also learnt about different species of plants including both indigenous and exotic trees. They as well visited Kipepeo which is Swahili for butterfly. This is a project of rearing butterflies to help the locals. They asked questions as they saw different types of butterflies and some were interested about butterfly rearing.

Later on, the students went to Malindi Marine Park; here they had fun on a boat tour, swimming and were allowed to feed the fish with bread. Most of them said this was the best part of the trip. "The best part is not swimming but eating food," joked one student as they were being served pilau, a common Swahili dish in Kenya.

Generally, the trip was quite a good treat as we all look forward to Christmas celebrations.

See more photos from the day on our Facebook page.

The growth of the Hatua Scholarship Fund: Infographic

(Click on image to view full size)

Voter Registration Campaign

Last Sunday, the Likoni Youth Agenda organized a Voter Registration Campaign in partnership with Hatua Likoni to encourage people to register to vote ahead of the coming general election in March.

Led by boy scout group The Innocent Souls, we marched from the Likoni Community Library, down Lunga Lunga Road and Shelly Beach Road to Shelly Beach at Reliable Apartments. Participants held banners and posters encouraging people to exercise their civic right to vote, and musicians led us in song. Neither the Likoni Youth Agenda nor Hatua Likoni are affiliated with a particular MP or political party; we simply wanted to encourage people to vote!

At Shelly Beach, the V.I. Dancers entertained the gathered public. Music was played through the afternoon until 6pm when the event ended.

Voter registration stations for all 5 Likoni wards were present. With only one week left for voters to register and with low rates of registration by the Kenyan population in general and specifically from Likoni residents, we hoped to make the registration process easier by bringing the stations to a central and public location.

17 people registered to vote during the afternoon. This number is considerably lower than we had hoped for, but we hope to have spurred some discussion about the importance of voting!

View photos from the Campaign on our Facebook page.

Student Yvonne triumphs at National Music Festival

Hatua student Yvonne Moraa wowed the judges and brought home two awards when she recently competed in Kenya's National Music Festival in Meru on 8 November. Schools from all over Kenya participate in the festival, which sees thousands of students coming to compete every year.

Yvonne was selected to represent her school (for Form 2), Murray Girls Secondary, in two solo competitions; public speaking and poetry performance. She also performed in the choral verse competition with 23 others from her school.

She came first place in the public speaking competition, for which she was given the topic 'agriculture'. She was up against the stiff competition of 24 others who had been selected as the top candidates to represent their respective schools.

Yvonne also triumphed in the solo poetry competition, coming second place out of 20 competitors.

"I  was nervous before I went in front of the judges," Yvonne explains, "you get butterflies... so I prayed first."

Yvonne wants to become an actress or a journalist. With her confidence and talent, we are sure we will go far!

Yvonne performs on World AIDS Day

Yvonne also performed a poem she wrote entitled 'AIDS' on World AIDS Day. Watch her performance on our YouTube channel.

Students celebrate the end of exams at Candidates Nite

On Saturday 24 November, to celebrate the end of exams, the Likoni Youth Agenda held a party for Form 4 graduates in Likoni (and anyone else who wanted to come!) at Qwetu Beach Resort, Shelly Beach. The party was held the day after the final exam as many students were planing to travel to see family the following week.

Over 500 tickets, at a fee of 150/=, were sold as students flocked to see popular DJ Kalonje and The Mixx Master perform.

The night was a great success enjoyed by all. After four years of hard work studying through secondary school, students deserved a good party!

Ally Tucker, Vice Chairman of the Likoni Youth Agenda, is very happy with how the event went.

“It was challenging fundraising ahead of the night to get the money together to pay the DJ,” he explains, adding that it had been a good experience in event planning and management. “It has opened our minds to some of the challenges of event organizing from the initial planning to the end.”

The night was so successful that not only did the organizers break even, they even made a small profit that will be fed back into the Likoni Youth Agenda’s community activities. Through entertainment, the Likoni Youth Agenda seeks to bring young people together in a comfortable environment to provide them with civic education so that they can become responsible and informed Kenyan citizens.

The night was also a great advert for Hatua Likoni and the Likoni Youth Agenda, as some people had travelled from Mombasa and Ukunda to be at the party. With the MC occasionally mentioning the work of the partnering organizations, we hope that the word about us will spread!

Visit the Likoni Youth Agenda’s Facebook page to see photos of the night.

Voters Registration Campaign this Sunday

Have you registered to vote yet? Join us this Sunday for our campaign to get the people of Likoni registered to vote in the coming elections. There will be a march leaving the Likoni Community Library at 1pm, traveling down Lunga Lunga Road and arriving at Reliable Apartments, Shelly Beach, where the main event will take place.

All 5 wards of Likoni will be represented, so all Likoni residents will be able to register!

Hatua Likoni and the Likoni Youth Agenda, co-organizers of the campaign, are not associated with or vying to campaign for a particular MP or political party. We simply want to encourage people to exercise their right as Kenyans to vote.

Please help us spread the word and we hope to see you on the day!

Hatua students perform on World AIDS Day

On Saturday, Hatua students performed at the World AIDS Day 2012 event, organized by local government, which was held at the grounds of Likoni Primary School.

Students opened their performance with a song composed with the help of Mentoring and Career Guidance Coordinator Winnie about the need to be faithful because of the reality that HIV doesn't choose; HIV does not discriminate against age, race or gender.

Yvonne, one of our students who has just returned from boarding school, then introduced the group, and delivered a fantastic solo performance poem about the real dangers of HIV/AIDS and the importance of being careful (view her performance on our YouTube channel).

Students then performed a short play dramatizing how promiscuity can lead to HIV, emphasizing the importance of protecting your body and thinking of future consequences.

Student Mevin also performed a rap to the audience, followed by a poem with the message, "I gave you my love and you gave me HIV".

This was the first time Hatua students have performed at a public event. They delivered a fantastic performance, sending a poignant message to the audience about the reality that HIV does not choose its victims and that we all need to be careful.

Students spent a busy week planning for and preparing the performance, taking the task seriously, and were very enthusiastic about being involved in HIV/AIDS awareness in Likoni.

Winnie says, "This was of great motivation and will keep up the spirit of giving back to the community."

Visit our Facebook page to view more photos.

Update from the Likoni Community Library

Since our Resource Center Coordinator Evans Omondi was appointed in October, he has been very busy working with librarian Evans Lubwa and the rest of the library team to improve library services, researching and networking to secure funding and support, and trying to increase income generated from the cyber business towards making the library a self-sustainable service.

Books 

Hatua has secured a KES 500,000/= (US$5880) grant from the Safaricom Foundation for curriculum based books. These books are greatly needed and are in high demand from our library users. Omondi has met with various head teachers around Likoni to seek their advice on which books we should stock to best serve Likoni’s school children.

Cyber Lab 

The cyber business has been slow to start, partly due to the knock-on effect of three weeks without power in October and also because it is a new service and not many people know about it. However, through increased advertising efforts (networking and posters), we are confident that the business will expand. We also plan to buy a photocopier in the New Year, which will expand our services and help to increase the library’s income.

The library is now registered as a Cyber Lab with Tech Soup Kenya, an organization that connects, supports and gives grants to computer-based organizations throughout Kenya.

Library users 

In November, the number of library users doubled from 3,000 during October to over 6,000 this month. As word spreads about the library and as children are off school for the Christmas holidays, we are expecting the library to be even busier during December!

The number of registered library users has also been increasing; over the last two months, we have registered 17 new members, bringing our total member list to 54. For 250/= (US$3) a year (100/= (US$1.20) for primary school students), members can borrow one book at a time to take home for a maximum of two weeks.

Otherwise, anyone is free to use the library; Omondi says that it is not unusual for students to come to the library for the whole day – from when it opens at 9am to when it closes at 8pm – breaking only for lunch!

Hatua staff train in Financial Literacy

Last week some of Hatua’s staff were trained in Financial Literacy and also in how to train others in Financial Literacy. The sessions were held by Solomon Odupoi from the SOS Family Strengthening Programme, Omariba Harun from CREDO and David Kaindi from Nyali Beach Entertainment.

Winnie, our Mentoring and Career Guidance Coordinator, arranged for the training, with the aim that we can train our students in Financial Literacy during the school holidays before Christmas.

The training was very interactive, and a range of learning methods was encouraged; structured games, dancing and singing made the training fun and memorable. 

At the end of the training, participants were given the opportunity to practice what they had learned, presenting short training sessions to the rest of the group.

The training course was called Life Poa Financial Capability Training, which was developed under the YouthSave Project by Save the Children Canada. Life Poa means a prosperous life. The YouthSave Project is an international initiative to study youth demand for savings and to satisfy the demand by developing commercially viable services in conjunction with local financial institutions.

The course gives young people a foundational understanding of how to manage personal finances, as financial literacy is an important factor in achieving life goals.

The course involves presentations and group discussion about money habits, understanding where money goes and thinking practically about money towards realizing our dreams, good and bad spending, the importance of saving and personal goal-setting. There is a module about Banking services, which explains how to keep money safe, how banks work, and can involve a tour of a local bank. 

“The training was so good, and it gave us a new sight about finance,” Winnie says. “We are going to teach our children the discipline of saving money and starting their journey to Life Poa.”

See photos from the training on our Facebook Page.

Hatua Likoni AGM 2012

Hatua's Annual General Meeting was held on Saturday at the Likoni CDF Hall. Guests, students, teachers, parents, partners and supporters attended, filling the hall for a great morning in celebration of Hatua's achievements over the past year.

Two very special guests, Mr and Mrs Fondiller, attended, having come to Kenya from America for the week. Mr and Mrs Fondiller, Gabrielle's parents, play a very important role in Hatua's history and growth as they were our first donors and have continued to give ongoing support.

Mr Mwakio, our Board Chairman, opened the meeting, followed by speeches about our programs from Hatua Director Gabrielle Fondiller, beneficiary Peter Makau, Mentoring and Career Guidance Coordinator Winnie Muthina and Resource Center Coordinator Evans Omondi. Representatives of community initiatives supported by Hatua, Festus Said from the Likoni Youth Agenda and Kevin Odhiambo from the Likoni Community Football League, also spoke.

David Ogal from the Ministry of Youth Affairs, who we share our office building with, spoke about the strong partnership between Hatua and the Ministry. Mr Ngombo spoke as Chairman of the Likoni Primary School Head Teachers Association and a representative spoke on behalf of Likoni District Commissioner, Mr Kinywa. Likoni Chief Suleiman Babu also addressed the audience.

Between speeches, the audience were entertained by a two-part comedy drama from the LICODEP Youth Group, a performance poem by Hatua Students and sung poetry from the Likoni Culture Group.

Peter Kwame, Hatua Programs Coordinator, closed the meeting with a Prizegiving for exceptional performances by Hatua Scholarship Students. Mr and Mrs Fondiller were also presented with gifts of appreciation from the Board Members.

Attendees of the meeting then congregated in the Likoni Community Library for a delicious lunch of pilau.

Many thanks to all the organizers, speakers and attendees for making the event such a success!

View more photos from the day on Hatua's Facebook page.

Hatua is hiring: Communications Coordinator

Hatua Likoni is currently accepting applications for the position of Communications Coordinator.

This is a full-time, paid position starting 10 December 2012, responsible for implementing a communications strategy targeting foundations, corporations and individuals that will build support for Hatua Likoni and enable the organization to grow its programs.

Qualified applicants are passionate about improving quality of life in Likoni through education for youth, they also possess excellent English writing skills, have experience of social media and online communications, are fully able to take a creative and leadership role within Hatua Likoni, are very hard working and self motivated.

Hatua Likoni is a community NGO working to reduce poverty and unemployment in Likoni, Kenya. Through scholarships, mentoring and career guidance, Hatua helps Likoni’s top students gain the skills, credentials and networks they need to contribute to and benefit from Kenya’s growing economy.

Responsibilities:

• Attending and reporting on all Hatua events and progress of the organisation (including taking photos and video)
• Updating the blog and website
• Compiling and sending out quarterly e-Newsletter
• Compiling quarterly and annual reports
• Sending updates to student sponsors
• Managing Hatua’s social media presence (Twitter, Facebook and Youtube)
• Creating material to build relationships between Hatua and corporations in Mombasa

Requirements: 

• Degree in a relevant field or Diploma and minimum of 2 years work experience
• Demonstrable strong writing ability in English
• Prior work experience in media and communications
• Strong computer skills
• Understanding and experience with social media (Twitter, Facebook and Youtube)
• Strong work ethic and able to work with minimal supervision 

To apply:

Email communications@hatualikoni.org with your CV, a cover letter explaining your interest and qualifications and an example of your writing (maximum 500 words). 

Alternatively, bring these documents to the Youth Empowerment Center & Library at Flats, Likoni, open 9am-8pm Monday to Friday and 10am-5pm at weekends. Please leave your application and contact details with the librarian on duty.

The deadline for applications is Friday 30 November 2012. 

Interviews will be conducted the week 3-7 December and the successful applicant will start on Monday 10 December.

We strongly encourage Likoni residents to apply.

Urban farming training for the Hatua Women Group

This week, the Agricultural Officer of Likoni and her assistant did a training session with the Hatua Women Group to demonstrate urban farming methods.

The Hatua Women Group, which was started by former Hatua intern Regina, comprises eight women, who are mostly mothers of Hatua students. The women, who are unemployed, were brought together to learn, share and set up ideas for income-generating activities in Likoni. So far, the women have set up a small vegetable nursery near the Likoni Community Library.

The first demonstration was on an urban farming technique called Balcon Farming which makes efficient use of space and minimizes labor in a limited environment. By making use of the vertical walls of a tall circular structure, many crops can be planted in a small space.

The women were shown how to create such a structure, which can last for two years. First, they sewed together durable sack cloth to create the structure's exterior and then were shown how to carefully position a central column of rocks surrounded by a mixture of soil and chicken manure. This ensures even and efficient distribution of water to all the crops.

The women were also trained in how to set up a small-scale mabuyu (Baobab sweets; very popular with school kids) business. They were shown how to prepare and package the sweets, and how to keep accounts of base costs, input expenditure and profit.

This is an activity that the women can do individually from their own homes with minimal set-up costs.

 Check out more photos from the day on Hatua's Facebook page.

2012: A special year as Hatua students head to college or university

2012 marks a special year for Hatua as a number of our students head to college or university for the first time.

Earlier in the year, Hatua students Mpime Matamu, Regina Mwenda Benson, Seif Reje Maalim and Victor Kasololo left Likoni for Eldoret to begin their university careers studying for degrees in Communications and Journalism, Education, Business Management and Economics respectively at Moi University. Lizzie Wakesho also began her diploma in Clearing and Forwarding Computer Systems at Mombasa Aviation, and Stency Akinyi began her diploma in Mass Communications at Mombasa Polytechnic.

More recently, 6 further Hatua students left Likoni to follow their chosen career paths.

In September, Hamisi Juma Gushe and Abdallah Mbwana traveled to Nairobi to enroll at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology; Hamisi is studying Marine Engineering and Abdallah Computer Science. Sherryl Osano began her degree in Economics and Statistics at Chuka University College, and Sophie Idriss traveled to Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology to study for a diploma in Public Relations and Creative Advertising.

This month, Rai Isuma commenced his diploma in Social Work and Community Development at the Mombasa Technical Training Institute, and just last week Caren Ojiambo left for Moi University, Eldoret to pursue a degree in Counselling Psychology.

We are so proud of our students for their achievements so far and wish them the best of luck as they settle into their new environments and new studies.

The range of subjects chosen represents something of how dynamic the Hatua student body is - it has been a pleasure working with these students to date and we are excited to see where their lives take them!

Hatua Scholarship Fund: The selection process

Following the application deadline last Friday, the whole Hatua team has been busy this week processing a total of 195 returned applications for 35 new secondary scholarships to be awarded in the new year.

At Hatua we endeavor to select students for scholarship in the most fair and equal way possible, always according to academic ability and need. We use a points system, awarding points according to a students average end of term marks during the previous school year, the strength of a recommendation letter written by a teacher, and the quality of three essays written by each student. Each essay is marked by two different staff members from Hatua, following standardized marking criteria. Throughout we use each application’s reference number rather than the name of the student in order that we make the selection without any knowledge of who the particular student is, so as to prevent any chance of bias. 

Those who earn high points on their written applications are selected for the second round of the process, during which we conduct home visits to assess the need of each applicant through conversation about the family's economic activity and by seeing their living situation. We also consider the teacher’s comments regarding need in his/her recommendation letter, as well as a note written by the family's village elder or religious leader commenting on the family's need.

After home visits our short list is shortened to only comprise top students with high need. We then wait for the results of Kenya's end of primary standardized exam results, which we assigned a point value to, and which we add to each applicants score from earlier in the process. We then select the top boys and girls, being sure to maintain gender balance. Only once we finish our final selection do we pair applications with the name of the applicant and come to know the names of the students we have selected.

Our scholarship selection process has been designed to help us find top performing students who would otherwise be unable to continue their education. We strive to give equal opportunity to all applicants.

If you have any questions about the selection process feel free to visit our office!

New staff marks a new year for Hatua Likoni

October saw 6 new people join the Hatua Likoni team, marking an exciting new year for us. Having filled the positions that were identified as necessary for Hatua to grow, we can now expand our work and take Hatua to the next step.

Joining the team are Evans Omondi as Resource Center Coordinator, Winnie Muthina as Mentoring and Career Guidance Coordinator, Austin Walker as Research Coordinator, Grace Ochieng’ as Development Coordinator, Peter Mashauri as Volunteer Coordinator and Heather Alice as Communications Coordinator.

Omondi is a Likoni resident who holds multiple single-subject diplomas from the Institute of Commercial Management. He hopes to increase Hatua’s presence in the community through events and workshops at the library, to improve library services and to work towards its self-sustainability as a business venture.

Winnie has lived in Likoni since 1999 but was born in Kitui Central. Professionally a counselor trained in HIV/AIDS management, she hopes to bring her counseling experience to develop the mentoring and career guidance program for Hatua students.

Austin is from Maine, USA, and recently graduated from Hamilton College with a degree in International Development and Social Justice. He hopes to use his skills in conducting surveys to develop a well established database for Hatua’s research.

Grace comes from Nyanza, Kenya, where she is founded of the New Vision Sewing Group. She joins Hatua with a degree in Government and Global Studies from St. Lawrence University, New York. She hopes to increase Hatua’s financial standing in order to increase school attendance among Likoni students.

Peter is a Likoni resident. He has a diploma in Sales and Marketing and a certificate in Accounts and has previously worked in the Financial and Media sectors. He hopes to bring his skills and experience of business and sales to develop Hatua's volunteer program.

Heather is from the UK and recently graduated from SOAS, London with a degree in Swahili and Development Studies. She hopes to expand Hatua’s online presence and develop visual media in a way that harnesses voices from the community.

This month we also said a temporary ‘goodbye’ to Priscillah as she left for three months’ maternity leave. She has given birth to a beautiful baby girl, Chantell, who we warmly welcome into the Hatua family! We wish her a special and happy time for these precious months with her new baby and look forward to her return in January. Taking her place is Masika, a Hatua student who has been working with Priscillah for the past three months during her gap year between finishing school and going to university.

Despite the minor setback of having no power in the office for the first 3 weeks of October, the team is excited about the year ahead and has spent these weeks planning how to grow Hatua!

Hatua says goodbye to student Caren as she goes to university

At Hatua, we strive to employ some of our best students during their gap year between finishing school and starting university.

By being employed in Hatua’s various projects, students gain invaluable experience of the work environment and learn the discipline of keeping strict working hours.

This week, Hatua says goodbye to one student, Caren, as she goes to Moi University, Eldoret to study Counseling and Psychology. Caren has been working in the Likoni Community Library for the past nine months since she finished secondary school.

Working at Hatua has been Caren’s first employment. Caren says, “From working in the library I’ve learned how to interact with different people. I’ve learned lots of skills; managing my time, how to be punctual – Evans [the librarian] wants punctuality!”

Caren says her biggest challenge has been dealing with those who don’t respect library rules. However, learning how to manage people and to assert her authority are invaluable skills that she will take to university and beyond.

We wish Caren the best of luck as she continues her studies, and will miss her around the office!

Hatua travels to Malindi to co-hold a Medical Camp

On the weekend 13 - 14 October, Hatua Likoni in partnership with the Pamoja Africa Initiative traveled to Mjanaheri village just North of Malindi to hold a free Medical Camp for the local community.

Doctors and nurses from St. Peter‘s Hospital, Malindi and other medical personnel from the Ministry of Health in the region volunteered their time and services over the weekend. APHIA PLUS were also present, hosting VCT (Voluntary Counseling and Testing). The camp was hosted by friends from Italian Supermarket Malindi, and White Sands Hotel and Spa provided mineral water for the whole team for the weekend.

The Medical Camp ran from 9am until the afternoon on both Saturday and Sunday, and over the weekend the team treated over 400 patients seeking treatment for a range of ailments including respiratory infections, skin diseases and dental complaints. Other services included cancer screening, deworming, family planning, jigger treatment, pharmacy prescriptions, nutritional screening and laboratory testing.

Despite heavy rainfall on Saturday, a number of families still managed to travel to attend the camp. Come Sunday, the rain had subsided and many more people came for the free medical care.

On Sunday, we also visited a nearby orphanage, Pumwani Childrens Home, with one of the doctors to carry out medical check-ups on the children.

The weekend ran smoothly, and was a great opportunity for us at Hatua to make new friends. It was also a great learning experience as we assisted the medical team in washing the children's feet as treatment for jiggers.

"This was the first medical event Hatua has been involved in. It has been an eye opener for us and we're now looking forward to hosting our own medical camp in Likoni," Kwame says. "For us to provide scholarships we need healthy kids, so it makes sense for us to provide this service to the community."

Many thanks to all those who volunteered their time and resources; to our hosts, doctors, nurses, and the organizers for their commitment and hard work to make the camp such a success!

Visit Hatua's Facebook page to view more photos from the weekend.

Students get expressive at Community Poetry Workshops

Over September and October, Community Poet Tony Hillier from the UK has been conducting poetry workshops for Hatua’s students at the Likoni Youth Empowerment Center.

During the first two workshops in September, Tony introduced the students to Community Poetry, an art form that enhances formal and informal education through the power of poetry. By encouraging self expression, community issues are raised in a safe environment and achievements are celebrated.

Students discuss the art of poetry in its different forms, and are encouraged to compose their own poems with Tony’s support.

The students are really enjoying the freedom of these sessions, and are producing some great poetry. Check out some of their work below about Hatua Likoni, Likoni, education and Kenya.

Thank you Tony!

Here is a small selection...

[untitled]

Hatua is like a river flowing in a desert
cherishing our African roots
building our personalities
making us important persons
in the society filled by illiteracy
a dream come true but not a fantasy

Hatua is like a mother breastfeeding
feeding us with knowledge
knowledge to a great college
WOW! opening doors to the world
unveiling our inner potential

Hatua is like an oxygen cylinder
without it no life
a patient dies in silent death
Thanks to Hatua
poverty has no room

Sheila Kioko Abigael

Likoni

Likoni is like a shade of tree
where people don't stay permanent
because it is engulfed with a lot of slums
It is the land of the poor
where rich people are rare
Many come here just for a tour
but they have their homes there

There are a lot of investors
and a lot of sponsors
to support the poor peasants
and those who are learners
Surely most of the residents
are not the pure settlers
but only passers by

Sulleiman Musa 

Kenyan Changes

My country is rich
with a lot of beauty
Something destroys it.
Corruption is the game
our leaders play

Something I will change
is the tiresome education system
Something else I will change
is tribalism and racism
We in Kenya have a lot of work to do

Peace and harmony
is what we want
All are welcome in our peaceful country
making Kenya the place to be

Athman Mohammed

Education, key to success

We children have a right to be educated
but due to high levels of poverty
our dreams are vanishing to nowhere

Thanks to Hatua Likoni, slowly by slowly
We are going to be what we dreamt of
Through education we will be what we want

We are the people who are going to change Likoni
as fortune knocks once at every man's door
Let's use the opportunity of scholarship
and be someone important to Likoni

For everyone is wishing to be useful
and important in their community
education really is the key to success.

am thinking I have to iron my school uniform and have a lot to do today

Fridah Makokha

My Country Kenya

My country Kenya, I love it.
It is like a shining star in the sea
full of wealth and blessings
I love my country

A country full of honey flowing,
beautiful scenery and natural resources
Truly, I love my country

Kenya is like a highway passing
across the sea of success.
Appearing from each corner of the horizon
here come different tribes full of thoughts,
habits and characters to achieve their destiny
Surely, I love my country

Samuel Kimwele

Ben Levey receives award for the LCFL

Founder and Director of the Likoni Community Football League (LCFL) Ben Levey was recently presented with an award in recognition of his work with the LCFL at the 2nd Kenya Diaspora meeting held in Arlington, Virginia Washington D.C.

Hatua Likoni works very closely with the LCFL, which has grown hugely since the first organized match was played in May 2011; now 26 teams from around Likoni play in the league, which has just finished its fourth season, and a girls league is being created - just last month the LCFL sent a girls team to take part in the Mathare Youth Soccer Association (MYSA) Girls Soccer Tournament in Nairobi for the first time.

The story of Ben's award featured in Jamhuri Magazine.

Ben says, "The most important thing that this article does not discuss is how all the coaches in Likoni are working together to make this happen. PAMOJA... Kevin Odhiambo Wambura and Yusuf Mwabundu and all the coaches in Likoni should be receiving this award!"

"Receiving this award is awesome," Kevin says, "recognition for our work really gives us and the coaches motivation to continue doing what we are doing and bringing about change."

Congratulations to our friends at the LCFL for this great award of recognition!

Check out the LCFL's great work at their website.

Final Days for Job Application Submission

August 15 is the last day to submit applications for our open positions!

Current open positions include:
-Mentoring and Career Guidance Coordinator
-Communications Coordinator
-Resource Center Coordinator
-Volunteer Coordinator

For more information about each position, read scroll down or click here.


Be sure to get your applications in on time!

Hatua Hosts Likoni Civic Education Network Workshop

Hatua Likoni is happy to announce that the Likoni Civic Education Network is alive and well! Two weeks ago, Hatua hosted a week-long workshop for 20 organizations participating in the network. The goal of the workshop was to teach those representatives present about educating the community on the new Constitutive process, Fundamentals of Devolution, and Citizen participation.

With the upcoming presidential elections on March 4, 2013, reaching out to the Likoni community and helping them become informed citizens is the ultimate goal of this initiative. All of us with the Network are working hard towards reaching that goal, and this workshop was just one stepping stone in that process. From here, the organizations involved are equipped to go out into the community and do what they do best – inform their communities.

                               Nagib Shamsan of Kenya Land Alliance talks about 
                         Chapter 6 of the new Constitution, Land and Environment.

The workshop was lead by four facilitators: James Nga’Nga' of MCI, Muhammad Ali Chamzuzu of SUDEP, Suleiman Sultan of Peacenet Kenya, and James Gashie of Kenya Muslim Youth Alliance. Nagib Shamsan of Kenya Land Alliance also participated as a guest facilitator.

Participating organizations include:

Hatua Likoni

KMYA

MCI

SUDEP

MUHURI

L.C.F.L.

LIKUSA

LICODEP

Active Youth

TRACE

Sauti ya Likoni

LONSCOM

Likoni N.Y.R.

Sauti ya Kinamama 

Emani Kenya

Be sure to check out more photos and information about the workshop on our Facebook page! 

Likoni Youth Agenda Throws Awareness Raising Talent Show

This past Saturday, July 14, 2012, the students from the Likoni Youth Agenda put on a talent show at Likoni’s YWCA.

The goal of the talent show was to teach Likoni’s youth about why it’s important for them to vote and how the voting process works. So, the talent show was meant to spread their message in a fun and involved way.  Those who chose to perform could choose from three categories – poetry, music or dance, all with the theme of civic education.

The majority of people who attended were 18 and over, and in possession of ID’s, however only 3 of those students claimed they had voted. This pinpointed the exact issue that the Likoni Youth Agenda wanted to get across to their fellow youths – that everyone needs to be an active and informed citizen, especially younger generations.

The students who make up the Likoni Youth Agenda originally came together after the Civic Education Forum took place in May, and this was their first big event. While other groups like the Likoni Civic Education Network are focusing on educating Likoni’s community, the Likoni Youth Agenda focuses on Likoni’s youth, and teaching them about the importance of voting and voting literacy.

The entire event was managed and organized by the students themselves, and they even fundraised more than half of the budget. They advertised in their schools and throughout the LIkoni community and they got more than 600 youths to attend!

Hatua Likoni is very proud of their achievement and cannot wait to see what strides they make in the future.

Be sure to check out more photos of the event on our facebook page the Likoni Youth Agenda’s facebook page! (http://www.facebook.com/LikoniYouthAgenda?ref=ts) 

Job Opening at Hatua Likoni

Hatua Likoni would like to announce the following job openings.
TO APPLY: Bring your CV, qualification documents, and a letter explaining your interest in this position to the Youth Empowerment Center & Library at Flats, Likoni, open from 9am to 8pm Monday through Friday and 10am to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday. Please leave your application and contact details with the librarian on duty. Applications submitted by Aug 15^th will be considered.

Mentoring and Career Guidance Coordinator

Location: Mombasa, Kenya

Number of Positions: 1 full-time, paid position

Start Date: Oct 1^st, 2012

Minimum Requirement: Degree in a relevant field or Diploma and 2 years of work experience

Overview: Hatua Likoni is a community led NGO helping Likoni’s top students gain the skills and credentials needed to contribute to & benefit from Kenya's growing economy. We do so by providing scholarships, mentoring and career guidance to secondary, college and university students in Likoni.

Hatua Likoni is currently accepting applications for the position of Mentoring and Career Guidance Coordinator. This is a full-time, paid position starting Oct 1^st, 2012, responsible for design and management of Hatua Likoni's mentoring program for secondary and university students, focused on building networks with local professionals to server as mentors to students. Qualified applicants are passionate about helping Likoni youth complete school and enter the work force, fully able to take a leadership role within Hatua Likoni, very hard working and self motivated. Preference will be given to Likoni residents.

Responsibilities:

·         Creating a weekly mentoring calendar focused on positive personal decision making, communication skills, civic education and career guidance for Hatua Likoni’s secondary school scholarship students.

·         Coordinating weekly mentoring sessions for secondary school scholarship students on Sunday afternoons, and mentoring activities and tuition during school holidays.

·         Identifying and coordinating local professionals to serve as mentors to university scholarship students.

·         Helping to coordinate attachments for university scholarship students with local companies.

·         Leading training sessions at Likoni’s Youth Empowerment Center for scholarship students and the larger community on:

o       Higher education options

o       College Financing, including HELB

o       Career choice

o       CV writing

o       Interviewing skills

o       Networking

·         Creating and maintaining a list of job openings available within companies located in Mombasa.

·         Planning Hatua Likoni’s annual scholarship student trip or party.

Requirements:

      ·         Degree in a relevant field or Diploma and minimum of 2 years work experience

·         Human resource management experience preferred

·         Ability to lead program development

·         Strong work ethic, excellent organizational skills and able to work with minimal supervision

·         Excellent communication and writing skills

·         Computer proficiency and knowledge of Microsoft programs

Communications Coordinator

Location: Mombasa, Kenya

Number of Positions: 1 full-time, paid position

Start Date: Oct 1^st, 2012

Minimum Requirement: Degree in a relevant field or Diploma and 2 years of work experience

Overview: Hatua Likoni is a community led NGO helping Likoni’s top students gain the skills and credentials needed to contribute to & benefit from Kenya's growing economy. We do so by providing scholarships, mentoring and career guidance to secondary, college and university students in Likoni.

Hatua Likoni is currently accepting applications for the position of Communications Coordinator. This is a full-time, paid position starting Oct 1^st, 2012, responsible for creating and implementing a communications strategy targeting foundations, corporations and individuals that will builds support for Hatua Likoni and enable the organization to grow its programs. Qualified applicants are passionate about improving quality of life in Likoni through education for youth, they also possess excellent writing skills, are fully able to take a leadership role within Hatua Likoni, are very hard working and self motivated. Preference will be given to Likoni residents.

Responsibilities:

·          Writing grant proposals and follow up reports to foundations in Kenya and abroad  

·         Creating communications materials to build relationships between Hatua and corporations in Mombasa

            ·         Writing and updating organization communications materials, including:

o       Hatua’s website

o       Blog

o       Facebook

o       Quarterly newsletters

o       Quarterly and annual reports

            ·          Sorting and sharing Hatua’s visual media

Requirements:

       ·          Degree in a relevant field or Diploma and minimum of 2 years work experience

·         Prior work experience in communications or grant writing preferred

·         Excellent writing skills

·         Strong computer skills

·         Strong work ethic and able to work with minimal supervision

Resource Center Coordinator

Location: Mombasa, Kenya

Number of Positions: 1 full-time, paid position

Start Date: Oct 1^st, 2012

Minimum Requirement: Degree in a relevant field or Diploma and 2 years of work experience

Overview: Hatua Likoni is a community led NGO helping Likoni’s top students gain the skills and credentials needed to contribute to & benefit from Kenya's growing economy. We do so by providing scholarships, mentoring and career guidance to secondary, college and university students in Likoni.

Hatua Likoni is currently accepting applications for the position of Resource Center Coordinator. This is a full-time, paid position starting Oct 1^st, 2012, responsible for managing the programs, services, staff and budget of the Likoni Youth Empowerment Center & Library.  Qualified applicants are passionate about providing high quality library services, computer classes and workshops for Likoni youth, are fully able to take a leadership role within Hatua Likoni, are able to manage staff and a budget, and are hard working and self motivated. Preference will be given to Likoni residents.

Responsibilities:

·         Managing the staff, budget and services provide at the Likoni Youth Empowerment Center & Library while constantly improving these services.

·         Implement and advertise new programs, i.e. children’s reading hour and CV writing workshops

·         Maintain a calendar of events and hall rentals

·         Source for donors for Resource Center activities

·         Manage the Computer lab to be a profitable enterprise that generates income to pay the Library’s running costs

Requirements:

       ·         Degree in a relevant field or Diploma and 2 years of work experience

·         Project or Business management experience preferred

·         Ability to lead program development and supervise staff

·         Strong work ethic and excellent organizational skills

·         Excellent communication and writing skills

·         Computer proficiency

·         Librarians encouraged to apply

Volunteer Coordinator

Location: Mombasa, Kenya

Number of Positions: 1 part-time position with commission based compensation

Start Date: Oct 1^st, 2012

Minimum Requirement: Degree in a relevant field or Diploma and 2 years of work experience

Overview: Hatua Likoni is a community led NGO helping Likoni’s top students gain the skills and credentials needed to contribute to & benefit from Kenya's growing economy. We do so by providing scholarships, mentoring and career guidance to secondary, college and university students in Likoni.

Hatua Likoni is currently accepting applications for the position of Volunteer Coordinator. This is a part-time, commission based position starting Oct 1^st, 2012, responsible for recruiting and hosting international volunteers, including building partnerships with organizations where volunteers will work and managing Hatua's volunteer house. Qualified applicants are passionate about creating a volunteer program that serves local organizations and helps volunteers feel at home in Likoni. They also possess excellent interpersonal skills and writing skills, are able to take a leadership role within Hatua Likoni, are hard working and self motivated. Preference will be given to Likoni residents.

Responsibilities:

·          Recruiting volunteers through online job and volunteer advertisement sites  

·         Manage the volunteer house, including housekeeping and meals for volunteers
·         Coordinate a week long orientation, including home stays for each volunteer
·         Create and maintain partnerships with volunteer hosting organizations, i.e. orphanages and schools in Likoni

·         Support volunteers through their stay to ensure they are happy, healthy and productive
·         Help volunteers to organize recreational activities
·         Collect feedback from volunteers after their stay and make improvements to the program based on their suggestions

Requirements:

      ·         Degree in a relevant field or Diploma and 2 years of work experience

·         Hospitality or volunteer coordination experience preferred

·         Ability to lead program development

·         Strong work ethic and excellent organizational skills

·         Excellent writing and computer skills

·         Great social skills

·         Strong networking abilities to build partnerships with local organizations