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.
As Hatua Likoni's first donor, supporter and fund raiser it was a deeply moving experience to spend a week with the staff, students and community served by the Hatua organization. The work of everyone involved is improving the quality of life and the future prospects for success of thousands of residents in Likoni, Kenya.
ReplyDeleteWe watched a thrilling sudden death kickoff for the 12 and under boys Likoni Community Football League Championship with a crowd of 300 young fans. 600 boys & girls practice and play matches every Sunday.
One of Hatua's first projects was to put electricity and running water into an orphanage for 20 children. As their guest for dinner, it was hard to imagine how these children as young as 3 years old lived in the dark every night while the adults and older children hauled water into the compound round the clock. Hatua Likoni made a difference.
The library is amazing. Every seat is full from morning til close. Though only 50 of our patrons are able to check books out of the library, hundreds of people of all ages use the reference books, computers and reading material every day. In a community where many homes do not have electricity, the library is a haven for evening study and learning.
We visited 3 Primary Schools; one was Longu where 115 students in both 7th and 8th grade were squeezed into class rooms designed for half that number of students; and there was only one teacher for each grade. Hopefully, Kenya's new Constitution which promises expanded educational opportunities for all students will rectify this overcrowding. We hope this will make it possible for students from this school to score high enough on their exams to qualify for Hatua scholarships in the future.
Our visit to Moi Forces Academy, a private fee based secondary school, where 39 of our scholarship students make up 8% of the student body is a prime example of what every school should be like in Likoni. No overcrowding, beautiful facilities and joy on the face of every student.
Hatua Likoni now provides scholarships for 100 students and plans to add another 40 students to our program. The only thing keeping Hatua from offering scholarships to 300 deserving students is money. Hatua, which translates into "One Step Forward", is changing the lives of Likoni's brightest, hard working, scholars. These scholarship children now see a path to a professional career with a bright future.
At the Annual meeting, one of Hatua Likoni's secondary school graduates, Peter Mccauw who will begin college, spoke these words, today Hatua Likoni, tomorrow Hatua Kenya.