Junior Acheivers Sit down

Recently programs director Kwame Mwakio and a representative from the junior achievers office in Mombasa had a sit down in which an intense exchange of ideas took place. Lewis from JA had come in for a small workshop to speak to residents of the community about company program. Company program is a flagship of JA and Lewis first outlined it carefully for Kwame before the workshop.
Usually JA deals with high school students but company program is branching out of school to educate youth on financial literacy and get them started in the entrepreneurial and finance game.
The seminar was informative and formal as was to be expected, most of the questions and comments came from Hatua Likoni staff representatives present illustrating their tendency toward being so highly informed. One question was about how far JA would go to support a company program sponsorship recipient past the competition itself. To which Lewis assured us that JA will be there for any youth who shows sufficient zeal and seriousness in business.

Books & Computers donations

Programs Director Kwame Mwakio traveled with Juma Kassim to the capital city Nairobi to collect a book donation from AFK and a donation 10 computers from the Kenya Education Fund. This comprised of about 83 boxes, and according to Mr. Mwakio it was a hectic endeavor. The capital is more hustle and bustle than Likoni, and Kwame says he spent a couple of sleepless nights trying to get everything together to travel home. According to Kwame the little pickup was "full of boxes" filled to the brim with the communities' much sort after resources. These books and computers will go toward building the foundation of the empowerment library, more books mean more information translating into more knowledge. More computers will give the the youth and members of the community an avenue leading to the information super highway. At the end of it all, according to Kwame it was all worth the hassle!

Equity Wings to Fly Sponsorship Recipient

One of our students, Omar Suleiman Musa has on the basis of a demonstrated academic and leadership capacity been selected for the Equity Group Foundation Education and Leadership Congress! This is really exciting both for the recipient and for Hatua being that he is one of ours. The objective of the foundation is to give wings to fly that is this mentoring workshop will likely lead to greater things and will be his launchpad into greater heights.
The aim of this workshop is to provide an environment which enables young people to realize their personal goals and harness their potential as leaders.

Suleiman was born in Kwale in 1996, on his scholarship application he wrote a heart felt essay about how if given the chance to effect change within the community he would set up counseling centers to erradicate the drug menace which has plagued his community. He is presently a student in Moi Forces Academy, having had received several awards for attaining good grades.

AFK Workshop & Donation

Ag. Librarian Evans Wafula attended a workshop in Meru County to make a presentation on the Instructional role of a school library. All the invited guests attending the workshop seemed impressed and all the AFK members said that they had learned a lot thus, Evans felt appreciated. This made Lia, Audra and Maureen invite him to join them in the meeting they were going to have with Meru KNLS staff on 16th July, 2011.

Networks were established with Lia, Barbra, Maureen, Audra (all from the States), selected Secondary school principals and deputies from Meru county, school librarians and teachers from Rurama secondary school.
Lia taught them about:Internet searching,Data bases,Web site evaluation,Library collaboration.
Maureen presented a paper on Internet safety,How to site sources,Internet and classroom Instruction Researching (online)
All parties were requested to join AFK Library Forum on facebook, promote librarianship, assist library users, market libraries develop new skills. Lia and Maureen promised the AFK team next year will pay Hatua Likoni a visit during the summer. They also promised to donate more books and other materials and to find scholarships for interested qualified people from their partner organizations.
In addition AFK is donating 1000 books on Wednesday 3rd August to the Likoni Empowerment Library.

Volunteer Housing

Hatua Likoni volunteers and interns have the opportunity to be housed at Pungu beach, which is on the way to Shelley roughly 7km from the Hatua office. Access to the main land is via the ferry then you take either a tuk taxi or motor bike costing approximately 30ksh-50ksh [one way] to Pungu.
The residence is a three bedroom bungalow with a makuti roof complete with two bathrooms [both with a shower]; the unit also has a kitchenette, a little living room and a small backyard. The best thing is you have direct access to the beach for that relaxing swim after work. Residents have a clear view of the magical sunrise and enchanting sunsets. The flat at Pungu provides that coastal Likoni feel reminding you that volunteering does not have to be all hard and arduous, you can also relax during down time. There is also a beach bar about 500 meters walk along the seashore, for that nite cap or happy hour on Thursday.
Full board per week, per person is 11,500ksh, this includes meals and basic cleaning of the flat. Funds go toward funding Hatua Likoni's various projects. Meals range from the coveted Swahili cuisine to a more local flavor. Security in the area is exemplary, both provided exclusively within the compound [in the which] the flat is located and in the surrounding environs.
In addition volunteers from other agencies are also welcome, as well as staff from other organizations, or patrons interested in long term leisure.

UN Drug awareness day

In June of this year the students and staff of Hatua Likoni attended the annual drug awareness walk.The procession trudged from the police station down the main road in Likoni county. In attendance was the chief magistrate, the provincial commissioner, district commissioner and the representative for the United Nations organization charged with drug awareness and the eradication of the menace which is drug abuse.
Drug abuse is a serious problem in Kenya and particularly at the Coast which is where Likoni is located. The situation in Likoni is a recipe for one to slip into such anti social tendancies; however a place like Hatua empowerment library is a safe place in which the youth and children of Likoni community can avoid such behavior through self education about self reliance, self sufficiency and the fostering of high self esteem.
At the walk which is held annually and was held on June 26 respectively, the Hatua Likoni banner was flying high; Showing Hatua Likoni's presence and support of such a positive cause within the community.

Madaraka Nursery School Values Hatua's Support

There is no such thing as public nursery education in Kenya. As a result children from poor families begin their education in Primary School, at age 6, while kids from more well of families enter primary with 3 years of school and a head start in reading, writing, counting and speaking English. Madaraka Community Nursery School offers low cost or free early childhood education to children from families that can’t afford private nursery school. Our goal is to help children from poor families get an equal opportunity succeed in primary and continue on the secondary school and higher education.
Madaraka Community Nursery School was founded by a pair of brothers who first founded a home for orphaned and abandoned children.
In April and May of 2010 Hatua Likoni constructed a new school house for Madaraka Community Nursery School, consists of 6 large classrooms. School is taught by six teachers who dedicate themselves to providing high quality reading, writing, math, and English instruction using music and art as learning tools.
While all other nursery schools in Likoni are for profit and charge high fees,Madaraka charges only 300/- ($3.75) per month, or 13.6/- ($0.17) per day, just enough to pay the teachers wages and ensure that the school can sustain itself. This is about 1/3 of what other schools charge.
Madaraka provides its students with education 5 days per week from 8 am until 4 pm, morning porridge and lunch.For families that struggle to support their children, being able to pay less than a dollar a day for child care and food for a child is a great service, as feeding the child at home would cost at least as much or more. For children that would not eat if they were not in school, our feeding program is more than just a service, but their source of basic sustenance. For parents day care enables them to work, while the education Madaraka provides helps ensure that Likoni children from low incomes families have access to early childhood education and a head start in life.
Hatua Likoni, with support from SDL Foundation, helps ensures that Madaraka's students are nourished by providing Madaraka with the food that is served to all students, every school day. In total Hatua Likoni provides students at Madaraka with 70,000 meals per year.
In June 2011 Hatua Likoni constructed 36 new desks for Madaraka, able to seat 108 students.