However, while carrying out our initial objective, we could not help but notice the excessive amount of garbage pollution there. We were shocked! There were heaps and piles of rotting garbage everywhere – around the residents’ homes, on the pathways and all around the main public school where these children studied. This got us thinking, could these unhygienic conditions be a major cause of the inefficiency of the students? While we were out to de-worm the students and residents, we hadn’t considered to get rid of the source of the problem rather than treat its outcome. If one of the major causes of stomach worms was the lack of hygiene, then perhaps we should focus of eradicating the root of the problem, which in this case was the filthy garbage pollution all around the school and the residential area. Therefore it is important to get rid of the garbage pollution, which is causing such unhygienic conditions leading to stomach worms in the students and residents. This would aid in decreasing the occurrences of worms hence enabling the students to be more effective in the schools.
In this project, we provided the Sokoni Primary School and the community around the school with a reliable source of water. The Sokoni Primary School is located in a small town known as Roka in Killifi, Mombasa. The inspiration for this project came while two of the members of our organization were watching the news about the drought in Northern parts of Kenya. After watching the footage, they just could not get the images of the kids dying of thirst in their heads. It was as though they had reached a point of realization and actually wanted to do something to help the less fortunate people. One thing lead to another and we eventually decided to assist a local community in need considering that Northern Kenya was too far from us.
In order to find a local community, we had to speak to someone with experience, someone who had done so much around Kenya in terms of helping people and would know which place needed immediate assistance. This person was Andrew Kitanyi, a student at the Methodist University in Mombasa and the chairman of The Pamoja Africa Initiative. Despite our fears, he was delighted to be of assistance and we planned to visit the location that he had in mind the following weekend.
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| The Sokoni Community, Roka, Kilifi, Kenya |
We had visited the school with Bockle, a borehole contractor who was going to oversee the area and inform of us of the costs of digging a borehole there, which would provide the school with water. He informed us that it would cost about Kenya shillings 250,000. That was a lot of money that we just couldn’t afford. Regardless of the cost, our determination was too strong and we knew that we would somehow raise that amount and provide the community with water, which was something that they desperately needed.
We addressed the leaders of the community, the headmistress of the school and the councilor of the area to notify them of our intentions so that we could get their blessings. Most African communities are very superstitious and it is very important that if you want to do something for them, you ask them first.
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| Signing An Agreement With The Well Contractors |
Over coming all the difficulties that we faced during the course of this project, we worked efficiently with the Leaders of the community as well as the people in charge of digging the well in order to complete the project as soon as we could. After many days of dedication from all the involved parties the project finally came to an end. We successfully provided the people of the Sokoni community with a reliable source of water. We created a lasting relationship with the Sokoni community.
The success of this project has inspired us to take up many more similar projects. Today we can proudly say “We Made A Difference” by providing the Sokoni community with a reliable source of water. We would like to urge you to support our initiatives, its time we give back to our communities.
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Check out more images taken during the course of the project here:
The DHL Mombasa station manager Fatma Abubakar who we had worked with previously contacted us and told us that the DHL Mombasa branch would be more than happy to assist us in our next project that involved disinfecting the people of the Sokoni Community of jiggers.
Jiggers were a major problem for the people of Roka; jiggers are these insects that enter one’s skin causing immense discomfort and pain. Jiggers are a major problem in many rural areas in Mombasa. Those infected are usually kids and the infection of jiggers causes them not to attend school as explained to us by the Sokoni Primary School’s headmistress.
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| Briefing the people prior to the jigger eradication event |
DHL had agreed to fund and give us volunteers for the project. The activity was a pretty messy one and we was glad that we had a medical expert as well as other volunteers from the Sokoni Community. It was a massive project and we were able to disinfect more than 500 people. This includes every student at the Sokoni Primary School who was infected by jiggers, all the kids at the community as well as any other person who had jiggers.
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| Main working area |
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| Preparing the Iodine disinfectant |
We can gladly say “We Made A Difference” by disinfecting everyone in the Sokoni community and other communities who had jiggers and ensuring that jiggers will not be a problem in the near future. We would like to urge you to support our initiatives, its time we give back to our communities.
Check out more images taken during the course of the project here:
Once again, we partnered with DHL Mombasa in order to make a difference in the lives of the children of the Sokoni Community. As part of their Community and Service month, the DHL Staff had begun collecting items, which they would later donate to a particular community. They had a specific section at the office where customers and staff would be able to drop off items that they were willing to donate. These items included food, clothes, shoes etc.
At the same time, the Making a Difference Projects had also began a similar activity and so it was decided that together with the items collected by DHL, we would head over to Roka and give out the items to the children of the Sokoni Community.
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| Performance of gratitude by students of the Sokoni Community |
It seemed as though it was a simple activity that would definitely not take long, however, the children of the Sokoni Primary School had other ideas. In order to show their gratitude towards the DHL Staff and us, they had prepared a series of presentations. These included dances and songs all sang by the students of the Sokoni Primary School.
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| Dancing with students of Sokoni Community |
The entire community was there to watch the children perform and the DHL Staff also joined the kids in dances and later interacted with the children and other members of the community. All the items collected were left to the Councilor and the headmistress of the Sokoni Primary School so that they could be evenly distributed to all the people in the community. The whole day was filled with excitement from the kids and glowing faces with a general atmosphere of happiness.
We would like to thank the DHL Staff for their kind gestures towards our projects as well as all their assistance. We hope that we can continue working hand-in-hand with DHL in order to “Making a Difference” in various communities around Mombasa.
We can gladly say “We Made A Difference along with immense support from DHL" . We would like to urge you to support our initiatives, its time we give back to our communities.
Check out more images taken during the course of the project here:
