Women's Forum Meeting, August, 2010

As I was reviewing my notes from last year's expedition, I realized I had never posted the notes I took during our women's forum meeting held at the KCC.  We invited women from Mnyenzeni to join us for tea, cookies and an opportunity to talk openly about our different lives.

Wednesday, August 4

Women's meeting at KCC

All women came with babies.  12 village women, 13 Americans: 

Robyn Kimball - Utah

Umazi Dzombo - Mnyenzeni

Mjeni Dongoi - Mwache

Kendy Taylor - California

Uchi Chondo - Mnyenzeni

Zawadi Ndawa - Mnyenzeni

Asha Dzombo - Mnyenzeni

Marcie- Utah

Lacee- Utah

Sherrie- Utah

Mbeyu Chombo - Mnyenzeni

Fatuma Chondo - Mnyenzeni

Leigh - Utah

Cindy- Utah

Shelley- Utah

Sara Chikuta - Mnyenzeni

McCall- Utah

Kanga Juma - Mnyenzeni

Mjeni Viyani - Vikolani

Kris - Mwaka- Utah

Zilpa Mlongo - Mwongaraba

Ingrid (KweKwe) Utah

Margaret Luvuno - Mnyenzeni

Naomi Mwenda - Mnyenzeni

Jami (Chizi)- Utah

Lindsay (Pola)- Utah

Open time for questions:

There was a vote held during our stay, the citizens got to vote on the constitution.  

Kris: Who voted?  7 women voted.

Constitution interpretation:

New constitution is better.  President has to win by certain percentage.

People vote and win is decided immediately, not months later. 

Naomi:  Most people are squatters, at any time they could be told to move out.  

Land in Duruma land is clan owned. 

Margaret: She has decided to vote for constitution for next generation.  Has brought men and women together in vote.  Equal rights approaching.  Kind of a 70-30 equation.  Encourages women's education.  This constitution will give women more rights, especially in area of inheritance.  Women will be counted in division of parents assets, not just men now.  No child labor.  Children to be in school not working through Grade 8.  6,000 ksh per year for scholarship, only for school lunch cost.  10,270 ksh from government for school fees. 

It appears the constitution will pass.

Men also supportive of this vote.

What is issue they are concerned with most?   

Delivering babies.  Most give birth at home with help of a midwife (often mother-in-law).  Average # of children for Duruma:  8-9  

Reasons for large family: naming children after someone important to them. Lack of family planning is tradition.  They need to birth more than 10 children to be called an "African woman".  High mortality rate.  Out of 100 children, 20 die before 5.  If they don't continue pregnancies, they worry husband will leave.  Hesitant to do family planning, for fear of husband's reaction  2 of the group have 10 or more children.  One of them was 15 when she had her first child.

Most standard 8 dropouts get married and pregnant young.  Question: what would happen if girls get pregnant without being married: Traditionally chased to grandma or aunt and will not come back.  OR your parents will ask you to tell who is the father of the child and you will be forced to marry him.  If you marry someone else the child remains with aunt or grandma. 

How many have had a child die? 8 of the 12.  Margaret has had 3 children die, 3 months, pneumonia.  Malaria, 6 months.  Malaria, 15 months. 

Question from Margaret: What does our constitution do for women.  In Kenya it is possible for a woman to run for president.  But women don't generally support women politicians there. 

Husbands can beat wives, wives can seek legal action but it is a long tedious process.

Question:  Is family planning practiced in states? What is size of average family?  surprised by the answer of 2-3.  Surprised by Jami having 8 children, having many children ages mothers here, so they look much older than we do.  Margaret is about 40.

When they have twins did they know they were having them? One did, one did not.

Often people go away and live together without marriage.

No dowry paid for wife in U.S.  Bret explained specifics of relationship in America.  Now that girls are becoming educated, their daughters will begin to move the way of Americans.  By letting them get educated, they will improve their lives. 

After they have a baby, how long do they rest.  40 days of rest.  A family member will come to help them with work.

Is husband there when your children are born? In hospital, they are able to be there.  At home, no.

Can a man have two wives in America?  No, he will get sent to jail.  Laughter.

Bret:  In U.S. he will cook in his kitchen.  Help clean the house.  If he has his friends at the house, he will cook and serve them.  In Kenya the husband will order the wife out until the baby is quiet. 

When a husband has more than one wife, the wives do not get along and usually don't live near each other.  Men sneak out to see other women.  Women always have responsibility of the home and family. 

Most difficult work they do?  Fetching firewood.  Fetching water.  Working in fields.

If something needs to be purchased, where do they get money to buy?  If husband is working, he can give money for a purchase.  If husband has no work, women must do odd jobs to raise funds. 

Raise hand if husband works with a salary.  2 raised hand.  1 works at dispensary.  1 works as a cook at a boarding school.  One lady has a husband who was employed but he died from a boil (abscess).  The remainder of them will raise corn in their shambas to survive.

   

As you can see from my notes, I was typing as a conversation was going on.  It was an interesting conversation.  Bret coming into the room helped the conversation get going.  The village women in Kenya tend to be very quiet and submissive.  They aren't quick to offer information, unless they know or trust you.  They know Bret because he has been coming to Mnyenzeni for so may years.  They offered more information once he encouraged them to talk to us.  

During the 2 hours we met, the women enjoyed chai tea and the flat biscuit type cookies common here.  They were quick to feed their babies both the tea and cookies as well.  

The American women enjoyed the information we gleaned from the village women, and learned more about their lives.  This kind of interaction helps us to understand their lives better.  We as Americans have such easy lives by comparison.  

An interesting afternoon. 

Asante sana, 

IVL

Top of Utah groups, schools donate to Koins for Kenya - Standard-Examiner

Top of Utah groups, schools donate to Koins for Kenya - Standard-Examiner
see photos and read story by clicking on link above

By Ruth Malan

Standard-Examiner

Stndard-Examiner correspondent

Fri, 07/01/2011

FRUIT HEIGHTS -- Many young students in Kenya no longer have to sit on the dirt floors of crumbling schools built of sticks and mud.

That's due to the help of a few Top of Utah locals, including Morgan resident Cindy Workman and Fruit Heights couple Sue and Curt Tingey, who all became involved in a project called Koins for Kenya, a foundation that provides ways for caring Americans to actively engage with rural Kenyans to provide education opportunities.

Ten years ago, Bret Van Leeuwen, of Alpine, went to Kenya and found such a great need for outside help that he formed the foundation Koins for Kenya.

Workman, a Morgan resident and sixth-grade teacher, also helped form the foundation.
"Ten years ago, I went to Africa with another humanitarian project," Cindy said. "I met Bret and we wanted to do something for the same village and it grew from there."

Sue Tingey heard of the needs in Kenya and also desired to help. Because of some health problems she didn't have the opportunity to go with her husband when he first took the journey to help build desks for the students. But last year Sue went along, and she will be leaving July 8 on another expedition.
"At first I thought the problems were so enormous that I wondered if we could make a difference. They need water, housing, sanitation," Sue Tingey said. "Last year when we went, we added another room to a school."

Anyone can donate coins for Kenya, but several local schools have already helped in a big way. Windridge Elementary, of Kaysville, where Workman teaches, has already helped to build a school. This year, Windridge and Eagle Bay Elementary, of Farmington, collected a combined total of $10,000. Also, Guy Child Elementary School, in South Ogden, collected enough money to pay to build a cistern to collect rain water.

Each spring, Workman's class has a water walk so they can understand what it would be like not to have water in the house.
"The thing that's most awesome is to see 12-year-olds involved," said Workman.

Students in Kenyan villages must get their own drinking water.
"They usually get their water from a watering hole where animals also go," Sue Tingey said. "When the children are on their way to school they stop to get water to drink for the day."

Villagers are getting a hand up, not a hand-out.
"Villagers must put up 10 percent. They must sacrifice, cash is a really big deal," Sue Tingey said.
This year, the group traveling from Utah to the village of Mnyenzeni will build a school, two cisterns, a latrine and school desks, she said.

Curt Tingey oversees the wood shop, where desks will be built for the 300 children who will attend the three-room school. He is also building tables and furniture for the teachers, who currently must stand all day as they teach. Because they have no school supplies, Koins for Kenya will take science supplies to them.

Workman's classroom also raised money to purchase a microscope for a medical clinic. Both Workman and Tingey explained that the Kenyan government will not provide treatment for those with malaria unless they are first tested. The clinic had to have a microscope in order to provide the test. The microscope was delivered in January.

"The next day, eight people were tested and six had malaria. You could say we saved six peoples' lives," Workman said.

Sue Tingey's sister, Karen Timothy, of Fruit Heights, also wanted to get involved in Koins for Kenya.
On June 28, more than 160 people gathered in the backyard of Timothy's home for a fundraising dinner. It was a familiar scene, as this was the 12th dinner Timothy has hosted.
"To do service is a great experience. It's been so much fun," Timothy said.

In May, Tingey arranged for a huge garage sale, with items donated by friends and neighbors that raised over $5,000.

None of the money goes to overhead, it all goes to help the people, she said.

It is a tradition in Africa that schools be named for those who provide the school. However, Tingey said she was uncomfortable with having a school named for her family.
"It is an honor for them to meet you. This isn't something I am comfortable with, but I have to look at their point of view," Tingey said.
The school they will build this summer will be named "The Tingey School of Gona."
"We are naming it in honor of our kids," she said.

Donations may be made to help with the many projects taking place at Koins for Kenya. For more information go to www.koinsforkenya.com
 
According to their website, "The goal of Koins for Kenya is to develop programs which are self-sustaining."

Language Translator added to Koins Blog

I just added a widget to the right side of the Koins blog, so if you are reading this in a foreign country, you can now translate the body of the text to your native language. 

Look for the Google Website Translator Gadget on the right side, and choose your language from the drop box. 

We have had readers from many countries around the world, this should make it easier for you to read about the work we are doing in Kenya.

Asante Sana!

IVL

Cindy Workman, Teacher Extraordinaire

Class meeting under tree, because of classroom shortage in Kenya

Bret asked that I tell the story of Cindy Workman and Koins.  She has been an important part of the Koins story from the very beginning, when she and Bret met on an expedition to Kenya in 2002, and their individual passions for helping rural Kenyans meshed and the idea for Koins for Kenya was ignited.

Here is Cindy's story:

Cindy Workman, a teacher at Windridge Elementary in Kaysville, Utah, placed a robust jar atop her desk.  She magically described her recent experience in Kenya to her young students, expressively illustrating what wild animals she had seen, and the beauty of the landscape in Kenya.  In her animated way, Cindy talked about the new friends she had made in the local village, and how she had helped carry a large bucket from the watering hole to the mud hut where her friends lived.  As her captivated students listened intently, Cindy then spoke of her long trek up a hill to where a school was supposedly located.  The villagers wanted this American teacher to see their children learning, so she hiked with them up the steep rise, through rocks and thorns, to the village of Chikomani.

Stretching her arms as wide as they could go Cindy described the gigantic size of the baobab tree at the top of the hill.  She told the children that it was often called the “Upside Down” tree since it often looked like the roots were in the air on these giant trees.  Then, as she tried unsuccessfully to choke back her tears, Cindy described what she saw as they drew closer to the tree.  There were forty-five to fifty small children encircling the tree.  An adult stood at the massive trunk holding a broken piece of plywood that had been covered with a thick coat of blackboard paint.  The wind blew constantly, requiring the teacher to keep hold of this makeshift blackboard that thrashed about as she explained the lesson to the small children in front of her.  The large tree provided shade during the heat of the day, or shelter from the rain, but it was a difficult environment to learn.  Cindy was moved at the sight of these small children and what they would endure to gain an education.  Now, standing in front of her own classroom thousands of miles away, she fought back her emotions as she recounted her experience to her stunned students. 

The jar she placed on her desk was to collect the pocket change of her young students throughout the year.  On many occasions Cindy was asked to tell her story again and again.  The vivid recollection of her long walk to Chikomani, the giant tree, and the group of students assemble underneath its massive branches never dimmed.  Day by day the jar collected shiny nickels, and an assortment of other coins.  A few dollars were donated and the jar filled.  Cindy placed a sign on the jar delineating the purpose for which the funds would somehow be used – Koins for Kenya.

At the end of the school year an accounting took place.  The money that had been raised by these diligent humanitarians was donated to the new foundation that had taken Cindy to Kenya.  When the last penny was tallied Miss Cindy’s class had raised enough funds to construct a small classroom building on that hill in Chikomani.  The children of that village have enjoyed a comfortable environment over the past couple of years due to the assistance of the class so many miles away.  Both schools share the same name – Windridge – and although they are separated by vast lands and deep oceans, they share the common strings of education, a windy knoll, and Cindy Workman, the teacher responsible for educating eager minds on two continents, and providing the inspiration for the naming of the Koins for Kenya Foundation.

The Workman's with students in new uniforms under the baobab tree that used to be their classroom

P.S. – Cindy Workman has continued her efforts with the same simple jar sitting on her desk.  Her stories have grown through her many visits to Kenya, as have her fundraising efforts within her school area in the states.  With her coordinated efforts she and her students have constructed additional classrooms, much needed water cisterns, and latrines for her kids in Kenya.  Mama Cindy, as she is known in this village area, is the symbol of the humantarian spirit and endless love for children.  With dirty little faces, and tattered clothes, these village children greet Mama Cindy with a resounding song when she visits.  Parents praise her for her efforts as they recognize how she impacts their children’s lives.  As Mama Cindy hikes the hill to Chikomani, villagers greet her by name, occasionally introducing her to their newborn babies, many who now bare her name.  They will attend the Windridge School that is shaded by the baobab tree.  The Kenyan Government has recently recognized the Windridge School at Chikomani, providing certified teachers for the classrooms.

Through Cindy's passion and love for teaching, she not only brings education to a rural village in Kenya, but she enriches her 6th grade students and starts them on a course of humanitarianism that will stay with them throughout their lives.  

Cindy has made the trip to Kenya several times, and will again visit Kenya this summer, bringing more blessings to the village of Chikomani.  

Cindy and her husband, Mike, are board members for Koins for Kenya.  It is individuals such as the Workman's whose vision and hard work keep hope alive in Kenya.  

Asante sana! 

IVL

Oprah and Africa

Friday I was watching Oprah, and an African woman, Tererai Trent, was on her show.  She is from Zimbabwe, and her story is that of nearly every rural African girl.

Transcript of video:

As a young girl in rural Zimbabwe, Tererai Trent lived without running water and electricity and had no hope for her future. "I remember very well my father pointing to my brothers and the other boys in the village and saying: 'These are the breadwinners of tomorrow. We need to educate them. We need to send them to school. The girls will get married,'" she says. "And that was just a painful experience for me."

Watch her story. 

Desperate to learn, this little girl with big dreams secretly did her brother's homework. "I learned to read and write from my brother's books," she says. Soon, Tererai's secret was exposed, and the teacher begged her father to let her learn.

Tererai attended only two terms before she was forced to marry at age 11. By age 18, she was the mother of three. "When my husband realized that I wanted to have an education, he would beat me," she says. "I have nightmares of that time of my life."

In 1991, a visitor changed Tererai's life forever. Jo Luck, from Heifer International, asked every woman about her greatest dream—something many of them didn't know they were allowed to have. "I remember very clearly saying: 'My name is Tererai, and I want to go to America to have an education, and I want to have a BS degree. I want to have a master's, and I want to have a PhD," she says. "And she just looked at me [and said], 'If you desire those things, it is achievable.'"

Hoping her daughter could break the cycle of poverty, Tererai's mother encouraged her to write her dreams on a piece of paper. The 20-year-old placed them in a scrap of tin and buried them under a rock in the pasture where she used to herd cattle. "As a woman without an education, life will continue to be a burden," she wrote. "I truly believe in these dreams, and I hope one day to work for the causes of women and girls in poverty."

Tererai not only broke the cycle—she shattered it. In 1998, Tererai moved to Oklahoma with her husband and now five children. Just three years later, she earned a bachelor's degree in agricultural education. In 2003—the same year her husband was deported for abuse—Tererai obtained her master's degree.

After every achievement, Tererai returned home to Zimbabwe, unearthed her tin of dreams and checked off each goal she accomplished, one by one. In December 2009, the now happily remarried Tererai will realize her greatest dream of all—a doctoral degree.

Tererai is a symbol of hope in her village. On a trip home in 2009, Tererai and her mother encouraged a new generation of girls to dream, giving them pens, paper and tiny metal tins. "It makes me feel happy, but at the same time, it makes me feel empty that there are more women who could have the same opportunity but they are not getting it," she says. "My story is not about me, but it's about what can come out of my story."

Tererai has a dream to build a school in her village in Zimbabwe, and Oprah, in her typical generous way, has donated $1,500,000 (1 1/2 million dollars) to help Tererai build that school, that will educate 1,000 children.


I appreciate Oprah's generosity, but let's do the math.  It costs us $15,000 to construct a 3 room school building, that will host 250 children.  That breaks down to approximately $60 per child.  To build a school campus that would educate 1,000 children would cost us approximately $60,000.  With the remaining $1,440,000, we could build 24 more such school campuses, that would provide a place to educate 24,000 additional children.  So with the same $1.5 million donation, we could construct 25 school campuses, educating 25,000 children per year.

Does someone have a connection to Oprah?  Can someone tell her about the work we do, and how far her money would go if she donated to Koins?  The reason we are able to do so much is because every penny that is donated to Koins for Kenya goes directly to our projects in Kenya.  There is nothing kept in the states for "overhead" or "administrative fees".  The reality of donating to many (most) NGO humanitarian organizations, especially the large ones, such as Save the Children, which will be assisting Oprah and Tererai to build this 1.5 million dollar school for 1,000 children, is that many pockets will be lined and salaries paid along the way, with money that should otherwise be meant for helping out these children.  Those of us involved with Koins for Kenya work very hard to ensure that the money donated towards our projects actually is spent on our projects.  Every member of our board is a volunteer, and by making this our mantra, we are able to finish many projects with relatively small amounts of cash.


Thanks to all of our donors.  We don't need $1.5 million to build a school.  Even a $25 donation can be used and makes a difference.


Asante sana,


IVL

Eat for a Cause

Eating out this summer? Have dinner with us and you'll help build a school in Africa.

Karen and Tara Timothy are doing a humanitarian service project in Kenya, Africa this summer and need your help!

Come have dinner in our backyard with friends and neighbors. Donate what you would have spent going out to dinner to "Koins for Kenya." (Suggested donation: $10-$15 per meal) Tax Deductible.

Eat with us Tuesdays and Fridays as many times as you like, weather permitting! Pick and choose your days or come twice a week! Take out is also available! Call or email us at least 2 days prior to reserve your seat.

801-546-9460
kbtimothy@comcast.net
Fruit Heights, Utah

Menu for Friday, May 20th:
Tuscan Chicken - Tender chicken breasts cooked in savory sauce with herbs and flavored cream cheese. Served over angel hair pasta with a spinach salad and homemade French bread. For dessert, a walnut Jubilee bar with browned butter icing.

EAT FOR A CAUSE

MENU

TUESDAY MAY 24^TH

BBQ Ribs 

Slow cooked pork ribs in a honey barbeque sauce served with sour cream and green onion potatoes and a side of green beans.  Fluffy homemade rolls start this meal and a fruity trifle ends it.

FRIDAY MAY 27^TH

White Chicken Chili

A lighter version of its tomato-based friend, this chili is made with chicken, white corn and Great Northern beans.  Add fresh tomatoes, olives, green onions and sour cream as a garnish for a spicy hot-and-cold treat.  Paired with cornbread and honey butter, this one’s a favorite.  Cream cheese and pepper jelly on crackers will be served as an appetizer with a big chocolate chip macadamia nut cookie for dessert.

TUESDAY MAY 30^TH

Sweet Pork Salad

This copycat salad is an all-time favorite.  Sweet pulled pork on a flour tortilla with rice, beans, pico de gallo, guacamole, lettuce, and a tangy tomatillo ranch dressing just doesn’t get old.  Since you had a salad for dinner you can splurge on strawberry, blueberry, or cherry cheesecake for dessert!

FRIDAY JUNE 3^RD

Swiss Chicken

Moist chicken breasts topped with Swiss cheese and seasoned bread crumbs.    We’ll serve it with a green salad topped with apples, blueberries, walnuts and feta cheese in a poppy seed dressing along with homemade bread sticks.  Tonight’s dessert will be a caramel infused chocolate cake topped with sweet whipped cream and toffee chips. 

TUESDAY JUNE 7^TH

Fiesta Grilled Chicken and Tomato Basil Soup

This green salad features grilled chicken breasts surrounded by sweet corn, black beans and sautéed onions.  It’s topped with pico de gallo and ranch dressing and served with a cup of tomato basil soup and a crusty loaf of beer bread to dip in oil and vinegar.  Dessert will be a moist banana cake topped with fresh banana icing.

FRIDAY JUNE 10^TH

Pork Chops

Melt in your mouth pork chops in a flavorful gravy over garlic mashed potatoes.  Crunchy Sumi Salad with cabbage and ramen noodles adds a cool contrast.  Served with a big fluffy dinner roll and your choice of cupcakes:  key lime or double chocolate.

TUESDAY JUNE 14^TH

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Hand battered chicken breasts baked in a pineapple sauce on a bed of jasmine rice.  Served with a side of sheczuan green beans and indulgent bleu cheese biscuits.  Pound cake makes this version of strawberry shortcake a cut above.

FRIDAY JUNE 17^TH

Broccoli Mushroom/Pepperoni and Ground Beef Marinara Pasta

Our pasta night features two kinds of sauce:  an original garlic cream with broccoli and mushrooms paired with a spicy pepperoni and ground beef marinara.  You’ll get both ‘cuz they’re just better that way!  Homemade garlic bread and a fresh green salad – Olive Garden-style - round out this meal.  For dessert --- hand dipped chocolate mint and strawberry truffles.

TUESDAY JUNE 21^ST

Chicken Teriyaki

This recipe for grilled teriyaki chicken comes straight from Japan but the cheese-topped red potatoes are a favorite from here at home. This meal comes with a medley of baked veggies in a light mushroom sauce topped with seasoned bread crumbs and a loaf of French bread.  Carrot Cake with cream cheese icing makes this meal irresistible.

FRIDAY JUNE 24TH

Butternut Squash Soup with Mediterranean Chop Salad

If you like summer squash, you’ll love this butternut squash soup.  We serve it with a savory Mediterranean chop salad topped with sundried tomatoes, burgundy olives and feta cheese and dressed with a tangy balsamic vinaigrette. Pumpkin chocolate chip bread compliments this harvest inspired menu, and for dessert: pistachio pudding layered with sweet cream cheese on a shortbread crust. 

TUESDAY JUNE 28TH

Chicken Fajitas

Marinated chicken breasts grilled to perfection with saute`d onions and peppers on flour tortillas…served with rice and beans, of course.  For an appetizer, a twist on traditional guacamole with a basket of tortilla chips and for dessert we’ll serve cream cheese brownies with chocolate icing.

So all I can say is, WOW.  Menu sounds delicious, the effort these ladies are putting for it is amazing.  And what a deal for a delicious meal!  Checking my calendar now...

Asante sana! 

IVL

Smallholder Farmers Are the Answer

Typical corn harvest on small family farm

Today on the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation blog, Bill Gates makes a powerful statement: Smallholder farmers are the solution to the global hunger epidemic.

But, why farming? Gates explains in his post...

"Many people don’t realize it, but most of the world’s poorest people are small farmers. They get their food and income farming small plots of land. These farming families often don’t have good seeds, equipment, reliable markets, or money to invest that helps them get the most out of their land. So they work hard, but they get no traction, and more often than not, they stay hungry and poor."

He goes on to state, "smart investments in farming families help them become more self sufficient."

This is exactly what the Koins/Self Reliant Agriculture (SRA) partnership is about. Preliminary work has been done, and in June SRA board members will be in Kenya to oversee a pilot farm using Koins land to show the local farmers what can be done. Unfortunately, since the farmers depend on the crops they raise for their immediate survival, there is understandable hesitation to try a new system. Using Koins land as an example, and SRA expertise, we will begin a new chapter in our work in Kenya. We hope to not only expand the production of crops, we hope to increase the nutritional value of the crops being grown with diversity and better choices and food options.

We are excited for this work to begin. We will be reporting back on the progress of our work.

Asante sana!

IVL