Profile information
Host rating
85 %
Last replied
26 Mar 2024
Reply rate
100.0 %
Usually responds within 2 days
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Details
Description
My name is Lynnet, and I am founder of an art-based community-based organization. We are based at the roots of Mt. Kenya in a small village known as Gicegeni, Embu county-Kenya.
One thing about our village is that we are located at the edge of Mt. Kenya forest. Now and then, we get a free view of elephants that leave the forest to tour our world (pan intended). In the morning, we enjoy a picturesque view of Mt. Kenya with her three beautiful standing mystically.
The name of our organization means the spirit of Togetherness. We believe in bringing women and youth together to harness the power of art to create positive social change and empowerment.
We come up with stage plays, short films, dance moves, story-telling, and paintings that spark conversations around social issues that affect our Embu community. These issues include sexual and gender-based violence, period poverty, sexual and reproductive health and rights violations, drug abuse, and mental health.
We train women and youth in hairdressing and soap-making skills as a way of financial independence. We also have an in-house micro-finance where our target groups (women and youth) can save and borrow loans to start and expand their businesses.
We have a safe-house that needs furnishing. It is meant to house victims of sexual and gender-based violence as we train them on soft skills for financial independence.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Charity Work
Art Projects
Teaching
Gardening
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Hospitality/Tourism
Help with Computers/ Internet
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
We offer our guests a lifetime experience through all the activities we have.
Kenya gained its independence from the British colony in 1963. The people who made it possible to achieve independence we enjoy today are the Mau Mau fighters. They used to hide in Mt. Kenya forest and the surrounding caves during the fight for independence. Families along the forest are descendants of the Mau Mau fighters.
Our guests will learn the history of Kenya firsthand as we will take them to the caves and the forest where the freedom fighters used to hide. Our guests will also get an opportunity to interact with the families of Mau Mau fighters.
We will also take them to the home of the greatest Mau Mau herbal doctor who used to treat injured Mau Mau fighters.
We would love our guests to keep coming back to the edge of Mt. Kenya forest, the land of elephants.
Help
Art Projects:
Our main focus is harnessing the power of art to create positive social change and empowerment. We nurture the creative talents of women and youth through film, stage plays, story-telling, and painting. We are looking into getting these talents into the competitive global space and making a living through the arts. We would appreciate the support of Workawayers with knowledge in performing arts, film production, story-telling, and painting.
Charity Work:
We offer monthly visits to either a school, a children's home, or an informal settlement to offer basic commodities such as sanitary towels, boxers, cooking stoves, or foodstuff depending on the need. We would appreciate the presence of our Workawayers during such noble visits.
Teaching:
We train women and youth in soap-making and hairdressing. We are currently into liquid soap making, hair shampoos, and bleach. We are looking into producing bar-soaps with the aim of producing all our soaps in masses. We would appreciate the support of our guests on how to scale our production and increase profits while maintaining the quality of our products.
When it comes to hairdressing, we train in braiding and hair trimming. Our Workawayers can take part in the braiding and trimming processes.
Help With Computers and the Internet:
A lot of the young people we interact with request computer classes. they would wish to learn more about software development and coding. We have the space but don't have the capacity to purchase computers and internet services at the moment. We would appreciate any kind of support in this project. It could be training on software skills or the purchase of equipment.
Proposal Writing:
We would appreciate the support of our Workawayers in writing award-winning grants to help us secure funds for our raw materials in soap production, equipping our salon and barber shop, furnishing our safe house for housing victims of sexual and gender-based violence, buying filming equipment, and for maintenance of our center.
Gardening:
Our center is within a homestead with a beautiful kitchen garden. Our guests will have a great time helping in the vegetable garden.
Farmstay Help & Animal Care:
there is an apiary, chicken, goats, sheep, and dairy cows. We will be glad to show our guests how to take care of bees, cows, goats, and sheep.
Creating and Cooking Family Meals:
The name of our organization means, the spirit of togetherness. Meals bring people together in my community. We will teach our guests how to prepare traditional mountain meals for the family.
Hospitality and Tourism:
We have decent homes where will will be hosting our guests. We would love help in the maintenance of the homes. We will also be giving our guests scenic views around Mt. Kenya through a road trip.
Since we are located at the edge of Mt.Kenya forest, we will take our guests hiking into the forests. We will have the company of forest rangers. We have a few other natural hills and caves that will be of interest to our guests.
General Maintenance:
We would appreciate the assistance of our guests in the day-to-day home maintenance activities such as cleaning, doing laundry, and cooking.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Swahili (Kiswahili): FluentThis host offers a language exchange
Guests get a chance to learn Swahili and Embu languages.
Accommodation
We have 2 main houses with host families where our guests will stay on full board. 3 meals per day and snacking in between.
We are able to comfortably host 10 guests at a go and can provide more homes depending on the number of guests.
What else ...
We recommend that our guests use a 4*4 van/truck when visiting us as we live in a mountainous region, but it's not 100% necessary as we have tarmacked roads. We can also arrange for local transportation for guests who do not manage to secure vehicles.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
We have access to the internet. It is possible to host digital nomads.
Space for parking camper vans
There is a spacious compound for parking.
Can possibly accept pets
We are a pet-friendly zone. However, we would only take in cats or dogs. Our pets will appreciate new friends too :)
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week
