Kenia
688 “me gusta”
WE ARE DEALING WITH PROJECTS IN:
Schools and Learning, Women and Youths' Empowerment, community Health care, Supporting the Less fortunate Children and households, Community Environmental Initiatives, Organic and Perm-culture Agriculture.
IT IS A TRUST BASED TOTAL FREEDOM, FRIENDLY, RELAXED, MEANINGFUL VOLUNTEERING AND FREE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES' ATMOSPHERE FOR ALL VOLUNTEERS..
We are Looking for Volunteers, Donors, well-wishers, organizations and Foundations to help us initiate and/or improve local community development projects on this Island of Mfangano.
Please Drop an email to collaborate and partner with us on Local grassroot community project(s) OF YOUR CHOICE.
Before making your decision on which project(s) to support please consult with us for current information on the running projects on the ground, the projects are continually evolving and as such may change with time. However, there is always running projects on the ground that you can expect to get involved in:
Feel free, feel okay, feel most Loved, feel most welcome, feel at home, we like and Love all Volunteers, Wellwishers, donors and every open hearted friends
THE HOST:
I'm Samuel a teacher by profession, now 54-years old, I'm a resident of Mfangano Island in Lake Victoria Kenya
I enjoy meeting people from all around the globe and sharing good times with them, I will respond to most of your emails , since I have easy access to the internet.
I happen to be leading registered community based organizations (C.B.Os) and groups, founded with the aim of alleviating the suffering among the communities of the Islands, developing the society, Restoring Hopes to the less Fortunate that have been heavily hit by poverty, hunger and diseases and are otherwise unable to achieve the basics in their lives.
I’m blessed with a Lovely, patient and a welcoming family, a family with a higher hospitality and integrity to all Volunteers, visiting my home from different corners of the world.
In our Family we normally have round table evening charts during evening meals as we get the day’s reports from volunteers and asses the situations to help decide on the following day’s Learning activities.
I'd be very happy if I could be of any help during and even before your stay, so feel free to ask anything on getting around Mfangano and sister Islands, learning Local Suba, Luo and Swahili languages, experiencing Suba and Luo cultures and what not.
MFANGANO ISLAND:
Rising above Lake Victoria, Mfangano and sister Islands are situated near the borders of the three main East Africa countries of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania that share the mass waters of Lake Victoria. On the outskirts of Kenya, Mfangano Island is home to a population of nearly 37,000 people. Most of them are subsistence farmers and fishermen, with incomes of less than $200 per month. The Island is rich in fresh water and fertile soil, and Mfanganians are brilliantly resourceful, but infrastructure remains severely limited.
Most families have no running water and limited electricity, from the two generators which power the entire Island. Fresh water Lake Victoria is used for drinking, fishing, bathing, washing clothes and dishes, and watering crops. Very few have indoor plumbing, instead with outdoor latrines. The dirt road which circles the Islands becomes impassable whenever it rains, and the island is only reachable by Sail boats, engine boats, Water Bus and Ferry, making health care and other resources frequently inaccessible. Mfanganians remain positive despite these barriers and work endlessly hard but sometimes this isn't enough.
WHO WE ARE:
We are a grassroot community based organization operating alongside the communities and initiating and/or improving development projects to eradicate poverty and care for less fortunate children, widows, widowers, the aged, households and families, we are based on the beautiful Mfangano Island in the middle of Lake Victoria.
Our organization takes a multidisciplinary, grassroots approach to supporting the community of Mfangano Island through education, health-care, youth and female empowerment, environmental protection, and economic growth through organic farming.
These intertwined initiatives helps the low income community rise out of poverty. We donate school fees, uniforms, and books for vulnerable and impoverished youths, improve school infrastructure, provide schools continuous assessment subsidies, offer sanitary towels and other personal effects to female scholars, and are trying to develop a school feeding program to help low income families.
We reach and touch needy children, widows, widowers, youths, the aged and poor starving families in the community, We strive to provide access to basic quality education, Health-care, sustainable farming, facilitate and initiate Environmental programs and empower the disadvantaged and less privileged/Less fortunate households and families for sustainable economic development and self-reliance
In doing so, we have managed to send over 200 school dropout students back to school,
We are currently building a classroom for one of our schools on the island to help accommodate the increased population from the captured school dropouts.
Through our microfinance initiatives, we have empowered and improved the standards of living of over 30 groups members.
With the help of our supportive volunteers, we are now building a community clinic and training anurse for that clinic.
With the efforts and coordinations we are currently producing clean water for drinking for the community, the water collection point is serving around five thousand people a day, and face one of this project is almost complete.
We are doing gardening where we grow steple food crops to support our families, but we are on the process of creating a bigger community garden that will feed around 25 families of 250 members, we wish to include as many more community members as possible by enlarging the garden step by step.
Our organization is driven by the community, for the community, in the community. Our initiatives extend beyond Mfangano Island, with a focus on caring for less fortunate families living in the four Lake Victoria Islands on the western outskirts of Kenya.
OUR PROJECTS:
1. EDUCATION
Students attend 53 different schools on the Island, all secondary schools charge fees, which range from $380 to $580 (USD)
HOW SCHOOLS WORK.
Primary school begins at 8:00 am, and lasts until 5:00 pm (with a one-hour lunch break, when students walk home for a simple lunch of ugali or rice), Up to 40 students face chalkboards in unfinished, open-window classrooms, often in dilapidated desks. When night falls and farm chores have been completed, pupils read books under battery-operated flashlights, paraffin oil candles, lantern Lamps or solar-powered lights.
Despite these barriers, students study intently to succeed and reach universities and beyond. Teachers are genuinely passionate about teaching, and students reciprocate this enthusiasm.
At the aquatic crossroads of Kenya, Uganda, Ruanda, Burundi and Tanzania, Mfangano was devastated by the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the 1980s. Nearly everyone on the Island has been tested for this disease, showing that 25% have been infected double the rate of mainland Kenya. This caused many orphans and widowed families.
Recognizing that education is the key to further opportunity, our partnership with other organizations provides children of great financial need with the resources for success.
Volunteers, Welwishers, Sponsors and Donors provide uniforms, School fee, refurbish and/or build new classrooms, toilets, chairs, desks, so that orphaned, single-parent children and those from less privileged/Less fortunate/disadvantaged families can attend primary school, when they otherwise might not be able to attend, simply because they cannot afford a uniform, fees, shoes, school subsidy levies or books.
School uniforms cost 7 USD for primary school, but even this is a great burden for some families, who may have to withdraw their children from school before they can finish primary school.
Most high school students board overnight at their public secondary schools. This costs families 400 USD or more, which is several months’ income for families with working parents. This can be impossible for orphans, or parents who are widowed, ill, disabled, or otherwise unable to earn income.
Through our Volunteers donations and our sponsors we provide uniforms, books fees and books to students of greatest need who can’t afford them and subsidize exams and other school levies. We also offer sanitary towels and other hygiene products to female scholars, because some drop out of primary or secondary school because of lack of these resources.
Many schools lack desks, chairs, finished buildings, toilets/latrines, libraries, and other infrastructure critical for a safe and productive learning environment. Our Volunteers and sponsors enable us to build these necessities and help scholars succeed in the classroom. We are planning to develop community libraries which can strengthen the entire community and promote education if we can get funds.
In primary schools the government usually employs only 8 teachers or sometimes Less for up to 300 students. Each primary school student contributes at least 100 Kshs. (1 USD) each month so the school can supplement this and employ a few additional teachers, each of whom is paid a monthly wage of just 50-80 USD. Parental support is crucial for academic success, so we developed Parent-Teacher Associations (PTA) and School Board of Management (BOM) to make learning a community effort.
We are developing a primary school feeding program to make education more accessible to low-income families. Many students also hold critical responsibilities like managing crops, caring for livestock, cleaning the home, and caring for other siblings, an additional barrier for students from some families. The day-to-day realities of poverty sometimes make impossible investment in the long-term benefits of education. To lower these barriers, we plan to introduce a program providing staple foods (such as rice, Beans and cooking oil) to families of vulnerable children each month their child attends school regularly and performs to their best ability.
2. FEMALE AND YOUTHS' EMPOWERMENT:
a) - Most women serve as housewives, remaining financially dependent on their husbands. Some practice gardening, selling food staff and other products in small kiosk shops, or work as artisans, helping to lift their families out of poverty, buy household amenities, pursue education, and access healthcare.
b) - Thanks to the efforts of the foundation, nearly many Women on Mfangano are part of registered women’s groups which offer support and financial opportunities. When endowed with a revolving fund.
c) - We have group projects that serve as a source of funds for supporting our groups to improve their lives, like; table banking, Merry-go-round, benevolent kitty, small businesses.
d) - We source funds for supporting our women and youths' groups from Volunteers who help us fundraise online, other organizations, NGO, Government loaning agencies and sometimes we fundraise locally.
e) - Each group member can receive microfinance loans to start small businesses, pay school fees, or purchase staple foods in times of acute poverty and hunger.
This empowers women to be financially and emotionally independent, to protect themselves in situations of abuse, and contribute to the overall economy.
f) - We are initiating more group projects to add to our sources of fund for supporting our women and youths groups, right now we are fundraising for a group welding inverter, grinder and a plough.
g) - We hope to initiate shelters for widows, widowers, women and children in dire need.
h) - Youths’ registered groups offer postsecondary students opportunities to launch independent small scale businesses while seeking careers, to keep them busy and help them earn a living, as Kenya has a very high unemployment rate.
3. HEALTH-CARE
We help implement preventative public health measures, develop accessible communities health facilities, Communities first aid kits and expand access to health coverage and disease treatment.
Almost all 37,000 Island residents depend on fresh water Lake Victoria for bathing, washing dishes and clothes, and sometimes drinking but this brings health risks.
Outdoor latrines, even when deep, empty directly into the soil.
The lack of public waste management means plastic pollution accumulates and breaks down as harmful microplastics.
Livestock defecations, Families’ after burdened by endless farm and home chores among cattle, goats, chickens, and dogs, all of which can carry diseases are washed directly into the lake by rainfall. In these conditions, typhoid, amoeba, bilharzia (schistosomiasis) and other waterborne illnesses can spread unchecked.
Venomous pythons can sneak into homes and bite while antidotes are sometimes inaccessible.
Women usually give birth on the mud floors of their homes, too many miles away from the nearest health clinic, at great risk of complications or illness.
Accidents occur when cooking on open fires, using sharp tools to plant and harvest crops, fishing in engine boats or sail boats. Sparse health facilities mean that even minor ailments, when left untreated, can escalate to life-threatening infections.
The lack of public health amenities means that diseases considered “preventable” in developed countries are dangerous realities of life here, but they don’t have to be.
It is for this purpose that our organization campaigns for a SMALL HEALTH CENTER to help expectant Mothers, Children and the general Community to save lives.
Building low-cost health clinics within walking distance from centers of dense populations can make python anti-venom reachable, ensure maternal health, reduce birth complications, and can treat injuries before they endanger lives.
With the help of fundraisings organized by our volunteers, contributions from the community and donations from a few welwishers, our organization has started to put up a free community medical facility to make health accessible to all, regardless of geographic location,
Land has already been donated and designated for building a permanent health center near high population densities, and the community is already participating in bringing gravels, ballasts, hardcores, murrum and water to the sight, plust any unskilled labour that is required, the remaining principle barrier is procuring enough funding to complete the facility and stock life-saving medical supplies. We have started the construction of the health Center, we need a lot of support, We need more support from volunteers, welwishers, donors and other organizations through fundraisers and donations.
We have finished one out of the eight required rooms to do a small Clinic. We still request for more fundraisers to help us get funds to complete the remaining rooms for our clinic to get approval from the Kenyan ministry of health and start helping the community.
Thousands of Kenyans are amply trained in nursing and medicine, but remain unemployed because of the lack of health facilities.
Building and improving safe outdoor latrines can prevent diseases from spreading through soil and runoff rainwater.
Helping with organizing fundraisings to support Clean Water for drinking and improving the community sanitation, can prevent against water-borne diseases and make both Lake and rain water drinkable.
The construction of the first water towers for clean water for drinking is in progress, tunks, pipes, and one submersible water pump are already brought on the ground, we are only lacking a few materials.
Replanting shrubbery can reduce soil erosion and filter runoff rainwater before contaminating the water supply.
Ensuring that soil stays fertile for vegetables, or treating livestock for diseases, can keep everyone healthier.
Mobile health campaigns and home visits can help treat cancer and other diseases before they progress.
Government-subsidized antiretroviral tablets to control AIDS free of charge for anyone tested positive.
4. ORGANIC AND PERM-CULTURE AGRICULTURE
All farming on Mfangano is done organically, helping the preservation of this Island home for rare birds and other wildlife. To sustain Crops growth without pesticides, fences are necessary to prevent animals from harming crops. our organization solicits funds for investment in fences, irrigation, ploughing, Water pumps and the tools necessary for new organic farms to be developed
Thousands of fishing boats depend on freshwater Lake Victoria, and the effects of overfishing are beginning to appear. Some residents now pursue aquaculture (fish farming), but other sustainability initiatives are necessary.
Plans are underway to support these groups with revolving funds for microfinance initiatives for investment in farming tools, irrigation, and fishing gear. All farming on Mfangano relies on ingenious organic methods, ensuring sustainable economic development built on environmentally sound practices.
5. THE ENVIRONMENT
Our environmental initiatives help prevent deforestation, develop sustainable waste-management, and educate the community on sustainability and organic agriculture.
To combat deforestation, we give farmers tree seedlings from nurseries for planting in their farms and the forestry department, provide seeds for developing the farmers own nurseries. Tree planting days are organized on public lands to engage the entire community in combating deforestation.
The lack of organized waste management gives fishermen few options but to discard damaged nets and fishing line in the lake. This leads to the dangerous phenomenon of ghost fishing, or the unintended capture of fish in fishing nets and lake-bottom waste. To preserve the aquatic ecosystem, our organization is launching a program on environmental awareness and fishing net management.
Volunteers are actively creating informational posters to share with the fishing community, building a spare fishing line collection box, and teaching unemployed women to turn this waste into a sell-able jewelry product.
Presently, the Island lacks any form of public waste management, so plastic byproducts are littered on the ground or discarded directly in the lake. Plastic bags have already been banned from the Island, but most products are imported in plastic containers, and recycling has yet to be implemented. Each farm is required to have a waste collection pit, and some families burn their own waste, but most waste is littered haphazardly.
Volunteers have organized trash collection days to collect trash discarded along the shore and raise awareness about unsustainable practices. Our organization seeks a sustainable waste management program to ensure the preservation of this Island and its incredible biodiversity.
Recognizing the threat of soil erosion on the biodiversity of both Lake Victoria and the Island ecosystem,
Our Organization seeks to grow water catchment initiatives, replant forests, and prevent harmful runoff from farming. Maintaining the plant biodiversity of the Island, maintains root networks to hold the environment in place.
Trabajo de caridad
Proyectos artísticos
Práctica de idiomas
Ayuda en proyectos ecológicos
Compañía para ancianos
Enseñanza
Jardinería
Proyectos de construcción y bricolaje
Cuidado de animales
Ayuda en una granja
Cocinar para toda la familia
Ayuda doméstica
Mantenimiento general
Ayuda con ordenadores/Internet
CULTURAL EXCHANGE AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
This part may be the most interesting one during your visit. One of the objectives of my HOSTING is reciprocal learning. Learning our culture heritage and comparing it to the workawayers one. Here are some cultural exchanges we will be getting involved in:
1- Exploring the lifestyle of Suba and Luo people in the village.
2- Exploring the historical monuments of the Abasuba people in the Abasuba peace museum, the techniques and materials used in building traditional houses, our fishing boats, methods of catching fish in the lake, our cultivation methods and digging tools.
3- Discover the geographical destinations of our places like mountains, rivers, Sister Islands, enjoy swimming in the fresh lake water, star- filled sky, the condusive worm climents of the region throughout the year…
4- Organising evening group discussions related to different topics on Abasuba and Luo ligends and stories…
5- Learn and talk the Suba, Luo or Swahili Languages with my family and locals after being taught some familiar expressions…
We will show you the most beautiful spots of the Islands and you can make your own adventure trips; on the mountains especially antenna points, discover the hidden beach or 'God's arm' - the blue lagoon - and the rich cultural history of the region.
Experience what it's like to make your own traditional wine, learn to prepare different food staffs, enjoy our local dishes prepared from local crops, have a taste of a simpler, slowed down life and get in touch with the original rural life of Abasuba people.
Near to here are the ten Sister Islands of which Seven magical little ones, have their own characters and are wealthy in wildlifes, rightly so, the Atego, Risi, Mbasa, Namuolo, Nyama and ware Islands are listed by Community as Heritage Sites.
1) Volunteers Working with us will relax and participate in any manual work at their own wish
they will a quire several educational opportunities including visit Local fishing industries and interact with Local fishermen for more information. We have, guided and connected Volunteers with different types of organic farms owned by different growers on the Island, Our Primary and Secondary Schools, Mfangano Island Rock Art, Our rich shrines, Spring Water sites, Mfangano Peace Museum, Our Seasonal Streams, the Soklo Plateau, Mfangano Tilapia Fish ponds, Mfangano Hills and even the beautiful view of Lake Victoria all-round the four Islands many times
They will enjoy pollution free environment with normal human temperature climent
Don't waste money by residing in the hiked prices guests' rooms, we can help you to reach your mission by going the cheaper way and tour as many places as it may be convenient to you.
FREE TIME ACTIVITIES:
1. Guests/Volunteers;
* Will be free to use their free time for excursions especially during weekends or selected days other than working days.
* Will be free to spend their free time in local park, bar, clubs or watch international football matches for night life lovers, attend a social function or any other social places where they will meet other great guests/volunteers in the area.
* May also choose to spend a few days or one of their weekends Hiking or at one of Mfangano sister Islands; Takawiri, Rusinga, Kibougi, Remba, Ringiti or any one of the beautiful inhabited birds' slands; Atego, Risi, Mbasa, Namuolo, Nyama and Niware.
Or visit Masai Mara National reserve to see different types and big animals like Elephants, Buffalos, giraffes, Rhinos, Lions, Zebras, Leopards, Hyenas, Antelopes, Baboons and many more.
* Volunteers interested in these, will have to pay extra fees for these activities as they involves travel costs. Except swimming which is free, those who like swimming will be swimming direct in lake Victoria which is only afew metres from our home
2) We have experienced community story tellers of which I'm one, who normally entertain interested Volunteers and other visitors, Volunteers will get a lot of legends and memorized stories of all our cultural livings styles.
they will Get live stories and legends about our great grand parents political, Social and Economical ways of living before the coming of formal education. some of story tellers have written legends and history about all that transpired in the past to our grandparents and even their traditional way of self governance, they will acquiring aural History of our traditional and natural methods of organic farming which doesn't require use of chemicals and see how some of our people still use our traditional tools for both digging and weeding.
3) They will learn directly and practically there and then how we do all our activities of all kinds of their interest/choice and in their field of learning even beyond.
4) The family has vast experience with all the four Islands and even the nearby parts of the mainland and their different locations meaning the volunteer will be helped to integrate in local society and interact with them as much as they can, we sometimes use guides to show visitors around especially during hiking.
En este proyecto podría haber niños. Para obtener más información, consulta nuestras directrices y consejos aquí.
VOLUNTEERS ARRIVAL:
All Volunteers can arrive any time of the year either as teams, couples or Individuals.
VOLUNTEERS' TASKS ON ORGANIZATION'S NEEDS:
Volunteers will participate in projects of their choice that serves the local community or a family. The projects are continually evolving and as such may change with time. However, here is what you can expect to be involved in:
1. Organizing crowd or online fundraisers in your home country or your residential country, or anywhere else in the world, requesting; family members, relatives, friends, Schoolmates, Workmates, Local small groups, Churches, Schools of all levels within your reach, Wellwishers, Organizations, Foundations, Companies and Countries, and reasonably convincing them to support.
We have projects that require both financial and Material support for improvement/development, help by donations and/or organize online/crowdfunding campaigns to support these projects, and needy vulnerable learners in our schools on the Islands of Lake Victoria in Kenya
• (skills: fund-raising)
2. Research & recommend funding options:
there are various funding opportunities for nonprofits like USAID and we need help researching and understanding the options available to us
● (Skills: Fund-raising, Research & Analytics)
3. Write funding grant proposals:
we need experts in grant writing to help us prepare and write professional grant proposals to relevant funding agencies
Assist in writing a grant proposal to enable women and youth groups get grants from relevant funding agencies
● (Skills: Fund-raising, Content Writing – English)
4. Review & amend a specific document:
we have written a specific document (report, grant proposal etc.) and before submitting it we would love a native English speaker to proof read it.
● (Skills: Content Writing – English)
5. Edit and/or Create a compelling fund-raising video for us:
we would like to create a compelling video about our organization in general or a specific project for fund-raising purposes. We will provide the content but we need a video expert to put it all together and tell a great story
● (skills: Video Editing, Content Writing – English)
6. Develop a responsive website:
We would really love to have someone to develop a responsive, Google-friendly site; this task would need to include all back and front end development and design, a Content Management System for our internal use, content upload (we will provide all the content - text, images and videos etc.), and delivery of source code upon completion.
● (Skills: Web Development, CMS (e.g. WordPress), Website Builders e.g. WIX)
7. Update our website:
Occasionally we need to update certain areas or pages in our website (content, photos, news etc.) and we would love someone to help us with this here and there!
● (Skills: CMS (e.g. WordPress), Website Builders e.g. WIX)
8. Fix technical issues in our website:
Occasionally we have bugs or issues with our website and we would love someone to help us here and there when this happens!
● (Skills: Web Development)
9. Write posts in English for our Websites, FB page, LinkedIn page, Instagram page and other related social media pages:
we are always looking for people who can help us promote our work on social media. Even just a few posts are a great start for us! help in and or designing a serious and compelling website, Instagram page, Facebook page with serious demonstrative actions to viewers.
● (Skills: Social Media Marketing, Content Writing – English)
10. Setup & optimize our Facebook page:
We do not have a good Facebook page and would love someone to set up a compelling page for our nonprofit to showcase our mission and work
● (Skills: Social Media Marketing)
11. Setup & optimize our Instagram page:
We do not have a good Instagram page and would love someone to set up a compelling page for our nonprofit to showcase our mission and work
● (Skills: Social Media Marketing)
12. Design a brochure/report layout:
we often need to prepare reports or brochures for our donors and partners and we would love a great design template we can use as a basis for such purposes.
● (Skills: Graphic Design)
13. Design a Power Point template:
we often need to present to our donors and partners and we would love to have a well-designed template we can use as a basis for our presentations.
● (Skills: Graphic Design)
14. Design our logo:
We would like to design a compelling logo that would convey the mission of our organization
● (Skills: Graphic Design)
15. We are Looking for someone ready to support and formally prepare Women and Youths micro-finance initiatives groups - (table banking, merry go round, financial and book keeping literacy, business administration and management)
16. We are in need of support and improvement of the status of our organic and perm-culture farmers (fishermen, poultry keepers, animals keepers, crop growers)
17. Help us get supportive and development conscious personnel for our environmental initiatives and Ecological projects
18. Teachers of both academic and co curriculum (Teaching academic subjects in class and sports activities).
19. There is a high need to get well-wishers help in supporting the disadvantaged and the less fortunate in the community (widows, widowers, the aged and those disowned by the society).
20. Help in improving computer literacy to community members and or children
* Sharing business skills with the members so that they can improve their small scale income generating activities and other side businesses.
* Train the members in basic computer skills so that they can be able to use these skills to earn a living in life.
* Teach book keeping to rural members so they can keep track of their small scale businesses.
* Share any other skills that may help improving the education of the disadvantaged and the less fortunate students in the society.
* Sensitize the community about human rights and best ways of reducing domestic violence in families.
21. You can also Just come, without any relevant skill to tour, relax and enjoy weather, breeze & climate around the Islands in Lake Victoria and learn the residents way of living you are welcome.
We are Looking for Volunteers, who are ready to collaborate and partner with us in a working together spirit to help us improve lives of the less fortunate children, households and families in the Mfangano and Sister Islands communities by participating as tabulated under the listed projects categories: -
MAJOR NEEDS IN MFANGANO AND SISTER ISLANDS IN ORDER OF PRIORITY:
We will heavily appreciate and receive with a lot of thanks every effort made by any volunteer, welwisher, donor, organization or foundation to help the community or any household in any one or more of these areas of need listed below.
1. EDUCATION
Fundraising for improvement of community's educational agenda:
1. School fees for needy children (the less fortunate, orphans & vulnerable)
2. Uniform for the needy children in primary schools (full uniform: shirt and short for boys, dresses for girls, socks, shoes, pullovers)
3. Establishment of an orphanage - schools/Centre/home
4. Establishment of School for the disabled/children with special needs
5. The Improvement and or sustainability of endangered Girl child education on the Islands and their personal effects
6. Schools infrastructure (desks, chairs, fences, school buildings/Class rooms, school Latrines)
7. Schools feeding programs specifically for kindergartens and Lower primary ages 3-9yrs
8. School Learning and teaching (instruction) materials
9. Primary schools' subsidy Levies (BOM teachers wages and internal EXAMS.)
10. School Library and/or Community Library
2. THE AGED, WOMEN AND YOUTHS EMPOWERMENT:
Fundraising for empowerment of community’s old age persons, Women and Youths registered groups
1. Fundraising for their Treasury’s revolving fund to be borrowed by members for self reliance and sustainable economic development, encouragements and motivations.
2. Educating them on microfinance initiative issues for stability.
3. Help in identifying and supporting viable income generating activities for registered Women and Youths’ groups
4. Supporting the orphans & vulnerable children, those neglected by the society, widows, widowers, the disadvantaged, the Less privileged and the Less fortunate individuals and households (improving their economic status, providing shelters, providing clothing and providing food)
3. COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE:
Fundraising for community’s Health care
1. Establishing/Putting up a Low cost community Health facilities/Centre
2. Establishment of a community and/or Schools’ first aid kit
3. Inviting volunteer Nurses and doctors to come and offer voluntary health services
4. Discover ways of Combating acute infectious diseases like malaria, typhoid, Amoeba, Cancer and Bilharzia
5. Feeding program for the malnourished school children and households
6. Sanitary towels for ages 12 and above school girls in both primary & secondary
7. Community Sanitations (hygienic disposal of wastes/protecting health through hygienic measures like use of Wastes disposal boxes)
8. Low cost and or affordable clean water production for the community
4. ORGANIC AND PERMACULTURE AGRICULTURE:
Fundraising for the community organic and permaculture agricultural development.
1. Farm tools (ploughs, water pumps, water pipes, farm fences, solar generator, Seeds and Seedlings)
2. Fishing gears and/or tools (Nets, boats, Engines)
3. Fresh fish storage facilities (Ice boxes)
4. Education on farming skills
5. Education on fishing skills
5. ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES:
Fundraising for community environmental protection and conservation campaigns on:
1. Education on benefits of environmental protection and conservation
2. Tree planting and nurturing
3. Tree nursery preparations
4. Water catchment protection
5. Clean water
6. Soil erosion prevention
VOLUNTEERS OBLIGATION:
1. On arrival let us know your Mission, Vision and Objectives for your coming,
2. Ask for the project(s) you applied for, where your interests rests most and that prompted you to join us, the approved project(s) you would enjoy participating in,
If you didn't choose a project(s) prior or if still not sure of which project(s) to choose, you can choose on arrival from the list of our organisation's or community's needs.
Volunteers are equally free to initiate new projects here on the ground in partnership/collaboration with our organization.
If all the needs doesn't suit you, you can initiate/improvise any project(s) of your choice to support the community or family.
3. After embarking on a project(s), please do it wholeheartedly at your desirable and most convenient pace, we don't supervise Volunteers here neither do we remind them on what to do, for we believe in your skills, knowledge and maturity, we can only help in organizing an activity(s) at your request.
IT IS A TRUST BASED TOTAL FREEDOM, FRIENDLY, RELAXED, MEANINGFUL VOLUNTEERING AND FREE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES' ATMOSPHERE FOR ALL VOLUNTEERS.
4. If you don't have any skills to apply on the suggested projects and you can't initiate or improvise any project, you are fully allowed to relax and engage in your own issues throughout your staying here,
We welcome everybody to Mfangano Island Kenya.
Idiomas hablados
Inglés: Fluido
Luo: Fluido
Swahili (Kiswahili): Fluido
Este anfitrión ofrece intercambio de idiomas
Knowing anumber of Languages gives more opportunity to interact with people from different ethnicity
ACCOMMODATION:
Guests will get full boarding facilities and stay with host families from the local community, based in a tranquil, rural environment
Each guest will have their own bed, but may share a room if belongs to the same gender or if are couples, Different gender stay in different rooms.
Each of the clean and well spread beds, should have a mosquito net.
MEALS:
There is a lot of food for all Volunteers present and the family, always more than enough.
Volunteers will share meals with host families where they will be served with three meals a day that is breakfast, lunch and supper. Breakfast will be served before the day’s work starts at 8am or not later than 9am with tea, local snacks and fruits. Lunch and supper will be served on time too with a variety of local dishes.
Guests will be provided with 3 meals of their interest or on request a day by the host family, or receive a pre packed carry lunch if the project is far from the host family residence or be bought if the Hotels are around.
Food will be prepared by the Hosting family as per the normal daily diet timetable and on the request of the visitor in case he/she is interested in a different meal,
Any guest who comes with his/her budget, all his/her meals will be prepared on his/her order/directives and we will require a meals time table to be prepared in a collaboration of both the guests and the cooks.
We prefer preparing meals with the consent of all the people living in the house/family and considering different interests of different house dwellers including guests.
We serve; Chapati, Mandazi, Tea, farm foods like potatoes, beans, green grams, cassava, maize, bananas, Local vegetables. We also serve beef, Milk, Chicken, several species of fish found in Lake Victoria, Irish potatoes, spaghetti, indomie, chips, sossi, Rice, budgie, Ugali and porridge and any other food staff palatable to our guests at their orders/requests.
Visitors are free to prepare their own food if they so wish/interested in doing that, and can be assisted in preparation of the food of their choice if they wish/comfortable with that. We normally go by ones interest/choice when it comes to meals
PAYMENTS:
Since most of these food staffs are from shops and or local market, and in addition to normal expences of condiments, meals preparation, boarding and eletricity,
We expect a Volunteer to support the program by contributing only five Euro per day for the upkeep.
To All volunteer partners, collaborators or cooperates, who are already taking projects with us and are fundraising to support our projects, will not pay for their meals and accommodation anytime they visit us, we will take care of their full boarding for all the periods of their stay with us as stipends for their donations and supportive spirit. We value fundraisers most as it is the best way to improve the community's way of living.
To new volunteers, we request you to subsidize on three meals and accommodation expenses.
The calculations of payments are as per the international market currency conversion graph rates in ten years down the line, with the highest being 144.9231 kenyan shillings per Euro and the lowest being 95.2191 Kenyan shillings per Euro while 104.2102 Kenyan shillings per dollar and the lowest being 99.5995 Kenyan shillings per dollar respectively.
1) Per Day is 5-Euros x 144.9231 kenya shillings. Equivalent to 725.00
2. Per Week is 35-Euros x 144.9231 kenya shillings, but we only take KE 5,000
3. Per Month is 155-Euros x 144.9231 kenya shillings, but we only take KE. 20,000
We prefer taking payments already changed to Kenyan shillings to avoid the inconveniences of daily fluctuations in international market currency exchange rates, which do not much the current prices of food staff's in our local market.
LAUNDRIES:
During your stay, your linens will be washed twice a week on agreement, of a little cost and your room will be swept and arranged regularly.
All volunteers will bath direct in fresh water lake Victoria which is a stone throw distance of only 200 metres away from our home, those who like swimming can do it live in Lake Victoria.
On agreement, we can also arrange for a separate bathroom at home only for our interested guests' who would not like to go to the lake on a small additional cost for the one who will be in charge of water collection and processing.
THE SURROUNDINGS:
With our guests, we enjoy charting, exchanging cultures and sometimes partying or eating out.
I hope all our guests will know more about our cultures and like our Islands the more as they will interact with the locals regularly..
NETWORK:
The best local network provider in Mfangano and sister Islands is safari com, buy safari com card on your way to Mfangano Island if unable to access one please contact us.
There is free WiFi throughout, in three places one belongs to an NGO, just in a two minutes walking distance but can only be accessed through their security code/password if requested, another one at Siambi resort and another one at Mfangano beach resort, all these places are very close to our home, just walking distances.
Besides that we also have Modems and mobile Wi-Fi from Safaricom/Airtel rooters and/or a mobile Hotsport to rent out by the day on a first-come, first-served basis. You can also just Load it and use it freely.
We can also Lend safari com cards free to our volunteers who didn't remember to buy their own when coming., If you don't have, please ask for one to load and use during your stay or till you buy your own, we want every body to stay connected all times, but remember to return the borrowed cards before you leave.
The best option is to buy and register using your passport a kenyan Safaricom !ine for your use during your stay in Kenya this will fully solve all your internet problems even when you want to use a computer.
This enables you to get the internet connection everywhere, which solves the inconvenience most foreigners are likely to experience while in Kenya.
MONETARY:
There are shops in nearby shopping centres one within a two minute walking distance, another within 40 minutes walking distance opened everyday.
We have Mfangano Island market days on Sundays every week at Sena and goods from different places are sold there.
ATM machines are there in all banks in Mbita which is our sub county headquarters you can withdraw your money any time you are in need of.
1). Apart from Visiting the reach local sights in Mfangano, there are several refreshment Points around, we can always walk and meet people, refresh, chart, dance in Local social meeting points, view variety of activities around, we can as well go swimming any time we feel like and freely in Lake Victoria since we stay near the lake just 200 meters from the Lake, there are high chances of visiting various fish "Bands" and have a look at various Fish species from the Lake and types of boats used in fishing, there are several Bear-Pubs for Music and a variety of drinks, you can watch Soccer if you are a Fun, etc..
HOSTING CAPABILITY:
We are able to Host all kinds of travellers and volunteers:-
- Digital volunteers can use the available network around to access the internet.
- Families of up to twenty members have enough rooms and space for relaxing, playing and all kinds of movements.
- Volunteers and travellers with personal vehicles have very good and spacious space for packing as many vehicles as possible.
REGULAR UPDATES:
Mfangano Island is one of the biggest Islands in Lake Victoria but the largest Island in Kenya; with a conducive climate, it’s Bays and Natural Rocks along the Lake show attracts all Species of Fish This makes it one of the main Sources of Fish in Kenya
The indigenous have very high profile of Hospitality and respect to visitors, it is an Island of LOVE to strangers and hence the name Mfangano, in Suba Language Meaning Reconciliation
In Mfangano all types of meals are available from fresh fish, beef, chicken, eggs, various types of grains, vegetable and all other market food types that one would like, we even eat "ugali" -bread prepared from fresh millet, sorghum or maize during banana season we prepare and cook the banana bread which is so soft and sweet it is the most convenient for the non Ugali funs.
the indigenous' main activity is organic farming from crops growing, animals keeping to fishing both for subsistence and commercial, it is less expensive, culturally oriented, and done in the most natural and traditional way, with zero chemical appliances. The three other Islands are composed of mainly fishermen.
.
There are several types of vessels of different sizes used for transportation to bridge the Islands to the main land, transportation means that can be used for movement to and from any destination around the Islands or from one Island to the other on daily basis and even beyond at any time of need are there in plenty, it is easy to move from any Island to the other or to the main land all times of you need, by use of any means of any size of your choice from the biggest vessel ferry, bigger fibered water boat, speed boats and engine boats alighting in different beaches of the Island, on the Island we have a ring-road going round all the Island.
Mfangano and its sister Islands makes the best sites for learning of Various African cultural practices/activities, our culture is preserved to date in all the various different styles that one may ask, we still have cultural sports during August and December Holidays,
We have the most traditional and culturally oriented Organic agriculture and perm-culture ways of farming, from Crops growing, Poultry, Cattle, Goats, keeping to fishing of various Species of fish in Lake Victoria,
Those who choose Mfangano as their learning centre for African culture and organic and Perm-culture farming have always appreciated and came out certified with the knowledge acquired:
1. Here, most people cultivate/till the land from January to early March every year then plant with the first rains and start weeding in the month of April, April is the busiest month with organic farmers each year in Mfangano Island.
2. April comes out to be the only month with enough rain that most crop growers depend on for them to have good harvests in August in our region.
3. Volunteers with higher interests on garden work especially seasonal and annual crops should utilize this period beginning from March to July every year, although animals rare ring, poultry keeping, fishing, and other types of farming continues throughout the year, but crop farming is done by almost every resident of Mfangano unlike those other farming methods.
4. In August most seasonal crops are harvested and their chapter is over, these are the crops most of our farmers/growers depend on for food and even for commercial in this region seconded by fishing.
5. The month of July is very cold but dry it doesn't have rains.
6. Right now we are putting up a community health center and f phase one of the center is complete, we are starting phase two it is an ongoing project
7. Women empowerment with their microfinance projects are on and their table banking and Marry go round programms are progressing perfectly
8. Our normal Fundraisings for our needy children and the less fortunate house holds, Is progessng with the support of the local community, Volunteers and Wellwishers, needy children are going to school
9. December Our most enjoyable month with all good activities of the year, most sons and Daughters of Mfangano Island take leaves to come Home and enjoy together with their relatives, families and friends, the Kenyan government also recognizes that and makes it the longest Holiday of all the other Holidays, the eve of December Holiday Days are usually in the fourth week that is from 23 December to 28 December, the way people prepare for Christmas 24, 25 and 26 December, is marvelous.
It is good luck that we have been getting very supportive volunteers who are willing to partner with us and fund raise for our projects.
We still need more volunteers to support more projects in the family and in the community we have websites to those projects which can only be disclosed to Volunteers who are ready to support in that Line
Acceso a Internet
Acceso a Internet limitado
Tenemos animales
Somos fumadores
Puede alojar familias
Network The best local network in Mfangano and sister Islands is safari com, buy safari com card on your way to Mfangano Island if unable to access one please contact us. There is free WiFi throughout, that belongs to an NGO, just in a two minutes walking distance but can only be accessed through their security code/password if requested. Although there are other two resorts nearby with very good WI-FI which are equally free. Besides that we also have Modems and mobile Wi-Fi from Safaricom/Airtel rooters and/or a mobile Hotspot to use, You can also just Load it and use it freely. We can also Lend safari com cards free to our volunteers who didn't remember to buy their own when coming., If you don't have, please ask for one to load and use during your stay or till you buy your own, we want everybody to stay connected all times, but remember to return the borrowed cards before you leave. The best option is to buy and register using your passport, a kenyan Safaricom line for your use during your stay in Kenya, this will fully solve all your internet problems even when you want to use a computer. This enables you to get the internet connection everywhere, which solves the inconveniences most foreigners are likely to experience while in Kenya
My compound is large enough for even 100 vehicles with several areas for relaxation, I have four acre compound
Workawsyers with pets are welcome I also have pet in my home and I like pets. There are some that we can even give to workawyers who would like to get pets from Kenya.
Más de dos
Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week
Son opciones de calificación adicionales para cuando los miembros dejan sus comentarios. Se muestra la calificación media dejada en cada opción.
Precisión del perfil:
(4.8)
Intercambio cultural:
(5.0)
Comunicación:
(5.0)
