World Aids Day - December 1

Me and Mama Caroline at Ronnie's house in Nairobi

Mama Caroline (far right) and the women of Jitolee Craft Group

I don't know much about the intricacies of HIV/Aids but I do know the devasting effects it can have on people's health, well being and livelihoods. HIV/Aids has had horrible effects on developing countries especially Africa where the lack of available drugs, social and medical services mean that almost an entire generation has passed on. The passing of these people have left a huge gap in the social fabric as children have been left without parents, responsible for their own care and that of their younger siblings. Or orphans have been taken in by grandparents or relatives most of whom do not have the resources and energy to care properly for the children. It is a sad situation.

Most people, even in developing countries are not fully aware of how the disease actually is passed on and so terrible stigmas have developed about people who do acquire HIV/Aids leading families and business owners to shun members who get the disease. Most women are left alone to raise their families when their husbands, who are most often the cause of their acquiring HIV/Aids, abandon them. Education is the key to overcoming the stigmas and available drugs are the method of keeping the disease under control. But not all HIV/Aids stories are sad ones.

In the Kibera Slums of Nairobi, Kenya a group of courageous women have banded together as the Jitolee Craft Group to create incomes for their families and to educate the public about HIV/Aids. Mama Caroline and her group of 14 HIV positive women were not able to get regular jobs because of the stigma of Aids and so they have come together to create beautiful works of art in beaded necklaces, beaded sisal bags and now clothing made from the traditional African Kanga. The women meet at Mama Caroline's tin shack in Kibera slums as it is the largest and work away to produce crafts which they sell at local markets sharing the profits which then help each woman buy food, clothing and pay school fees for their children. While at the markets, the women educate the public about HIV/Aids and Empowerment for Women. We have been purchasing crafts from the Jitolee Craft Group which we sell with the proceeds returning to Kenya for our Educational Scholarship Program.

I am truly inspired by the resiliency of these women who struggle daily not only with the effects of the disease but with the stigma and other social injustices like being raped when they attend the community bathrooms in the slums (even when they explain they have HIV/Aids, the male rapists do not care so you can see how the disease can spread). I am also in awe of their desire to make a difference by educating the public when many other women keep silent so as not to suffer the stigma and shunning.

Today on World Aids Day, please remember that HIV/Aids is a disease like any other and cannot be passed by giving one who is suffering a much needed hug. Learn from these determined and resilent women that anything is possible and if you have the chance to buy a product made from the Jitolee Craft Group please support them generously. You are helping these women support themselves and their families for they are working hard and do not expect a hand out but rather a hand up to a better quality of life. A beaded gourd that Mama Caroline gave me is a daily reminder of the challenges these women face and how they are rising above their disadvantages.

A Tribute to Wangari Maathai

It was a text at midnight last night (September 22nd) from Ronnie that told us of the passing of Wangari Maathai - a shock to those of us who respected Wangari and hoped that on our next trip to Kenya we would be able to meet the woman who has changed the role of Kenyan women. Kenya has lost one of its bright lights, human rights and environmental activist, educator and the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize(2004).

Wangari is best known for starting the Green Belt Movement in 1977, a tree planting program to provide income and empower women to a better quality of life. She also educated them on the negative impacts of deforestation and the positive effects of replanting trees.

Ronnie remembers Wangari, "It's still sad to think that Wangari is gone. Her illness (ovarian cancer) was a guarded secret. I still remember her voice on the phone so clearly since she could not meet me, telling me to continue my good works. I remember her saying African women need to know it's okay to be the way they are - to see that they're a strength and to be liberated from fear and silence, a thing we have always told our Sere Girls Club members. In her honour I will mobilize our primary and secondary schools to ensure each kid and teachers plant trees."

Wangari did not have an easy time in her personal or business life but she stood up for what she believed in. Her memoirs relate that this often led to her being verbally and physically abused by those who did not agree with her or being thrown into jail. But Dr. Maathai showed Kenyan women that they could succeed and should not remain silent in the face of social injustice. I respect Dr. Maathai for her resilience in seeking a life free from poverty. My respect was also for Wangari's celebration of her African culture and heritage for I loved that she always wore her traditional African clothing. It is for all these reasons that The Ronnie Fund will continue to uphold Dr. Maathai's ideals and memory as a role model for our Sere Girls Club and with the many girls, young and older women that we come in contact with in our work in Wongonyi Village and all parts of Kenya.

I am told tht Wangari once said, "In the course of history, there comes a time when humanity is called to shift to a new level of consciousness to reach a higher moral ground. A time when we have to shed our fear and give hope to each other. That time is now."

We will uphold Wangari's ideals and as Canadians working in Kenya with the Kenyan people, we will give hope to each other through peaceful processes, collaboration and joyful spirits. May Dr. Maathai's memory live on in the continued planting of trees worldwide for peace.

Girl Power - Mentorship Program a Success!

In Kenya when girls reach high school age, school is no longer free. If one is to advance to high school her parents must pay not only her tuition fees but also purchase school uniforms, textbooks, and other supplies like pens, notebooks and math sets. Those whose parents cannot afford the fees are usually sent out to work to contribute to the family income. As a result girls do not envision a real future for themselves. They don't set goals as they know that those goals will probably not be achievable.

The Ronnie Fund is attempting to change those views for these promising young girls in Wongonyi Village. This past spring Serah Mucha Mdawida (Ronnie's wife) arranged for two women educators from Nairobi to travel to the village to facilitate a weekend mentoring workshop for students. On the Friday the women engaged 150 students from Wongonyi and neighbouring Mbolo village on self-esteem and visioning through fun and engaging activities.

The next day the women met with 20 girls from the Sere Girls Club and spent in-depth time on goal-setting, time management and the power of personal future planning. Many of the girls have never spent any time thinking of the future beyond the next day. The facilitators enlightened the girls on the need to think about their futures and educated the girls on the opportunities that exist by going to college and university. It is only through education that the girls and their families can lift themselves out of the cycle of poverty. Serah will be holding a follow-up workshop with the girls in the next month or two. As well Serah will be bringing a few girls to Nairobi to tour the universities and colleges and learn about opportunities outside the village.

The girls did find the visioning exercise challenging because they have not ever thought about life outside the village but it is hoped that this workshop will give the girls a new look on a brighter future.

Serah also plans on developing a mentorship program with successful young women in Kenya who can mentor the girls on a regular basis encouraging them to continue their studies both at high school, university or college and then into the business world. It is important that we empower these young women who are the leaders of today. An indication of the power of girls is our twinning project with Muskoka Scout troops and the Ikanga Scout troop in Kenya. Recently the girls unit of the Scouts placed third in the provincial Kenya Scouting competition. A great feat and we celebrate their hard work. Go Girls!

ECHO - Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization

Zero Grazing - this goat barn will hold 8 goats, keeping crops safe from wandering goats, and allowing the farmer to feed his goats nutritious food in a cut and carry system. The slatted floor means that the goat manure falls through and is collected in a bin below allowing easy access for collection by the farmer. The manure is then used to enrich the soil for crops.

Three styles of Rocket Stove currently being used in developing countries which are more fuel efficient saving both fuelwood and shortening the time women spend looking for firewood. The addition of a pot skirt also helps to channel the heat to the pot for added efficiency and shortening cooking time.

This past week I had the opportunity of taking a course called Introduction to Tropical Agriculture at ECHO (Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization) in Ft. Meyers, Florida. A neighbour had visited the ECHO facilities during a recent trip to Florida and had brought me back the brochure thinking I might be interested in what ECHO had to offer. He had wanted to get a book for Ronnie that would be of help to our work in Wongonyi Village, Kenya but was overwhelmed by the selection in the bookstore. I visited ECHO's website and found this course for those working overseas in developing countries which just happened to fit into my schedule. So last week, I along with 18 other people learned a lot about tropical agriculture, community development, the challenges of working with those in poverty and also had a chance to share ideas and concepts about our work in developing countries. Half our group was made up of students, some who had just graduated and were looking for opportunities for the next leg of their personal journey. Representatives from India, Burkino Faso, Niger, Tanzania and Germany rounded out our group of Canadian and Americans working in Kenya, Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and Libyria.

It was an amazing time for me as I realized that although some concepts for temperate gardening can apply in developing countries, growing in the tropics and sub-tropics is really a different kettle of fish. There you can take a branch off a tree, stick it in the ground and viola, a new tree will grow. But concepts like composting and mulching are universal agricultural principles.I also learned of differing perspectives to use when working with those in the poverty cycle. Trees and plants that can change the face of poverty and malnutrition were shown to us along with their growing conditions and I know that Ronnie will soon be planting Moringa, the Miracle Tree, and Amaranth, a nutritious grain in Wongonyi Village, Kenya.

ECHO has a Global Demonstration Farm and Research Facility which assists those working in the field or those who having positions as trainers and technical resource staff. It is a living classroom focused on helping those who are subsistence farmers overseas to become more productive. ECHO also has a specialized library with staff that can help answer any of your questions regarding tropical agriculture and by joining the ECHO network you can have access to ECHO Development Notes, a highly regarded technical bulletin sent out quarterly to agricultural development workers, teachers and trainers working overseas. Additionally ECHO holds an agricultural conference each fall with participants coming from around the globe to learn new techniques and share agricultural and development solutions.

The ECHO Seed bank contains over 350 varieties of seeds for difficult growing conditions and locations. Overseas development workers who will report back on performance and community acceptance of plants can obtain up to 10 trial packs of free seed per year.

ECHO also has a bookstore and nursery that are open to the public as well as giving tours to school groups and the public. For more information on ECHO and the resources it offers check out their website at http://www.echonet.org/.

World Orphans Day - May 16, 2011

Isaiah Mwandami, Project Manager for The Ronnie Fund Biosand Water Filter Project, (himself an orphan looking after three siblings), shows an orphaned family their new Biosand Water Filter that has just been manufactured which will provide them with clean, safe drinking water.

Around the globe thousands of children live everyday without the benefits of guidance, nurturing and love from parents. Many of these vulnerable children have lots one or both parents to the ravishes of HIV/Aids, genocide and tribal wars and other diseases.

Sometimes these children are being taken care of by grandparents and other relatives. However if the job becomes too onerous, the grandparents too old, or the relatives unable to feed a few other mouths these children find themselves cast out to live on their own, fending for themselves, barely able to survive having to find work to sustain themselves rather than going to school and enjoying the fun activities children are supposed to partake in. In a very many cases, one finds older siblings taking on the caretaking roles, looking after many younger siblings.

World Orphans Day is to raise awareness of the number of children living in parentless households and the great needs and challenges these children have. In our village of Wongonyi, Kenya we have recorded 60 children out of the 300 attending Wongonyi Primary School to be orphans and that does not include orphan siblings attending (if possible) Allan Mjomba Secondary School. Ronnie has been approached by orphaned children starving for lack of food and crying because of treatment by adults who have note realized starvation to be the issue. The care of orphans and vulnerale children in Wongonyi Village is another of the challenges we are researching and trying to address in terms of care facilities.

Currently we have been able to provide some orphans with clothing and food along with school fees and supplies. Recently a donation from the Eastern Star branch in Bracebridge, Ontario allowed us to begin providing Biosand Water Filters to orphan families. These home water filters provide the children with clean, safe drinking water improving their health and lessen their trips to seek medical help for stomach ailments from water borne bacteria. Now The Ronnie Fund is exploring different models of care homes that would provide a family type setting for those orphans in Wongonyi Village.

Sometimes when we travel we from the West are repulsed by children in large centres like Nairobi, Calcutta and Brazil who are begging in the street but for many of the orphaned children it is their only alternative to try and get a little money or food to sustain their siblings. A sad state of afairs for those of us who have seen the reality of children living alone. Imagine your own children have to live on their own finding food, raising money, not being able to go to school and you can see how millions of children worldwide live. As well those grandparents and relatives looking after orhpans have a great weight put on their shoulders.

Today, I ask you to think about those orphan children and support a cause that is making a difference in these vulnerable children's lives. Asante-sana (thank you!)

World Fair Trade Day - May 14, 2011

A sewer at Bega Kwa Bega (Korogocho Slums, Nairobi, Kenya) makes over the shoulder bags from Kikoy scarves. This fair trade co-operative produces a variety of craft products including sewn items, bead work and necklaces, tie-dyed art and leather products.

Did you know that more than one third of the world's population live in poverty - that's 2.7 billion people worldwide living on $2.00 per day or less. For those of us in the Western world, it is a hard concept to grasp. For us, it is the price of one cup of coffee and with just that $2.00 those living in poverty have to pay for their acommodation, food, clothing and children's school fees. It's a pretty daunting way to live.

But on May 14th, 2011 you can help many of those living in developing countries by supporting World Fair Trade Day. Most people living in the developing world are small business owners from the woman selling her excess vegetables or crafts at the side of a dusty African road to groups of people working in fair trade co-operatives like Bega Kwa Bega in the Korogocho Slums of Nairobi. Here former drug users, alcohols and prostitues have been given an opportunity for a new life with training in life skills, business and craft skills. It is amazing to see the impact that fair trade has made on improving their quality of life.

This year's theme for World Fair Trade Day is "TRADE FOR PEOPLE - Fair Trade your world." The World Fair Trade Organization asks you to join with small producers world wide in celebrating small business by supporting fair and sustainable economies both locally and globally. Look for fair trade items when making your purchases in the grocery store or other shops. Support fair trade sales like Ten Thousand Villages that purchases globally from fair trade businesses. If we all started supporting fair trade businesses imagine what a better world we could create - one of equality and prosperity for all.

For more information on World Fair Trade Day check out the World Fair Trade Organization's website at www.worldfairtradeday10.org.

World Water Day - March 22, 2011

A young orphan gets a glass of water from their Biosand Water Filter in Wongonyi Village, Kenya.

When we are thirsty and want a drink, we simply go to the tap, turn it on a fill our glass with cool clean, safe water. Need clean clothes - throw them in a washer and hit the button. Water fills the machine to clean our clothes. Have a dirty body - turn on the tap and enjoy a long, hot shower ar a relaxing bath, all which take lots and lots of water.

But in most of the developing world, clean safe water is a rare commodity, a luxury that most cannot afford or even find. Often women must walk for miles to fetch water which they then have to carry home balanced on their heads, causing pain from neck compression. Young children must take time away from school if their chore is to fetch the water. And more often than not the water comes from dirty streams, ponds or other unsanitary sources which then leads to disease and illnes taking precious time away from school or work.

Today is World Water Day, a time when all of us should consider those who do not have access to this basic human right and how wasteful we who do have plenty of water are. We in the West forget were our water comes from, that it is a fragile resource that someday might not be as accessible as it now is.

In Wongonyi Village, Kenya we are working to address the issue of clean safe water through our Biosand Water Filter project. Through a grant from Bracebridge United Church we were able to purchase a steel mold for manufacturing these home water filters. Many families in the village have been able to purchase the filters for a nominal fee. Most recently, a donation from the local unit of Eastern Star allowed us to start manufacturing and distributing water filters to orphans who cannot afford to purchase the units. Already villagers are telling us the health benefits they have received through reduced days of sickness from waterborne illnesses. Isaiah Mwandami, an orphan himself looking after two orphan siblings, is our Biosand Water Filter project manager visiting homes and schools in the area telling them about the Biosand Filters and educating people about proper sanitation procedures.

Although today is the official World Water Day, we urge you to consider how fortunate you are to have access to unlimited clean safe water and to encourage you to conserve waterevery day in your daily activities. Turn the tap off when you brush your teeth, take a 3 minute shower instead of a bath, run the dishwasher or clothes washer only when they are full and flush the toilet only when necessary (if it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down) - they may seem like simple things to do but they can all add up to saving our water supply. Remember that water really is a precious commodity.

3 Tips for Safe Travel

"Young Zedi enjoys a glass of water from his new Biosand Water Filter which provides clean, safe drinking water in Wongonyi VIllage, Kenya"

Recently we connected with a group from Olympia, Washington "Water for the World" who are all about building and installing Biosand Water Filters in the developing world. These water filters will provide safe, clean drinking water to those whose only option now is to drink dirty or unsafe water which leads to illness, disease and time away from work and school.

We watched their video in which one of their members had three tips for safe travel in developing countries.


1. DON'T GET HIT - that means watch yourself when travelling by foot or vehicle. In much of the developing world, safety regulations are not as stringent as they are here at home. Matatus and buses are usually overloaded with people and items being transported. Roads are not as well kept as at home which can lead to lots of accidents. If you don't feel safe using public transport because of overloaded conditions, consider hiring your own car and driver.


2. DON'T GET BIT - that means take precautions for malaria and other diseases that are spread by bites from insects. As well as taking malaria pills ( and make sure your doctor prescribes the correct malaria medication for the area you are travelling in as there are different strains of malaria) make sure you use a malaria bednet. These are easily obtained in major cities in shopping centres. We always purchase malaria nets when we get to Nairobi and use them in the village during our stay and leave them to be used by orphans and others who might not be able to afford them.


3. DON'T EAT SHIT - that means, don't drink the local water or eat fresh vegetables that might have been washed in local water. We always eat food that has been cooked. You don't want to spoil you volunteer vacation or your time helping out in a much needed program in a rural village in a developing country because you have a stomach ailment. As well if you are in a remote area, medical help may not be close at hand. We always take our own medical kit each time we go to Kenya with diarrhea medication, gastrolyte and other stomach remedies and again we leave our medical kit behind as our village of Wongonyi, Kenya must use a District Hospital located several kilometres away.


Travelling and working in a developing country is a very rewarding experience and one that can change your life. But the key to staying safe and healthy is using common sense and these three tips.

January 11, 2011 - International Day of Peace for Kenya

Peace - it is a wonderful concept. If only we could achieve world peace, everyone working and living together in peace and harmony. No more wars, no more children orphaned because of wars or tribal warfare, no more child soldiers brainwashed and drugged into killing for no real reason, other than acquisition of land and material things.

In Kenya in December 2007 tribal warfare broke out as a result of the election process and procedures. It turned Kenyans one against the other as cries of election irregularities were reported. In Kibera Slums, buildings were burned and in the Kisumu/Eldoret area people who had sought safe haven in a church were barricaded inside and the building burned. I just find it so hard to understand why people would want to harm others in this tragic way. And this type of behaviour is not happening in Kenya only, there are wars in Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and many other countries around the world. Women and children are sent into hiding, families are broken up and family members are killed and to what end.

On January 11, 2008, Kenya declared this day the International Day of Peace for Kenya, a day to celebrate the end to injustice and inhumanity. A day for all Kenyans to join together and celebrate the right to peaceful living. And after all, Kenyans should be proud in the knowledge that one of their own Wangari Mathaai is a Nobel Peace Prize Winner, a true advocate for peace around the world and especially in her own home country.

I hope that on January 11, you will take a few moments to think about how you in your own samll way can help promote peace worldwide - right a letter to your Member of Parliament about injustice around the world, donate funds to an organization that promotes peace or volunteer to help out an organization in a foreigh country that is trying to make inroads into peaceful processes.