International Women's Day - March 8, 2013

Kinandi (shelling beans) - our Agricultural Instructor is a widow who looks after her extended family by selling her farm produce

Women - we are mothers, spouses, lovers, teachers, business leaders, caregivers and much more. Next week we celebrate women around the globe who keep the home fires burning with Womens' Week. It culminates in celebration with International Womens' Day on March 8, 2013. In my travels, especially in Africa, I have met women who have been involved in a variety of horrible situations - rape, abuse both mental and physical, husbands who have given their wives HIV and Aids and then left the women to raise their children alone. I am totally amazed at the resilience of these women who bravely continue on most without the assistance of any kind of social aid.They seems to have an inner spirit that allows them to continue on, to work to support their families with food, clothing and school fees.

We women here in the developed world are so blessed with our abundance. For the most part we have so many opportunities for a wonderful life and for those who do encounter difficulties there are a multitude of social service agencies to help those in need. I don't think we can even imagine what some of the women I know in the developing world have gone through and yet they have survived  and still want the best for their families.

On March 8th, please think of women worldwide who suffer silently but are filled with an inner beauty and spirit, a resiliency that transcends their difficulties. I know I'll be thinking of my women friends in Wongonyi Village and Nairobi, Kenya -  Kinandi, a widow and our Agricultural Farm Instructor; Beatrice, our Community Health Care Worker; Margaret my basket making Instructor; Getrude, Ronnie's mother and host to visiting university students and in the slums of Nairobi, Mama Caroline and her co-workers of Jitolee Crafts in Kibera Slums and the women of Bega Kwa Bega Craft Group in Mathare Slums. Remember to speak up for those women. Together we can tell their stories told and all make difference in the lives of women worldwide.

One Billion Rising - February 14, 2013

You might be surprised to learn that some of the  teenage girls in this group, like many girls across the African continent have already been raped, beaten or abused by a male in their community, a teacher (in exchange for the promise of good grades or the ability to stay in school) or even a male family member. Abuses that can have effect on these young girls for a lifetime.

Now meet Mama Caroline (in centre), an HIV positive woman living in Kibera Slums in Nairobi, Kenya. Mamany Caroline and many other women living in Kibera have been raped, beaten or abused on a regular basis for simply needing to relieve themselves at the public washrooms. In Kibera people do not have indoor toilets in their homes and must access the public toilets (for which they have to pay to use). The need to use them, especially at night, usually results in being raped, even when an HIV positive woman reveals her status to her abuser. I can only imagiine what these women have goone through and how they continue to live on when there are few social services available to assist them. I truly do admire these women and girls for their resiliency.

Today, February 14th, we acknowledge the violence that has been perpetrated against women around the globe with One Billion Rising, a day of global action to bring awareness to violence against women. Today here in Muskoka as around the world women will join together at 1:00 pm to dance to show their support. The name One Billion Rising was created to mark the 15th anniversary of V-Day, created by Eve Ensler,Tony Award winning author and playwright who wrote The Vagina Monologues. The title makes reference to the UN statistic that one in three women on the earth will be raped, beaten or abused in their lifetime, and for some women that may happen many times.

So today on Valentine's Day - the day of love, I encourage you to rise up with your fellow sisters and brothers around the world and show your support for those women who do not have a voice and are unable to speak out on violence against women. By supporting and helping those we come in contact with who have experienced such abuse, we can help to break the chain of silence on violence.

For more information visit their website at onebillionrising.org.

UN Day for Malala Yusufzia - November 10, 2012

This is Malala Yusufzia, a very courageous 15 year old Pakistan campaigner and peace activist whose only crime was to speak out against the destruction of girls schools in Pakistan and to advocate for the rights of girls and women to be educated. On October 9th while on a school bus Malala was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman to silence her voice. Today Malala is recovering in a UK hospital and the world has become aware of the plight of women and girls around the world whose voices haven't been heard.

I know first hand about those girls and women in the developing world who do not have access to education. In many countries boys are the first to be educated in their families, yet it is girls turned women who really support their families financially. In Kenya primary education is provided by the government but secondary education is not. If your family has funds then as a girl (and even boys) you might be able to attend school, but if your family runs out of money in second term, you stay home until funds can be acquired. This means that education is not consistent or that you may never go to secondary school. Then a girl might be relegated to a life working as a housegirl and perhaps even getting pregnant and having to tend a family of their own, even though they might still be a teenager. The propsects are not bright for these girls.

When I was in Wongonyi Village, Kenya this June I met with the members of our Sere Girls Club and they told me of their daily challenges with regards to schooling. Even for these girls who are in school, life is not easy as often it is a long walk to school (sometimes 1-2 hours each way) and then at night when they get home they have chores to do (get firewood, make the evening meals, clean the utensils, feed the livestock and perhaps put younger siblings to bed) before they can get to their own homework studies.

To this end we support education scholarships that keep girls in school so they can have the prospect of a brighter future and we supply resources like IKEA solar desk lamps that we are giving to girls so they can study at night without having problems like eye strain and respiratory illness that results from using paraffin lamps. Here Emily and her brother receive an IKEA solar desk light that provides 4-5 hours of light at night.












Abigail, an alibino girl is considered by her uncle with whom she lives to be cursed and he refuses to pay for her secondary school fees. Thanks to caring donors in Muskoka Abigail is able to attend Allan Mjomba Secondary School and pursue her dreams.




We urge you to think about Malala and all the girls and women of the world who are being denied and education or have challenges in accessing educational resources. Here in the West education is considered a right for all and so it should be around the world. We all have the right to an education so girls and women are not kept in positions of oppression but instead can be the best they can be - the bright new leaders of the world. Do what you can to support educational programs for girls!

And sign the petition currently being circulated to nominate Malala for the Nobel Peace Prize. Do not let her voice and the voice of millions of girls across the globe be silenced!

Girls Rule - International Day of the Girl

On October 11, 2012 the United Nations officially designated this day as the first annual UN International Day of the Girl. What a great event this is to highlight gender inequalities, focus on  how girls are discriminated throughout the world and highlight the ways girls are abused (verbally, sexually and physically) by their societies.

This day is special as it finally helps to educate people around the world on the importance that girls can have in their families, communities and the world. For girls it highlights the importance to them of knowing their rights as girls - like the right to food and clean safe drinking water, access to health care, the right to say NO to unwanted sexual advances and most importantly the right to quality education. It is a known fact that girls and women really do have the greatest impact on the improvement of their communities. And education truly is the only way girls can make the most of their life and have the greatest impact on moving their families and their communities from poverty to prosperity.

Things will not change overnight, opportunities for girls will develop slowly but if the world knows that girls are a valued part of society change can happen.

 

Members of Sere Girls Club collecting garbage along the roadside

 

 

Girls burning the collected garbage - keeping Wongonyi Village Clean

 

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Our own Sere Girls Club in Wongonyi Village, Kenya know the importance of being girls and the impact they can have on their community. To celebrate the ist annual UN International Day of the Girl, they held a Community Clean-up educating the local villagers on the importance of having a clean village and that everyone is responsibile for taking care of the planet. We applaud the girls of Sere Girls Club for this great initiative - you go girls!

Celebrating Mahatma Gandhi Day - Oct. 2, 2012

I didn't know it until I heard it on the CBC this morning that today was Mahatma Gandhi Day, a day to celebrate the life and message Gandhi had for the world. If you don't know about Gandhi, he was the leader of India's struggle for independence, a spiritual teacher who moved people to adopt a life of peace. Unfortunately Gandhi died on January 30, 1948 at the hand of an assassin.

He had an extraordinary life from a boy growing up in India, to a student of law in London, then working to achieve legal equality for Indians and Negroes in South Africa and his final years spent back in India helping to secure India's independence. In his later years he developed a great spirituality which attracted many followers and his teachings still live on today for those of us who seek a world where all people are equal and live without poverty. He lived a life of passion and non-violence and encouraged others to do the same.

Mahatma Gandhi made many pronouncements during his life which if followed today would result in a world of peace. I have included some of Gandhi's sayings that resonate with me and I know that if others took heed of Gandhi's words I am sure we would all be able to enjoy a harmonious world where all could live in equality.

Here are some of Mahatma Gandhi's thoughts and  sayings:

" Unity in diversity  - The need for the moment is not one religion but mutual respect and tolerance of the devotees of different religions."

"On the reduction of poverty - Industrialization will increase India's grinding pauperism. Instead of increasing mass production, let us look to production by the masses."

" His ideal village would be a complete republic, independent of its neighbours for its vital wants and yet interdependent for many wants in which dependence is a necessity including growing its own useful crops, providing clean water, schools, theatre, public halls and electricity in every hut. For Gandhi self governing and self reliant villages trading with nearby self-sufficient villages was his recipe for democracy."

" All my life I have stood, as everyone should stand, for minorities and those in need . . ."

The Ronnie Fund stands for those in need in Wongonyi Village, Kenya who need not a hand out but a hand up, for these proud African people really know the solutions to their own problems they just need a few ideas and perhaps a tool or two to help them realize their potential.

So today we celebrate all that Mahatma Gandhi stood for - for those in the minority, those in need, those who have not been treated justly, those without the simple basic necessities of life. Take a look at your own life, if you have been blessed then pass your blessings on to others go without.

The Power of Pennies - We Day Inspires!

Today I've been watching the live stream of We Day in Toronto. My daughter Martha is there again this year and I fondly remembered two years ago when our entire family volunteered at We Day - Peter and I in the Educator booths, Martha as a crowd pumper and Jeremy at a Merchandise booth. As a volunteering family with a family-run charity of our own in Kenya it was just natural to participate in We Day.

This year Craig and Marc encouraged youth to save their pennies and take them to the Royal Bank to help provide water for those in developing countries who  have water sources to which they have long distances to carry our precious life source back to their homes or for those whose water sources are closer to home but the water is not clean and safe to drink.

We know the power of pennies for it was by saving pennies in a jar that we started to help our Kenyan friend and "son"  Ronnie Mdawida pursue further university education in order to help the people of his home village of Wongonyi, in southeastern Kenya, and all people of Kenya to a better quality of life. So we began by simply putting pennies in a jar and The Ronnie Fund was started. We later expanded to using this penny bank our son Jeremy recieved. We are not a wealthy family but we felt blessed by the life we have here and were inspired by Ronnie's desire to help his people. We can tell you that it doesn't take long for that small and what some people consider insignificant coin to add up to making important social change. And as Ronnie started to help his village and we began to tell his story and ours, others joined with us individuals, churches businesses. Now six years later we are making a difference in people's lives, one person at a time through educational scholarships, microfinance, Biosand Water Filter project, Health care resources, new homes for widows, clothing and supplies for orphans, Sere Girls Club and Agricultural Tools and training for sustainability.

Our newest project is the Mghongo Leadership Centre, Eco Lodge and Demonstration Farm that once built will provide quality educational training on a variety of topics including Agriculture, Health and Nutrition, Water and Sanitation, Teacher Training, Leadership and Youth programming and much more.

Our meeting with Ronnie when he came to live with our family for three months in 2005 as a participant in the Canada World Youth Program has changed our lives in ways we could never have imagined. And it all started with pennies in a jar to help one young man to further his education but has resulted in  really helping him to achieve his dream of providing quality village life in Kenya.We have made life long friends in this remote hilltop village that I know will endure forever.

Some people are hesitant to help others or just too overwhelmed by the poverty of the world but if we each help just one other person, who in turn will help one other person and so on, and so on, just imagine a world of peace and equality for all.

 YOU CAN DO IT! WE ARE DOING IT!

 As the Dalai Lama said"

"If we are lucky enough to be living a good life, we should recognize this gift and thank God for it by looking out for others who need our help in breaking out of the cycle of poverty."

BE THE CHANGE!

 

To see how pennies can transform Kenyan communities check out our website

 www.easysite.com/theronniefund

theronniefund@sympatico.ca

Ronnie giving an inspirational talk to 150 youth attending a Youth Barazza in Wongonyi Village telling them to never give up their dreams despite the hardships they may be facing. Ronnie faced those same challenges coming from a childhood of poverty to achieve his BA in Rural Sociology and is now working on his MA, transferring his knowledge to a new generation of Kenyan youth.

World Humanitarian Day Celebrates Health Care Workers

What would the world be without Health Care Workers. This year 2012's World Humanitarian Day celebrates the unsung heroes of the world "Community Health Care Workers". When I was in Wongonyi Village in Kenya this past June I learned of the amazing work that Beatrice Whanga is doing. I first met Beatrice on our trip to the village in 2008 when she was the Assistant Chairperson of the Ushirika Ladies Group (affectionately known as "The Poultry Ladies") for they had banded together raising chickens to generate income to help support their families. But that is a story for another time. In the recent past  Beatrice learned of a great need in the community, that of community health care, and she has now dedicated her life to filling that need. Although there does exist a District Hospital in the Mwambira District of the Taita Taveta Hills, it's strategic location in the centre of the four villages of Wongonyi, Mrangi, Mole and Makaleri means that it is a one to two hour walk from any of these villages to the hospital. So understandably, people wait until they are really sick to make the trek to the hospital at which point they are usually too ill to be served by the hospital which lacks anything more than basic health care, so you get sent to the hospital at Voi 40 km away, which also lacks resources. The end result is that if you are really ill you will usually die. Not a successful outcome. Beatrice realized that many people lacked knowledge about basic health and nutrition and many like the elderly or disabled can't even get to a hospital if they need one due to the hilly terrain. Beatrice has been known to carry someone too ill to walk on her back or pushed in a wheelbarrow in the middle of the night one hour to the hospital.

Beatrice has made it her mission to provide health care visits in homes to the people of Wongonyi and surrounding villages. She educates people on health issues and when care is needed. Not all of the stories are pretty ones, like the young mother, a teenager, who left her baby on a table and the baby rolled off and into the fire burning a large part of it's tiny body. The young mother didn't know enough to seek medical attention. But things are beginning to change with Beatrice's home visits. The amazing part of this story is that Beatrice does this all without being paid and with a lack of resources  because she believes someone needs to address the issue. On my recent trip to Wongonyi Village this past June I took over a digital blood pressure monitor. You should have seen Beatrice's face light up when I presented her with this new tool. She was so excited to be able to take people's blood pressure (above you can see her taking Ronnie's blood pressure). The second day she had it she called Ronnie excitedly saying we had saved a life. She had visited a woman and taken her blood pressure which was in the extreme range. Beatrice told the woman to go to the hospital to get medication. The woman didn't believe Beatrice but did go to the hospital. When she arrived she did not tell them why she was sent but asked to have her blood pressure taken and they were shocked. The nurse asked the woman how she had come to the hospital and she said she had walked slowly. The woman was given medication and kept at the hospital until she was able to walk home. At another meeting of 18 women Beatrice askked how many had ever had their blood pressure taken. Only Ronnie's mother Getrude put up her hand. Beatrice said she would be around to visit all the others in the next few days. Since I have been back in Canada Beatrice visits the women on a regular basis monitoring their blood pressure.

Before I came home Beatrice asked for a few more tools that would help her in her job. A stethoscope was one item. In Bracebridge a nurse Way Lem came to our aid and we sent over his two stethoscopes. Again Beatrice was overjoyed. She visited Mwambira hospital to learn their proper use and has been busy with her enhanced health care work. Beatrice is one of the unsung heroes in the world. She also works with the Kaza Moyo Mwambira Support Group( seen below), a multi generational and gender group of HIV positive people in Wongonyi Village helping them with health care issues and trying to assist in finding economic opportunities so that they are able to support their families. Many people shun those with HIV/Aids because they do not understand how HIV/Aids is spread. Beatrice  provides hospice care in her home, which requires repairs, when HIV patients are at end of life and have been rejected by their families. She also serves as the midwife for the four villages of Wongonyi, Mrangi, Mole and Makaleri, the last two being a two hour walk from Beatrice's home in Wongonyi Village.

On August 19th - World Humanitarian Day for 2012 and throughout the year - we salute Beatrice Whanga for her outstanding work as a Community Health Care Worker in Wongonyi Village, Kenya.

Celebrate Earth Week Every Day

Last week was Earth Week and all over the globe people were initiating or continuing projects to help save Mother Earth. Each day we are doing things that destroy the precious planet we inhabit. Cities expand at an alarming rate with farmers fields being destroyed to make way for megahomes to house the expaning urban population but no one seems to question how we are going to feed ourselves as that precious farmland can never be reclaimed. Industry spews out chemials into the air poisoning our environment and polluting the air we need to survive. But all is not doom and gloomed as all over the world sensitive people are realizing the terrible state of our world and are working away, not only on Earth Day or during Earth Week but every day of the year on projects that are helping to return health back to planet earth. Wangari Maathai, the Nobel Peace Prize Winner from Kenya started the Greenbelt Movement planting trees, returning forests back to her native country and prior to her death encouraged everyone to plant trees to achieve the Billion Tree Campaign, a billion trees to be planted worldwide. I recently read of a man in India who began 30 years ago to plant trees in a sandspit and now his forest covers 1,360 acres, a testament to the spirit of regeneration and rebirth for our world.

Jeremy and Peter plant four trees with Ikanga Scouts at Ikanga, Kenya

Earth Week is a reminder to all of us to look at the world we live in, to do our part to make a difference. It doesn't have to be something huge, something simple like planting just one tree every year can help the environment. Trees are an investment. But it can also be turning out your lights when you don't need them, washing your clothes in cold water instead of hot, turning off the tap when you are brushing you teeth, having a quick shower instead of taking a bath. It is the simple things that can really add up and make a difference. Look at what you are doing in your home and see how you an make a difference. Planet Earth is not an infinite body, someday if we don;t take care of what we have, our children and their children will not have a place to all home. So make a difference in our world not just during Earth Week but all year long.

International Women's Day - March 8, 2012

Today is International Women's Day celebrating women worldwide with this year's theme "Empowering Rural Women." It is hard for women here in the developed world to think that women are impoverished in the developing world.

My work in Kenya has given me a true appreciation of all that women in developing countries have to deal with - HIV/Aids, lack of food, proper shelter, difficulty in paying her children's school fees, husbands who leave to find better employment but fail to send funds home to support their families, rape and much more. I have only respect for these women who seem to draw from a spirit deep inside themselves to accept, deal with and rise above these problems. They have a true resiliency that I don't know if I could find within myself.

We need to support these women and help them move from poverty to prosperity by assisting them with education, training, and microfinance loans. I have seen the benefit that these women get from a small loan that can help them improve their business and increase income to support their families. Training can give them new skills again to help with income generation like the woman in the photo above. She works for Bega Kwa Bega, a fair trade organization in Mathare slums in Nairobi. Here former drug users, prostitutes and alcoholics have been given life skills and craft training and now are able to get useful work. Her life has changed for the better.

Today celebrate a woman who is special and close to you or a woman you don't know in a developing country, think about the beauty that lies within her despite her circumstances.

March 3rd - Wangari Maathai Day

Members of Lukundo Youth Group check seedlings in their tree nursery.

It was this past year 2011 that Wangari Maathai, the Nobel Peace Prize winner from Kenya succumbed to ovarian cancer. It was a very sad day for those of us who work and live in Kenya for she had been an outstanding leader for the country giving hope to those like herself who have grown up with social injustice and poverty.

Wangari is best known for starting The Greenn Belt Movement, a tree planting campaign that she initiated to provide empowerment for women by planting trees. A staunch environmentalist she realized the effects on the environment from deforestation and the ripple down effect this had on women's lives and the lives of their families. In the past year Wangari had initiated the Billion Tree Campaign, asking people around the globe to help in planting a billion trees worldwide to help counter the effects of climate change.

With the development of The Mghongo Leadership Centre, Eco Lodge and Demonstration Farm soon to be built in Wongonyi Village, Kenya we celebrate Wangari and her work as a role model and great leader to the youth and women in our village. On the day of Wangari's funeral, each student and teacher in the village planted a tree in Wangari's memory.

Today we forever will mark as Wangari Maathai Day as designated by The Green Belt Movement organization and we will continue to plant trees in her honour on this day. Wongonyi Village, located high atop the Taita Taveta Hills in southeastern Kenya is a biodiversity hotspot of rare flora, fauna and bird life who inhabit the indigenous forests of the hills. Deforestation has touched our remote area too as villagers have ravaged the forests for firewood and building materials without thinking about or knowing the consequences of their actions for daily survival. Ronnie is working diligently to educate the youth and villagers on the consequences of deforestion, more mudslides in the rainy season, loss of soil due to rain and wind, the effects of the loss of the forests on weather patterns. And to this end we have also embarked on a tree planting project to revitalize this important ecological feature. Youth groups have set up tree nurseries and are propagating tree seedlings for planting. The forests are being regenerated and wildlife is returning and with each tree that is planted we will continue to keep Wangari's dream alive.

International Development Week - Feb 5 - 11, 2012

I just finished reading John Stackhouse's book "Out of Poverty and into something more comfortable". An interesting read to be sure which highlighted the many issues and challenges with international development and the quest to effect change in developing countries. I could certainly relate to many of the situations he described in the rural villages he visited in Africa, India, Bangladesh and Indonesia. It is not simply a matter of sending funds and physical resources to help move people from poverty to prosperity. If one doesn't already possess patience, one will certainly learn it when dealing with the developing world. We can't come with our western preconceptions about how development will take place. We may go and see the problem and know an easy solution but it takes time to learn the local history, tribal ways and other cultural issues that can hinder development like witchcraft, village politics and people's jealousies.


However that being said, there are great joys in seeing positive change take place and one must never let despair or dissolutionment get one down. During our 6 years of working with The Ronnie Fund in Wongonyi Village, Ronnie has often felt discouraged when things do not go as planned or fellow villagers try to derail a project but a positive outlook and continued education can turn a project around.



The focus for 2012 International Development Week is Empowerment for Women and Girls and Sustainable Economic Growth. We know that women are the lifeblood of all economies worldwide - they are the ones who keep the families going. In the developing world it is women who work tirelessly to provide food, clothing and school fees for their children and it is women who are left to look after families when their husbands desert them after learning their partner has HIV/Aids (most often given to them by the husbands). These women, often considered widows, are left to fend for themselves often suffering abuse from their families by shunning and rape for those living in slum conditions. Recently we were given a special gift from Bracebridge United Church which allowed us to provide doors, windows and iron sheets for roofing for a church in Wongonyi that is building homes for widows. Kinandi, a mother who lives and supports two adult daughters and 4 grandchildren living in a one room windowless mud hut, cried with joy when she heard she was to be the recipient of new roofing. She has invited me to sleep at her new home on my next visit to Wongonyi Village. I am constantly amazed by the resiliency of these women. They seem to have an inner strength that I'm not sure I could possess. They continue day by day to provide what they can for their families.

Constance, one of our secondary school graduates is now taking computer courses while waiting for her acceptance into university.


For girls, it can be just as difficult as they are often the last to be supported by the families for secondary school education. If a family can't afford their fees, they will send them out to work or marry them off at a young age keeping them in a perpetual cycle of poverty. We are doing our best to keep girls in school for we know that education is the only way to break out of poverty. Our Sere Girls Club is providing an opportunity for 30 girls in Wongonyi Village, Kenya to meet for educational, spiritual and emotional guidance along with a mentoring program and training in leadership skills. We have seen girls blossom under this program.

Some of the women of Jitolee Crafts group - empowering women who advocate about HIV/Aids


Finally sustainable economic growth is the key to improving women's lives and that of their families. Through our Microfinance program we have been able to provide small loans to women to help them expand their businesses. This has provided them with increased income to supply their families with the basic necessities of life. A key component of our Microfinance program is training in business skills so they can continue to expand and improve their businesses. We also support women's groups like Jitolee Crafts, a group of 15 HIV positive women living in Kiberia Slums of Nairobi. Because of their HIV status they are unable to get jobs and so have banded together to help each other and themselves. After making beaded crafts and clothing, they visit markets to sell their wares. At the same time, they educate the public about HIV/Aids and the empowerment of women to take charge of their own lives.

During International Development Week 2012 we salute and celebrate the wonderful women of the developing world for the optimism and their quest for a better quality of life.

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.