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.

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.

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.

December 1, 2010 - World HIV/Aids Day

Today is World HIV/Aids Day, a day in which to raise awareness of the plight of those around the globe who are afflicted with HIV/Aids. This is a deadly killer which has left a great portion of Africa with the loss of a generation, those of middle age. Children have been left orphaned when young parents die from this deadly killer. Grandparents, especially grandmothers are then left with the challenge of raising young children as they enter their golden year. The added financial strain this puts on these older women is often overwhelming and even grandparents must pass the children on to other relatives, who in turn send the children out to fend on their own. Imagine your children being left to find their own food, clothes and support themselves and some of these children are also afflicated with HIV/Aids. In our village of Wongonyi in southeastern Kenya we have 100 orphans living without parental guidance.

When we were in Nairobi this past March, we had the pleasure of meeting Mama Caroline, the Chair person of the Jitolee Crafts group. This is a wonderful group of women who despite the stigma of HIV/Aids have banded together to create a business in order to generate income so that they can look after their families. The stigma of HIV/Aids prevents these women from getting normal jobs as they are considered unhireable. It is a shame and a human indignity that people treat others in this manner. These women are like any other mothers world-wide who just want to provide the best for their families. In most cases, the husbands who have actually given these women HIV/Aids because of the husband's roving behaviour, then leave the families when they learn of the HIV status of the wives. The women who in many cases have stayed home to look after the family are now left with no income, children to feed and clothe and school fees to pay.

Upon meeting in a support group for people with HIV/Aids, in 2003 the 6 founding women of Jitolee Crafts acquire the skills and supplies to make traditional African crafts. The same year Jitolee Crafts created an HIV/Aids Awareness pin that was worn by the Kenyan President. Today the group has expanded to 15 members and continues to innovate new deisigns. The group of women live in Kibera Slums in Nairobi and work out of Mama Caroline's small tin shack.

Jitolee Crafts main goal is to provide HIV positive women with the means to reduce the stigma of HIV/Aids within their community, build a support network that encourages healthy decisions and generate income for themselves and their children. Jitolee Crafts aims to do this through making and selling traditional African crafts raning from necklaces, bracelets, beaded items like keychains, sisal beaded bags and various wire crafts. Some of the products focus on Kenyan identity and HIV/Aids awareness. To learn more about this wonderful and engaging group of women check out the Jitolee Craft website at www.jitoleecrafts.webs.com

Mega-slumming - A Journey through sub-Saharan Africa's largest shantytown

A recent medical clinic held in Kibera Slums in Nairobi by Sandy Foster of North Bay and her team.

Recently Ronnie attended the launch of a book by Adam W. Parsons entitled "Mega-slumming A journey through sub-Saharan Africa's largest shantytown. The book outlines Parson's visit over a number of weeks to Kibera slum in Nairobi.

Adam describes his initial naiviete at being able to just wander into the slum to glean insight into its inner workings. Instead he learns the need to be dressed correctly (dirty not clean), to have local inside guides to ensure his security and to have access to businesses and organizations working on the inside.

It is a revealing study into a world onto itself. It highlights the extreme disparity between the rich and poor of Kenya and how those seeking a better life in the city have instead found themselves stuck in a life of extreme poverty, living without proper drinking water, sanitation and other basic necessities of life. What I found amazing was that some of those who inhabit Kibera are young people with university degrees but the lack of jobs has forced them into this situation of a vicious cycle of poverty with no way out.

Parson's book also takes a look at the historical factors that have led to the development of slums not only in Kenya but in most of the major cities of the developing world like Brazil, and Mumbai. The really scary part was that according to the UN's conservative estimates, African slum populations will double on average every 15 years reaching 332 million by 2015. That's only 5 years away. How can we in the developed world allow this many people to live in such extreme poverty without government assistance such as health care, policing, etc. (as the government doesn't recognize Kibera as developed lands) and most going without a daily meal? And remember that this is not only happening in Kenya but in India, Brazil, Mexico, Guatemala. We need to send a strong message to the governments of developing countries that they need to encourage job creation, social justice and democracy to help lift their people out of poverty.

You can get a copy of this extremely eye-opening book from Share the World's Resources at www.stwr.org.

5 Tips to Consider When Planning your Trip

For many people Africa is a magical place full of mystery and adventure. I have always had a fascination with the dark continent since childhood and as we prepared for our recent trip, I was filled with excitement. But I was not going to Kenya as a tourist but as a partner with Ronnie in helping him achieve his dream, so it was important that our family fit in to African life. Prior to travelling we asked Ronnie for suggestions on making those we were to meet feel comfortable with us and we with them. Here are 5 tips we used successfully.

1. It is important to have cultural sensitivity - as a volunteer, business person or organization leader you are not staying on the fringes but actually interacting with the Kenyan people in an advisory capacity. Except in the large centres like Nairobi, women in rural villages do not wear pants. Women should take skirts to wear or if you feel you must wear pants, purchase a Kanga (a rectangular piece of fabric) that you tie around your waist like a skirt. It is important to show your respect for their customs.

2. Don't impose your values - remember you are entering another culture. Meal times and food will not be the same as what you have at home (sweet potatoes are served for breakfast and you may get the same meal twice in one day) but smile and be happy. Many of the people who are entertaining you are serving you the best meal they can present and afford. The same goes for appointments - African time and business practices do not have the same hurried pace we have here - be patient.

3. Be conscious of the African perception of Westerners. Most Africans think that everyone from the West is wealthy. We were constantly telling the villagers we work with how long we had saved before being able to visit them. Ronnie says, "In African culture a visitor is a big deal. People will just want to be with you - you will have to have some understanding as Africans have preconceived thoughts of Westerners. You may be harassed by villagers for loans and food, it happens routinely." We did find that on our last night in the village we were approached with some pretty serious and expensive requests but as we are only the facilitators for our donors, we told villagers we would take back their requests for consideration.

4. Take time to learn even a few key phrases in Swahili. Although most people we met did speak some English, a few words spoken in Swahili shows that you cared enough to relate to them on their terms. We found that it certainly endeared the people to us and elicited big smiles as we struggled with pronounciation. Simple phrases like hello, goodbye, please and thank you are quick to learn. Another helpful tip to know is the Kenyan greeting - we called it "the secret handshake". Upon meeting someone you grasp the person's hand as in a normal handshake, then move the hand slightly to grasp the thumb and then return the grasp of the normal handshake. People we met were always surprised and happy to see we knew the common greeting.

5. Finally - take some gifts with you to hand out. The gifts need not be big or cumbersome, just something simple to show your appreciation of their hospitality. We took with us pins we obtained from our town, and both provincial and federal members of Parliament; small toys (like beany babies) along with pencils, pens and notebooks for children; head scarves or bandanas for the women and baseballs caps and multitools for the men. They may seem like small items to us but were very much appreciated. We always kept a few tucked into our bags when we went out as we never knew who we might meet and the hospitality they would afford us.

Your Home Away from Home in Nairobi

Home Sweet Home – Kenya style

Are you looking for a place to stay while you are in Nariobi? Whether you are conducting business or picking up supplies before you embark to your village project, you want to be comfortable and feel at home.

Mdawida Homestay can be your home away from home. Your amiable hosts are Ronnie Mdawida, Sera Mucha and Steve Kimkung. Ronnie works as a Volunteer Co-ordinator and Field Officer for World Corps Kenya and Sera serves as the Grants Officer, so they have numerous connections throughout Kenya. Steve provides car and driver services and tour guiding. Ronnie and Steve can help you find the resources you need for your special project.

Their new house, located in the gated Langata area of Nairobi, has several rooms available with meals provided for reasonable rates. A large common area provides space for small business meetings and networking while the outdoor garden area provides a place to rest and relax. Internet is available 24 hours per day. Laundry services can also be arranged.

Perhaps you have volunteers coming to assist with your organization’s project who need a place to congregate at the beginning and end of their assignment. Mdawida Homestay provides not only lodging facilities but can also provide sightseeing tours to make your volunteers trip complete, with visits to such places as the Masaai Market, Kazuri Beads, the Karen Blixen Museum, Nairobi National Park (located in the city of Nairobi) and safari tours too. To see more about the services available at Mdawida Homestay visit their website at www.easysite.com/mdawidahomestay and for bookings contact Ronnie at rmdawida@gmail.com.

Rest assured you’ll be well cared for, like a member of the family.
Just another example of the KENCAN Connection at work.