The Value of Volunteering

Volunteering can open you up to a host of new experiences, whether here at home or abroad. It's a way of sharing your talents with others in need, be it the local food bank, tutoring adults to read or helping those in developing countries learn new skills.

We are very fortunate to have our own charity, The Ronnie Fund, working with Wongonyi Village in southeastern Kenya. We just returned from our second trip to Wongonyi and feel blessed to have been able to take our teenagers both times. It has been an opportunity for them to see and live in another culture, to see just how blessed they are and the share the simple pleasures with other children. For our children , they learned that receiving a gift means the giver didn't rush out to a store, for in Wongonyi a shop may just a little stick kiosk by the roadside, but that a gift comes from the heart - a basket woven by hand from sisal or palm fronds or perhaps even a live chicken. And for people who earn only a $1.00 per day, the gift of a chicken is huge, so graciously receiving it is important. Even though you might want to give it back to them for you realize you might be taking their food source this would be an insult. But instead you take it back home (your African home that is!) and kindly share it, where it becomes dinner for all the next day.

If you are bringing others over to help volunteer for your organization, there are a few key points to remember. Create a volunteer package with information on what types of shots, visas, and other documentation they will require to get into the country. Host an evening to inform your volunteers of the cultural differences they will experience (ie. women not wearing tank tops and shorts, purchasing a kanga to wear when in a village location). It is important that you and your volunteers are culturally sensitive, that you fit into village life and not stand out, it will help you be accepted by the people you are working with.

And most importantly, you need to inform your volunteers of the mental challenges they may face and experience. There are vast social differences you might experience - staying in a mud hut with no electricity, no running water (the joys of a sponge bath), eating foods you are not familiar with (goat stew anyone!) and perhaps only one meal per day, washroom facilities (squatting over a pit latrine or even having to go in the bush), and the abject poverty of those living in the slums. Without informing them of what they will see and experience during their stay, it will be a shock to them and they may have great difficulties in readjusting once they are home.

However, when your volunteers are well prepared, the benefits and values they will experience far outweight the challenges they may face. The joyful spirit of people who are living one day at a time, the smiles, hugs and laughter from children when you take their picture and you show them. The welcome songs and grateful thanks when you provide tools and gifts that will improve the quality of their life.

Recently, some volunteers heading to Kenya for a voluntourism trip told me they felt uneasy and a bit nervous because they really weren't sure what to expect when they got there, the unfamiliarity of being in a strange place initially without charity sponosr being present. By taking the time to fully inform your volunteers prior to travelling, you will allay their fears, make them feel more comfortable in the new land and make their experience of volunteering for and with you a pleasureable and profitable experience for them, your organization and the people with whom you are working. And if they have a great experience the first time, you'll find they want to come back and continue sharing their blessings with your organization.

Kenya - Subsistance Farming versus Market Gardening

"Travel can open up a window on the world - it expands your horizons and shows you that the world the media portrays is not always as implied. Often we only hear about the poverty that is Africa and yet there are areas of great beauty and wellbeing."

We just returned from a two week visit back to Wongonyi Village in Kenya to check up on our projects that The Ronnie Fund has been supporting. It's been one and a half years since our last trip and once again, our children Martha and Jeremy accompanied us. What a fantastic opportunity for them to see another part of this great planet earth.

I noticed new changes in Kenya this trip - for me it seemed in Nairobi that the city was cleaner (not as many small piles of smouldering litter at the roadsides) and the Mombassa-Nairobi highway was so much better than the last time. Only one small detour hindered our trip to Wongonyi. But still the road up to Wongonyi Village was the same, a rocky road of deep gulleys that meant 10 km seemd more like 100 as the range rover inched its way up a road that was carved out of the hillside. My daughter Martha knew not to look out the window as we were sitting on the cliffside of the matatu. Thankfully the rain held off until later that evening when we were safely esconced in the village.

Although Wongonyi, located high atop the Taita Taveta Hills is a subsistence farming village where farmers have little access to markets in Voi and Mombassa, that would produce income from their agricultural efforts. The poor road infrastructure is a hindrance to producing more and in turn being more successful. And yet, a trip we took up to the Rift Valley lookout showed us a different Kenya, a more profitable area shown in the photo above. The Rift Valley is much like our Holland Marsh, an area rich in agricultural fertility that thrives on market gardening. And easy access to a continuation of that same Mombassa - Uganda Highway means that Rift Valley farmers can easily ship their produce to markets in Voi and Mombassa on the coast. It is amazing that a simple thing like a proper road can mean the difference between profit and loss, subsistence and successful market gardening, even the distance from the Rift Valley to Voi is so much greater than from Wongonyi to Voi.

Although Africa and Kenya do have areas that where poverty and living on a dollar a day is the norm, where parents often cannot afford school fees or uniforms, villages rely on the World Food Program and subsistence farming means simply that, that people are just subsisting but there are also areas of Kenya where the quality of village life is improving and farming has moved into market gardening, a more profitable way of life. In Wongonyi, we are working in co-operation and collaboration with local farmers and village residents to provide them with the tools and resources they need to move ahead but they still have to rely on local government to provide them with the infrastructure like proper roads to access profitable markets. Hopefully, local governments will see the benefits to all people in providing these essential services.

March 22 - World Water Day

Zach, Eddie, Isaiah, Grandma and Chris show off Biosand Water Filters ready for distribution in Wongonyi Village.

Well, I know I am a couple of days late in celebrating World Water Day but we have just returned from a successful trip to Wongonyi Village in Kenya. Here in the developed world we are blessed to have water ready at our fingertips whenever we need it for drinking, bathing, watering our gardens. We simply go to the tap, turn it on and presto, water at our fingertips. And because of its easy access and availability we are wont to waste this precious natural resource.

Yet in the developing world access to water is not so easy. People often have to walk several kilometres each day to fetch water, carrying the heavy jugs home on their heads, compressing their spines or in wheelbarrows making for aching arms. And the water is not always clean or safe - sometimes it is muddy water from water hole that is also shared with wild animals.

World Water Day is a day of awareness of this important natural resource and the many people worldwide who go without safe, clean drinking water leading to intestinal illness and diseases that keep children from school and adults from their jobs. In Wongonyi Village, The Ronnie Fund is addressing the issue of safe drinking water by providing Biosand Water Filters in homes. These concrete filters are filled with sand and gravel replicating the earth's natural water filtering process. After two weeks from installation, the filtered water is ready to be safely drunk. We were able to see the difference that safe drinking water is having on the residents of Wongonyi. It's amazing how a simple tool like a Biosand Water Filter can have such positive impact on peoples lives.

Kenya, Here We Come!

It's hard to believe that tomorrow we leave again on another African Adventure. It's been a whirlwind month as we arranged for Visas, Kenyan currency, booking our flights through Fly for Good, meeting with folks who wanted to donate goods and funds for the trip and the daily e-mails back and forth between Ronnie and ourselves as we prepare for the journey and they prepare for our coming.

While we've been busy here, Ronnie has been busy ferrying volunteers back and forth between Nairobi and Wongonyi Village. And then he had to go pick up the oil press we ordered and send it ahead to the village on three different buses and then in land rovers up to the village, which has been a challenge in itself as the roads are in bad shape due to the rains. As well, Ronnie's wife Serah has been also busy checking out uniforms and the purchase of textbooks for the Sere Girls Club, all so that we can spend more time in the village and less time in Nairobi shopping for these items ourselves.

Back at home, our house is now filled with 12 large suitcases and chests, plus 3 carrying on bags, 3 laptop bags and one guitar all ready to be taken to Toronto's Pearson Airport tomorrow.
By travelling through Fly for Good (see my earlier post) which supports humanitarian trips with airline discounts, we also learned we could each take an extra checked bag, hence the 12 bags we are taking, filled with lots of tools and goodies for the village - soccer shirts donated by our local soccer association, items donated by our local hospital, farming tools, solar shower units supplied by the local Canadian Tire store, books, games and musical instruments for the primary school, fabric and sewing supplies for our ladies sewing groups, solar lights for students, and a solar room light unit from Light Up the World along with 60 T shirts for the Ikanga Scout troop and pencil cases donated by TerraCycle filled with pencils, erasers, sharpeners and notebooks from the Burks Falls Scout troop. And finally some personal gifts for Ronnie, Serah and their families - books and clothes for the new baby, Tim Horton hot chocolate, marshmallows, maple candies and a travelling coffee mug along with inspirational books the men had been searching for.

It's getting late and we have the final check of tickets and passports, yellow fever certificates and last minute essentials and then bed, because tomorrow comes quickly and there will still be the final checklist of items to complete before heading off.

As our Kenya friend Steve emailed us today "Karibu Kenya!!"

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.

The End of Poverty - A New Era

This banana nursery is providing jobs and nutritional food in an effort to end poverty in Wongonyi village.

Recently I've been reading a variety of books on poverty eradication. The scary part is that many of the books tell us that without serious intervention, poverty will continue to increase in the coming years on a grander scale in many of the world's developing countries. Through our work in Wongonyi Village, Kenya I have seen poverty first hand and viewed extreme poverty that exists in Kibera slum in Nairobi where everyday is a struggle to survive.

But there are those of us working in the developing world who are helping to equalize life around the globe, eager to ensure that everyone has the basic necessities of life. Jeffrey Sachs, an economist who wrote "The End of Poverty, Economic Possibilities of our Time", advocates for the Big Five development interventions that would be instrumental in decreasing poverty:

1) Agricultural inputs - water harvesting and small-scale irrigation, improved high yield seeds, use of green manures and cover crops, composting

2) Investments in Basic Health - village clinics, trained doctors and nurses, treatments of HIV/AIDS, anit-malarial medicines, skilled birth attendants

3) Investments in Education - school meal programs, improved teacher training and resources, expanded vocational training for high school students, access to technology

4) Power, transport and communications services - solar and wind power, village transport for getting produce and products to markets, modern cooking fuels and stoves, improved cell phones

5) Safe drinking water and sanitation - more water points for acces to water, rainwater harvesting, biosand water filters for safe drinking water, proper latrine facilities

In Wongonyi village, we are already addressing each of these issues by invitation and in consultation with the residents of this community. The villagers know what it is they require to move ahead but they lack the resources, tools and education to actually make the move. Through programs like The Ronnie Fund's Biosand Water Filter project we are already distributing home water filters that provide safe drinking water improving health of families. A new double seater western-style pit latrine at Wongonyi Primary School means better sanitation and allows special needs children to come to school. Our Money Maker Irrigation Pumps mean farmers are increasing their crop production because they can water greater field areas and as a result are making money by selling their surplus produce.

Poverty can be eradicated if we are sensitive to the needs of the communities in which we are working. I'm not saying that it is without difficulties as some people resist change out of fear of the unknown, even if it will benefit them with improve health and financial gain. But with careful education and by showing and explaining the benefits, people will eventually embrace change for the better. Those of us who live in the industrialized world really don't know what it means to struggle to survive every day, to have to beg for money to feed our children but that is the reality of life for millions of people around our globe. Here our biggest concern is whether to get a new car or a bigger flat-screen TV to keep up with our neighbour.

As Jeffrey Sachs says. "Eliminating poverty at the global scale is a global responsibility that will have global benefits. No single country can do it on its own. The hardest part is for us to think globally, but that is what global society in the twenty-first century requires." Poverty eradication is up to each and every one of us.

Proper Stoves Mean Better Health

Zach Withers, an American volunteer, helps repair Grandma's kitchen, a smoky enclosed building, that is the cause of eye and respiratory problems. But this new year will see new properly ventilated stoves being installed in homes in Wongonyi Village, Kenya.

In much of the developing world, improper equipment is the leading cause of health issues. We saw this first hand in 2008 in Wongonyi Village where women cook in separate kitchen building that have no ventilation or over outdoor wood fires, where windy conditions cause the smoke to chase one around the fire. The women who are responsible for most of the meal preparations complain routinely about their stinging eyes or their respiratory problems. Sitting in the smoky kitchen with Getrude and the girls each night, I truly wondered how they could stand it each and every meal they had to cook. Here in the developed world, we don't even think about such issues for when we cook a meal we simply turn on an electric or gas range or oven that is powered by a clean fuel source and we have no thoughts of how our dinner preparations might impact our health, not to mention that we don't have to go out daily and find firewood to fuel our stoves.

But 2010 is a new year, full of new promise and a better quality of life for those in Wongonyi Village, Kenya. We, along with Zach Withers of Kosmos Solutions, have been researching the construction of new stoves that will drastically improve the quality of life for women in this rural village in Kenya. New stoves will have proper ventilation and will allow the women to cook more than one item at a time in safety. One of the concepts are stoves that are currently being made in rural villages in Guatemala through the Guatemala Stove Project. The only challenge will be in educating the women on the benefits of these new stoves. It is sometimes hard to implement change when people have been conducting tasks in a certain way all their life and have known no other method. Change has to be done in a respectful manner by teaching and training the women on the benefits these new implements will have on their health, the health of their families and the quality of their lives. In the Guatemala project, they give a stove for one family, show them the benefits and then have them show it off to the rest of the community which results in buy-in when others see the benefits it provides. In this way change develops within the community, not as a result of being imposed by someone with greater knowledge (the outsider).

As 2010 begins to kick into high gear, we look forward to helping to be the change agents in Wongonyi Village, making a difference to others lives in a positive and respectful manner.