When Beatrice was a teenager she was struck by a strange illness that left her weak and unable to function. Living on a small farm on the border of Kenya and Tanzania, her parents didn’t know what to do: they took her to clinics and hospitals but no one could make a clear diagnosis. Drained of money that her father made from farming, there was little left for basic necessities let alone school fees, and Beatrice was often too sick to leave the house anyway. It wasn’t long before she dropped out of school entirely
Beatrice says: “My life was miserable – I kept thinking about my future and got more and more depressed”.
With an incomplete education, a background of poverty, and no formal training or job experience, Beatrice questioned what she had to offer. Her answer came some years later when she was introduced to African Enterprise’s Mathare Women’s Project. It was the chance of a lifetime.
After just two months on the program, her mind has been transformed.
“I am learning dressmaking, design, customer relations and marketing!” she says excitedly. “I hope to use these skills to start a small dressmaking business and earn a living to improve my life and that of my family”.
“Even more, through the Mathare Women’s Project, I have come to understand that despite my dropping out of school, God has gifted me with potential and talents and through the skills I am learning, I can improve not only my own life but also my children’s”.
“The Project has taught me that as Christians, we are called and expected by Christ to be his witnesses in the world” she says. “This has completely transformed my understanding about Christian ministry and I am now actively involved in evangelism and discipling other women in our church”.
AE has given her a new life and a deeper understanding of her faith.
“I am grateful to God for the AE Mathare Women’s Project, for the way it is transforming my life and giving me new meaning,” Beatrice says, “Thank you”.
We are happy to report that the project fulfilled its objectives for the year; with the main objective being to provide guidance and education to young children on HIV and AIDS. This project empowers church leaders, teachers and student peer leaders who in return educate the school children on the subject of HIV and AIDS. The participatory nature of this program involves the children in designing some of the edutainment activities which create ownership and lasting impact hence the sustainability of this project.
The following activities were performed:
- Project monitoring visit
- Religious leaders training
- Peer leaders training
- Sports gear support
- Primary school teachers meetings and training
SPORTS GEAR SUPPORT
“The young children are supportive and compassionate towards orphans living with HIV and AIDS. The project training has assisted us increase knowledge on HIV and AIDS and nullify negative myths about the epidemic”. (Salome Masanja, Teacher, Busweru Primary School)
Primary school head teachers of Ilemela Municipal Council with project staff after receiving footballs and netballs for their schools.
“The project support through provision of sports gear, footballs and netballs, has assisted in reduction of stigma and discrimination among young children. Playing together eliminates social inequalities and erodes out the discrimination among young children”. (Chaha Sabai, Head Teacher, Nyere Primary School)
AEE Tanzania is indeed grateful to AE Australia and all her partners for supporting this project. The project reached 14,368 young children directly in schools and over 10,000 people indirectly through school competitions and community outreach gatherings. The program has transformed the lives of young children as well as adults. Exposure to the right information on the spread of HIV and AIDS has helped reduce the epidemic in Mwanza, Tanzania. The rate of dropping out of school through child pregnancies has reduced by 90%. This is a project that can easily be replicated across the country with availability of funding.
Year after year our joy continuously increases because of what the Lord is doing in the lives of young people in Ghana through AE Ghana Apprenticeship Programme.
2017 was a wonderful year for the SCAP. The Lord was gracious to us and we recruited 43 beneficiaries into the SCAP programme. The street children were put in various vocations of their choices – Hairdressing, Dressmaking, Computer training, Aluminium fabrication, etc.
The Social action has put lots of smiles on the faces of the beneficiaries and their parents (who were not able to afford to enrol their wards).
One of the highlights of the SCAP in 2017 was the introduction of a new segment “Women in Need”. This segment is targeted at some very needy women (18-24 years) who are not able to go through the 2-3 years of training. They were enrolled in a 4-week training programme to learn soap making and pastries. These ladies are now gainfully employed and are very happy.
We hope to be able to help many more children in the year 2018.
Even as we minister to the spiritual needs of people, per the street children project physical needs of people are also met.
Portia Bortey is one of the beneficiaries of the Women in Need program, she is now doing her soap making and other detergents at Santa Maria. Currently, she is the bread winner for her family.
Cynthia Yaa one of the beneficiaries enrolled in Beads making. She completed her training in six months, and is now gainfully established – making and selling beads. Cynthia has even taken on an apprentice and teaching him the art of beads making. She is very happy and thankful to God and AE.
Princella Gyan, was grateful to God and AE for helping her to acquire computer knowledge. She joined us for the Accra Mission. Her heart’s desire is to be able to serve the Lord wholeheartedly and also own a business to enable her fend for her family.
The Social Action Director visited some of the beneficiaries. They expressed their heartfelt appreciation to African Enterprise for giving them the opportunity to better their lives
Ten beneficiaries in the dressmaking segment graduated in 2017. In addition, both certificate and hairdryer were presented to those who completed the hairdressing training.
With the support of the Social Action Director, we presented laptops to the children who went into computer training.
Kayole is one of many slums located on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya’s capital. With an estimated population of 700,000, most of its residents live in abject poverty in homes that lack electricity and running water. Additionally, more than 60% of the population are unemployed with most families living on less than one dollar a day.
The Clinic
In 1996, African Enterprise established the Soweto Kayole PHC Clinic which has become the most efficient, affordable and highly respected community based health care centre within the area. However, it still does not have the facilities to assist mothers giving birth or offer full medical attention to those in labour.
The growing need for maternal interventions in the neighbouring slums has forced the clinic to open its doors to local women for outpatient maternity services even before they have the resources to build and equip a proper maternity wing.
HIV Transference
However, even without a fully equipped maternity wing, the clinic has had great success in reducing the transference of HIV from mother to child after birth. We are confident that with a well equipped facilities, the clinic could achieve a nearly 100% non-transference rate if the mother is treated during pregnancy and the birth.
The Soweto-Kayole Maternity Wing
The proposed facility is a 20-bed maternity until attached to the existing clinic. This clinic will be a lifeline to the thousands of expectant women who are in desperate need of safe and reliable help during their pregnancy and birth.
YOU CAN make this dream a reality and help thousands of vulnerable women and children in one of the most desperate places in Kenya!
With your help, we can provide quality care for the thousands of pregnant women in the Kayole Slum.
Thank you for your faithful support last year. I pray you’ll be encouraged as you read this Impact Report.
As you know, there are many challenges in Africa – social problems, violence, advancing Islam, and more. But God in you is using you to bring His truth to broken lives, and to bring unity and strength to churches so they can transform their nations for Christ.
The Aid & Development Projects you have supported have impacted many lives, as you’ll read in Belinda’s story. And the missions you invested in have led many people to Jesus, like Tefera and Ali.
Let’s thank the Lord for all He’s done, and pray He’ll continue to use us to transform more lives in Africa in the coming year – as well as entire cities.
