KIGWA FUTURE CENTRE

KIGWA FUTURE CENTRE

“…effecting positive change through community initiatives

1. Introduction

Kigwa Future Centre is a community led organization committed to the establishment of just and sustainable communities. The initiative takes cognizance of the fact that the pace of change and development in any community will be determined by the local communities in all their diversity and capacity for bold and imaginative thinking and their determination in support of their own development.

It  is  our  conviction  that  an  effective  development  strategy  is  best  delivered  through  community  led initiatives and draws upon the diverse experience of local communities. Kigwa Future Centre functions to foster both youth led community and inter-community learning as an avenue of transfer of knowledge and skills towards positive change at all levels. Through a diverse range of implementation strategies, Kigwa Future Centre provides communities with a platform to identify and address their problems through a community led action.

 We  believe  that  community  have a profound  ability  to  effect  and  adapt  to  positive  change. That is why our community, in spite of the  present  difficulties,  must  regain  confidence  in  their  capacity  to  face  obstacles  and  lead to a new dawn where the aspirations of their people are translated into action.

Vision:

Strong communities influencing positive change in just societies through youth-led actions.

Mission:

To  collate  the  cumulative  experiences  of  the  world  communities  towards  social  justice, Piece building, poverty reduction, HIV/AIDS awareness and reduction, environmental protection, education development and mutual understanding.

 Objectives:

·        

·         To foster collaboration, partnerships and networks that inspires communities towards:

a)      Poverty eradication,

b)      Peace building,

c)      Millennium Development Goals,

d)      HIV/AIDS awareness and reduction,

e)      Environmental conservation and protection including wild animals,

f)       Education development,

g)      Democratic governance and social justice.

·         To promote knowledge transfer and community learning within and between communities as an avenue towards sustainable community development through youth led action.

·         To  promote  community  participation  in  determining  their  own  development  by  introducing and supporting actions towards that end e.g. identifying the uneducated poor and needy families like single parented and child headed families and also identifying sustainable economic activities, train them and empower them materially to realize these activities. For example we train young and uneducated ladies on tailoring and buy for them the sewing machines, take young uneducated men to train in carpentry and there after open for them workshops among others. Through this, we have tremendously reduced criminal activities among young men, prostitution among young ladies, drug abuse and control to the spread of HIV/AIDS.

·         We also administer adaptation to climate change. The main intention to this is to mainstream climate change adaptation strategies into the sustainable development agendas in Kenya and how the communities will adopt a learning-by-doing approach to capacity building, consolidating the achievements of Adaptation to Climate Change. For the Climate Adaptation Change, we have designed five major components.   These components are:

1. Building capacity to identify climate change risks – Among other things, this will include strengthening networks to monitor impacts on regional climate, downscaling global climate models, and developing impact scenarios;

2. Building capacity to reduce vulnerability to climate change;

3. Building capacity to effectively access and utilize resources to minimize the costs of climate change;

4. Public education and outreach; and

5. Project management.

Additionally, the capacity to formulate a regional agenda and adaptation strategy to climate change will be developed at the community level. Outcomes fall under three general themes, including:

·         The mainstreaming of adaptation to climate change into national and sect oral planning and policies through the use of climate models developed and customized through the project;

·         A strong public education and outreach programs and a comprehensive communications strategy including all stakeholders.

·         The creation of an environment conducive to the implementation of measures for adaptation to climate change.

Our values

·         Social Justice

We envision communities that are inclusive a fair and advance equal opportunities to its entire people regardless of age, religion, gender, race, ethnicity, disability, HIV status and cast.

·         Sustainability

We advocate for communities that balances the relations of economic systems, social structures, and natural resources we depend on, while allowing each component to thrive.

·         Community driven development

We believe that sustainability of positive change must be informed by local priorities anchored on local ownership and peaceful co-existence. 

 2. Programmatic Areas

Kigwa Future Centre current work towards promoting development through areas listed below;

 Environment and Energy Conservation

A  healthy  environmental  base  can  contribute  greatly  to  employment,  social  and  economic empowerment  and  reduction  of  poverty  within  communities.  At  the  moment  the  activities  that  are already  being  undertaken  by  Kigwa Future Centre include, biogas stoves  production, promotion, marketing and installation.  The group also endeavors to engage the community in other income generating activities through promotion of environmental friendly technologies such as small biogas plants, solar and biogas stoves installation. We are also involved in tree planting activities within the local primary schools and forests. Lately, we mobilized youths to plant trees within Gwassi Hills Forest as a method of environmental conservation. We also educate the community on the best disposal methods of their wastes e.g. adequate disposal of non biodegradable materials such as plastic containers and polythene bags.

 Leadership and governance

Leadership  and  governance  are  central  to  the  growth  of  economies,  peace,  social  justice  and sustainable development. Given the underdeveloped nature of most communities; good leadership and governance is vital in building strong communities. Kigwa Future Centre undertakes targeted capacity building initiatives in order to strengthen community leadership through their own involvement.. Our organization strives to provide mentorship among distressed youth population and the community at large in our localities.

  Health

Healthy communities provide strong human resource needed to fuel community development. Kigwa Future Centre has  been  keen  on  promoting  healthy  lifestyles  among  young  people especially  in  the  area  of  reproductive  health.  Through  the  Friends  Of  Youth  (FOY)  Health  Project under  Family  Health  Options  Kenya,  Kigwa Future Centre  has  been  offering  VCT  counseling  referrals  to the people. We seek more future collaborations with Ministry of Health and other able partners in this noble venture. We also educate the young people on drug abuse and safe (protected) sex to eliminate the spread of HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections. We also counsel and refer the community on Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision as a means of HIV/AIDS control and reduction of cervical cancer which might be caused by uncircumcised man dirt.

 KFC Information and Resource Centre

Kigwa Future Centre has  established  a friendly  information  &  resource  center with the overall objective to build the capacity of people of Suba community to respond to the challenges of development,  HIV/AIDS  and  reproductive  health  effectively.  The Centre hosts a haven of community outreach and onsite activities. The Resource Centre consists of a Cyber Café connected with  full  internet  enabling  the  people  to  access  diverse  information  hosted  in  the  World  Wide  Web.  Library  stocked  with  local  news  papers  for  reference  on  health  issues  affecting  the  people.  DVD’s /Videos  on  HIV/AIDS,  Reproductive  Health,  Hygiene  and  Sexually  Transmitted  Infections and Human Rights. In the same facility, there is an administrative office used for all administrative matters like safe custody of centre records, financial records and other sensitive documents for the organization. Board Room used during  capacity building activities to its members and partners; the room holds a minimum  of 10 people  with  enough  space  for  PowerPoint  presentation  at  any  given  activity  and  also serves as a meeting place for groups that have no physical offices. Consultancy Services for groups and individuals who now have a centralized facility to seek guidance and counseling on wide variety on issues affecting them. Kigwa Future Centre has established referrals systems in partnership with government offices and other NGO’s working in the same field. For instance health related matters are referred to Suba District Hospital, Child Protection issues to ICRI-Africa and energy saving & Bio gas issues to related government ministries.

Agriculture Value Chain

Kigwa Future Centre undertakes trainings and extension services to empower local communities with various agricultural skills to improve their agricultural productivity and enhance food security in the rural areas. Kigwa Future Centre advocates for the youth to be involved in the modernizing the agricultural practices. Our youths are involved in the value addition of agricultural products.  We also  promote the  use  of  greenhouses  for  production  of  high  value  subsistence  crops  and kitchen gardens for subsistence nutritional food supplements.

3. Sanitary Projects

Kigwa Future Centre distributes low cost but high quality-hygienic sanitary pads to young girls. This need had been developed through observation that most women in low income households lack access to this valuable commodity and in some instance they have been using old blankets or old socks! 

 Child Protection and education

Kigwa Future Centre is involved in Childs rights advocacy. There has been an increase in child abuse action in our rural and urban areas. This is through our past experience during implementation of some of our programs. The cries  from  the  villages  and  towns  on  this  vice  needed  to  be  answered  through  our  activities  and mobilization  of  the  affected  communities  to  act.  We are also seeking partners for our proposed children sponsorship program which target kids in secondary schools and vocational training centers. We also support education of orphan children whose parents died of HIV/AIDS. To achieve this, we started a primary school for such pupils and the school is tremendously doing well and we are happy they are getting quality education despite the challenges we meet. We are hoping to buy a piece of land and build a primary school and equip it to a good standard and even a secondary school in future.

 Some of Kigwa Future Centre Projects

 1. Energy technologies dissemination in Suba District (December 2008 to date)

Kigwa Future Centre received a local subsidy from the GTZ Stove program to assist the  group  in  the  dissemination  of  energy  saving  technologies  in  Suba  District.  KFC  with  the assistance  of  the  ground  coordinators  are  working  towards  achieving  a  target  of  6,000  stoves corresponding to the same number of households. The project team is already on the ground where already we have finalized on the mapping, mobilization of women groups, and sensitization on the energy saving components.  Currently  the  groups  are  been  supplied  with  the  stoves  where  after installation training and consumer education will be done.    

 2.  Baking Oven Project:

In 2006 Kigwa Future Centre in partnership with the GTZ PSDA constructed  a  rocket  baking  oven  for  youth  groups  in  Kithereka  village  of  Gwassi  division,  Suba District. The main aim was to provide a source of income for the many unemployed youth in the district. The youth bake using the oven where the proceedings are used for the development of the members/local youths welfare.  Previous  this  youth  were  in  involved  in  illegal  cults  and  village crime.

 3.  Resource Centre Project:

The  Resource  centre  provides  a  wide  range  of  products  and  services targeting  the  community and  the  youth  serving  entities. There is the cyber component, library, consultancy services, reprographic services, communication facilities, and boardroom. Expansion of this facility will improve and create more opportunities for every young person within Suba District.

 4.  Promotion of Energy Saving Technologies: 

Our group provides for sale energy saving stoves (jiko kisasa) to any willing buyers. We have trained Biogas construction technicians who are hired to do biogas plants for clients as well as maintenance work.  We are  exploiting  other  energy development  enterprises  to  widen  the  scope  of  the  community  willing  to  invest  in  this  sector.  We are trying out on the other diverse RETs like Bio-diesel, Wind and solar.

 5.  Tree planting project:

We are involved in tree planting activities within the local primary schools and forests. Lately, we mobilized youths to plant trees within Gwassi Hills Forest as a method of environmental conservation.

 6.  HIV/AIDS Awareness and Prevention Projects:

HIV/AIDS is crosscutting in all our Programs and projects. We  ensure  the  component  on  the  HIV/AIDS  is  well  covered  in  all  our  activities.  We also distribute IEC materials on the topic; this we do in collaboration with the ministry of Health and other relevant Non-Governmental Organizations. We also distribute condoms to the youths and members of the community e.g. public vehicle operators (drivers and conductors), motorbike riders (boda boda men) and fishermen being that Suba District is surrounded by Lake Victoria. More projects are being sought and developed.

7. Education:

Kigwa Future Centre started a primary school for such pupils whose parents died as a result of HIV/AIDS and other causes (orphans). We started the school at nursery, standard one and two in the year 2009 and we have been increasing one class per year. Currently we are at class six and the population of the pupils is tremendously increasing for this basic need. This program has been very helpful for such pupils being that the closest primary schools are within a radius of 10 kilometers.

 8.  Other Organization’s Projects: 

Kigwa Future Centre participates and consults for other numerous group’s projects and programs. This ranges from street children rehabilitation programs, Children centers, Drama groups, Women groups among many more.

Partners:

We recognize that achieving our vision is a collaborative effort of the youths, government, partner agencies and the community.

Contact Information

Physical Office:  Magunga Town,

Magunga-Homa Bay Road

NB: Kigwa Future Centre also has correspondent offices run by our Networking groups in each respective 

Division with its head office in Nairobi.

Postal Address:  Kigwa Future Centre

C/o Jared Okumu Abich

P.O Box 43314-00100

NAIROBI - KENYA.

Office Line:      +254724274732

Field Line:        +254720994100, +254702275138

E-mail Address                     kigwafuterecentre@gmail.com

Contact Person:                   Jared Okumu Abich Nyakiye

Executive Director         jaredabich@gmail.com