Community Action Planning - Lieta Week 2

For photos and regular updates during our second week of the Community Action Planning in Leita check out the photos section on my facebook page.

Mike

Terms of Reference ICDAP

Terms of Reference ICDAP

Please read/download the full Terms of Reference for the ICDAP Consultancy here.

Consultant for Community Development Action Plan

Position Description
Job Title: Consultant for Community Development Action Plan
Reports to: Happy Villages Organization Board – Kenya
Based at: Kisumu & Rarieda District, Kenya
Purpose of the Role:
Facilitation of an Integrated Community Development Action Plan.
The Organization:
Happy Villages is a small NGO working towards a world without extreme poverty. We are based
in Kisumu, Kenya.
Key responsibilities and accountabilities:• Facilitation of a consultative process with all key stakeholders to develop and build consensus
concerning an overall strategy to establish a diversified sustainable local economy, and to
identify a number of projects (agriculture, health, education, SMEs) that will be implemented by
the Happy Villages Organization.
• Evaluation and preparation of detailed cost estimates and/or economic models and
implementation schedules for selected projects.
• Preparation of an overall plan for the Happy Villages Organization based on selected
sustainable projects, and which clearly identifies sources of funding and revenue flows,
potential partners, cost estimates, implementation schedule, roles and responsibilities, and
monitoring and evaluation processes.
Skills and Experience• Communication & facilitation; participatory planning processes & organizational & institutional
development
• Community development, public consultation, participatory processes.
• Proven track record of experience with integrated community development programs;
• Experience with human dimensions of community development and management;
• Good analytical skills, ability to provide practical sound advice on rural development issues;
• Proven track record in writing and preparation of reports on community/rural development;
• Good understanding of community, institutional and government roles and responsibilities;
• Capacity to work within tight deadlines
• Ability to work independently, set aggressive schedules, take initiative and think creatively
• Preferably English & Swahili speaking, with knowledge of Luo.
Terms of Employment
Three month Consultancy contract reviewable to be converted into a full time contract at the
completion of the ICDAP Project.
Remuneration: Compensation is non-negotiable with Consultancy offered 120,000 Ksh for the 3
months all inclusive.
Applications should include;• Letter of application indicating interest
• Current Curriculum Vitae with telephone numbers and e-mail addresses
• Three letters of reference with telephone numbers and e-mail addresses
• Copies of Certificates, Diplomas or Transcripts
Applications Due: 18th September 2010. Applications will be accepted only through e-mail to:
Recruitment Committee, Happy Villages Organization
E-mail: recruitment.happyvillages@gmail.com
NB: Full Terms of Reference are available at www.happyvillages.blogspot.com

First impressions of Lieta through Australian eyes

It is not often that a parent is asked by a son to help with the running of a Non Government Organisation [NGO] in Kenya, especially one he has started from scratch. So there I am on the board as a director of Happy Villages Australia. Everybody has heard of AusAID, World Vision & the like but who has heard of Happy Villages? Well a heck of a lot of people will have heard of it & be part of it over the next 5-10 years.


It is a fledgling Non Government Development Organization very much in the embryo stages & has only been officially running for 12 months in both Kenya & Australia. As its name suggests, Happy Villages is about improving the overall living standards of people in villages in Kenya. This involves education, health, well-being, improved farming & food availability, water supply, etc. In short making one village at a time just that little bit more happy.


All the ground work is now complete in regards to the overall management of Happy Villages. It is a very lean & mean organisation, no fancy offices or fancy cars, no highly paid managers or employees with expense accounts. In fact it is currently 99% managed & run by volunteers from all walks of life & varying ages.


After exhaustive, comprehensive research & reporting - all of which is compulsory for an NGO to operate in Kenya - the first village, Lieta, has been selected for help & advice. Working hand in hand with the village we will work towards a world without extreme poverty .... one small village at a time.


I am very fortunate to be in Kenya at the moment with my wife Jenny. I was lucky enough to travel to Lieta & have a look around the village.

The road to the outskirts of Lieta is one of the best highways in Kenya, which was a surprise to me. It is approximately one and a half hours from Kisumu (the third largest city in Kenya) where our son Michael & the Kenyan team are based.

As I drove to Lieta the thing that struck me was the gradual deterioration in the quality of the soil. Once we arrived at Lieta it was obvious that this village had very little going for it as far as farming crops was concerned. That in turn means that any form of livestock production is also very limited. The soil is very poor compared to other areas.

The little village square we drove through was well laid out, but unfortunately no market was in progress, so I didn`t see the produce or general items for sale.

However, Budwa Beach is right on the banks of Lake Victoria, just past Ndigwa & opposite Homa Bay, on the other side of the lake. On the lake itself you go through some narrows to enter Winam Gulf, so maybe fishing is the main source of food? But I am told fish stocks are very low due to commercial over fishing. We drove down to Budwa Beach & my first thought was "if this was any where else in the world there would be a 5 star resort here". I`m not sure if you can swim in the lake & I don`t know about any water sports either. But it was absolutely beautiful & as they say in real estate - Position, Position, Position !!! But no - this will probably not happen.

We also saw one of the small schools of Lieta called Agok Primary. It was neat & tidy as are a lot of schools in Kenya. You see education is vitally important & the kids love school... it may be their passport out of poverty. It is a pity the teachers are paid so poorly or indeed at all... Then it was time to head back to Kisumu.

It was just a fleeting visit to Happy Villages first village, Lieta, but all in all, after the site village reports & now having seen part of the village area for myself, it is quite apparent that to help these villagers it is going to take some long hard work. But with the full co-operation & consultation with the village, progress will be made.

It is not for us to change their life, we are only there to help them improve it.

To do this we need lots of money. We have the human resources, but cash is required to buy the necessary goods to implement this huge program of improvements. $1,000 Australian can buy quite a bit in Kenya & to help a village the size of Lieta will require at least $200,000 to $300,000 utilised in varying ways over 12-18 months & then more money to keep it improving.

There are many many organisations chasing the "Donor Dollar" but there are very few operating on the management cost structure that we at Happy Villages have. We are under no illusions. The implementation of improvements will be time consuming & difficult to begin with. Do it we will. We have 100% support from the village & with people helping financially, actual physical work of the job ahead will begin & get on a roll.

It was a real eye opener to see this village & compared to other villages I have been to over the years this one needs a lot of TLC.

Happy Villages will get on with the job, with your generous help.

Happy Villages Poster Competition

The Happy Villages Poster competition is both a fun way to raise awareness of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on 17th October and to help Happy Villages achieve our mission.

The brief is to design a poster that delivers the message ‘Working towards a world without extreme poverty, one happy village at a time’ which will be considered for use in future Happy Villages communications.

To register and submit your design, build a fundraising page and upload a digital version of your poster (or take a digital photo of your poster and upload the photo). Use one of the links below to start building your page now and when you have uploaded your design, ask all your friends, family and colleagues to donate to your page. http://www.everydayhero.com.au/happy_villages_poster_competition_under_16_years
http://www.everydayhero.com.au/happy_villages_poster_competition_open

The competition is open between 1st July 2010 and 16th October 2010.

You may download logos for use on your poster from http://picasaweb.google.com/HappyVillages/Logos# if you wish.

The designs may be used by Happy Villages in a variety of media such as t-shirts, banners, web pages, brochures or newsletters. Entry is free and is open to all interested participants, subject to the Terms and Conditions.

Participants agree that, if requested by Happy Villages, they will:
1. supply high resolution digital files; or,
2. if their submission is a photograph of their poster they will mail in the original artwork.

How to win
Happy Villages prize packs will be awarded to two adults and two children who receive the most support through their EveryDay Hero pages in terms of:
a) the number of people who have donated; or,
b) the total amount of funds raised.
by 5pm 16th October, 2010.

The way to win is to ask all of your friends and family members to donate through your page.

Thank you for your support.

Poster Competition Terms and Conditions

Registration and submission will be conducted online at http://www.everydayhero.com.au/happy_villages_poster_competition_open and http://www.everydayhero.com.au/happy_villages_poster_competition_under_16_years between 1st July 2010 and 16th October 2010.

Notification of result
The competition results will be published after 16th October 2010.

Authorship
Each competitor must be able to satisfy the competition organisers that the submitted design is an original piece of work and that he/she is the bona fide author of the design he/she has submitted.

Publicity
Happy Villages reserves the right to publicise the poster competition, any submission, and the result in any way or medium it considers fit.
Illustrations of any design – either separately, or together with
other designs, with or without explanatory text – may be used
without cost.

How to enter
By submitting a digital design, or a photograph of a poster to the competition page at EveryDay Hero. Participants agree that, if requested by Happy Villages, they will:
1. supply high resolution digital files; or,
2. if their submission is a photograph of their poster they will mail in the original artwork.

How to win
Happy Villages prize packs will be awarded to two adults and two children who receive the most support through their Happy Villages Poster Competition EveryDay Hero pages in terms of:
a) the number of people who have donated;
b) the total amount of funds raised.
by 5pm 16th October, 2010.

Disclaimer
Happy Villages accepts no responsibility and disclaims all, or any, liability for any loss or damage incurred by any person, whether directly or indirectly, as a result of postage, delivery or handling of original artwork.

Licence
In consideration for the opportunity to enter the Happy Villages Poster Competition, participants agree to grant royalty-free, worldwide, non-exclusive licence to reproduce and publish work in all media of expression now known or later developed and in all languages in the winning artwork Happy Villages Australia without reservation including, but not limited to, all intellectual property rights to reproduce and publish any entry and to change and/or reproduce any part of any poster in relation to other promotional activities.

Participants further agree that Happy Villages may publish, in relation to promotional activities, any personal information provided by the artists in connection with their entry including, but not limited to, their name, age, community and State/Territory of residence and warrant that there is no cultural or religious reason or any other impediment that prevents the winning artwork from being exhibited, published or reproduced.

Renny - a Young Women of Kenya Scholarship student

I am 19 years old. I stayed in Nairobi with my mother, father, four brothers and my sister Mercy when I was a child. Dad worked for the government. My mother passed away in 1999, when I was still very young.

When I started high school, Dad could only afford to send me to an upcountry school. I had to go to stay at our ancestral home and look after my younger brother Oscar. It’s out in a village near Kisumu. Dad had to spend time with my siblings in Nairobi so that they could complete high school without being disturbed. I stayed near my grandmother and I saw her every day.

Because I had always lived in the city, I was only fluent in Kiswahili and English. Our tribal language, Dhuluo, is the only language my grandmother knows. Although it sounded familiar to me, I could only understand it a little and could not speak it at all. I have now spent a few years at home and can speak Dhuluo as well.

I aimed to achieve A grades, but I was frequently sent out of school because we couldn’t afford fees. I managed to complete school at the end of 2008 with a C- grade. I spent a stressful few months after school just in the house trying to work out how to continue my education.

I had dreamed of becoming a school teacher. I even volunteered at a school, but it seemed for a while that it would be impossible to afford the fees to get qualified.

Then in September I applied for a scholarship through Happy Villages. I was so happy when I found out that I’d won.

I am now enjoying my Early Childhood Development course. I am looking forward to the day when I can work with children and help my father by supporting myself. If I get a good job I will take Oscar to a very good school.

There but for the grace of God go I.

I’ve realized a dream to travel to Africa.

An opportunity arose to go to Kenya recently and it was Happy Villages that made the yearning ever stronger. A desire to see this wondrous place and meet the people I’d been connecting with through the Happy Villages family.

The trip was wonderful. Full of wonder. And I’m most grateful for my experiences. I visited Kisumu on Lake Victoria and met Kenyan families and visited villages, witnessing their lifestyle and endeavours. I saw much countryside in my overland travels in Kenya and Tanzania, many amazing sights, both natural and of mankind. I also went on Safari – camping at the iconic Masai Mara, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater - saw Mt Kilimanjaro and the jewel-like waters of Zanzibar, amongst many other places full of awe.

The most uplifting part was meeting & engaging with local people. Witnessing their strong family and friendship ties, connected community life, often their strong faith, their gentile and kind regard for one another, and for me. By far the most difficult part was seeing their environs, particularly the slums, and knowing the difference between that, and its consequences for them, and what I am fortunate enough to take for granted at home and the available opportunities here. Knowing how life can be.

Just one basic example: what seemed like the majority of villagers having to carry water in very large containers back to their homes. Often children helping with this task. Usually these containers (think 20 litre plastic drums) are carried on their heads as they walk along the roadside seemingly great distances. Perhaps lucky to have found available water. In this day and age, still such a basic need. Amazing.

I appreciate the answering of a long-held question, why do Africans have more or any children when poverty prevails and learning that without a welfare system the children become just that - your family, your children are your support system. Often your only support. And with a high prevalence of child mortality, having more than one child is therefore a must. And of course that basic human need to belong, to connect, to care for one another.

I also talked to kids about school, their hopes and desires. We’re not talking playstations here.

Anyway, I’ll leave the orating of African life for others to better articulate.

The Happy Villages holistic approach, working with the villagers and helping them become better equipped, stronger, sustained, with the positive consequences that flow from that, simply resonates as a practical, intelligent, kind assistance.

We’ve heard many stories about the need in Africa and I’ve never doubted this. I’ve never doubted our ability to help either. We are blessed with plenty. And simply by being aware that there is a need for our help we then have only 2 choices. To help or not.

I just wanted to say Congratulations to those who had it in their hearts to help and developed the Happy Villages method of alleviating suffering and provided a vehicle for us to act kindly, to help practically, to connect, and show we care.

Sue Baker, Australia. Happy Villages member.