Jitegemee is pushing forward with plans to build a new center, where we can build classrooms big enough for our expanding program, dorms for homeless youth, a permanent kitchen for our feeding program and a library. Jitegemee has entered into a contract to buy a one-acre plot of land in Machakos on which our new center will be built. We plan to complete the sale in 2009 and begin construction in 2010. To make the dream of a new center a reality, Jitegemee will need to raise $150,000. A … [Read more...]
Positive Effect on Almost Every Indicator
In early 2009, four students from Columbia University’s International Affairs program visited Jitegemee to conduct an independent professional assessment of our vocational program. The complete report, including all data and recommendations, is available by clicking here. This January I travelled with Emma San Segundo Riesco from New York City to Machakos, Kenya. Emma and I had been working on our Masters in International Affairs and fervently studying everything about development and Kenya … [Read more...]
When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade
Our new building project is a perfect example of the old adage, "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade." We were in for a shock when we went to Kenya in 2008 to purchase the sprawling one-story building and grassy compound we are currently renting in Machakos. We learned the landlord had changed his mind about selling it, and that we only have about three more years there before we have to leave. Initially, it was a big disappointment, but we soon realized we could dream even … [Read more...]
Tremendous Growth Among Our Students
Many of you have followed the news of the post-election violence in Kenya with worry for our program. We are grateful to report that our students in Machakos were safe and sound during the chaos that took place elsewhere in the country, and that Kenya is now back on the road to peace and prosperity. We are pleased to report tremendous progress among our students. Over the past year, we have had no drop-outs from elementary school, as we have worked to ensure that the children had the food, … [Read more...]
Bringing the Internet to Jitegemee’s Youth
I had the opportunity to visit Jitegemee with Farah, a friend since childhood. It was my first trip to Africa, let alone Kenya or Machakos, and I had very little idea what to expect. Farah promised me the people would be friendly and that as long as I avoided drinking water from taps I’d remain healthy. She was right on both counts. S ince I work primarily on the Web, Farah tapped me to help connect Jitegemee’s classroom to the Internet—something I was happy to help with. But I wasn’t … [Read more...]
Microfinance Pilot Project a Success
Nothing has made me prouder of our work with Jitegemee than seeing the success of the microfinance pilot project. This year, after much planning and research, Jitegemee finally ushered in the final phase of its vocational program: loaning small amounts of money to young people who have mastered their vocational trades. During my trip to Kenya, nearly every Jitegemee graduate who took a loan reported significant increases in their monthly earnings. John Maingi Nzau, a freelance electronics … [Read more...]
Student Always in Top 20 of His Class
Years ago, primary education in Kenya was not free and mandatory. Many children from poor backgrounds were unable to receive an education. Many problems forced these children out of school—broken families, hunger, poverty, and lack of money to pay school fees. One of our sponsored children frequently hung out with a very jovial boy in tattered clothes. This boy, a smiling kid named Kivua Kiilu, appeared very comfortable in the streets. He did not have anywhere to go, anywhere to sleep or any … [Read more...]
Grooming Young Kids to Succeed in School
The Jitegemee scholarship program is a very unique program. Under the program, we identify needy children at a very young age and reach out to them with nurturing and assistance. We ensure that they remain focused and motivated in pursuit of academic excellence. We believe it grooms a child at very early age to succeed at school and shapes both their present and their future. In order to motivate these children to work hard in school, Jitegemee has committed itself to paying for secondary … [Read more...]
‘Street Children? These Were Normal Kids’
Having known Jitegemee’s founder, Farah Stockman, for over ten years, I have watched Jitegemee grow from an idea into an institution. This summer, when the opportunity to visit Kenya presented itself, I jumped at the chance to learn more about Kenya and Jitegemee. When Farah first told me that Jitegemee served street children in Kenya, I didn’t know what to expect. My first thoughts were of the destitute children that you often see on television commercials. However, the Jitegemee … [Read more...]
No Longer Sniffing Glue & Abusing Drugs
Life has been hard right away from my childhood. I used to live with both of my parents. When I attained the age of six years, they took me to a nearby primary school, where I was enrolled in class one (1st grade). By then my father was a drunkard with no source of income and he was not able to pay my school fees. My mother worked as a casual laborer and with the little she earned, she bought us food and paid my fees. Sometimes when dad came home drunk, he would beat mum mercilessly, making her … [Read more...]