Shauri Yako is a small rural community located in Nyeri, approximately 150 Km north of Nairobi, Kenya. About 75% of the residents live below the poverty line. Poor local economy, coupled with the HIV/AIDS pandemic has resulted in a large number of street children, orphans, school drop-outs and unemployed youth. The Nyeri District has the highest number of landless people displaced by tribal clashes. The lack of employment opportunities, farm land and other means of earning a living has contributed to a perpetual cycle of poverty and despair. However, there is a grassroots movement that is fighting for the rights of these children and youth to a better future despite of all the obstacles. And the leader of this initiative is Anna Nyokabi Karanja, or affectionately known to the local people as Mama Mugo.
"See you later, Mama Mugo!" the kids shouted their goodbyes to the elderly lady who smiles and waves from her front step. Everyone knows, that if you go to Mama Mugo's home, you are not going to walk away hungry. And there are quite a few people in Shauri Yako that have benefited from the hospitality of this generous woman. For many years, Mama Mugo had taken upon herself to feed and give what little she had to offer to the children from impoverished households living in the slum. What started out as one woman's mission to do what she could for the poor children, has now developed into a non-profit organization called Shauri Yako Community Children/Youth Support, run by people who live in the community. In fact, most of the staff themselves have actually been helped by Mama Mugo at one point or another when they were kids.
Anthony Mucheru is the Program Coordinator at the Shauri Yako centre. He decided to get involved as a way of giving back to the community where he had spent his childhood. As a youngster, he had frequented Mama Mugo's home many times. It was a place that not only offered some much needed nourishment, but it was also where kids received the support they lacked at home. Today, Anthony and other staff at the centre are working with the same spirit of providing what they can for the kids that have so little.
The Shauri Yako centre, which is located next door to Mama Mugo's home, provides meals to about 60 young children a day. After lunch, many of the kids stay on to do arts and crafts and other activities organized by the staff. There are also a couple of volunteer counsellors available to work with the youth. The combination of high unemployment, hopelessness and boredom means that many of the youth in the community are engaged in reckless and dangerous activities such as drug use, unsafe sex, and petty crimes. These dedicated counsellors have a tough job, as they work hard to change the destructive behaviours and attitudes of these young people.
One of the creative ways this program is engaging youth is through soccer. What many of those young people lack is a sense of belonging, and the staff has found that organized sports can offer a positive alternative for the youth to channel their energy. The centre was able to get local businesses to donate team jerseys. The staff also negotiated with the town mayor to lend them a vacant field for practices and games. Although it may seem like a small thing, but each member of the team feels a sense of pride and belonging whenever they put on the jersey. It is often during practices when the youth would open up and confide in the counsellors about sensitive issues such as sexuality and HIV/AIDS. The Shauri Yako staff is using this as an opportunity to build relationships with the kids and as a way to provide AIDS education and raise awareness amongst the youth.
Another objective of the program is to sensitize the community on environmental issues. In the township of Shauri Yako, plastics, papers and other waste products are polluting the land and clogging the Nyeri River. People are using the river to wash their clothes and for many, also a source of drinking water. The stagnant river poses a major threat to water-borne diseases in the community. The Shauri Yako centre is working with the children and youth to educate them on the importance of environmental protection and waste management. They organize regular activities where youth and children get involved in cleaning up the river, recycling plastics, composting wastes, and using natural fertilizers to cultivate small vegetable gardens. The centre provides a source of potable water to the children through rainwater harvesting.
The mission of Shauri Yako Community Children/Youth Support is to promote, empower and help children and youth to enhance their life and recognize their potential. The goal is to enable these young people to become independent and contribute positively to their community. This is done through a holistic approach, where the program is addressing different yet related issues such as health, education and the environment, that affect the well being of children and youth in Shauri Yako.
Although Mama Mugo is now too old to cook everyday for those who are seeking a meal, but that spirit of giving and the love for the children and youth in this little rural township is being carried on by the Shauri Yako Community Children/Youth Support program. PWS&D is proud to support this grassroots initiative, where they have proven that small amounts of resources can go a long way in changing lives, one at a time.
