Moving Mountains Kenya P.O Box 9388 00200 City Square Nairobi Republic of Kenya
Annual Report 2010 Contents Introduction------------------------------------------------------------ 3 Programmes---------------- ------------------------------------------- 4
Education
Welfare
Ulamba
Embu
Projects------------------------------------------------------------- 7 MM policy -------------------------------------------------------- 8 AGM--------------------------------------------------------------- 10 MM Policies ------------------------------------------------------11 Treasure report ----------------------------------------------------16
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Introduction of Moving Mountains Kenya By Chairperson – Rose Gathirimu The year 2010 was a year for reforms in Kenya; with the referendum and birth of a new constitution. The same changes were experienced within the charity. A new enthusiastic committee was elected during the 2010 Annual General Meeting. 2010 saw a big number of support from institutions, organisation and families. The solio ranch project began on a high key following a `Mt Kenya Challenge` trek by the Moving Mountains staff alongside Gavin’s `Big E climb`. Schools like Rashid School for boys, Dubai, Hallmaed -London, King Edwards School-Bath, George Watson-UK, From Wales -Bassaleg school , St Julian school ,Rougemount school and Caldicot school , not only did the students of these schools get inspired by their experience in Kenya but had a life changing experience and learned a lot about life away from their home borders. Organisations like Ben Clark Foundation of Belfast, Electronic Concept-Ireland, Granahan Outreach - North Ireland, British Council and The Australian High Commission. Not forgetting families like the Chris Wilde and all the Moving Mountains trustees in Ireland and UK. Their support and continued commitment toward MMK has made us meet our goals and objectives. It is in this year that the chairperson on MMK went on a staff development trip to UK, attended the AGM of the MM UK trustee and touched base with some of the charity donors, well wishers and supporters. It was also a chance to share about responsible volunteering in Kenya through AA and MM and shade light on how the ripple effect of the volunteers has had on the community, seeing that this year we had more than 30 volunteers coming to Kenya. It is through the volunteers, medical elective and Africamp teams that communities became architects of their own success by owning project and using the donations with a clear mindset towards development. It is always a pride to see that money pumped into a small project like brick making and from it a school it able to sell bricks and still have more brick to build a classroom. It is with such funds that we find a clinic able to keep it’s drug supply up to demand level and keeps its level of service delivery to it‘s clients . The year 2010 not only did it have positive change , it also had mind bobbling challenges like having to think of how to strategically deal with Ushirika Clinic which is and has continued to be run by a team of corrupt , self centred committee members. In spite of a great potential of the HIV program and its evident positive impact to the community, it has been a roller coaster ride for the team to embrace MM principles and code of ethics. This year was the last stray and if change wasn’t evident the rope would have to be cut. Black cats weren’t left out in the Kenya football scene. They continue to make us proud with a great senior and junior boys league with more than 5 cups to show for the year. The girls’ team joining the league was a major milestone and having to play with zeal in the matches organised. it was such an encouragement and motivation for the girls at large. Black Cats not only had the privilege to shine in the local home and away tournaments , they also travelled to Mombasa for a week to play with international teams and also an in-house exchange trip to Embu for both the girls and boys team. Both trips were eye-opening for both Embu and Nairobi teams and build the MM spirit of brother/sisterhood.
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In the accounting and auditing of the charity accounts, we appointed Orwa& Co. Associates and also appointed Okung’o Wandago & co Advocates for legal advice. Jambo Jipya a children home that we had been supporting in Mombassa was locked out due to poor management and accountability. 2010 was a great year in every way but one thing that was clear is it takes iron to sharpen iron and it was looking beyond the challenges we faced and going back to the drawing board again and again to re –strategize that made it a success. Not forgetting the support – financial and moral and the advice for the whole MM family (donor, trustee, friends).
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Programmes and Projects of Moving Mountains Kenya From Executive committee members – Education The primary work of Moving Mountains has been long term support of education and welfare of children in difficult circumstances. Nurturing each and every child and taking specific interest in their future and their dreams and ambitions. It was a great challenge when in 2010 most school had an euphoria of going on strike. Our children where not left out as more and more school went on rampage, breaking and destroying school properties .It was such a trying time for the government and stakeholders to address some of the causes. The noted causes were issues on school management, drug abuse in schools, bullying, food/nutrition, sanitation, peer pressure and money. It was a challenge in relation to their counselling and approach towards the children we support in secondary schools especially and trickle it down to their parents/guardians too. It is in this light that we had a camp in December in Nairobi for all the sponsored children to share more on their challenges but in a different setting and environment. In spite of such school unrest it was great to see our sponsored students do so well in the national exams both K.C.P.E and K.C.S.E .From the three students that sat for Kenya Certificate of Primary Schools all got above average with Irene and Dorsila been called to Provisional government schools. In the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education we had twelve students that sat for the exams and four getting above C mark which is the pass mark for joining University and college. It was with great pride seeing this children move from primary onward to secondary and college well in spite of many challenges facing the youth. It is also very sad seeing students like Ahamed Jairo and Chris Kwala getting dropped from sponsorship due to indiscipline and going against the MM policies. It has been a great challenge to keep conscistancy especially in such cases of stopping students support as we have really got to know the children on a personal level and our desire is to see them break the poverty circle through education. Equal education opportunity was very clear with the deaf students having not only a classroom in Western Kenya, but also a dormitory to sleep in. Most did not attend school due to their distance away from school. The children of Urban County Primary in Embu, whose majority of students have eye problems; this year saw their classroom re-painted enabling easy studying. The students in wheelchairs can now enjoy easy movements as the veranda was repaired. With a new library build in Embu more children are getting a chance to read at school and at home.
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Social welfare and Health In Moving Mountains we seek to relieve hardship in areas of difficult circumstances through provision of financial assistance to meet children’s basic needs and their families too. In the process of this we want that people can take control over their own lives and enjoy their basic rights with pride .This year we were keen on letting families stand on their own feet. We embarked on a training on business start ups and gave 6 families loans (Grants) some opened grocery shop, Maize roasting and second hand cloth selling .All kicked off well but along the year some collapsed due to drought in the country affecting the supply and demand curve, poor management on income and lastly health complications .Out of the business, 3 kept up beat and we hope in the coming year all will re- strategise and continue. Support for family in health issue has continued to be key as we have seen great improvement in school grades when guardians and parents are taken care of medically. We have seen great improvement on some of the mamas who have been ill for long times and this is thanks to not only follow up by Mr. Bosire and by financial commitment by MM towards provision of medicines for the parents . Medical facilities that MM works with saw a year of more support from purchasing of operating equipments to stocking up of pharmacies. It is with such support that many patients who would have other wise given up on their health conditions get assistance locally. The HIV program has continued to bridge the gap of miss conception and acceptance of HIV status and how to live positively with or without HIV. Behavioural change in Kibera has been the main concern and that has been a big milestone. Ulamba Children’s home The home having opened it’s door in 2005 for children from the local community to have a place to call home, instead of spending the nights in the rough nearby markets. It now has a total of 37 children. The students here have been doing well in school. This year saw electricity installed in the home, easing studying at night. There is a garden for the children to look after, some chicken and goats too. In spite of teething problem for the new committee, the home now had a better financial restructure and paper trail. All money donated to the home was better looked after and in the process, Mama Rose and Michael ware sent on suspensions from work, however Mama Rose later came back and things are now running more smoothly. The home has continued to bring a lot of pride in the community at large with facilities like the well, an established ECD in the compound that is self sustainable with 62 children and 2 teachers. A newly constructed guest house, baby suite and new toilets for the ECD children .Such improvements are allowed all needs of the Ulamba children to be met, wholly from the deaf to the mentally challenged alike. Embu Moving Mountains supports feeding programmes as part of our drive to encourage children to come to school to learn with a full stomach this is through feeding programmes in Embu The feeding program has given the children from difficult circumstance a meal a day and a place to call home even if it is for a short while in the day. Due to the change in weather and the
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hardship that loamed in the year, more children ended up in the streets, others coming to the rescue centre not only for the feeding program but also to learn how to read and write, play football and also learn Music. It was a major challenge that in spite of the number increasing, most were still spending the night in the cold. 2010 was a great year in relation to the students that joined Nembure College to have vocational training. Their discipline level left much to be admired and they gave lots of pride to the MM team in Embu. 3 students finished their courses and had embarked on job searching and later job creation. The Black Cats has continued to pull many towards rehabilitation and their game has given them hope as their supporters have continued to attend their matches and cheered them on. A big number had stopped using drugs, however their biggest challenge was where to house them and since they would go back to the streets to sleep, in the process they ended up relapsing.
Having no land to put all of them up as a rehabilitation centre, it has been a challenge and an up hill journey. The counselling program has continued to bear fruits and a lot of behavioural change evident. The tailoring program has kept mothers occupied making school uniforms and children in school with new uniforms. The annual fun-day at the school has boasted the moral of the students at County Primary and this year they broke the record by excelling so well in the National Music Festival, thanks to all the equipments donated to them and the support from the charity. Building Projects Our main objective has been to bring sustainable development in the community, not only did the projects run in this year meet the objective of having completion. The ripple effect in the community Through the project work in different areas in Kenya is evident from the employing of the local fundi/builders to the bringing of new money .This is through the purchasing of building equipment and food locally . This year the Moving Mountains Work team got registered as a youth group opening wings to bigger building opportunities within and with out the charity. The team of 6 have learnt a lot from the different projects the have undertaken through the guidance of Mr. Kioni, our project Manager. We have carried out the projects as below: Nairobi
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Mama Fatuma Children’s Home - Food and school uniforms Terrazzo on dining hall The floor to the dinning hall had many pot holes and making it clean was impossible but with the terrazzo, cleaning is much easier and done regularly. Food is now served and eaten in hygienic environments. Embu County Primary School Library – converted a classroom to a library and Receiving donation of books from Australia and an MM friend Tony Ndwiga. Rescue Centre Renovation – renovation of the doors, cupboards, fence and windows of the centre. Urban primary school Renovations - painting work for 16 classrooms to create a brighter environment for the sight impaired students. Fun day at County Primary school – Western Kenya Ulamba Children’s Home Conversion of old office to a to Baby Suite Newly build ECD toilets Newly build Guest house Toilet and shower Wagwer School -Bore hole - Newly build a Kitchen Mama Safi Children’s Home -Bore hole Nyasidi Primary School – Bore hole Central Solio DEB primary school
-Fencing of school Nursery compound Newly build 2 classrooms Purchased working equipments Build 2 Teachers Banda’s (Houses)
Tigithi Primary school - newly building of 4 classrooms from Scratch
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There was a major emphasis in alternative building technology and environmental friendly concepts. Constructions using the mortar mesh technology proved to be a cost effective and long lasting alternative.
We tackled water shortage issues by building bore holes in 3 institutions, build energy saving stoves in the kitchens to save trees being cut down for firewood. We have also introduced the use of solar power at camp. The MM staff we also involved in a clean up exercise at the Nairobi National Park in an effort to conserve our environment.
It has been a great pride that the projects we have been undertaking in 2010 have been owned by the community and they have continued to look after them well. The projects have started to be used for the stated objective well and the knowledge especially of Mortar mesh is been passed on from the fundi/builders to the members of the communities where we work. The major challenge that has affected cost of project in this year has been cost of transportation which shot up quite dramatically.
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MM POLICY Following an AGM that was well attended with all members and Mr. Gavin Bate, MM founder the below were the elected persons:-
Moving Mountains Kenya Board, 2010-2011 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Rose Gathirimu Francis Kioni Kelly Kioko Sarah Kinuthia Gilbert Njeru
Chairlady Secretary Treasurer
Moving Mountains Kenya Executive Committee, 2010- 2011 1. Rosie Gathirimu 2. Kevin Onyango 3. Joseph Mungai 4. Gilbert Njeru 5. Morris Odindo 6. Simon Thuku 7. Evelyn Muronji 8. Jenifer Gathirimu 9. Francis Kioni 10. Julius Macharia 11. Sarah Kinuthia
Co-ordinator Accounts Medical Embu Regional office Western Regional office Sports Volunteers PR Projects Work Team Education
MM NEW MEMBERS AND X – MEMBERS Fredah Wanguria Beatrice Muthoni Zainabu Ismael Evaline Odia Happy Ramadhani
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Future Aspirations In addition to the continuing support of underprivileged children, Moving Mountains also plans a number of construction and renovation projects in future. In the summer of 2011 we shall be undertaking a large programme of development in Solio resettlements. We are planning to construct kitchens with energy saving stove and teachers’ quarters/bandas in the 7 villages with mortar mesh technology. We hope that we will be able to reduce the number of family support and increase the loan advance to families. Open an MM shop and get funding from the local community, business and corporates. Get more strategic partners and more staff developmental opportunities for the team. We would like to thank all our sponsors for their support towards Moving Mountains Kenya. It is thanks to their generosity that we have been able to improve the lives of so many young people. With their continued support we will be able to continue our vital work and as the charity continues to grow we will be able to support underprivileged children and communities throughout the country. Thanks once again.
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Treasurer’s Report on Accounts Above is the summary of money received from Moving Mountains Uk, Moving Mountains Ireland and other sources. The balance brought forward was Ksh. 141,141.35
Income Kshs. Moving Mountain UK
12,667,990.50
Moving Mountain Ireland
4,391,480.10
Paul Boylan
89,211.75
George Watson College
336,000.00
Total Receipts
17,484,682.35
Expenses Secondary School Education Expenses
2,692,541.00
Primary School Education Expenses
608,450.00
College and University Education Expenses
1,181,414.00
Ulamba Home & Embu Rescue Centre
1,567,300.00
Medical Expenses
299,540.00
Hospital donations through Adventure Alternative Medical Students
1,396,062.00
Black Cats Football and Sports Foundation
795,390.00
Administration Expenses
30,000.00
Social Welfare Donations (housing)
953,352.00
Building Project Fund (Solio, school renovations)
5,032,300.00
Bank Charges
46,457.00
Employment (counsellors, teachers and staff)
2,740,395.00
Total Expenditure
17,343,201.00
Surplus / Deficit / Balance Brought Forward
141,481.35
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