Acrobatics training
It is a month now that Africa Watoto started the Acrobatics programme and we can already see a difference in the boys’ fitness, behavior and well-being.
The boys who live at the centre, have previously lived in the streets of Mombasa and have experienced the life of the streets and how it is to be hungry, have nowhere to sleep and beg for survival. They were exposed to abuse, exploitation and they lived a life that no child should live so when they come to the center it takes time for them to settle in their new environment. The center is a starting point for them to change their lives and offers them the opportunity to be educated at primary level and participate in various activities. We want to advance the education of the children and teach them skills which will enable them to use in the future and give them access to activities like all the other children in the world.
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Art Competition at Mikindani
At the centre in Kikambala every Friday they boys have a talent course. Some are taking drama classes or singing, and some others arts. One day the teacher showed me some of the boys’ drawings and I was amazed to see how good they were. So I came up with the idea of organizing an Art Competition to give the boys the opportunity to use their creative skills, take the responsibility of a task and share their creations with their teachers and schoolmates.
First I had to find a theme. Having in my mind that the young pupils would participate in the competition I wanted to use a theme that is broad so they can use their own imagination and critical thinking to draw something that is related to the theme. I decided that the title of the theme would be ‘Kenyan colours’.
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Hello everybody,
Firstly I would like to introduce myself. I am Stella Bili, I was an ex-volunteer at Grandsons of Abraham rescue centre in Mombasa, Kenya and I founded Africa Watoto in July 2009 with the aim to help street children who live at the centre.
I visited Grandsons centre twice and have experienced it at first hand. The impact of not having water and the lack of nutritious food to the children’s health, who live at one of the centres, increased my enthusiasm to help these children. Africa Watoto has been established to help the children in various ways such as providing nutritious food, buying clothes, books, organising events to raise money and raising awareness about street children’s life.
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“You want to make them happy? Give them food!” That what I heard after asking the member of staff what we can do to make the boys happy. That is true. Eating rice and beans or ughali and beans most of the days is not a fun.
One day, 3 other volunteers and myself, we bought live chickens in the village and brought them to the Centre. The boys were so excited. They knew how to prepare and cook them. I was so impressed, I did not have a clue what to do with them. We are all used to ready cleaned or packed meat from Tesco or Sainsbury. I felt like typical ignorant and realised how modern western life is making us useless. We had so much fun that day! So….the following week we arranged to do the same thing but this time with a goat. Read the rest of this entry »
Kenya, Mombasa – 17/01/2010
But the nicest day of them all, was a Sunday when myself and another volunteer which is doing an amazing job with the children, when to the village and bought 13kg of sword fish, a couple of kg of potatoes, carrots, and other vegetables to cook for them a fish soup! Their joy was indescribable! Read the rest of this entry »
Seven ex-street boys sat for their KCPE [kenya certificate primary education] last year, they past and they have been called to go to different secondary schools.
With the help of two volunteers, one of the boys has already reported to a secondary school. The volunteers will pay for the school fees of these boys but the other three boys who are to report to secondary schools next week, we lack school fees for one of them who is very much willing to go to school.
Any body who might be willing to pay for them is welcome to do so. Thank you for those two volunteers who are still with us, one of the is back to USA now. We are very happy for the four boys who will be sitting for their KCPE this year. Two have been promised sponsorship and two not yet. It is only through education that we can give this children better lives and future. I hope you will agree with me.
Thank you
Sister Annet
Well I’ve been here a while now and so much has changed at the centre. There has been so much progress with the organisation of the way the centre is run and the benefits are being seen everyday. The centre has been redecorated, and a library has been built, there are now football nets, swings and a basketball net, all donated by volunteers. Standard 8 have just finished their exams and are feeling confident, so fingers crossed for them
This week the boys have been on holidays so there has been lots of activities, including bead work, sports day and football tournements. The kids are having a great time and plans are all set for the leaving party for standard 8 tomorrow. We had a great time yesterday,we had a big water fight and the volunteers definitely lost that fight.
There are now shifts at the centre consisting of a morning, afternoon and bed time shift. Bed time is my favourite, its lovely putting the little ones to bed and reading stories, down side, the bugs are out with a vengence.
We are now preparing for christmas and Fiona and sisters are teaching the boys charols, I’m staying out of it, my voice would just ruin it, but its great fun to watch, hoping to be able to do choir services in the hotels nearer to christmas. We have also started the christmas fund to buy all the boys pressies, which can be found on the Africa Watoto website, so get on and donate, it will be money very well spent.
