Felix oversees the distribution of the necessities of life in the village during the current crisis.
Project Update
2008 PLANS
We are confident that Voiceless Children will make positive progress in 2008 despite the challenges resulting from the current political unrest in Kenya. No one could have predicted the scope of violence and disruption that followed the December elections. We will continue moving forward, with caution and hope that the Western province village remains untouched by the current situation. When Felix visited the village early in February, he reported and photographed community progress with the first two homes under construction.
Thanks to the work of our Canadian friend, Elaine Munro, an Emergency Fund was set up to help with food relief and the necessities of life for rural and urban families under the care of Voiceless Children. The need to support people at the grassroots level will extend long after a political agreement is mediated. We will continue to operate the emergency fund to ensure the provision of life essentials to families in need until a normal rhythm of life is established.
PROJECT UPDATES:
2007 REVIEW…
Qiujing and Dean of Borderless Productions NZ, pose with Frieda and Emanuel during the filming of the documentary "A Grandmothers Tribe."
Voiceless Children's second year of operation saw tremendous progress.
- We received an annual donation from The Irene M. and Milton R. Weed Foundation.
- Our Canadian friends were most generous as a result of the North American premiere of the film, "A Grandmothers Tribe".
- Contributors from many countries continued to send regular monthly donations.
We greatly appreciate and acknowledge this generous support from around the world.
Filming of "A Grandmothers Tribe" (www.agrandmotherstribe.com), with Borderless Productions of New Zealand, was completed at the end of 2006. It was an inspiring experience and we were motivated to begin 2007 with new energy and resolve. Working with filmmakers, Qiujing and Dean, was wonderful and it was very meaningful to be able to share our dream for the village with them.
In Spring 2007, Felix went to New Zealand to translate for the film as a guest of Borderless Productions. Ongoing updates on the progress of the documentary were provided throughout the year and we began making plans for its North American premiere in Vancouver, Canada in the Fall. An invitation was extended to bring Felix to the event, so the gathering of "frequent flyer points" began.
The gala screening in Vancouver was presented by the Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education. The event surpassed our wildest dreams! Felix and I saw the film for the first time and we couldn't get enough of it. It was all we had hoped for and more. Not only did it show the hope and strength of the grandmothers in the village and the slums of Kibera, but it was filmed with sensitivity and beauty. As a result of the screening, we received funding to build new homes for the village grandmother families. Voiceless Children is deeply grateful to the many generous donors at the event.
2007 accomplishments moving forward into 2008:
By the end of 2007 we saw many of our goals accomplished and we envision continuing and building on these goals in 2008.
| 1. | The building of eight houses for grandmothers and widows has been started with almost two houses completed at the beginning of 2008. The money for these houses was donated as a direct result of the North American gala screening of "A Grandmother's Tribe". | 2. | Voiceless Children has now fully sponsored 30 high school students in Funyula, Busia and Nairobi. |
| 3. | There are 75 primary school pupils who received uniforms from the VC school uniform program. | 4. | There are five teen mothers who are undergoing "tailor training" as an enterprise initiative to provide them with earning skills. |
| 5. | Three more cows were purchased for the village for a total of 14 cows. | 6. | The grandmother farming venture continues to grow and now provides vegetables for the families. |
| 7. | Kibera Youth aged 9-19 years, produced a documentary film entitled "Living in the Bucket". It was featured at the South Africa World Sanitation Conference, as a mentoring initiative for youth film makers by Voiceless Children, supported by Listen UP! | 8. | We received a generous offer from the Elk Grove Rotary in Illinois to drill the first water well bore hole in the village. Although there are some challenges yet to overcome due to lack of a partnering from the Kenya side, we will continue to pursue this effort and look forward to its completion later in 2008. |
| 9. | By year end 2008, we hope to complete 12 new houses in the village. |
CONCLUSION
We will update you on the progress of the film, "A Grandmother's Tribe", and its release date on DVD. It is very exciting to share this perspective of the village that so many of you have only heard about and to witness the life of a grandmother family in Kibera. We know that you will be impressed with the film and will want to share it with your family and friends.
Previous years project updates:
