Jambo News!

CHWELE, KENYA EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND UPDATE

Thanks to our donors, relief work has begun!

Jambo Harambee Friends and Supporters,

The work in the trenches began last week! Thank you so much for your very thoughtful and generous donations that are making this work possible. We express our deepest gratitude to Counseling Services of Portland for their $2,000 matching fund which doubled the impact of some of your donations and helped us reach our first goal much faster. We have received $10,000 to start reaching out to at least one hundred families! When we do the math, more funds are needed to help beyond their most urgent needs, and reach out to more families. A typical Chwele family is 8-10 people in a household, of which 80% are usually young children (often including grandchildren). 

Action Plan

Through the Chwele Community Resource and Peace Centre, under the direction of Joy Wasilwa, Director, and with assistance from Paul Kuto, Rotarian, the plan on the ground to execute the relief efforts is in place. Starting last week, a team of four Community Healthcare Volunteers (CHV) and two counselors have been going out to identify affected families, assess their needs, deliver services, evaluate the impact, and report the outcomes of combating hunger and malnutrition in children, providing more secure homes, prevention/cure of water-borne diseases, and addressing mental health implications of the three plagues – locusts, COVID-19, and floods. 

Chwele team members on the ground. Left to right: Joy (Project Director), Joan (CHV), Pastor Lawrence (Counselor), Samson (Counselor), Alice (Chwele area Women’s Group leader), Mary (CHV), Ben (CHV), Mercy (CHV)

Impact of Your Donation

COUNSELING: $2,000 will be dedicated to counseling services for individuals and families who need it.

FOOD: 

  • $100 will provide nutritional food and other basic household essentials for a family of 8-10 for one full month. Part of this package will be maize and beans from last year’s crop, which will be purchased from local farmers to support them.

  • $50 will provide a nutritious lunch for 30 essential CHV per day during COVID-19 lockdown.

HOME REPAIRS: $100 will rebuild a full wall destroyed by flooding. Labor will be provided by local young men to support them with much needed income.

MEDICAL CARE: $40 will provide an exam, lab work, and full treatment for most water-borne diseases, such as severe malaria and typhoid, at Chwele Health Clinic. There is a rise in these two diseases due to the historic floods.

STIPENDS: $36 will cover stipends for six CHV (including 2 mental health counselors) per day. 

CHV are ready to head out in the field. Left to right: Mary, Joan, Ben, Mercy

Impact Stories Coming Soon

Updates and stories of relief aid recipients will be posted on our blog, Facebook and Instagram pages. Please follow us to learn more about what your support has made possible.

Special Thanks to Donors of $1000 or More

We extend a special thank you to the following donors of $1000 or more and to Dr. Charles Nangulu, a Harambee Centre area representative in Chwele, Kenya, who has agreed to donate fresh vegetables to all families we reach out to.

If you are able, but haven’t already given, it is not too late. The more we receive, the more families we can help!

Next $2000 in Donations Matched!

Thanks to 2 generous, anonymous donors, the next $1000 of donations to the Chwele, Kenya Emergency Relief Fund and the next $1000 of donations to our general fund will be matched. Our general fund is usually replenished at our annual fundraising dinner in spring, but since we had to cancel the event our general fund needs some attention to keep our foundation sustainable. Double your impact with a donation now!

Seeking New Board Members

Interested in serving Harambee Centre as a board member? We are seeking to grow and diversify our Board of Directors, especially in legal (non-profit) and finance areas.

With much gratitude for your continued support, we wish you all continued good health,

Grace Kuto and Harambee Centre Board

THANK YOU

Click Here for Information about COVID-19

Harambee Centre is a small grass roots non-profit organization based in Portland Oregon with the mission to connect the people of the Pacific Northwest with the people and diverse cultures of Africa. With your past and continued support, we are achieving giant results with our quiet but effective approach to sustainable development in rural Africa. To continue your support, please consider a tax-deductible donation: