COMMUNITY
Woni Safaris Ltd started Woni Education Trust in 2005 order to participate in community responsibility. This undertaking coincided with the introduction of cultural tours amongst the products in our safari packages. This was also in response to recommendations from local and international industry authorities to diversify tourism so that it can reach out to as many segments in our holiday destination as possible and away from the conventional wildlife product.
Woni Safaris Ltd started Woni Education Trust in 2005 order to participate in community responsibility. This undertaking coincided with the introduction of cultural tours amongst the products in our safari packages. This was also in response to recommendations from local and international industry authorities to diversify tourism so that it can reach out to as many segments in our holiday destination as possible and away from the conventional wildlife product.
Education
After identifying a circuit that we could incorporate for our cultural products, Woni Safaris offered to partner with the community by assisting in providing improved education opportunities. We selected two schools which we started working with and we offered to undertake tuition fee payments for the top student from each of these primary schools at the primary examination level. It should be noted that almost all the children who go to these schools belong to a community of less fortunate members of society where the bread winner brings home under a dollar on a lucky day. We also chose to include some bright children from lower primary education levels who were threatened by discontinuation of education all together due to lack of funding.
After identifying a circuit that we could incorporate for our cultural products, Woni Safaris offered to partner with the community by assisting in providing improved education opportunities. We selected two schools which we started working with and we offered to undertake tuition fee payments for the top student from each of these primary schools at the primary examination level. It should be noted that almost all the children who go to these schools belong to a community of less fortunate members of society where the bread winner brings home under a dollar on a lucky day. We also chose to include some bright children from lower primary education levels who were threatened by discontinuation of education all together due to lack of funding.
To date this education program boasts a total of 8 pupils all (except one) of whom graduated from the primary school education level to now secondary school. Education is key and will be the ultimate solution to eradication of poverty in Africa. Whilst we are well aware of other needs particularly in the African continent i.e. hunger, medical etc, we selected to address education as it is the ultimate solution in the long run to these as well as other challenges that face Africa.
Taa wa Ngu Nyumu Women Self Help Group
We choose a village – Ngu Nyumu Village, Machakos District - located approximately 60 kilometers / 40 miles south east of Nairobi the capital city of Kenya and here we expanded our community programs by organizing the women and we recommended that they start a self help activity. The name in the local dialect of Kamba tribe means “Light of Ngu Nyumu Women Self Help Group”.
We choose a village – Ngu Nyumu Village, Machakos District - located approximately 60 kilometers / 40 miles south east of Nairobi the capital city of Kenya and here we expanded our community programs by organizing the women and we recommended that they start a self help activity. The name in the local dialect of Kamba tribe means “Light of Ngu Nyumu Women Self Help Group”.
Coincidently they selected to start a pre-school as their primary project which was aimed at providing for school beginners who were so young; in this village school beginning is a big challenge because the 3 and 4 year old cannot walk to the nearest primary school which is located approximately 5 kilometers / 3 miles from the village. School transport is unheard-of here and the only option is to walk. These women also undertake other activities i.e. sisal basket weaving so as to supplement other income resources; we then assist in marketing their products in better markets.
Wood Carving
We introduced this activity which is mainly men oriented but we incorporated the women as well as the youth in order to provide for alternative income resource. In line with observing the need to conserve the environment this segment also introduced a tree planting project which is planting 50 trees for every one felled down. Wood carving produces the famed Kenya artefacts and is a much better undertaking then felling the trees and burning charcoal which causes more destruction. In the one year or so this project has been in place the youth members who are involved have learnt that it is a less tiring job and on the other side makes a much better income then charcoal burning.
Objectives
Woni Community Initiatives targets to achieve a changed lifestyle in this village by approaching the overall undertaking from three key avenues;
1. By providing Education to the upcoming generation as well as sensitizing the community of the importance of education. To date Woni Education Trust has a total of 8 pupils under their quality education portfolio. One of them was admitted into college early this year and early next year a second pupil is joining college.
2. By providing alternative income resource to the conventional farming; this we saw necessary as the climatical changes have caused rain failures for the last 3 to 4 years. This we intend to achieve by continuing promotion of our cultural tours and in the process take tourism to this village and at the same time also provide to our clientele the opportunity of an un-spoilt cultural experience completely different from those seen in more established safari circuits which have become very commercial.
3. We have been granted funding to drill a borehole in the village and this is expected to commence before the end of this year or early next. As soon the donor finalizes the necessary formalities then this should commence immediately as a geology study has already been carried out. This would be the biggest achievement that this village will have gotten as initially it will provide for the basic domestic needs and hopefully provide for irrigation farming to supplement other income resources.
The only challenge in this dream achievement is the lack of power to pump the water from an expected depth of approximately 150 meters. We are hoping that we will be able to cross the bridge when we get there as the authorities are expected to have supplied this village with power otherwise we may be compelled to consider sourcing a generator.
Future Plans
Taa wa Ngu Nyumu Women Self Help Group will be taking their education provision to the next level as they plan to acquire additional space by purchasing land to start a primary school in 2010.
Donate
You can become part of this initiative by joining Friends in Development or Friends of Woni Kenya and you will be provided with information on your financial participation.
