Monday, December 5, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Friday, November 4, 2011
Embracing philanthropic culture in Africa
PROMOTING PHILANTHROPIC CULTURE IN THE GRASSROOTS
Many African nations celebrate years of independence. Candidly speaking, out of 54 states only south Sudan can rightly claim to be a toddler in self rule and development having that it acquired its self rule this year, 2011. It is an amazing fact that some nations in Africa got independence at the same time or way before some countries in middle east which are now classified as second world and are quite developed. A good example is Indonesia and Malaysia which got their independence almost at the same period as Kenya. Amazingly Kenya and Malaysia has no comparison in their economy and the people’s life style. Kenya is characterized by hunger and cultural intolerance while Malaysia is posed as a developing economy and democracy. The current status of the two differs like day and night or life and death.
With this said one will wonder where I am getting with this, well, here I tell you, despite the many years of self rule, African nations remain very backward, and we have embraced a begging culture instead of promoting a philanthropic culture like the west and Asian nations. Africa like all other continents has its share of problems from HIV/Aids, poverty, corruption, illiteracy and since this list can fill a whole volume let me say etc. All continents have problems but it is how they respond to their problems that matters. Even USA and China, the biggest economies in the planet have their share of problems.
I was amazed to see Japan receiving donations when she was hit by calamities; however this opened my eyes to reckon that all people despite where they are have issues. To point a few America has a huge problem of hurricanes, health care and many more. Actually when I googled the problems that face USA today I was shocked by a list of problems including illiteracy, ignorance, inadequate employment etc. I learnt that these were problems also experienced by many European countries and yes, some of the problems are very identical to African problems though the scope may differ. The difference is the way people respond to local issues. There are many local initiatives in these countries that operate effectively dependent of local people support and with minimal government support or no at all. This is made possible because people embraced philanthropic culture; unlike here people in the west do not keep what they do not use unless they are antiques. They have gone further to have websites that list give away stuff.
I have over 8 years of experience in social work, I claim to be philanthropist but I leave the world to judge me. In these years I have learnt that what hampers the progress of local initiatives is lack of local support. People in Africa just do not give. The poverty mentality has enslaved us to the point that even the rich do not give, even what they do not use. It is only in Africa that people do not even dispose what is no longer in use. In many homes you will stumble upon closets filled with clothes that are never worn and in the same neighbourhood children and women walking half naked.
Many claim to have no money and this is truly understandable because of poverty but still if you call people to come out for communal work the turn up is always wanting unless there are incentives or handouts. Is it not expected that if one can not give money they one can contribute their time for the good of others and nature?
We have a Christmas gift program where we provoke the local community to give donation to show love during Christmas even as Christ loved the world. When analyzing the donations collected ready for distribution we were shocked by what some people gave. Either they mistook our team with garbage collectors or were driven by sheer selfishness, to our amazement some just choose what to dispose, there were some giving old patched clothes even undergarments and string tied women bra. We therefore had extra work selecting what to distribute and what to burn.
It has become a culture now when wherever there is a problem a blame finger is pointed at the government. The truth is, the government can not do everything. The government will clean the towns but not your backyard; the government will plant trees in public places but not in your private land. As a matter of fact our government has done so much, if I am asked to speak for Kenyan government which I know well of, I would rate them above par but it is the people who do not complement the government’s efforts.
The western community has embraced the philanthropic culture such that people own up and support local initiatives with great zeal. When I point out this fact locally, people are fast to say that mismanagement of resources here prevent people from giving and hence I pose the question, how can you mismanage something that is not even there in the first place?
In one of our fundraising ventures, we featured a project on Global giving, an international online fundraising platform. We were seeking funds to give poor girls sanitary towels and undergarments as well as provide school uniforms to children affected by HIV/Aids. Despite the fact that we publicized this project both locally and abroad we did not get a dime in donations from the local community from whole of Kenya and Africa. Amazingly our project was embraced and supported by the west especially USA. Shockingly many who donated do not even know our initiative and many of them are what one would term as a normal citizen far from being rich or self sufficient yet with a heart of sharing. Many gave as little as 10 $ which meant a lot to our initiative. We have many rich and good careered people here who could afford to donate but choose not to.
People talk of changing the world to make it a better place but the truth is, you can not change the world as a whole only in bits beginning from where you are. As Africans and as a people, we need to redeem our selves from being the icons of problems, it is sad that when many world relief agencies want to depict a problematic situation they draw or put a picture of a black emaciated African as if there are no similar problems elsewhere.
I am writing this passionately to my beloved continent, brothers and sisters, we have to embrace local problems, support local initiatives and join hands in seeking local solutions to local problems. We can no longer fold hand for people from USA, Europe, China or Japan to come and feed our hungry, plant tress in our catchment areas, take care of our orphans and sweep our backyards.
One doesn’t have to be rich to give, it takes the heart. If one does not have money one can give material donations like clothing, books, farm produce, etc. One can also give time and expertise and even volunteer online for many tasks that professionals can execute via the internet like web development, design, fundraising, blogging and publicity the list is endless. All in all we need to embrace a philanthropic culture if we are to ‘make sense’ in the face of the world and God.
Author:
James N. Waruiru
Project Coordinator/Secretary to the Board
Fountain of Hope Youth Initiative Group
http://www.fohlc.org
+254 721 445295 (mobile)
+254 770 056733 (office)
+254 41 2002718 (office)
Skype id: james.waruiru
© FOHLC 2011
Many African nations celebrate years of independence. Candidly speaking, out of 54 states only south Sudan can rightly claim to be a toddler in self rule and development having that it acquired its self rule this year, 2011. It is an amazing fact that some nations in Africa got independence at the same time or way before some countries in middle east which are now classified as second world and are quite developed. A good example is Indonesia and Malaysia which got their independence almost at the same period as Kenya. Amazingly Kenya and Malaysia has no comparison in their economy and the people’s life style. Kenya is characterized by hunger and cultural intolerance while Malaysia is posed as a developing economy and democracy. The current status of the two differs like day and night or life and death.
With this said one will wonder where I am getting with this, well, here I tell you, despite the many years of self rule, African nations remain very backward, and we have embraced a begging culture instead of promoting a philanthropic culture like the west and Asian nations. Africa like all other continents has its share of problems from HIV/Aids, poverty, corruption, illiteracy and since this list can fill a whole volume let me say etc. All continents have problems but it is how they respond to their problems that matters. Even USA and China, the biggest economies in the planet have their share of problems.
I was amazed to see Japan receiving donations when she was hit by calamities; however this opened my eyes to reckon that all people despite where they are have issues. To point a few America has a huge problem of hurricanes, health care and many more. Actually when I googled the problems that face USA today I was shocked by a list of problems including illiteracy, ignorance, inadequate employment etc. I learnt that these were problems also experienced by many European countries and yes, some of the problems are very identical to African problems though the scope may differ. The difference is the way people respond to local issues. There are many local initiatives in these countries that operate effectively dependent of local people support and with minimal government support or no at all. This is made possible because people embraced philanthropic culture; unlike here people in the west do not keep what they do not use unless they are antiques. They have gone further to have websites that list give away stuff.
I have over 8 years of experience in social work, I claim to be philanthropist but I leave the world to judge me. In these years I have learnt that what hampers the progress of local initiatives is lack of local support. People in Africa just do not give. The poverty mentality has enslaved us to the point that even the rich do not give, even what they do not use. It is only in Africa that people do not even dispose what is no longer in use. In many homes you will stumble upon closets filled with clothes that are never worn and in the same neighbourhood children and women walking half naked.
Many claim to have no money and this is truly understandable because of poverty but still if you call people to come out for communal work the turn up is always wanting unless there are incentives or handouts. Is it not expected that if one can not give money they one can contribute their time for the good of others and nature?
We have a Christmas gift program where we provoke the local community to give donation to show love during Christmas even as Christ loved the world. When analyzing the donations collected ready for distribution we were shocked by what some people gave. Either they mistook our team with garbage collectors or were driven by sheer selfishness, to our amazement some just choose what to dispose, there were some giving old patched clothes even undergarments and string tied women bra. We therefore had extra work selecting what to distribute and what to burn.
It has become a culture now when wherever there is a problem a blame finger is pointed at the government. The truth is, the government can not do everything. The government will clean the towns but not your backyard; the government will plant trees in public places but not in your private land. As a matter of fact our government has done so much, if I am asked to speak for Kenyan government which I know well of, I would rate them above par but it is the people who do not complement the government’s efforts.
The western community has embraced the philanthropic culture such that people own up and support local initiatives with great zeal. When I point out this fact locally, people are fast to say that mismanagement of resources here prevent people from giving and hence I pose the question, how can you mismanage something that is not even there in the first place?
In one of our fundraising ventures, we featured a project on Global giving, an international online fundraising platform. We were seeking funds to give poor girls sanitary towels and undergarments as well as provide school uniforms to children affected by HIV/Aids. Despite the fact that we publicized this project both locally and abroad we did not get a dime in donations from the local community from whole of Kenya and Africa. Amazingly our project was embraced and supported by the west especially USA. Shockingly many who donated do not even know our initiative and many of them are what one would term as a normal citizen far from being rich or self sufficient yet with a heart of sharing. Many gave as little as 10 $ which meant a lot to our initiative. We have many rich and good careered people here who could afford to donate but choose not to.
People talk of changing the world to make it a better place but the truth is, you can not change the world as a whole only in bits beginning from where you are. As Africans and as a people, we need to redeem our selves from being the icons of problems, it is sad that when many world relief agencies want to depict a problematic situation they draw or put a picture of a black emaciated African as if there are no similar problems elsewhere.
I am writing this passionately to my beloved continent, brothers and sisters, we have to embrace local problems, support local initiatives and join hands in seeking local solutions to local problems. We can no longer fold hand for people from USA, Europe, China or Japan to come and feed our hungry, plant tress in our catchment areas, take care of our orphans and sweep our backyards.
One doesn’t have to be rich to give, it takes the heart. If one does not have money one can give material donations like clothing, books, farm produce, etc. One can also give time and expertise and even volunteer online for many tasks that professionals can execute via the internet like web development, design, fundraising, blogging and publicity the list is endless. All in all we need to embrace a philanthropic culture if we are to ‘make sense’ in the face of the world and God.
Author:
James N. Waruiru
Project Coordinator/Secretary to the Board
Fountain of Hope Youth Initiative Group
http://www.fohlc.org
+254 721 445295 (mobile)
+254 770 056733 (office)
+254 41 2002718 (office)
Skype id: james.waruiru
© FOHLC 2011
Saturday, October 16, 2010
World Food Day, 16 October 2010
World Food Day, 16 October 2010
United against Hunger
The theme of this year’s observance is United against hunger, chosen to recognize the efforts made in the fight against world hunger at national, regional and international levels.
Uniting against hunger becomes real when state and civil society organizations and the private sector work in partnership at all levels to defeat hunger, extreme poverty and malnutrition.
In 2009, the critical threshold of one billion hungry people in the world was reached in part due to soaring food prices and the financial crisis, a “tragic achievement in these modern days", according to FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf. On the eve of the hunger summit, Dr Diouf launched an online petition to reflect the moral outrage of the situation. The “1 billion hungry project” reaches out to people through online social media to invite them to sign the anti-hunger petition at www.1billionhungry.org.
On this World Food Day 2010, when there have never been so many hungry people in the world, let us reflect on the future. With willpower, courage and persistence – and many players working together and helping each other – more food can be produced, more sustainably, and get into the mouths of those who need it most.
FOUNTAIN OF HOPE's CONTRIBUTION ENSURING FOOD ACCESS TO THOSE WHO NEED IT MOST.
Fountain of hope is involved is supporting the needy persons comprising of persons living with Aids, Widows and orphans with food and basic needs. These are basically people who live in extreme poverty, what we do now is way too little compared to the many mouths that needy to be fed.
Fountain of Hope will be commemorating what we do all the time by giving very crucial commodity in human life:- FOOD to the needy brother and sister. We ask you friends out there to support us with either cash, foodstuff donation, clothing and prayer to anable us feed more people who really need your support.
We plan to do this all the way to the entire Christmas season around the corner and thats why we are seeking your support.
United against Hunger
The theme of this year’s observance is United against hunger, chosen to recognize the efforts made in the fight against world hunger at national, regional and international levels.
Uniting against hunger becomes real when state and civil society organizations and the private sector work in partnership at all levels to defeat hunger, extreme poverty and malnutrition.
In 2009, the critical threshold of one billion hungry people in the world was reached in part due to soaring food prices and the financial crisis, a “tragic achievement in these modern days", according to FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf. On the eve of the hunger summit, Dr Diouf launched an online petition to reflect the moral outrage of the situation. The “1 billion hungry project” reaches out to people through online social media to invite them to sign the anti-hunger petition at www.1billionhungry.org.
On this World Food Day 2010, when there have never been so many hungry people in the world, let us reflect on the future. With willpower, courage and persistence – and many players working together and helping each other – more food can be produced, more sustainably, and get into the mouths of those who need it most.
FOUNTAIN OF HOPE's CONTRIBUTION ENSURING FOOD ACCESS TO THOSE WHO NEED IT MOST.
Fountain of hope is involved is supporting the needy persons comprising of persons living with Aids, Widows and orphans with food and basic needs. These are basically people who live in extreme poverty, what we do now is way too little compared to the many mouths that needy to be fed.
Fountain of Hope will be commemorating what we do all the time by giving very crucial commodity in human life:- FOOD to the needy brother and sister. We ask you friends out there to support us with either cash, foodstuff donation, clothing and prayer to anable us feed more people who really need your support.
We plan to do this all the way to the entire Christmas season around the corner and thats why we are seeking your support.
Friday, May 7, 2010
World Orphan Day
As we observe the world orphan day toy, May 7th, 2010, every one should ask him or herself what he/she have done to improve the life of an orphaned kid around you. Caring for orphans and vulnerable kids around us is a duty for all and not no be left to government alone. So we urge you all to pause, reflect and decide to take a positive step towards caring for orphans around us.
Even the bible commands us to do the so:
James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, [and] to keep himself un spotted from the world.
Orphan situation in Kenya
There are over 2.5 million orphans in Kenya. This number is so big putting in minds the total population is only 36 million people, there fore this translate that orphans comprise up to 9% of the whole population. Among the 2.5m orphans only a third finds a place in orphanage and charity care organizations. Rest find their way in the streets and child labor.
The main cause of parents death is HIV/Aids and neglect, that is, purposely being neglect and thrown away or abandoned by parents though this contribute very little number compared to HIV/Aids.
Something need to be done fast, the problem of orphans can be ultimately dealt with when every person can take up the burden of caring for orphans as a personal obligation.
This can be done by:-
1. people opening their homes to adapt orphans and make them part of their families. Despite the economic situation and poverty in Kenya if more families adapt orphans the problem will be solved up to 80%, this will further ease the work of orphanages and child care units this will further make many people belong somewhere, having in mind the worse dilemma of human kind is lack of belonging, the orphanages will only serve as transit points and preparation fields waiting for better fields. For this reason Fountain of Hope life Center believes in supporting orphans through their guardians. Mostly people in their blood line ie- grandparents, aunts, uncles etc.
This helps them so much to stay linked to family tree and have a sense of belonging something un real in orphanage, with the recognition the great role orphanages serve in orphan care, it is very true that although many kids call them home its not home and this downs to them with agony when one grows up to understand and learns that the people they call Dad, Mum, Uncle, sister, brother, sister etc are as a matter of fact without any blood link to them and only be good to them because they are Christian with pure caring heart and also maybe they are employed and are just doing their work.
For this reason Fountain of Hope Life center have decided to take up the work of mobilizing people to adapt orphans and this we believe will be a giant step towards solving the orphans issue.
2. If one is unable to adapt an orphaned child one then can support children homes and orphan support organizations like Fountain Of Hope Life Center. With as little as Ksh. 2516/= (34 US$) a household of a family caring for 5 orphans or Ksh. 700/= (10 US$) supports one orphan for a week. One can also donate foodstuff, clothing, Bibles, toys, books etc
3. Volunteering time with children homes and orphan care organizations.
4. Pressing the government to put more resources for caring for orphans. This including giving more support to child care organizations, waiver on duty for importation of goods that are aimed at orphan support. Ensuring education opportunities for orphans.
5. Advocating for the rights of orphans including right from exploitation and protection of their inheritance, many orphans are deprived the right to be the heir of their late parents property maily by close relatives.
6. Spiritual guidance. Pastors, churches, Christian mission organizations should make sure they devote time to visit orphans either in homes, orphanage or in their guardians home to give spend time with them and teach them the word of God. Leading by example Fountain of Hope have a weekly meeting with orphans and the needy kids on Saturdays where we have time to chat, share Bible stories, pray together and just interact. To make sure they enjoy life like other kids we organize parties for them or take them out to visit game parks, swimming, games etc.
We welcome you all to do something to touch souls of orphans and vulnerable kids around us.
By: James N. Waruiru
Even the bible commands us to do the so:
James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, [and] to keep himself un spotted from the world.
Orphan situation in Kenya
There are over 2.5 million orphans in Kenya. This number is so big putting in minds the total population is only 36 million people, there fore this translate that orphans comprise up to 9% of the whole population. Among the 2.5m orphans only a third finds a place in orphanage and charity care organizations. Rest find their way in the streets and child labor.
The main cause of parents death is HIV/Aids and neglect, that is, purposely being neglect and thrown away or abandoned by parents though this contribute very little number compared to HIV/Aids.
Something need to be done fast, the problem of orphans can be ultimately dealt with when every person can take up the burden of caring for orphans as a personal obligation.
This can be done by:-
1. people opening their homes to adapt orphans and make them part of their families. Despite the economic situation and poverty in Kenya if more families adapt orphans the problem will be solved up to 80%, this will further ease the work of orphanages and child care units this will further make many people belong somewhere, having in mind the worse dilemma of human kind is lack of belonging, the orphanages will only serve as transit points and preparation fields waiting for better fields. For this reason Fountain of Hope life Center believes in supporting orphans through their guardians. Mostly people in their blood line ie- grandparents, aunts, uncles etc.
This helps them so much to stay linked to family tree and have a sense of belonging something un real in orphanage, with the recognition the great role orphanages serve in orphan care, it is very true that although many kids call them home its not home and this downs to them with agony when one grows up to understand and learns that the people they call Dad, Mum, Uncle, sister, brother, sister etc are as a matter of fact without any blood link to them and only be good to them because they are Christian with pure caring heart and also maybe they are employed and are just doing their work.
For this reason Fountain of Hope Life center have decided to take up the work of mobilizing people to adapt orphans and this we believe will be a giant step towards solving the orphans issue.
2. If one is unable to adapt an orphaned child one then can support children homes and orphan support organizations like Fountain Of Hope Life Center. With as little as Ksh. 2516/= (34 US$) a household of a family caring for 5 orphans or Ksh. 700/= (10 US$) supports one orphan for a week. One can also donate foodstuff, clothing, Bibles, toys, books etc
3. Volunteering time with children homes and orphan care organizations.
4. Pressing the government to put more resources for caring for orphans. This including giving more support to child care organizations, waiver on duty for importation of goods that are aimed at orphan support. Ensuring education opportunities for orphans.
5. Advocating for the rights of orphans including right from exploitation and protection of their inheritance, many orphans are deprived the right to be the heir of their late parents property maily by close relatives.
6. Spiritual guidance. Pastors, churches, Christian mission organizations should make sure they devote time to visit orphans either in homes, orphanage or in their guardians home to give spend time with them and teach them the word of God. Leading by example Fountain of Hope have a weekly meeting with orphans and the needy kids on Saturdays where we have time to chat, share Bible stories, pray together and just interact. To make sure they enjoy life like other kids we organize parties for them or take them out to visit game parks, swimming, games etc.
We welcome you all to do something to touch souls of orphans and vulnerable kids around us.
By: James N. Waruiru
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Fountain of Hope Life Center is a Christian social support organization caring for orphans, widows and people living with HIV/Aids, F.O.H.L.C is based in Kiambu district, kenya.
Orphan situation in kenya
There are over 2.5 million orphans in Kenya. This number is soo big putting in minds the total population is only 36 million people, there fore this translate thet ophans comprise up to 9% of the whole population. Among the 2.5m orphans only a third finda place in ophanage and charity care orhanisations. Rest find their way in the streets and child labour.
The main cause of parents death is Hiv/Aids and act of criminal, that is, purposely being negleted and thrown away or abadoned by parets though this contribute very little number compared to Hiv/Aids.
Something need to be done fast, the problem of orphans can be ultimately dealt with when every person can take up the burden of caring for orphans as a personal obligation.
This can be done by:-
1. people opening their homes to addapt orphans and make them part of their families. Despite the economic situation and poverty in kenya if more families addapt orphans the problem will be solved up to 80%, this will further ease the work of ophanages and child care units this will further make many people belong somewhere, having in mind the worse dillema of human kind is lack of belonging, there orphanages will only serve as transit points and preparation fields waiting for better fields. For this reason Fountainof Hope life Center believes in supporting orphans through their gurdians mostly people they bloodly relate to ie- grandparents, unts, uncles etc.
This helps them so much to tay linked to family tree and have a sence of belonging something un real in orphanage, with the recognition the great role ophanages serve in oprhan care, it is very true that although many kids call them home its not home and this downs to them with agony when one grows up to undestanding and learns that the people they call Dam, Mum, Uncle, sister, brother, sister etc are as a matter of fact without any blood link to them and only be good to them because they are Christian with pure caring heart and also maybe they are employed and just doing their work.
For this reason Fountain of Hope Life center have decided to take up the work of mobilizing people to addapt orphans and this we believe will be a giant step towards solving the orphans issue.
There are over 2.5 million orphans in Kenya. This number is soo big putting in minds the total population is only 36 million people, there fore this translate thet ophans comprise up to 9% of the whole population. Among the 2.5m orphans only a third finda place in ophanage and charity care orhanisations. Rest find their way in the streets and child labour.
The main cause of parents death is Hiv/Aids and act of criminal, that is, purposely being negleted and thrown away or abadoned by parets though this contribute very little number compared to Hiv/Aids.
Something need to be done fast, the problem of orphans can be ultimately dealt with when every person can take up the burden of caring for orphans as a personal obligation.
This can be done by:-
1. people opening their homes to addapt orphans and make them part of their families. Despite the economic situation and poverty in kenya if more families addapt orphans the problem will be solved up to 80%, this will further ease the work of ophanages and child care units this will further make many people belong somewhere, having in mind the worse dillema of human kind is lack of belonging, there orphanages will only serve as transit points and preparation fields waiting for better fields. For this reason Fountainof Hope life Center believes in supporting orphans through their gurdians mostly people they bloodly relate to ie- grandparents, unts, uncles etc.
This helps them so much to tay linked to family tree and have a sence of belonging something un real in orphanage, with the recognition the great role ophanages serve in oprhan care, it is very true that although many kids call them home its not home and this downs to them with agony when one grows up to undestanding and learns that the people they call Dam, Mum, Uncle, sister, brother, sister etc are as a matter of fact without any blood link to them and only be good to them because they are Christian with pure caring heart and also maybe they are employed and just doing their work.
For this reason Fountain of Hope Life center have decided to take up the work of mobilizing people to addapt orphans and this we believe will be a giant step towards solving the orphans issue.
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