AIESEC EXCHANGE

Sunday, September 26, 2010

August Update

August was a very hectic month for AHCP and for Kenya as a whole. At the AHCP we were changing a lot of our practices and old methods of working and creating new operating procedures. Our main priority was still fundraising but also to increase the number of interns and volunteers so that we could continue to run our programs as well as expand our library programs.

As for Kenya on the 4^th of August there was a referendum over an historic new constitution which was passed and marked the beginning of a new era in Kenyan politics and democracy. However, as a result of this there were several public holidays throughout the month which made it difficult to maintain a flow of work through the organisation as it became very difficult to get a hold of people and even harder to get volunteers to get motivated as there were so many opportunities for people to travel around Kenya over the 4 day weekends, which turned into 7-8 day trips.

Nairobi however, has been wonderful the weather has been quite good, mind 20s the whole month even though it is supposed to be really cold. I have had plenty of time to eat and drink to excess which I’m sure ill regret next time I hit the weighing scales. I have met plenty of new Aiesec members in August and have partied a little with them all as well, which has been quite fun.

Apart from that were all just waiting for September and some stability to return so that we can get back to work properly.

- Rishi Kashyap

July Updates

Hey guys, July was a crazy month, I landed in Nairobi still dazed from the hectic flights to a warm night and an even warmer reception. I was introduced to a few of the Aiesec members immediately and was made to feel very comfortable and back to ‘home’.

After being given a few days to rest and meet up with some old friends I was introduced to the Africa Health Community Program (AHCP) where I was to complete my internship. It was a very interesting experience as its offices are located inside one of the biggest slums in the world. However, I was made to feel extremely comfortable and safe and was soon getting down to business. It wasn’t long before I felt like I had been living in Nairobi all my life and throughout July I was in and out of Kibera (the slum) and was meeting lots of new people and businesses trying to raise funds for the organisation.

The AHCP is an interesting organisation; it is quite small and is run completely by volunteers, apart from the owner Isabel Omondi, who has now dedicated herself to the organisation. The main activities of the NGO are running entrepreneurship classes and library programs.

In the entrepreneurship program we teach local Kibera residents about creating and running a small business for themselves. Some of the AHCP’s success stories include a man called Ezekiel who runs a garbage collection service, he started with just himself and a wooden cart on wheels, and within a year has grown to 15 employees and more wooden carts but also 1 small pickup vehicle.

In the library program we open our doors to children aged 5-17 and teach them basic English and literacy as well as run tutoring programs. It is an extremely important process in the education of these children as they are often crammed into halls where there are around 100 kids where there is only space for 50, and there are several different classes and age groups trying to learn simultaneously. Another important aspect of this program is the safe environment that we provide for these kids as they have no other place to do their homework or even store their books. These kids often have to go home and help their parents in whatever way they can so that they can earn a little money.