written by: Bart Abbott July 30, 2008
Check out the difference in the learning environment
of Ezra Gumbe primary after we applied our technique of
painting bright and calming colors on the walls of the
classrooms. Students in Kenya spend up to 12 hours a day
in class. For 6 days a week and over 9 months out of the
year students are learning in a room that was painted
over 30 years ago using water-based paint that cannot
be washed off once dirt is applied. At Ezra Gumbe, we
painted every single one of the classrooms at the school
using oil-based paints which can be washed. This project
has, quite literally, brightened the learning environment
for 1,000 students. The colors will have a healthier psychological
effect on the students minds than the old mud stained
walls. The white paint also has a practical effect which
is that it reflects light so the students can study with
more ease.
Before After
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written by: Chelsea Neal-Ricker July 19, 2008
Our pit latrine project at Migosi is gaining speed as
we have finally acquired all of the materials necessary.
We have dug the pits and now are moving forward with construction.
Upon completion these pit latrines will serve over 2,200
children and will increase their access to sanitary facilities
by over 50%.
Left: Digging the pit to 18ft by hand will
take approximately 3 more weeks. Then construction of the
underground substructure of the latrines can begin.
Right:
We managed to save funds by purchasing all the materials
for the pit latrines and our other projects at once and
we have acquired a space in a secure garage to store them
safely.
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written by: Chelsea Neal-Ricker July 19, 2008
One of our Emerge volunteers, Pete Nkengasong, worked
hard at creating multiple sets of wooden alphabets and
numbers for the nursery school classes at Arya primary.
These materials will provide more tangible interaction
with education to over 150 children, ages 4 to 6 years.
The alphabets and numbers were painted on six square inch
wooden boards, ensuring their long term durability. While
distributing the materials the children were very excited
and the teachers very thankful. We are grateful to Pete
for his hard-work and meaningful contributions to our
projects.
Right: Pete Nkengasong and another Emerge
Volunteer, Shadi Saboori, paint and varnish the flashcards
on a veranda in Kisumu.
Left: Young ones
in the Early Childhood Development class at Arya Primary
show off their new learning materials.
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written by: Bart Abbott July 10, 2008
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has donated
a total of 4, 5,000 liter water tanks as part of the rain-water
catchment systems which we are installing at Migsoi and
Arya primary schools. We loaded and delivered the tanks
on Tuesday. As we parked the truck at Migosi, the oldest
boys in grade eight ran to help us unload them. We have
learned from the rain water systems that we installed
last year, that catching rain water causes enormous improvements
in the sanitation and hygiene situation for children at
school. We will begin the installation of the tanks and
the rain gutters this weekend. The two systems, once installed
will provide daily access to 20,000 liters of safe water
to school children for over one third of their school
year. Once completed, this will mean that Emerging Humanity
is almost half-way to our goal of installing 48,000 liters
of rain-water catchment capacity at schools in Kenya.
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written by: Bart Abbott July 7, 2008
We are proud to announce that we formalized an official
partnership with Migosi primary school which will increase
the toilet access for students by over 50%. The school
management committee of Migosi primary has agreed to raise
funds to pay for the labour costs of constructing 8 pit
latrines and Emerging Humanity will purchase all the materials
as well as help with management of the project. Yesterday,
the School Management Committee of Migosi began raising
over 3,000 dollars, a monumental effort, in order to pay
for the labor.
Our organization is also planning to install over 20,000
liters of rain-water catchment at Migosi, which has no
piped water and an enrollment of over 2200 students. The
project will provide 2 litres of water to every student
each day for three months out of the school year.
Above: Headteacher of Migosi, Paul Kaunda
(
left), Bart Abbott, and the Chairman of the School
Management Commitee, Simon Otok (
right), shake
hands after forming an official partnership to help the
children at Migosi.
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Written by: Bart Abbott July 4, 2008
I spent this week visiting the some of the projects which
we completed last year at our partner schools. Below are
some of the pictures of the projects that we completed
last year:
Top left: The curriculum-based murals
and the classroom paint jobs we completed at Ezra Gumbe
have maintained their brighteness, and the young students
look lively and happy in class. For the paint jobs we
used oil-based paint instead of Latex paint which is normally
used in Kisumu. Stains do not wash off of the latex paint
so it quickly takes the color of Kisumu dirt, but the
oil based paint stays bright and shiny.
Top right:
the playground at Pandpieri Primary is getting a great
deal of use. The swings have broken from over use, so
we're planning to fix them with a better design soon.
Left: The school forest which we planted
at Migosi primary school has grown tall enough to conserve
water and produce shade. The teachers and the student
environmental club are now growing local vegetables such
as kale, and maize underneath the f
orest canopy.
Right: I shook hands with
Gabriel, one of the students who brings water from his home
each day to water his tree which is growing in the newest
part of the forest.
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written by: Bart Abbott June 27, 2008
James Oindo met me at the airport when I arrived in Kisumu
on Saturday. James and I are close friends and it was great
to see his smiling face the moment that I set foot on African
soil. After we dropped my bags off at the house where I
am staying, we headed to the Bustani farm which is the youth
employment initiative that Emerging Humanity has started
on the outskirts of the city. As you will see from the photos
on this page, James and the hard workers at Bustani have
done an amazing job at transforming land which was once
harsh and barren into a productive farm that is now providing
full-time employment and lodging for 5 young people. Our
goal is to invest in Bustani until it is able to employ
30 youth full-time and it is engaged in commercially-viable
activities which allow it to be self-sustainable.
Above left: In this small quarter acre
patch of land Bustani farm is growing kale, papaya, passion
fruit, maize and neem.Above right: On
the left is Dalmas, and on the right is James. In the
middle is Pete Nkengasong, a student at Brookwood high
school in Atlanta, Georgia. Pete is visiting Kisumu and
offered to help us out on the farm. In the picture the
three men are removing maize from the cob so that it can
be dried in the sun.
Above left: One of our Emerging Humanity
values is getting technology into the hands of those who
would never have access to it otherwise. In this picture
Dalmas is learning how to use a battery powered saw that
we brought from the U.S. This saw should make construction
on the farm easier while simultaneously expanding the
minds and skills of the employees who work there. Above
right: Bonface is a new employee at Bustani.
Each young person on the farm receive a six month, renewable
employment contract which empowers him/her with a stated
weekly salary and a health insurance package in case of
injury or illness.
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