Ahero  July 2010

Thanks to the support of our donors we continue to assist the grandmothers in Ahero.

As of today we have provided each family with the following:

• Mosquito nets to prevent malaria.

• Flour and cooking oil at each bi weekly meeting to help with family meals. Some of the members with large families receive extra supplies.

• Goats and chickens to help grandmothers create a small income.

• Waterguard to help provide safe drinking water at home. We get this from “SWAP” (Safe Water & AIDS Project) with whom we have a close working relationship. We also give a bar of soap each month.

“Water Points” were created so that grandmothers do not have to walk great distances daily to get water. The water is piped to these points from a Boya Water Supply.

• Portable Stoves to replace the traditional way of cooking on 3 stones heated by burning wood. The old method produces a lot of smoke and uses a lot of wood which can be hard to get. The stoves were purchased from SWAP. 

Our primary goal is to improve health, as result of a substantial reductions in the carbon monoxide and indoor air pollution while also reducinglabor and being more cost effective.

I received another email from Moses in February regarding the distribution of the goats.

Hello Bie

The goat project is actually a great thing and we appreciate your effort for starting it here at the time the world is making history.  We are doing fine.  It is first time for many of the grandmothers to own a goat as a source of income to there families.  It will help the orphans whom were left with nothing after there parents died of HIV/AIDS.  The project if well taken care of  will be able to generate 70% profit after 18 months.  I was able to get the statistics from the Agricultural Extension Officers.  I consulted them during market Research.

Local African goats when well taken care of give birth to twins kitten.  They multiply when in good health as per the climate.  Grandmothers will be in a good initiative which you have taken and we are happy with all your support.  Grandmothers too do suggest if the project goes well, they will keep for there orphans as a source of banking  for them in the project of goats.  Each will be given a kitten as time goes by.  It is easier to manage in the family units as we shall do routing check ups.

Oriti wanenore….Kendo [Goodbye see you again soon.]

Moses

At the end of 2008, we undertook a project to try and provide one goat for each family as an income generating project.

Hello Bie,
Thanks for all your effort. We started well and I hope whatever we are doing is “great”
We distributed the first 20 goats, But due to busy schedules of the DSDO he send Mr. Henry “Kisinga” to do it on his behalf.
We waited for almost 5 hrs for the DSDO to come but later send Henry. It is good to involve him and I always like him because of his advice.
Mr. Ngoleyang’ is my consultant on matters of development and whatever we are doing must be reported to him.
We have all the pictures which will be send to you soon.
as you know some of them could not walk long distance, We tried out best to deliver to them at there door step.
Oriti wanenore.
Moses

Note from Bie Bostrom:
DSDO stands for District Social Developing Officer
Waiting 5 hours is not unusual, it brought back many memories when I was in the exact same situation.