Children's
Garden
Children’s Garden Centre is a non profit making charitable organization
established to promote child welfare by offering informal and formal
education coupled with environmental programs. It is a rescue program
with specific task of alleviating suffering of orphans street children
and those from very poor families.
The Centre
is a reaffirmation and a commitment to the social and moral values
through spiritual and counseling, to alleviate suffering, provide
education and mould the lives of children so that they can grow up
to be all rounded responsible citizens with a bias towards helping
other less privileged children.
“Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own
profit but the profit of many.
Children’s
garden started when I met President of Globetree Kajsa Dalstrom, when
my school I was invited by Globetree, to participate in the opening
ceremony of the 18th session of the commission on Human Settlements
in March 2001.
At the
time I shared my wish to start a school in the slum areas to give
these children a possibility to meet with life. The slum areas are
very poor and the focus is on survival. My wish was to give children
who cannot afford to go to school a possibility to get education and
give them a relation to nature. Nature ration was in my mind because
the environment of this slums is deteriorating day by day. Poverty
has forced the inhabitants to cut down the little trees and bushes
to make fire and tighten their shelters against wind and rain.
The majority
of the Adults (mothers) and children have little or no education at
all and therefore do not understand the harm caused by tree cutting
pollution of water and of environment since the program took off in
June 2001 the whole idea has come to a reality. The children have
set up a tree nursery they are taught how to conserve the environment
about pollution importance of planting trees and their utilization.
They have planted several trees along the nearby river, which have
been polluted by the community, which they fish papers from the river
because all fish frogs and other creatures found in water are dead
due sewage and hospital chemicals. In addition to that, they are also
taught social behaviour and we instill discipline by counseling them.
Centre
specific program
1. Children’s Garden is organized as follows;
2. Informal school education
3. Children feeding,
4. Sports,
5. Drama club
6. Music,
7. Dances,
8. Youths counseling on HIV Aids and social morals.
9. Environmental protection.
Manegement
The leader of children’s Garden is Mr. Moses Ndungu who is a
father of two, in academic level he have reached form four. Moses
background since he finished School has been mostly with children
and he felt touched serving these innocent children who found themselves
into the World of problems. His wife helps him very much in organizing
other women for meetings, she teaches the children in fact, she almost
does what I do because everything we seat and discuss before it’s
in action.
Children’s
Garden is managed by a volunteer Committee of 5 members these are:
1. Moses
Ndungu - Administrator
2. Peter Titi - Secretary
3. Andrew Ng’ang’a - Chairman
4. Silvia Nafula - Treasurer
5. David Mwaura - Member
6. Kariuki Muigai - Member
The board
of Children’s Garden meets once a month.
Background
In the garden we have 70 – 90 children who are members of children’s
Garden ages 5 to 17 from all classes Nursery Primary and Secondary
student.
These
children come from different slums within Kawangware. Most of these
children have been directly abused either physically or mentally mistreated
by adults. These children come from the dwelling slums surrounding
the children’s Garden. Also the Community, especially mothers
of these children meet at Children’s Garden twice a month. Two
grandmothers who are very much interested in the Children’s
Garden usually accompany the mothers. The grandmothers cook porridge
for the children and they are the old counselors to these mothers.
In addition, I listen to them and they have been of very much help
to children’s Garden, they are really the roots of the Garden.
Schedule
for a week at the Children's Garden
The children come at the children’s Garden at 12:30p.m. for
porridge. Some go back to their various schools. For those who still
do not have the chance of joining the Public schools
due to luck of various reasons they remain at Children’s Garden
for counseling. By 3:30 p.m., the other children from other schools
join them for the environmental activities and games. The kids are
in the Children’s Garden from Monday – Saturday from 12.30
p.m. – 5 p.m. except Sunday when they meet and accompany their
parents to Churches. In the Garden, there is always a gardener or
a parent especially the grandmothers to teach and guide the children.
Water
program
The water program has always been motivated by the future vessel,
especially when we have water ceremony and united nation. Much is
talked in water ceremony which inspires children’s garden very
much. After that is when the near river was targeted by the children
youth and Adult to improved the river which gives the sample of water
in the slums. Through the polluted river children and the community
have learned more on sanitation the river being a good example to
show on how the Government and the community have neglected their
water. Mostly Youth and children have seen the effect, which the polluted
river has done to the people and water creatures as a whole. The slum
has been blessed with a river, which is not helping the community
at all. The water is sold 5/- per 20 litres and in a family they use
50 to 100 litres of water. This cost is very high for a person who
is earning less than a dollar per day. Their only is to use the already
polluted river to wash their clothing and have a bath further worsening
a bad situation. Desperate young men are seen trying to do some fishing
but due to pollution, there is none.
Location
Children’s Garden is situated in between a road and a river
it’s a quarter of an acre of land, It serves several slums that
is Kawangware, Muslim, Congo, Riruta and Githembe. It’s 7km
from Nairobi city. It is packed with Nursery trees and flowers planted
by children which looks very beautiful now. All the activities are
done in this piece of land. It attracts people on the road and in
the buses going home after work. Children’s Garden has become
a centre of attraction to the Youth, children and the entire surrounding
community. Our piece of land is located in poorly drained soils thus
forcing us to buy soil. Plants and soil are permanent in the land,
watering materials, teaching materials we ask the neighbours to keep
for us.
The school
was situated different from the Garden 300 metres. At the school,
we had houses rent by the tenants next to the school, which was a
makeshift with 5 classes. In the school there was 2 teachers and my
wife as the head teacher. Children were taught all subjects taught
in public Schools plus environmental conservation.
Puppets
and Sports
The puppets are based in the Community. They deal with youth development
issues. They normally address issues like HIV/Aids awareness Drug
abuse control, environmental Education. The group has one professional
trained puppeteer. They are able to make their own puppets and come
up with various skits. They also conduct puppetry trainings for the
calling groups. They have worked with a good number of community based
Kawangware in Kenya & East Africa.
I normally
interact with the group twice a month. They puppeteers also peer –
Health Education. The group leader is Mr. George Ouma, who is the
pioneers of the group. The group is called KAWANGWARE puppeteers.
Currently plans are undertaken to train Children’s Garden puppeteers
if it can be possible. The average age is below 30yrs.
Children’s Garden have extra-curriculum e.g. football. These
children have participated in one Tournament, which was organized
by UNEP. Among 50 school in Nairobi participated Children’s
garden emerged 2nd and were awarded a trophy. We have football for
girls and boys team which does very well. The price they got affected
very positively, they have proved to be very active in football, early
this year children Garden participated in UNEP tree planting, although
they had difficulties on the way, simply because nobody was interested
or kin to them, is as if they were forcing themselves to unwanted
place. After walking for 7 km from children’s Garden reason
being nobody organized for any means of transport at least. They made
it and they planted 50 trees on that day. Every twice a month a group
of 5 boys plus Moses goes to water the trees. If I’m not wrong
we are the only group from the 50 Schools who goes to water the trees.
These Children are very determine and never gives up and that why
they do make surprises in Nairobi. Recently DSW a German organization
organized football and we have another trophy in football, Children’s
garden also were 2nd runners up in miss exodus from the street which
many centre in Nairobi participated.
Visitors
Yes children’s Garden have received many visitors, they have
not affected the children that much, because they have not done much
to them, but I’m happy with the Swedish visitors I believe they
left a mark in the Children’s heart, until now the children
are still talking of them and the presents they received from them,
e.g. food to their home, clothes, writing materials and they talk
much of the Swedish hug, which was a sign of love to them, when I
talk of Swedish group they ask when they are coming back. The mothers
were the most affected because that was the first foreign group in
life visited them and with a lot of compassion and they ask when they
are coming back. Children and mothers they usually ask of their Swedish
friends who visited them being poor families they expected good relationship
with the new Swedish group. When I see Children and the mother talking
of the Swedish group I see I caring friends and a true love from the
Swedish group. Children Garden Women group that the name of the group.
They formed these group after the Swedish group asked if they form
such group to work together to see if they can start a small project
which can give them money to be able to assist their children. Their
leader is Moses wife and Teresia Nyambura this mother is newly elected
the first one shifted to another Town. For now they have not received
contact with other women group, I have and they have tried to contact
few but they don’t respond.
The mother’s
meets twice a month when they come together there is really encouragement
to one another, as they come together there is really encouragement
to one another, as they are hoping to be empowered to start a constructive
incoming project. Taking part in Children’s garden I have really
tried to organize them participate in the children’s garden
it has been impossible the only time is when they have their meeting,
reason being they are the only bread winner in their families, so
if they spend many hours in children’s garden then children
will have nothing to eat.
Funding
and centre sustenance
Children’s Garden as it is run on good will resources solicited
from friends and well-wisher e.g. Swedish friends & Globetree,
the needs are:
1. It’s own land
2. Annual running costs
3. Children’s Education sponsorship program
Children’s
garden have tree Nursery, these tree nursery being in the slum the
trees are not bought to be able to sustain the Women group and School.
Moses is trying very much to look for tender in Churches, in public
School and companies but no positive respond has come. If the tree
nursery can be expanded it can sustain the school and women group.
In the proposal, I showed how it can be done. Children’s garden
can carry the school cost only if the nursery is expanded by having
more seedlings after that Moses can look for sell from the big Companies.
Schools, Hotels e.g. but for now it can’t because the slum people
don’t buy trees and if they do, at a very low demand. For now,
the nursery sustains itself through, buying new seeds, soil manure,
farm tools and polythene bags also paying the gardener. For the three
months we have not met the costs of the Gardener, we have a chance
of increasing the nursery with 2000 seedlings. These seedlings will
be sold after three months, so it’s not for a quick sell.
Shelter
for girls
The
girl’s shelter it’s very much needed because 98% of these
girl in the slum get early pregnancy an d 65% infected with transmitted
diseases. Recently 2 of our girls in children’s garden were
married for 2 weeks until we rescued them from the man. The man was
sleeping with them at the same time. The man took advantage of them
because he had plenty of food in his house. At this time I’m
busy looking for people who can take them to check up to see if they
have been infected with HIV or other transmitted Diseases. In addition
to that, I also rescued other three girls who were being mistreated
by their aunty to a stable children’s home in Nairobi and more
girls in the slum are at great risk.
Either
room can be rented for these girls and food because men take advantage
because of the poverty in their family. Shelter for girl is urgently
needed.
Equipment
needed to shelter girls is:
1. Beddings & chairs
2. Light at night (lambs)
3. Food stuffs
4. Clothes
5. Catering utensils