One person CAN make a difference!

AIHD2 volunteer explaining WHO COVID19 prevention procedures to members of the Kakuma community.

I’ve heard the phrase “One person can make a difference”, but I never really believed it until now.

In the past year, I’ve been supporting three refugee leaders who have centers in Kakuma camp, Kenya. My support includes mentoring them and financing specific projects they proposed. It all began with a Whatsapp message in a refugee teacher group. The message, from Ebengo Honore, was a plea for help to create an IT program for youth (age 14-25) at his center, African Initiative for Human Development (AIHD). I replied in the group wondering about the cost of laptops. After seeing there was a possibility I could help him, I started messaging him directly. He shared with me how he’d begun to lose hope and feeling disconnected from the rest of the world. His message broke my heart. He also told me that many of those who completed high school didn’t have a chance to go to college. Online certificate programs were the only way for them to acquire skills needed when searching for a job later on. They could get work as freelancers doing remote work.

I decided to take a chance and support him but I asked him to write a proposal with a budget. My goal is always supporting and mentoring to ensure that whoever I help takes responsibility. Honore’s idea was to procure donations to purchase laptops, increase internet capacity, and hire facilitators to teach the basics of using a computer and Microsoft applications like Word. That was August 2019.

Map showing the route from Kakuma camp to Nairobi, Kenya

He worked on his proposal and sent it to me. I asked him for some changes to it, and we started the program in late September 2019 with my donation to purchase 10 laptops, upgrade the internet connection, and purchase solar panels to boost electricity. Honore road the bus to the nearest big city, Nairobi; a 12-hour ride to purchase all the items. While he was there, he sent me photos of his purchases and updated me on progress. Then he took the long nighttime journey home and let me know he’d arrived safely. He also expressed his gratitude that someone had finally empowered him to help his community.

Honore and I have continued to work on a variety of projects and programs at AIHD2 including:
1) digital literacy
2) freelancing and digital entrepreneurship; including courses from Codacademy
3) Leadership, Peace, and Conflict Resolution
4) online higher education
7) COVID19 Wellnesss campaign in Kakuma and Kalobeyei camps

In the past year, AIHD2 has empowered many youth and adults who are able to work remotely, mediate disputes between different nationalities, faiths, and families, and are knowledgeable about using the internet and basic computer skills.

Hairdressing trainee practicing one of the techniques

A few weeks after Honore sent his proposal to me, another refugee leader in Kakuma contacted me. Kitala Fabrice had opened a center for women and young girls called There is Hope Africa (THA). He had ideas for two vocational programs: hairdressing or tailoring to empower the women with skills they can use to support themselves and their families. When women are employed, incidences of domestic violence decrease because the women are able to support themselves and provide for their children. Jobs are hard to find in the camp. Kitala sent me both proposals and after discussing them, we decided to start the hairdressing program. Equipment was purchased, trainers hired, and rigorous screening of potential trainees proceeded.

Children at the daycare are excited to play with their new toys and games.

Since then, more than 120 trainees (two cohorts) have graduated from the three-month training program and several graduates have begun businesses with micro-loans. In addition, during the first cohort’s training, Kitala noticed that young mothers were bringing their small children and babies with them since they didn’t have anyone to watch them while they were at training. Kitala submitted another proposal to start a daycare for the trainees with some toys and a daily healthy meal for each child. Several trained staff were hired to supervise the children and soon the daycare was ready. It had a positive influence on the training since the women could focus on what they needed to learn and practice before being tested on each technique. Hairstyles are very specific to countries and cultures, so the trainees learn a technique and then practice on each other.

Plans for building a daycare center and expanding to other vocational programs are currently being reviewed. An initial fundraising campaign is currently underway. To donate.

In February 2020, I received a message on Facebook Messenger from another refugee in Kakuma. Matabishi Narukako John, the founder of Kakuma Vocational Center (KVC), heard I was supporting Honore and Kitala and wondered if I would consider supporting his center. He was looking for something a bit different, though. He wanted to teach children design thinking and creativity. He wanted hands-on activities for them to make and learn from that process. I told him that I couldn’t support him financially but I had recently watched a webinar by BitSpace Chicago, project-based courses to teach exactly what he wanted. I told him I would message them and ask if they could offer the course for free or at a reduced fee. Bit Space was kind enough to offer a reduced cost for two courses: Make It, Race It and Make It, Play It. I am grateful to Bit Space for its commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility. I requested a budget from Mata based on the supplies and materials listed for each course. After we modified the list to essentials, I agreed to fund the first cohort and he purchased the items.

So far two groups have completed the courses and created wooden games they designed. There is currently a new cohort attending the courses. The first cohort presented their completed projects and earned a certificate. Some were able to sell their games to other children in the camp.

To find out more about Mata’s programs that will now include a Maker Space to create robots, check out his fundraiser. To donate to KVC MakerSpace.

In the last few months, these refugee leaders and I teamed up to take an Acumen course about NGO fundraising. It was a 6-week course and we met each week as a team to discuss mission statements, vision, goals, and how to become better storytellers. We all learned so much! We also benefited from a session with my daughter whose work involves design thinking and goal setting. I’m so proud to be a part of the journey with three amazing refugee leaders who are making a difference in their community. They need our support and to feel connected with the outside world. They also need to learn skills to ensure they can support themselves and train other refugees to support themselves. In this way, we can do our part to improve the world for ourselves and others.

Now I believe that one person CAN change the world. I also learned that at a certain point we need to work together to be sure the work continues and expands.