If you ask us, peace is one of the very basic human rights. That’s why we have joined a partnership with Omni One International Ltd., which is a professional peace counselling firm, that addresses the very needs of a suffering community.
In 2015 we have planned many workshops, seminars, counselling sessions and programs with Omni One in Nairobi slums again.
Aim
Empowering parents to create strong family relationships and provide a conducive environment for children to grow and thrive
Objectives
- To create a 12 month program that empowers families in Korogocho as the source of peace in their homes and communities.
- Create transformational distinctions and practical skill building so families distinguish causes of conflict, abuse, and the factors that undermine a safe, loving family environment and give alternative ways to deal with issues raised that build capacity for people of Korogocho in order to empower them to promote and live peacefully.
- To train selected members of the community as mentors who will walk with and support the community to implement and integrate the learning from the program into their every day lives.
- To establish systematic structures that will continuously enhance and support children to grow positively with the parents.
- To provide positive and safe channels that will enhance proper communication between parents and their children.
Identified Need
The current unemployment rate in Kenya is 60%. Korogocho is one of the largest slum neighborhoods of Nairobi, Kenya. Home to 150,000 to 200,000 people pressed into 1.5 square kilometers, northeast of the city centre. In 2009 it was estimated to be the fourth largest slum in Nairobi, The name Korogocho is a Swahili term meaning ‘crowded shoulder to shoulder.’
Korogocho is famous for being Nairobi’s biggest dumping site for rubbish. There are programs aimed at upgrading the living conditions of residents in Korogocho, however the issues of family violence, children who are not in school and family breakdown are left unaddressed.
In Kororogocho the drop out rates from school are between around 27% to 50%, Drug abuse is around 20%, Alcoholism 10%, Rape 15% mostly perpetrated by family members. Prostitution is 10%, mostly mothers use their daughters as a source of income in both and single and dual parent family. Domestic violence is 20%. Child labour is 30% and children 20% of children are homeless. Statistics are from Mary knoll Institute of African Studies (Baseline Survey 2008).
Children grow up in families witnessing domestic violence, alcohol and drug addiction and can be subject to abuse as a normal part of their lives. While parents struggle to deal with their own issues they have little time to support their children and many are not literate so they do not value their children getting educated.
Pilot Project
Peace Starts at Home was trialed in 2012 at Silver Plate School in Korogocho with huge success. We worked with 30 guardians of orphan children and after the program children came to school more regularly, were better presented, school fees were paid for by the guardians and the participants engaged more proactively in the school.
This pilot program was run for 6 weeks using day long workshops once a week combining education, giving space for participants to identify issues and create solutions in relation to family issues and parenting. The participants have been asking for more training since so we know they value the program and it is positively impacting on the children. The photos in this project post are all from the Peace Starts at Home program run in Korogocho in 2012.
- Engaging 30 Families through our partner school to participate in the program, covering issues relating to family relationships, parenting, domestic violence, human rights, education, peace and empowerment.
- Facilitating community dialogue and ongoing support networks for families
- Through the support group (mentors) we shall have regular visit and dialogue with participants at their home to access the situation and monitor the developments and impact of the project.
Opportunity
There is an opportunity to significantly impact on the lives of families in the slums of Nairobi. Many families want to improve their relationships and create a strong family environment, but have been stuck trying to survive and have not had the opportunity to learn new ways of relating within the family. By empowering families we can reduce the levels of alcohol dependence, domestic violence, child abuse, prostitution and many other difficulties that come with people not thinking they have any other options. We can open the space for families to offer a strong sanctuary for each other from the hardships of poverty, rather than be another source of abuse.
The opportunity of the Peace Starts at Home program is for children to have a safer environment within which to grow up, where they are supported to go to school and succeed at school which significantly increases their opportunities. There is an opportunity to educate parents and help them create new ways to deal with issues that affect them. We are committed to providing families with the tools to identify and prevent abuse, deal with conflict constructively and create a supportive environment for children to go to school and have a bright future. Peace starts within the home context.
Traditionally children in Kenya do not have a voice in the family. So they have nowhere to turn but their peers when things go wrong as there is not an open dialogue with their parents. This is a huge problem as often it is the peer group that are a negative influence on a child and if they cannot turn to their parents, where do they turn for help?We understand that culture is an important part of the identity of any community, so there is an opportunity to create an empowered relationship within the family structures that also support their cultural identity while changing some of the behaviours that violate human rights and support sustained abuse in the family home.
Background
Omni One International (Omni One) and MAKE A CHANGE have created a partnership to implement the Peace Starts at Home program. Omni One was started by the multi-award winning entrepreneur, Celia Bray in Australia in 2007. Omni One now has consultants in Australia, Kenya, India, Sweden, USA, Canada, Peru and Myanmar who are experienced in all areas of organisational and community development. The team at Omni One have been in Kenya since 2012 implementing peace programs, working with the United Nations, Kenyan Government and NGOs to implement programs that empower individuals and communities as the source of their future. We are currently running Kenya’s first Festival of Dreams program.
Methodology (the how)
The project will be carried out within a period of one year. In order to achieve the project objectives, the following methods will be applied
- Field visits and one to one interviews with the people of Komongo, in Korogocho during the initial phase of designing the program.
- Engaging 30 Families through our partner school to participate in the program, covering issues relating to family relationships, parenting, domestic violence, human rights, education, peace and empowerment.
- Facilitating community dialogue and ongoing support networks for families
- Through the support group (mentors) we shall have regular visit and dialogue with participants at their home to access the situation and monitor the developments and impact of the project.
Scope of the project
Location: Korogocho slum, Nairobi, Kenya
Numbers participating: 30 households with inclusion on men, women and children. The participants will be drawn from Ngomongo area of Korogocho slum.
Project Partners: MAKE A CHANGE will project manage Peace Starts at Home and engage the community. MAKE A CHANGE is providing office space for logistical facilitation, equipment for recording some of the events’ information to be used in reporting; this includes camera for photos and video recorder. Omni One will design and provide training for mentors and community participants in the program. Mentors will be from the local community who will work closely with the participants in the community.
The project will liaise with our partner schools who have offered to provide space and facilities where the participants from the community will be holding their meeting, workshops and dialogue.
Outcomes of Peace Starts at Home
- The project on its completion will have produced the following results;
- Significant decrease in household conflict such as domestic violence, sexual assaults, incest, corporal punishment among others because of acquired skills and mechanisms for handling such issues.
- Higher retention of students at school and higher performance by children at school
- Improved security within the community, such as a decrease in criminal behaviour
- Improved communication and relationship between parents and their children at homes that enhance acceptance, healthy growth of children and positive parenting.
- Improved peaceful and harmonious living within the household and community at large
- Improved healthy relationship among couples
- Sense of ownership, responsibility and accountability amongst parents who participated in the program.
- Strong partnership between Omni One and MAKE A CHANGE resulted from working together and envisioned to expanding the project.
Project Monitoring and Evaluation
Omni One will carry out monthly monitoring to evaluate emerging issues and progress of the project and a short monthly draft report shall be prepared. In the mid year of the project, Omni One shall hold a session with all project participants to evaluate the developments being made in the project. The out come of the session will inform the development of a six months comprehensive report on the project. At the end of the project year, Omni One will carry out a comprehensive evaluation process to ascertain the impact of the project to beneficiaries, areas to improve and some of the outstanding successes.
The final report on the project shall be prepared and made available to all beneficiaries, MAKE A CHANGE, Omni One and all sponsors/ donors of the project. The report will be accompanied by photos and video clips as well as verbal and narrated stories from the beneficiaries on how the project has impacted in their lives. Significant change shall be measured and concrete evidence on harmonious existence, peaceful living and improved livelihood, respect for humanity shall be ascertained as some of the positive outcome from the project.