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ST. THOMAS’
HANDSHAKE TO KWARE SLUMS
Whilst only a fundraising charity in the UK, St. Thomas’ Handshake to Kware supports the following vision:
STEP 1. HEALTH PROVISION Following initial commencement in 1995 with the ground floor of the Mugisha residence being established as a Clinic and an ambulance for outreach work into the slums, St. Thomas’ Medical Health Services was founded. Over the ensuing years, the Clinic has become registered as a Health Centre and relocated its premises as a self-contained suite of consulting rooms, reception and offices. It currently serves approximately 2000 patients per month in the following way:
75% of those being served are non-fee paying, with 20% being fee-paying. The remaining 5% is represented by street children, who are served using a particular room and consulting facility adjoining the premises at the front entrance. By the year 2000, it had been possible to form the Self-Help Organisation ‘St. Thomas’ Handshake to Kware Slums’ in Kenya itself. This body was able to purchase 8 No. plots of land in the Embakasi District (near Eastleigh) not far from Nairobi International Airport. It is envisaged that a 200-bed hospital will be constructed as the final expression of health provision under the vision. This will then be the income generator for ongoing, indigenous, self-supporting health provision to the Kware slums and the surrounding area. Presently, an Architect has been commissioned and drawings undertaken and outline planning permission obtained. As soon as capital is raised/donated, hospital construction can begin. STEP 2. EDUCATIONAL PROVISION From 1998 onwards, St. Thomas’ Handshake to Kware has sponsored / supported 2 No. schools in the slums themselves. (a) Fair Oak School – Kware B In partnership with Redeemed Church and, in particular, Pastor Brown, presently 153 children attend. 40 of these are able to pay the required fees and the remaining 113 or so receive varying degrees of support, depending upon ability to pay. The vast majority of this number are unable to pay at all. In addition, some of the salary provision for the Head and other teachers is also provided. (b) Church On The Rock School – Kwa Rueben The Kwa Ruben sector of the slums is the most deprived of all. In partnership with Church on the Rock and, in particular, Pastor Bernard and his wife Ruth, some 304 pupils are supported totally by the donations/sponsorship of the charity. Again, teachers salaries are likewise supplemented. The Lord’s School Since the year 2003, land has, once more, been purchased. This time for the construction of The Lords School. The Fair Oak and Church on the Rock Schools can only provide education up to Year 3 of the Year 8 requirement for the Primary Leaving Certificate. To enable children to receive an education and certification which will facilitate the best possible opportunities to find work, it is seen as vital to the educational provision that schooling to Year 8 is achieved. As at January 2007, construction work has begun on The Lords School. The perimeter wall, reduced level excavation, installation of infrastructure and drainage services, foundations to latest Government regulations with regard to earth tremors, ground slab to main school building and dining hall together with blockwork to first floor slab level throughout is aimed to be achieved by the end of 2007. It is anticipated throughout 2008 that targeting of fundraising to complete the first floor slab as a ‘temporary roof’ and the installation of the roof itself to the Dining Hall will then permit application to the authorities for the opening of the school on this basis. Some form of temporary, albeit semi-permanent, scaffolding arrangement will then enable ongoing construction work during school holidays to continue to completion of the whole school – with the use of the school increasing during the same time. STEP 3. SOCIAL ACTION Since 2003, a Social Worker has been appointed to follow-up any referrals from the schools and/or clinic to those families living in the most deprived conditions within the slum areas. To date, this has enabled St. Thomas’ Medical Health Services to provide free clinical care directly to the most needy recipients. However, with the recent construction of tower blocks without proper amenity, the slums areas are becoming more congested and therefore less able to house the families living in the slum area. Greater and greater needs are being identified by the schools and referrals to needy families have now required the employment of 3 No. Social Workers. Presently, whilst needs are now being identified extremely quickly, it has not been possible - at the present level of monthly giving - to provide help to change the circumstances of those requiring assistance. In addition, the newly constructed slum area at the Tassia Estate has HIV / AIDS sufferers, who are being enabled under the ‘Living Positively’ programme. An office immediately adjacent to the Tassia Estate has been enabled by Partners to the Vision and this is now manned by the Social Workers and Volunteers from the Tassia Estate. Once more, presently, it is not possible to provide help beyond the provision of occupational therapy and ‘Living Positively’ programmes, which are delivered by the Social Workers to the predominantly single mothers who are most greatly affected. Therefore, it is proposed to lift the monthly giving to the charity to enable provision of the following life-changing assistance: (a) To those families identified with the greatest needs the opportunity to provide seed funding for micro-financing a business, i.e. hair braiding, barbers, carpentry workshops, etc to enable the parents of the children with greatest need to find work and be self-sustaining. Such provision would be fully reported and followed up by the Social Workers to ensure that outcomes were measured. (b) To undertake to purchase the majority of products produced by the HIV/AIDS sufferers, as part of its occupational therapy programme. This would greatly help the ‘Living Positively’ programme participants, as part of “Kware Krafts” operation, to provide finance back into the ministry. LATEST DEVELOPMENTS The charity is presently seeking to partner with any local ministry / providers in the same fields of endeavour. It is anticipated that more concerted efforts will be made in this regard in the coming months. THE NEXT STEPS It is now clear what the present requirement for fundraising is: (a) Capital Funding Substantial lump sum finance to enable: (i) The commencement of the Hospital sub-structure works; (ii) The completion of Phase 1 construction of The Lords School up to and including first floor slab to the main ground floor template of the school, landscaping of grounds, and completion of the Dining Hall. It is anticipated that donors with considerable finance will provide such monies and that this will not be the focus of the fundraising committee in the UK. Rather, the Trustees will research all possibilities for grants / donations from Partners. (b) Monthly Funding The need to increase ongoing monthly giving to at least £6,500 per month. This will enable health, education and, now, social action ‘wrap-round’ care package to be offered to the most needy in the slum areas. It is therefore proposed to commence a campaign to be known as the ‘£1 per day for Kware’ initiative. PRAYERS FOR THE FUTURE It is hoped that by early 2008, the monthly standing order/allocated giving will be able to be at least £6,500 per month to facilitate all 3 aspects of the vision. In the final analysis, it is anticipated that a 200-bed hospital, a 1,100-pupil secondary school and full social welfare provision attached to both facilities will achieve marked community transformation and, in the final analysis, be self-supporting and indigenous care expressed to the people living in the Kware slums. If you would like to know more about the work of St. Thomas’ Handshake to Kware and would be interested in becoming a partner/donor, please go to our website at www.handshaketokware.org.uk or directly to St. Thomas’ Church at www.stthoms.co.uk and we will make contact. |
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