New creativity project

The article in the Daily Industry paper gave me an idea for a new creativity project. The people mailing me about our project in Excellent school, made me realize that I need a web page to inform both them about our work as well as posting news and progresses to our donors. I ended up referring them to this blog, and I'm sure they are not so interested in my other CAS projects, so I felt a bit unprofessional! I filled out the CAS proposal form, but I need to check this with my coordinator. I hope she will accept the project because I clearly stated that I want to focus on Excellent school this year!
If she doesn't I might create a web site anyway. It would make my job much easier! The big problem in the senior year is.... time! I still need another creativity project, so combining this with my service in the school and my Taekwondo project would be fantastic!

Year end reflection on my work with Excellent School

I have to say that my project in Excellent school in the Mathare slum has been exceeding my expectations! I’ve been lucky, getting more people involved and really developed my leadership skills through this project. 

So far I’ve made one big fundraiser and established contact with three groups that are interested in helping (local swedes, IB student in Sweden, High school students). We have bought many new rooms, bought chairs for the teachers and desks,  sponsored costs for the national exams and sponsored two 14-year old girls secondary school fees. The sky is the limit for the contributions I’m expecting next year! The plan is to raise enough money to buy all the residential rooms (and there is only one left) in the area and fence it in, so the student can have a "campus" and feel safte within the school grounds.

I’ve also applied for funds from three organizations and was accepted by one, raising about 100 000 kes. With the help of five other Swedes in Nairobi and people back home, I managed to be part of raising about 550 000 Kes. I developed my creative skills, by designing and writing updates for all the donors, designing diplomas and christmas cards. I also got football uniforms and shoes from Sweden (donated from a Swedish film-shoot) and the transport was donated by KLM. Through connections in the Swedish community I also managed to get a major Swedish business paper to write and publish an article about the school. This brought us new donors and credibility to the project, as well as information to the Swedish people. When disaster struck and the area was affected by a flash-flood, I managed to raise about 15 000 Kes by a post on Face book. I also brought clothes, blankets and shoes to the Headmaster to give to the students that were affected. In late May, I made a great new connection that might lead to something VERY good. However, before I reveal anything more I need to investigate it further, but I do have high hopes on this one. I'll keep the blog updated and will hopefully have more good news in August.

I had the opportunity to visit the school many times as well as having other meetings with the Headmaster, planning and discussing the projects.

I have really learned a lot, both planning, the set-up of long term goals, as well as see the projects through and reporting the results and reacting to unfortunate situations. The aspects of meeting the children, getting an insight in their lifes and problems has built my awareness of the huge needs that somehow needs to be met. I also learned through the others helping out and they gave me new ideas (one example is selling boxes of chocolate very expensively in Sweden). I’ve also learned to never be detached from the project. There are so many opportunities and I always tell people I meet about the school. This opens up new contacts and new ideas!

It’s also been very positive to talk to the older students in school and realize their problems in raising money for secondary school. I know I’ve been helping many kids through this project and I’m suspecting that when the children see that things are improving in the school, they will perform better and better and motivate them even more. This is actually proven by the fantastic results they had on the National Exams (at least I hope I had something to do with that!). Discussions with Reverent George has also given me insight in the educational situation i Kenya, as well as what it is like to run a school in the slums, the difficulties with authorities and problems with the community.

The only thing I would have wished for more doing this project would be to spend even more time in the school. It is hard and the IB schedule is time consuming and demanding. The only opportunities have been Wednesday afternoons and Saturdays and with all my school projects and homework, there’s not enough hours in a day! As a matter of fact, one other thing I learned is that the kids in school are so positive and have such a great attitude that they actually give me more energy and inspiration! I've also had a few disappointments, not being accepted for funds from two organizations. There have also been people who tell me they want to be involved and give money, but nothing comes of it. I guess I just have to be persistent (and I have not always been that, again due to my workload in school). The fire and the mudslide was hard to take and the flash-flood on top of that made me really sad. Lots of kids with no homes and clothes, and sometimes I just wanted to raise money for them (and I did, when so many of them were affected by the floods). I had to remind myself that I'm trying to change the school for 700 students and this is a bigger achievement than helping 10, (even if I had to "side step" that ambition once). There is only so much money, and it is important to use them effectively and I still believe this to be true. But sometimes it is discouraging that so much is needed in the slums and no matter how hard you work it is never enough.

To get new people involved and organize a mutual project has also taught me a lot. It is the first time I can se myself as a leader and working together is creative an inspiring. I have also developed my creative skills, both writing and designing nice reports, christmas cards, application and presentations about the school. I think that both these experiences are going to help me a lot in the future, both in school and for my future employments.

This project is so close to my heart so I’m going to continue and try even harder to achieve my goals. To buy all the rooms in the area, fix them up and fence the school in is going to give the students a safer and a calmer area to study in. I think all 700 of them will benefit greatly from this!

This experience has taught me that even if I’m tired and stressed out by other things, I get inspiration and energy from doing things that are good for others. I also feel that many people are willing to help, if you just inspire them a bit and that there are many fantastic people who commit their life to helping others, even if they are not rich. They contribute with hard work and big hearts and a positive feeling that every student is “Excellent”, even in the slums.

My proposal form for the Excellent project.

I'm not posting my evaluation form because I'm going to continue this project in my Senior year.

Year end reflections Swedish Society

To be quite honest, my involvement with the Swedish Society has only been there so I can help them make money and have a bigger chance to apply for them and have my application favorably looked at.

I can’t say that I worked very hard or that I took on any leading role, but I’ve helped in every activity they had over the year:

On the annual meeting in September, I helped design the Invitation,  grilling hot dogs as well as selling them. At the Christmas Market I helped a lot, selling tickets for the lottery, setting everything up and cleaning after. That was really a tough day. For the Spring lunch, I made invitations, helped pickle the herring as well as setting up in Paradise Lost, where we held the activity. At the May 1 party, I once again helped out with the hot dogs.

I haven’t learned so much from this experience, other than to take orders and solve problems that might arise during the events. However, I’ve had many good times interacting with the Swedish Community in Nairobi and I’ve also taken the opportunity to “sell” my project in Excellent school to newcomers as well as older Swedish expats. This way, I made a lot of new connections and friends. If there is something that I take with me from this experience it’s that opportunities arise when you talk to people. I managed to connect people who knows kenyans producing kikoys and other products to the children for children project (who wants to sell Kenyan things in Sweden to help raise money to Excellent school). I also managed to find two families, adopting children from the Nest, that I could make photo-books for, so that was another good connection made from being active in the Swedish society. Finally, my application for funds to excellent school was accepted, so my hard work really paid off!

I’ll probably help out next year as well, but for now, this project is done. After all, it’s not a lot of hard work, but I enjoy meeting my fellow Swedes and the connections I am able to make. I know, for sure, that I’ll apply for the Swedish Society funds to Excellent school next year again.

My cas proposal form for the Swedish Society

And my evaluation form

Taekwondo reflections

This year, practicing Tae kwondo has been good. I have achieved my first goal earning a yellow belt and I think it has helped me with my physics and my stamina, in just under 10 months ( a short time that the Kenyan Tae kwondo federation has recognized and awarded me with a medal). I’m more flexible and my kicks are very strong.

When I first started learning taekwondo, I didn't really think of myself as a "martial artist". The initial phase of learning for me was very focussed on the aspects of learning sequences of movements and techniques - where to put my hands and feet and how to coordinate the most basic of actions. After a year of training I can feel that many of these things comes quite natural and I don’t have to strain so much to perform some movements. 

However, as I mastered performance of these physical aspects to a greater or lesser degree, I began to understand how much more depth there is in each movement than just the basic physical execution. It is very much a matter of attitude. The more calm and composed you feel, the better you perform.

Sometimes, Tae Kwondo was quite challenging. I experienced a lot of frustration when I couldn't get the moves or kicks right. Sometimes I was just too tired and sometimes I strained my hamstrings. I learned that men have a harder time to become flexible as women - it has got something to do with the hips and how we are built! Thanks to my new movements, I can apply those to other sport activities. I can direct a "volley at goal" when playing football which is a very difficult skill.

For next year, my goal will be to progress to a second yellow or maybe blue belt. It will also be to do more endurance training so I’ll last for a fight 3x3 minutes. 

I am happy with my performance this year, but I’m going to step it up next year. Doing it twice a week will surely make me progress even faster.

My Cas proposal forms for taekwondo. I'm not posting my evaluation form - because I intend to continue next year!

Reflections on photo book project in the Nest

The photo project in the Orphanage the Nest has been both hard work and very rewarding. The project started out as a creative project, making photo books for the babies that were going to be adopted, but soon became a slightly bigger commitment. 

In periods, I spent many dinners there, helping to feed the babies. I also spent time there just playing with them and holding them. In September, we had a bout of really bad weather and they needed help to dry the babies clothes. I don’t know how many kilos of clothes I took home to put in the dryer or just hang, wherever I could fit them in! There were also about 5 instances over the year, when the water was of really poor quality or non-existent so they couldn’t do their laundry. In those times I helped out, doing both laundry, drying and folding (my mom loved that I did that - now I really know how to run the washing machine). At one point they had a big outbreak of some virus and eight kids had to stay in the hospital for a while. This made the girls in the Nest work very hard, because when in the hospital, you have to bring a caregiver!

I can’t say I learned a lot (more than running the machine) but this project really made me reflect and think of how much I take for granted. Having good water, electricity, parents that love and support me etc. It also made me admire the hard work the caregivers in the Nest do. The kids are happy, clean and well fed even though there is so many kids and so few caregivers. I also got to hear a few stories that were quite scary. About finding babies in the forest or in the toilets etc.... scary stuff. It also made me reflect over all the people who wants to adopt children. There are so many of them and so many children that could be offered a fantastic future, so why does it have to be so hard? and take so long?

In Kenya you have to stay in the country for six months minimum if you adopt. That is not so easy for parents - you have to be quite rich to not work for six months and pay room and board on saved money. Of course I realize that there is a need of  checking the families out thoroughly, but in Sweden that is done before they even enter Kenya. This way it makes it so much harder for “ordinary” Swedish families to adopt - because of the lack of money! I know this because I know a few Swedes who are here for the purpose of adopting.

OK, back to the photo project: I quickly ran into some problems. The babies I started to photograph were moved! There is only really small babies in the Nest (as soon as they turn a year old, they are moved to another orphanage in Limuru). I solved the problem by taking photos on all the kids, making photobooks and give them to the babies who is there and who is about to be adopted once I’m finished! I caught a break when one woman I know adopted from the Nest (and I have plenty of photos of her baby). They are staying in Nairobi for quite some time - so produced a book for her and I'm going to give it to her after the summer. I caught another break when friends of a friend adopted another one.  I’m having the books printed in Stockholm over the summer, because I want them to look really professional! Then I found another connection with a family from Italy, adopting another child I knew well.

I hope the books will provide the babies with a sense of their home country. I also want them to realize, that even tough they were orphans, they were well taken care of and loved by the staff. Hopefully the book can provide some answers when this baby is growing up in another country, far away. I've heard that adopted children have many questions growing up, especially when they get their own kids. This book may also be a way to communicate to friends and family how the time in Kenya was.

After delivering the books, I’ll consider my creative photo book project done, but I will continue to visit the Nest and help out as much as I can.

My cas proposal for the Nest photo book project

And here is my evaluation

CAS PLANNER FOR 2011-2013

ISK CAS PROGRAM

PLANNER (APPROVAL REQUIRED)

                     2011 - 2012

Creativity/service

Photo books
Produce photobooks to the children at “The Nest”. This is a way of documenting the childs first time in life, living at the orphanage. This could be a valuable resource for that child growing up with its adoptive parents in its new home country.

Goal: to photograph, design and print 2 books for two children

Start date: 1/9-11        Finish date: 22/12-11  Supervisor: Marie Candel

Activity

Taekwondo
Martial arts is something I don’t know anything about and never been interested in. However, I have some notion about that it combines fitness, flexibility and self-defense with mental strength. I have chosen Taekwondo, the “way of the foot” to gain all the advantages listed above.

Goal: grade for blue belt (belt no 4).

Start date 21/8-11        Finish date: 1/6-13    Supervisor: Maxwel Omondi

Football
After recently starting to play football, I would like to develop into a better player that has a chance to make the Varsity team next year.

Start date: 22/8-11        Finish date: 22/11-11 Supervisor: Philip Lotze


Service/Creativity

Excellent school in Mathare. I have previously had a commitment to the school in Mathare and been engaged in various activities. This year I have a few goals in mind:

Fundraising
By designing christmas cards and birthday cards to send to people that makes a contribution to the school.

Marketing
to market the cards and the school for fundraising (mainly by social media to friends and relatives in Sweden).

Fundraising for various needs in the school (for example: toilet paper, light bulbs, desks and blackboards).

Inspiration
Inspire the kids by visiting them and talk to them, mainly about how important it is for them to stay in school).


Start date 15/9 -11    Finish date:     1/6-13        Supervisor: Reverend George Ochieng (principal)

Goal: To help and inspire children in grade 1 to grade 8. To discuss various questions and share knowledge with children in grade 9-10. To develop as an empathic person with an insight in the lives of students in the slum. To stay connected with my relatives and peers in Sweden and inspire them to give money to charity. To report back to Sweden the outcome of their giving.


Service (teamwork)

The Swedish society in Kenya
To stay connected with the Swedish community I plan to help the board out with the events planned by the Swedish Association. To sell food at meetings, Christmas market, Easter herring lunch, the celebration of May 1st and Midsummer (all major Swedish traditional holidays).

Apply for funds.
The money earned by the Swedish Association goes directly to charity in Kenya. As a Swede, I’m eligible to apply for funds once a year and report back with images and an essay how the money is spent. Of course I’m applying for funds for the school in Mathare.

Goal: To be connected to the Swedish community in Kenya and to raise funds that I later can apply for to my charity projects.

Start date 15/9 -11    Finish date:     1/6-13        Supervisor: Åsa de Bruin (board member)




Service

MUN (Model United Nations).
To participate in MUN in school and help address the world’s problems in the same manner the actual United Nations does.

Goal: To learn from both the form (formal discussions in the general assembly, and committees and the creation of proposals, resolution and treaties) and about the issues discussed and develop into a confident, risk-taking students who already share a global perspective on these issues.

Start date: 1/9-11            Finish date: 1/6-13        Supervisor: Ms Nicols