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REACHING OUT TO COMMUNITIES
NLAI works in an area of Nakuru where there are major social challenges and many people are financially disadvantaged.
We reach out to the local community through various initiatives.
Helping the community at the dumpsite
People living next to the dumpsite face a lot of challenges. The area is characterised by extreme poverty, drug abuse and many die of HIV/AIDS. Here, people can survive by scavenging for food in the waste and selling plastic for a minimal income.
In addition to having NLAI Tumaini pre-primary school at the place, we also reach out and help some of the families of the children living around the dump site. We do this by:
- Buying and reselling the bags that the women produce from recycled materials.
- Counselling to parents of school children supported by NLAI.
- Helping with beds and blankets for some of the families.
- Helping some of the families buy a source of income, for instance a piglet.
- Facilitating care for disabled individuals.
- Paying for expenses in case of hospitalization.
In case of extreme abuse or neglect of the children, NLAI’s social workers and the authorities will work to bring the children to NLAI Children’s Home.
Food distribution at Christmas
When the schools close for the Christmas holidays, the school will host a Christmas party where the children will receive a bag of food for their families. The school will be closed for two months in November and December, and the children will therefore not have their usual food at school. The children also receive a small Christmas gift. This is a simple way to show a little extra love.
We have also had a holiday initiative where the classes were invited to the school for food and fun activities during the holiday. In this way we try to support the families with a little extra care.
The youth group “Raise Above”
“Raise Above” was initiated by our college students and now led by one of the former students. This group wants to make a difference in their own community. The vision is to “mentoring people through mentorship” as they believe in the strength that community and support can have for young people struggling in life.
The focus of the group is to bring encouragement to children in orphanages and to clean up the environment. The group has also previously been reaching out to street children with food and sport, and through this initiative succeeded in reuniting 6 street children with their families. The group is restructuring at the moment, and the street mission is on pause.
The group gathers 25 students every week and 40 young people during holidays when schools are closed.
Mission Trip
Each year approx. 40 young people go with the local church on a mission trip to an isolated area in Kenya. This is often a rural and marginalized area, and the group holds outdoor meetings and goes on house visits.
The young people join in singing, playing music and sharing testimonies. This is a good way of seeing another way of living and reaching out to others.
Mental Health Awareness and counselling to parents
In our schools we raise awareness on the important topic of mental health. Through different initiatives for both teachers and children, we educate and bring attention to how we can take care of our mental health.
When children in our school show signs of distress and have behavioral issues, we reach out with support to the parents. The parents often face a lot of stressors in daily life, and we try to talk with them about the challenges and the effects on the children as well. This is not therapy but awareness on mental health issues.
We find this to be especially important for the children at NLAI Tumaini School, as many parents are in drugs and alcohol abuse and the area around the dumpsite is a hard environment for both parents and children.
Medical Camps
The school children in NLAI have access to medical care through our clinic whenever needed. Every year we host a medical camp for a general check-up on the health of the smaller children. This is done in collaboration with partners of volunteering doctors and nurses.
Occasionally we host a bigger medical camp for the larger community. In participation with the Catholic church and a range of doctors, the camp is facilitated at our compound. The service is open to parents of our school children, elderly people and children from other schools in the area. Usually, the camp will provide medical care for 3000 people on such occasions.
