Community Breakthrough Support Mission is excited to announce Margaret Biketi as the new Project Manager within our Woman and Youth Empowerment Program!  Margaret has been with CBSM since 2008 as Head Mistress in our school and will now be taking on an exciting new role in our Empowerment Program.

“When I started at CBSM we only had 30 children and a lot of hope to impact the lives of the hundreds of needy children in the area,” explains Margaret.  Since then CBSM is proud to support and teach more than 350 students at our school.  “Because of the great success of our school project I hope that our Woman and Youth Empowerment Program will grow to help the lives of others within the community just like our school has.”  

Margaret has been working closely with Zaida our accountant and leader of our Woman’s Table Banking Group to communicate with the woman involved in these projects to understand their needs, ideas and short and long term goals.  

CBSM has 10 active groups of woman in our table banking program that meet weekly and pool together funds that a member or members may borrow for a fixed amount of time with interest to invest as each group sees fit.  Some women use this money for short term projects and/or to invest in various tools/materials etc. to boost their personal businesses.  Businesses vary from agriculture, selling second hand clothing and farm products, brick making, shops and a food hotel.  

These businesses have been a lifeline for many woman and their families as it is their primary and sometimes only source of income. Margaret will be working closely with the table banking groups to provide materials, education and other tools to help them expand and improve their businesses.  

Margaret is excited to dive into her new role, “I am really looking forward to helping the groups and understand how to improve our programs for them so they can experience success.” 

CBSM is so thankful for Margaret’s determination, passion and positive energy and believes that she is the perfect person to lead our program to long term sustainable success!

Please check back for updates of the woman involved in these programs and how you can support them!

 
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Zaida, Phylis, and Breezie (left to right)
(written by Mandie)

Dear Friends,

As some of you may know, we have a Peace Corps Volunteer, Breezie, who will be staying in Kimilili for two years. She has only been in Kimilili for three and a half weeks, but has really gotten down to work!

With a degree in nutrition, Beezie has been conducting nutrition talks to a local hospital's VCT clinic, to newly HIV diagnosed individuals. She will continue to educate others about proper food choices on a weekly basis at the hospital every Wednesday and Thursday morning. During her first talk she spoke about three types of food that can be helpful during an infection and/or illness like HIV/AIDS. Bodybuilding foods to repair the body during illness, protective foods to fight infections and energy foods are essential to maintain immune function. This information is very helpful to those who are newly diagnosed and who may not understand the importance diet can be.

Breezie has also been doing many other things, which has kept her quite busy. Recently, she attended a Community Health Workers meeting in Kamasielo and has been communicating with various group within the community, assessing their needs. Many have given great ideas that the community would like to see established or created.

Breezie has really enjoyed her time in Kenya thus far and looks forward to what lies ahead in the coming months.
 
written by Lia

The world is small and the coincidences large... we heard that the singer and social activist,
Rick Sharpe, was coming to Kimilili this week to visit the children and widows of the OMWABINI Rescue Steps Charity. One of our UN volunteers contacted him and told him about the Kimilili Football Tournament. Not one to be shy of making a spontaneous commitment, Rick Sharpe has promised to perform at the tournament! What wonderful news this is!
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Rick Sharpe has been travelling to Africa for the last 25 years and has been engaged as a volunteer both on the ground and back in the UK for most of this time. He raises funds and awareness by putting on gigs and events, visiting Kenya when he can to work with the children. The projects that most interest him are those that promote the construction of traditional housing for the widows and children, freshwater projects, education, and work in the AIDS clinic.

During this trip, Rick is making a documentary about the OMWABINI Rescue Steps Charity, recording the children’s choir singing SwahiliGospel music, as well as working in the AIDS Hospital at Webye.

With all this on his plate, you can imagine how delighted we are that he is taking time to support CBSM’s fundraising efforts and perform at our Kimilili Football Tournament on July 3rd.
 
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I just received the following bulletin,

“Last night, we had an incident where thieves broke into the school office and took cereals and other things in the school. These things used to be kept at our neighbour’s home, but were transferred recently after the school had doors and windows installed. The school lost the following:

1. an old manual type writer donated to school last year by board member
2. maize and beans donated by guardians
3. a box of schoolbooks and teaching material
 
The matter has been reported and being investigated.”

The school management and the children are going to try and run a fund raising action to see if they can replenish their food supplies.

What is most needed are schoolbooks and teaching materials. If there is any possibility of you sending a primary school book or a notebook or two, we would be ever so grateful. If you would like to contact us, please do (Rev. Wasike (cbsmkeny at yahoo dot com) or Lia (cbsmkenya at gmail dot com)). You can send the packages to:

Rev. Wasike Wilberforce Walubengo

P.O. Box 2099-00200

Nairobi, Kenya

We thank you for any assistance you can give.