Uwezo Community Based Organization

This morning I met for the second time with Bibiana Andabwa.  Bibiana is the only female elected councillor in the Kakamega area, responsible for five districts.  She is a volunteer child protection officer and trusted committee member with Tembo.  Bibiana works with women's groups, widows, and orphans.

This was my second meeting with Bibiana, the first was 3 hours long, where she shared her vision of groups working together to rise out of poverty.  Here is her idea in a nutshell.  She sees groups of 20 members coming together for training in:

1)  Virtues:  Virtues Project™ is a global grassroots initiative to inspire the practice of virtues in everyday life.  It has been honoured by the UN as an effective and powerful tool for eliminating violence in the families, communities and schools of all cultures. 

2)  Business Skills Training:  This is the training that Tembo has started with some groups in how to organize, choose, and run a successful business -- starting small with a plan to grow.  The stress is on self sufficiency.

3)  Project Training:  Project specific training including technical skills, basic book keeping and literacy where required.  This could include training for keeping poultry, rabbits, bee keeping, or soap making, etc.

4)  Civic Education:  Education in women's rights, children's rights, and human rights.  How to choose (with your vote) leaders that are there to serve, not to fill their own pockets!

Once people are armed with this kind of education, Bibiana believes that they will be able to lift themselves out of poverty.  Her vision goes on further... she sees groups of 20 members, having been trained as above, breaking down in to groups of 5.  Each group of five will have a project that they work on together and each group of five will identify a vulnerable child or orphan that they will collectively care for.  She sees each small group having three bank accounts; 1 for each individual member, 1 group account, and an account for the child.

Bibiana told a story of a pilot group of five old mammas who identified a child that was being tortured by the step mother.  With some encouragement from Bibiana, the women reported the father of the child to the police.  The father has been arrested and the case is now in the system.  One of the women was grandmother to the child, which means that she reported her only son.  This is unheard of in Kenya.  Sons are highly valued and normally mothers would just put it on the shelf.  This example brings such hope to how attitudes can change once people know their rights.  Bibiana showed me pictures of the girl... she is about 11 years old.  Her back was covered with scars -- she must have been whipped.  The girl is now safe with the grandmother.

So far the whole picture is just a vision, but many groups have been formed and have received some of the training, like the old mammas.  I asked Bibiana to get me a list of groups, what training they have received, what training they are missing, if they have projects underway, what challenges the projects are having, and what are their specific needs.  We have talked for over five hours so far and I have heard the vision in great detail... I am just not clear yet what she is asking of me.  Bibiana told me that "normally what disturbs me is the funds," so that is a hint.

Before our meeting ended today, she invited me to be a member of Uwenzo Community Based Organization.  This is a group of professionals, or retired professionals, that will monitor and mentor the other groups.  She asked me to become a member so that I am not seen as a visitor, and so we can work together... O.K.  So I signed on the dotted line.  Uwezo means "ability".  Some of the other group names are:  Humanity, Denguagutu, Courageous, and Blessed to Bless.