SKIP St George's - Kenya

After a successful first trip to Kenya in summer ’09, SKIP St. George’s will be returning to Kisii in Kenya in summer 2010 to conduct a pilot project and further needs assessment in the community with the aid of our collaborating organisation, Voice of Hope.

History

Being a relatively new branch of SKIP, we have had the fortune of learning from other branches as to how to establish a new project. As a result, our research has been extensive but also innovative; sending questionnaires to a large number of prospective partner organisations and NGOs has allowed us to gauge where in the world a SKIP project could be best utilised. The result - a good working relationship with our collaborating organisation before we had even met in person.

After many rounds of discussion and voting, our committee decided that Kenya provides the best selection of opportunities for us. We initially identified several potential partner organisations and after much deliberation and debate, concluded that Voice of Hope would be the best option for our branch.

What will our project do?

Voices of Hope are a charity based in the town of Kisii, in Southwestern Kenya, not too far from Lake Victoria. Primarily an HIV and AIDS orphanage, the group attempts to tackle the multitude of issues that arise when a child is born with such a devastating disease.

Hope support children through their time at school, keeping them in contact with their original communities. The children will then return as adults to their original communities with vocational skills to help them live a life of their own, free from dependence on handouts.

Our work this summer will focus on infection prevention and education, as well as sanitation, and sex education for the over 16s. Further research will occur this summer into expanding these themes for wider audiences, as well as reflecting on how our input has met the needs of the community, allowing us to adjust where necessary.

How do we raise money?

In the meantime, we have been eagerly raising funds to support our interventions in Kisii. We have done this through many events including:

• Speed Dating (every late October) - SKIP St George’s first big event of year also helps raise awareness of SKIP around our university after a busy freshers’ fortnight.
• George's Got Talent (end of the first term) – now a regular fixture on the George’s social calendar, 2009’s acts included comedy/impressions, karate, and singing.
• RAG Week (every February) - SKIP teamed up with the Students’ Union's Charity Officers to fundraise for the week, taking a share of the £100,000 that is raised every year.
• Cake Sales, Smarties collections and more!

Contact us

For more information about SKIP St George's or our new project please contact us at skipgeorges@gmail.com.