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MS. CATHERINE WANJOHI
MALALAH
Program Coordinator/Manager
Kiwimbi Kenya
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Catherine ~ ready to serve!
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| Ms. Catherine Wanjohi Malalah is the first Program Coordinator-Manager of Kiwimbi Kenya. Catherine joined Kiwimbi Kenya in April this year.
Before joining Kiwimbi Kenya, Catherine was the Director of Nursing Services with HCR Manor Care at Ruxton in Towson, Maryland. She has held a variety of nursing leadership positions within the U.S. over the past 15 years.
Catherine is currently managing a staff of 18 people (including three librarians and 15 regular volunteers), and has played an important role in raising the quality of Kiwimbi Kenya programs. Her networking skills have attracted many people from other nonprofits and from government offices to the Kiwimbi Kenya Community Center and Library.
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Mtu: Person
Watu: People
Mtu Mzuri: Nice Person
Watu wazuri: Nice People
Kazi: Work
Kazi Nzuri: Good Work
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Our hearts go out to everyone affected by the terrorist attack on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi. Amagoro is far from Nairobi (and from Somalia), and we are happy to report that no members of the Kiwimbi Kenya community were visiting the mall when the attack began. So our educational endeavors continue ~ this is what we can do to combat terrorism.
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Kiwimbi Global is comprised currently of two entities: Kiwimbi International, a US organization registered as a charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; and Kiwimbi Kenya, a Community Based Organization established in the Teso North District in Kenya. Ultimately, our goal is to replicate best practices from Kiwimbi Kenya elsewhere, creating more organizations under the Kiwimbi Global umbrella.
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We see a world where all people are empowered through education to enrich their lives and reach their fullest potential.
To achieve our vision, our mission is to create regional community centers internationally.
These centers will:
provide education, training and other learning opportunities;
facilitate cooperation and coordination among other resource organizations; and
provide access to innovation and technology.
The combination of these efforts is intended to maximize self-sufficiency and self-actualization for individuals and communities to prosper.
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Kiwimbi Collaborates with Elewana Project and U.S. Embassy to Deliver Educational Enrichment During the August School Break
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"The100% attendance at our Grade 8 enrichment camp this August speaks to the significant unmet need for richer and more consistent educational opportunities in Amagoro."
-- Olubayi Olubayi
Executive Director
Kiwimbi Kenya
Once again, the August school break brought with it Kiwimbi-sponsored support for 3 mini-camps in Amagoro, reaching the Grade 8 students of Amagoro Primary School who are participants in our Kiwimbi Club during the school year,as well as students in Form 4 (equivalent to Grade 12) who are from a variety of local secondary schools.
The Grade 8 program this year was supported fully and solely by Kiwimbi, and concentrated on immersing the students in English through an intensive literature-based curriculum. Since fluency in English is essential for academic success (being the language of the classroom and of the national exams that determine kids' futures), reading books in English is a valuable and necessary enrichment activity. The students made their way through 20 chapter books this August, a major accomplishment that will no doubt, serve them well as they prepare for the national exam later this fall. And the attendance this year was 100% . . . a testament to their thirst for learning.
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Celebrating the achievement of the first Grade 8 campers to read 20 chapter books in August
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The Form 4 (Grade 12) camps this year were visited by the Head of Training for the Kenya branch of the American Peace Corps, whose volunteers helped to staff the program alongside Kenyan university students. The camps were divided by boys and girls and consisted of a week-long residential experience aimed at preparing students for their national exams. These camps were co-sponsored by Kiwimbi and Elewana Education Project, and supported by a grant from the American Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. |
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Agroforestry Project Sprouts New Growth
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| What began as a small pilot project with a group of 14 farmers in Amagoro just over a year ago -- a lesson in the economic rewards of agroforestry and seedlings to grow 100 trees -- has grown into nothing short of an agroforestry movement in the region. Today, the farmers have taken on the initiative as their own, planting over 6000 trees and filling in with bean crops to maximize return on their land. This project truly exemplifies the Kiwimbi mission and vision to create opportunity through education in underserved communities . . . a prime example of how starting a ripple can lead to waves of change that make a real difference in people's lives. |
 | Amagoro Farmers Plant Trees and Beans
Following Kiwimbi-Sponsored Pilot Program |
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Kiwimbi Welcomed by New Government Officials
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Kiwimbi has received a warm welcome by new government officials following the implementation of a new constitution (Constitution of Kenya 2010), wherein Kenya is now divided into 47 counties, each headed by its own governor.
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Hon Mchuma, new Busia County Minister in charge of Community Development & Social Services
visits Kiwimbi Center
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As a result of these changes, Amagoro now lies within Busia County, whose officials occupy roles and responsibilities that can impact local activities and initiatives. As such, Kiwimbi has been proactive in reaching out to County officials to share the good work and educational programs underway in Amagoro. The response has been very positive and Kwimibi will continue toward building those relationships over time. |
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Kiwimbi Undertakes Strategic Planning Initiative
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Kiwimbi undertook its first formal strategic planning initiative in June with a day-long meeting held in Morristown, New Jersey. Attended by the full Board of Trustees, including our Kenyan colleagues Olubayi Olubayi and Peace Osangir, as well as Will Rathgeber just back from volunteering in Kenya, the session proved to be a stimulating and productive undertaking. The meeting was led by Jay Angeletti, husband of trustee Sara Angeletti and President of The Angeletti Group, a strategic consultancy to not-for-profit organizations. As a result of the discussion, issues and decisions evolving from the session,the Board is now building out several workstreams aimed at fortifying the Kiwimbi organization and advancing its mission.
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Kiwimbi Plans First Service Trip to Amagoro from the United States
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So many people have expressed interest in "hands on" contributions to our efforts in Kenya that we are exploring the possibility of taking a small group of families to Amagoro in the summer of 2014. Fortunately, Olubayi has a great deal of experience with managing trips from the US to Africa, so we will rely on his expertise as we develop a program with interested families. There is a lot to do! Service learning occurs in three phases: preparation, which takes place before the trip; action, which takes place during the actual trip; and reflection which takes place every evening and at the end of the trip. If you are interested in joining us, please email info@KiwimbiGlobal.org. Our first organizational meeting is coming up soon!
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