Honour award

Tembo-Kenya is proud to announce that the founders and directors of Tembo-Kenya, Patricia and Rod Crossley, have been awarded the Meritorious Service Medal by the Government of Canada for their work in Kenya. . Created by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the Meritorious Service Decorations recognize Canadians for exceptional deeds that bring honour to our country. The Meritorious Service Decorations are an important part of the Canadian Honours System and highlight remarkable achievements that are accomplished over a limited period of time.

Integrity conference

Conference on Integrity through Virtues is planned for Feb 21, 22 2017, targeting teachers, parents, business and community leaders. With an international speaker. Stay tuned as we look for funding.

Global Mentorship for Virtues Project

Virtues Project Global Mentorship is slated for February 23-26 2017 in Kakamega, Kenya. Bookmark this site which will soon be live for updated and on-going information: https://sites.google.com/site/virtuesforkenya

Virtues training

Sixty more students were trained in Virtues at Masinde Muliro University. Head teachers and principals attended an introduction to Virtues, encouraging them to seek training for their schools.

Last sanitation project

The sanitation projects funded by Rotary International and by private donations closed this week with the handover of the boys' toilet in Ebukoolo. The boys were wonderful to work with as we explained the structure and use of the composting toilets and very appreciative of having more than one 'hole' and an old brick wall.

We then visited two other schools requesting toilets. Eshibembe has nearly one thousand students and their pit latrines are almost full (and smell to high heaven!)

Emwatsi has half the number of students but so few latrines (all without doors) that boys and girls have to share. The Head Teacher is afraid of closure by Public Health. The metal structure you see is the boys' urinal. 

Both schools would require more doors than in the normal blocks we install. 

Education problems

Many generous people donate money to send girls and boys to secondary school where costs are mostly beyond the ability of many to pay. This is wonderful. As I have mentioned before, low cost day schools are springing up but are struggling because many families can't even pay the minimal costs of infrastructure, lunch, uniform and books.(About $200 per year) The government has introduced tuition subsidy which is helping a little. Also free primary has brought many thousands of children back into school.
However, the following statistics will emphasize the need for funds for job training to allow those who don't go, or don't complete, secondary to put food on the table.
Only two out of five students finish high school. In 2011 37% dropped out before reaching the end of primary (gr 8). An estimate in 2015 is that 18% of those taking the leaving exam in gr 8 would not be admitted to secondary. But in real terms 35% do not take a place in first year high school.
A boy or a girl who doesn't finish school (or who does finish but cannot afford university) can take one or two year 'trades' courses for as little as $500 per year, which is for boarding. Less if they can live at home. When we have had funds we have sent young people to driving school, tailoring, secretarial, motor mechanics, masonry, carpentry. This is a huge need which is not being met by any organisation that I am aware of.

Corruption

Although 'petty' corruption is often seen as the 'cost of doing business' whether it's to avoid a police summons, retrieve a file from a government office, have an application processed speedily, acquire a job, Kenya is awash at the moment with allegations of massive fraud at the highest levels.  We have lost count of the number of officials, politicians and senior executives implicated in swindling the country out of billions.
A new report from Price Waterhouse says the country's economic crime has risen 25 % above the global average. Whereas the global average was 24 %, Kenya reported 47 % incidence of bribery and corruption, the third highest globally.
In 2015 the country reported an incidence level of 61 % having increased from 52 % recorded in the previous year.
Most of the cases of economic crime in Kenya are committed by internal fraudsters accounting for 70% of the cases reported by local organisations.

One cannot be surprised that donor money is shrinking as appeals are made for education, drugs and infra structure projects when so much wealth is being salted away in foreign banks.

Those of us in the Virtues community are looking at the idea of organizing a conference based on fighting corruption through Virtues, highlighting integrity in parenting, teaching, business and religion. Raising children of integrity and awakening the Virtues in adults is surely one powerful way to battle this endemic disease.