| Pamoja Child Foundation

Vacancy announcement

Child Protection and Development Coordinator

Pamoja Child Foundation is a Community Based Organization working in Awasi and Nyang'oma locations within Nyando. Pamoja works with orphaned and vulnerable children in assisting them in achieving their rights to education, health, protection and improved livelihoods. To achieve its mission, Pamoja offers individual sponsorship, creates safe havens in primary schools and strengthens community groups in their aim to be self reliant.
Pamoja Child Foundation seeks to recruit a Child Protection and Development Coordinator, reporting to the Director.

Please open the attached document for more information about the vacancy.

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1. › Vacancy cpd coordinator 35

RESOURCE MOBILIZATION CONFERENCE IN UGANDA

Through Pamoja's linkages, partnership and networks the organization director was invited to attend an international conference on resource mobilization in jinja , Uganda. The conference was organized by edukans (www.edukans.nl), a key development partner in education and was facilitated by experts on fundraising from the resource alliance organization (www.resource-alliance.org).

The conference was targeted to capacity build partners who were cut across regions such as India, Congo, Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Peru, Ghana and Ethiopia. In Kenya Pamoja was among the five organizations that attended the workshop. The trainings were personalized for all partners in a way that it enlighten, encouraged, and created avenues for questions and answers to arising unique challenges faced by partners in their respective countries and organization.

During the training Pamoja was identified as a key development implementing organization, which showed a lot of resilience and result based programs as well as an organization that is receptive to its current environment and hence tailor its programs to the needs and rights of the community that they work for . Pamoja's education program was highlighted as one with a touch of humanity and great uniqueness.

Board visit to Kenya

As a calendar event, the board visit to Kenya has been an annual activity. This year was no exception as two of Pamoja's board members, Harriet Sterenborg and Ellen Van Puffelen from Netherlands visited Pamoja centre in Kenya. The board has always played it's role diligently to the organization. They have advised facilitated and ensured continuous evaluation of the Kenyan programs. Their visit this year was full of schedule activities and visits.

During their visit, the board visited all project sites as well as some of the sponsored children in their different schools. Their visit included several schools and groups that are working with Pamoja under the Schools As Safe Haven project for children and community groups attached to the community group's empowerment project. This visit generated results, interactive consultations, impacts and way forward in regards to sustainability and ripple effect of Pamojas program in the community that we work with.
It is without a doubt that, Pamoja board members are not detached from the Centre in Kenya but have remained relevant and true to their responsibilities of guiding the organization to greater heights. We at Pamoja Kenya not only appreciate their relentless dedication to achieving goals of this program but thank them for the continuous sacrifice in juggling between several responsibilities that they have.

On behalf of the community and children that we serve we say asanteni sana kwa kazi nzuri. (Kiswahili word, for thank you very much for the good work)

Child Rights Day

November 20 is the International Child Rights Day, to celebrate the anniversary of the day when the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1989, which has since then been ratified by 191 out of the 193 countries in the world. These countries are obligated to undertake actions to protect the rights of children in their country.

The Kenyan government has signed this treaty. Pamoja Child Foundation is working in Kenya to make children, parents/guardians and teachers aware of the rights of the child and to hold the government accountable to these rights. Pamoja implementsamongst others the following activities:

• training and workshops with teachers, children and parents/guardians of children's rights and responsibilities
• giving children a voice in school by their participation in meetings with teachers on child-friendly teaching methods
• to train children as peer educators where they are encouraged to speak out on issues that concern them
• to allow children to express themselves creatively
• to provide children the right to education and health care through the sponsorship program
• to train teachers to recognize child abuse and maltreatment etc.

Pamoja Child Foundation is known as thé main player when it comes to children's rights in the region. Would you like to help Pamoja with her work? Deposit your contribution to giro 42.717.42 t.n.v. Pamoja Child Foundation in Amsterdam.

The main rights of the child are*:
The right to education
The right to own religion and culture
The right to a name and a nationality
The right to own opinion
The right to a safe and healthy life
The right to protection against child labor
The right to protection from abuse and violence
The right to protection in a war
The right to play
The right to grow up in families
The right to safe drinking water
The right to good health
The right to care for the disabled child

All rights apply to all children throughout the world. For more information, also forchildren, see: www.kinderrechten.nl

* Pamoja Child Foundation is specifically active on the bold areas

Pamoja on film!

During the board visit in september 2011 a lot was filmed, to give you an impression of our activtities. Click here for the presentation. For a short impression of our activities, click here.

Mercy tells her story

The first Pamoja girl goes to college

I do not know where to start, in thanking my sponsors through Pamoja Child foundation for what they enabled me achieve from 2008 up to now 2011. I am grateful, so grateful that words alone won't do justice to the overwhelming experience that I feel.
My name is Mercy Omollo a first born child in a family of five, my mother is a widow and though this does not define her strength in bringing us up, it was a limitation to us achieving the best in her eyes. She struggles to take care of us but since my followers (other siblings) are equally in secondary the burden became overwhelming for her. Pamoja identified and further sponsored me at form two (2008) enabling me to finish my fourth form in 2010.
Currently I am volunteering my time at a local school called Elshadai primary school for OVC (orphans and vulnerable children) as a teacher. I am teaching Kiswahili, social studies and religious education. This was a way for me to give back to the community that nurtured me, even though in a small way but to me it's to say thank you for those who cared when many didn't.
My future career prospects is to train as a teacher, I choose this because teachers are the role models and molders of young minds, and I would like to make an impact in the lives of the young ones, to make them better people in the society.
Thank you and God bless you for the sponsorship.

Mercy Omollo

Anniversary

Pamoja Child Foundation's 10 year anniversary! We would like to celebrate this with all sponsors, donors, friends and acquaintances of Pamoja Child Foundation. Everyone who cares about Pamoja is welcome for a big party on Thursday evening 29 September in Macy's in Amsterdam!
Please reserve this date in your agenda. We like to see you! More details will be announced as soon as possible.

Best NGO in improving education

On June 10th our community mobilization coordinator John attended Nyando District Education Day at Ahero Girls Secondary. The guest of honor was the Assistant Minister for Education Prof. Ayiecho Olweny. Subjects on this day were amongst others:

- The role of parents to take the initiative in improvement in their children's education
- Low grades attained by the students thus reflecting low academic standards in the district
- Commitment of the teachers in their work in order to produce quality out come.
- The improvement of the role played by the other stakeholders/NGOs in improving the education standards

On this last note Pamoja Child foundation was appreciated for the work it has done and was awarded certificate of "Best NGO in improving the education in the District"! One of our greatest pride was the Most Improved School (mean deviation of +30 points) which was Kamunda Primary school. This is one of the schools we have been partnering with and had also shown great improvement in the SASH intervention. The school too acknowledged and appreciated the Pamoja's intervention.

eBUDDY - PAMOJA CHILD FOUNDATION INITIATIVE

On February 11th we were warmly welcomed at the company meeting of eBuddy and got the opportunity to give an insight in the subordinated situation of the children in Awasi, Kenya. But most of all we got the opportunity to pass on a message of hope that the situation can actually be turned around if addressed in a constructive and effective manner.

Our program Schools as a safe haven (SASH) is one of these constructive and effective programs that contribute to an improved living standard for the children in Awasi now and in the future.

The eBuddy employees helped us raise money for Schools as a safe haven by motivating their social network to sponsor us. They managed to raise € 4.676,14 which is impressive, needed and very much appreciated, specifically by the young people affected.

So we would like to express are gratefulness and give a big thank you to eBuddy through this writing, THANK YOU!

The day of the African child

Theme: All together for urgent action in favour of street children

Venue: Ahero Girls High School

16 June 1976, thousands of black school children took to the streets of Soweto, South Africa. In a march more than half a mile long, they protested the inferior quality of their education and demanded their right to be taught in their own language. Hundreds of young boys and girls were shot down by security forces. In the two weeks of protest that followed, more than a hundred people were killed and more than a thousand were injured.

This day though overshadowed with some dark tainted events, it is still a day that is commemorated to honor the African child for having the courage to voice concerns that they believe in as well as stand for the change they need. This year's celebration was no different as it sought to highlight the plight of over 29 million street children across the world as depicted in the theme "All Together for Urgent Actions in Favour of Street Children". It is evident that these children are amongst the vulnerable group faced with difficult challenges which are often and not limited to abuse, exploitation and even violence.

(Donnah, director of Pamoja, with childrens parliaments delegate memmbers)

This celebration was no less similar to others; it was filled with dances, songs, dramas and skits that did not only light the faces of the children but had messages of hope to the street children and to all involved stakeholders to take note of the rising plight of these children. Speaker after speaker emphasized the need for more to be done in regards to children's care, rights and protection, for instance since 2008 more than one million child abuse cases have been recorded, with help of 116 helpline, this is a worrying trend since very stringent laws and mechanisms have been put in place to deal and bar such cases from occurring.

It was clear that abusers have developed new ways of evading the laws and this therefore culminated to a moving plea from the children's parliament representatives (some members sponsored by Pamoja) that as much as children are empowered to know their rights and responsibilities, it is also important to empower the communities too , since children do not live in isolate.

It is clear that more urgent steps are needed to protect children; this need is not limited to orphans alone but also to the street children who are equally vulnerable and face an even harsh environment.

A little help can bring you far

In 2004 Eannes Ongus came to the office of Pamoja Child Foundation, requesting financial support for his education. He was not a sponsored child of Pamoja Child Foundation, but his request did meet the goals and purpose of Pamoja Child Foundation. The director, the late Kepher Misasa, spoke extensively with him and examined all his papers. It was obvious that it was a smart boy. He had no parents and received a scholarship from his college. This grant was not cost effective and therefore Pamoja Child Foundation decided to sponsor the missing part for him.

Recent contact between the founder of Pamoja Child Foundation, Madelon Misasa-de Vries and Eannes Ongus shows he's doing very well. He is studying "Leadership and Management" at St. John University in York, UK. He wants to be a lecturer in the future and specialize in strategic leadership and management. It will be a milestone towards his path to doctoral studies.

Eannes writes: "I am forever greatful for your help and may God reward your kind gesture. You changed my life and for this I will always say thank you and do my every best to touch other peoples lives who are deserving".

On his profile of the website of the university you can learn more about Eannes.

Strong children in Kenya

Empowerment Project 2011-2012 by Els and Margriet Pronk Schut

In 2011, Els Pronk and Margriet Schut will collaborate with Pamoja Child Foundation through a project aimed at strengthening children. This project is made possible by the Rotary Rhenen-Veenendaal in the Netherlands, who contributed the financial means for the project.

By training teachers, social workers and parents and through workshops with children the aim of this project is to strengthen children socially and emotionally and to develop their self confidence so that they stand firmly in their shoes. Els and Margriet use a positive approach, in which they focus on the strengths and talents of children and adopt them as the basis for the child to further develop him or herself.

Since Pamoja Child Foundation has been working for many years in Awasi, with the aim for a better future for orphans and vulnerable children, especially through schools where attention is given to improve guidance and development of the child, this project of Els and Margriet fits perfectly in our goals and approach. Els and Margriet will work with the schools Pamoja Child Foundation collaborates with, starting in the spring of 2011.
Els and Margriet really look forward to start this project in Awasi!

Margriet Schut is a consultant and coach at Kessels & Smit, TheLearning Company. She has over 30 years experience in guiding learning processes in organizations (in education). Els Pronk owns a business "Big Small" and has decades of experience in education. She is a trainer and coach for children, parents and teachers, working from a comprehensive vision and guides children in relation to parents and teachers. Both have successfully carried out the project earlier in Kenya (2007) and Ghana (2008 and 2009) and have learned that their approach is a powerful way for children, teachers, social workers and parents to be more confident and to have a new perspective for their future.

In the document below you can read more about the project.

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1. › Empowerment project 26

e-Buddy and Pifworld join forces for Pamoja

Pifworld is an online platform for charities, which uses all types of social media to raise funds for various charities. Doing so, Pifworld supports charities by providing access to funds and donations. Also, they help individuals and companies with by providing a way to actively contribute to the projects.

In the context of corporate social responsibility eBuddy, via Pifworld, wants to make active contribution to our project School as a safe haven. Following a presentation by Pifworld and Pamoja Child Foundation, the employees of e-Buddy will use the next three months to raise funds within their social network. They will use all sorts of social media like Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin. The goal is to provide sufficient funds to install the program ‘Schools As Safe Haven' in 10 extra schools and reach almost 100 teachers and over 4700 children.

On the website of Pifworld you can follow the progress of the employees of eBuddy and possibly even donate yourselve.

We wish eBuddy every success in their activities and thank them and Pifworld highly for their involvement in Pamoja Child Foundation!

New website and logo

As of 2011 Pamoja Child Foundation has a new website and a fresh new logo!

Pamoja exists almost 10 years and by now it is time for some changes in our appearance. With the help of Kris Smilde of Capgemini, we have established a clear structure for a new website of all elements of Pamoja Child Foundation.

With this information Jerome Bohg and Jilles Sloos of graphic & advertising agency Kitchenpilot developed a new identity and designed and developed a new website in which cooperation and solidarity is expressed. Pamoja Child Foundation is very pleased with and proud of it the result!

We thank Jilles and Jerome for the enormous effort and all the extra time and energy they have invested in this website and logo.

Capgemini supports Pamoja!

Capgemini Netherlands BV helped Pamoja in 2010 in various ways. Some employees of the department Marketing Sales & Services have donated their time for Pamoja to advise on various topics.Kris Smilde has worked extensively on the management structure and content of the new website which goes live in 2010. With that help Pamoja has a clear structure enabling the new website to be clear, professional and informative. Wouter Sleyffers and Arnoud Markus have spent time advising on marketing and communication activities which Pamoja can take to increase awareness and of course get more funding. We expect to reap rewards in 2011.

Besides this investment of time, Capgemini has at various times raised money for Pamoja. Christine Chen has ran the Dutch Dam to Dam marathon with various colleagues and thus generated € 242 Pamoja. On the initiative of Frank Eijssen the Marketing, Sales & Services department raised € 813 with their volleyball tournament.

Pamoja thanks Wouter, Arnold, Kris, Frank and Christel most sincerely for their help and of course the runners from the Dam to Dam Marathon and the Marketing Sales & Services department, which unfortunately did not win the volleyball tournament but made a wonderful contribution to Pamoja!

New director

In October 2010 Donnah Akinyi Okumu has started as director of Pamoja Child Foundation. She succeeds Bernadette Muyomi. Bernadette worked from March to November 2010 in an active and positive way for Pamoja Child Foundation. Gradually she came to the conclusion that her ambition is more on policy and politics and therefore has chosen to move to Nairobi and to work in a political setting.

Fortunately there was enough time with Bernadette to look for a new director and to train Donnah in her new job. In Donnah we found an enthusiastic and committed director. She has over 3 years working experience in the field of development aid in Kenya. Donnah is now working at Pamoja Child Foundation for a few months, and on both sides, the impression is positive. Currently, Ellen van Puffelen (board member and former director), is in Kenya working together with Donnah on the plans for 2011.