Rotary Club of Wishart Inc.
International Service
On-going Project
Street
Children Assistance Network
of Nakuru (
S.C.A.N.N.
Rotary Clubs
Involvement.
S.C.A.N.N. is a project that the Rotary Club of Nakuru has been
associated with since its inception, and in fact it was the effort of the Gilani family and the Nakuru
Rotary Club that was the precipitating and continuing driving force that has
made it successful.
Rotary clubs from Wishart, Vancouver, Wellington (Florida) and an
Edinborough suburban Rotary Club have provided funds that combined with a
Rotary International matching grant to provide security walls and bio products
during this current Rotary year (2007/2008).
The Project.
There are many projects
within the SCANN operation that await funds. The list is
almost limitless, as the need is even greater after the significant intake of
homeless children following the very recent political unrest.
Examples of uses that funding is put to.:
·
Specific sponsorship of a child or a number
of children.
·
Additional beds, lockers, clothing,
educational items.
·
Desks (for attendance at school .. the
Government provides “free” education but that does not include a desk and chair
to sit at.
Costs of projects.
Whilst it may appear to be a little back to front,
once an amount is suggested, a number of options to select where the funds will
be applied can be supplied and the sponsor or donor can nominate where the
funds are to be applied.
Why select SCANN
as a beneficiary.
The
problems that exist in Africa appear almost insurmountable, however, the
greater the number of educated children that eventually are able to contribute
to their society, the faster other issues can be addressed effectively. The end
result of SCANN’s impact is a greater number of children move from “no hope” to
at least a chance in life, and maybe an even greater contribution to their
society.
Contact.
Local
Australian Contact:-
Jeanette
Rich….. Wishart Rotary Club
Box 295 Mt. Gravatt Queenslland 4122
07
3361 8583 (Bus) 07 3243 3254
(Home) 0403 253 510 (Mobile)
.
e-mail jric4641bigpond.net.au
Bob Lemon…….. Wishart Rotary
Club
0429 300739
PO
Box 4370 Eight Mile Plains, Queensland. 4113
SCANN -The Institution Addendum
Street Children Assistance Network of Nakuru
is one of
Kenya’s foremost charitable
institution for the homeless. It
was founded in 1998 with the
intention to provide a caring
home for street children and
orphans who have no other
alternative or hope for the future,
except to turn to crime.
In 1998, Whilst Mr Murtaza Janmohammad (a
practicing optician) was president of the Nakuru Rotary Club, an issue was
addressed by the Club that had been bothering him and others in the Club for
years & causing them significant concern.
The Gilani
family precipitated action with the Rotary Club President, resulting in
the Gilani family’s brainchild evolving into SCANN.
The Gilani family, successful entrepreneurs in
Nakuru, Kenya & involved in various charitable initiatives, together with
Murtaza Janmohammad and other Rotarians, watched for years the ever increasing
presence and sad conditions of young impoverished children that hung around
town, raiding garbage cans for the occasional bite to eat.
The majority of these children slept out in the
cold without shelter, sleeping
on cold shop verandas, underneath or on top of kiosks and even in the gutters,
shivering in the cold with nothing but rags to keep them warm.
hey (The
Gilani family and the above Rotarians) decided, with the help of a number of
other established charitable and reputable organisations, to establish a soup
kitchen and an emergency shelter for homeless children.
Despite its meagre beginnings,
the SCANN Rehabilation Centre has over the last few years become one of the
most active and effective charitable organizations in Kenya. The Centre is
currently housed in a five acre lot and now comprises three dormitories, four
classrooms, a dining room, staff housing and a library.
The centre has sufficient
facilities to house up to 200 children and prior to the recent riots had 140
residents ranging in age from 3 to 17 years. SCANN filled to capacity during
the unrest.
A substantial portion of the
land is made available for cultivation. The children are taught and encouraged
to plant fruits and vegetables for their own consumption.
The children receive food,
shelter, clothing, medical services and education. In addition children are
encouraged to participate in activities such as acrobatics, karate, soccer,
dancing, music, writing and recitation of poetry.
The last report (prior to the
unrest) indicates that of the 140 residents, 80 attend government primary
schools, 9 attend secondary schools and 4 are enrolled in techno-vocational
courses. The remaining residents are either new to the Centre or are too
young to attend formal schooling.
Instead they attend classes at
the centre and will attend formal schooling once they are sufficiently
rehabilitated and sufficient finances become available.
Older boys have been
rehabilitated and have completed their techno-vocational courses. SCANN
is proud to have found them gainful employment in the private sector.
These boys now live
independently as productive members of the society.
The patrons, volunteers and other associates of SCANN were
deservedly proud when SCANN’s first
resident reached University.
John Ndolo, completed
O-levels and attained a B+ grade. He now attends Egerton University. Their cry
of joy “WE CAN DO IT!!!” resounded around the whole SCANN organisation
when this occurred.
Child Selection Criteria:
SCANN research
indicates that there are many orphans and destitute children on the
streets. A number of these are runaways or are children whose parents do
not want them or cannot afford to look after them. The priorities are to
identify children who do not have a home or a family and suffer all day and
night existing on the streets.
The administration and
Trustees make regular forays into the streets, generally at night, to identify
street children that have no homes. The children are taken to SCANN
and in the days following, case histories are compiled and then presented to
the District Children’s Officer who further investigates and then forwards to a
Magistrate, who grants SCANN the official guardianship of these children.
When any of the children
are found to have family members capable of looking after them, the Centre acts
as a go between the parties and opens dialogue with the family members with the
purpose of convincing them to live up to their obligations.
Costs:
The cost of
maintaining a child at the centre and providing food, shelter, clothing,
education and extra curricular activities is
K Shs 25,000 (US$
270)(Aus$ 300) per
year. (Because of currency movements this amount may have varied)
Or KShs 2,000 (US$
22.50)(Aus$25) per month.
For such a
minuscule amount a destitute child can receive
24 hour care, shelter, food, clothing, education, medical care and an opportunity to become a full fledged contributing member of society.
There are no administration
costs involved except for the ancillary staff and utilities. The
Every cent that is received
from donors is therefore utilised for the benefit of the children.
The accounts are audited by a firm of Public Certified
Accountants on a regular basis and are available for inspection upon request.
INTEGRITY of
SCANN.
Today, SCANN’s well being and
operations are guided by representatives from not only Rotary but include
Lions, Salvation Army and others. SCANN not only provides the children with a
home and three full meals a day, it looks after their educational, health and
leisure requirements and also provides a platform for their social and and wide
range religious development.
Case Histories.
John Musyoki Ndolo ( Case Number
050/061) was born into a very poor family of eight children in 1984, & had
to drop out of school because the family could not raise the school fees.
He joined the street boys & loitered around all day, with a
future that was as hopeless as it could get, when someone brought him to the
centre
His case history was assembled and later confirmed that he had been
admitted at Menengai High School but could not raise the school fees.
SCANN agreed to support him and admitted him, and funded him back
to school.
In 2003 he sat for his “O” level exam & in 2004 the K.S.C.E. he
has achieved a performance level higher than 70% of the class & has become
a good team soccer player & exhibiting leadership qualities.
He now has the opportunity of a significantly brighter future.
George Njugun (Case No 038/073) was the second born into a family of
His father & mother separated somewhere around 2000, when his
mother disappeared with the youngest child.
His father a drunkard and without work, having no regard or time
for George and his younger brother, spends what ever funds he gets on Chang’aa.
(the local equivalent to alchohol)
George was in school up to Std. 3 but dropped off due to lack of
all basic requirements. He and his brother ran away to the streets after being
brutally beaten by the father.
They finally found a lift from Nairobi to Nakuru to his aunt
Nyambura who was in a stressful situation herself & could not cater for
their needs. She brought George & his brother to SCANN.
George is very
intelligent and performs very well academically, achieving 1stor 2nd
in the group of 81.
He now achieves a 1st more regularly.
George was voted as
the best upcoming Karate participant at an international karate competition in
Nairobi and was awarded the green belt. He won the KATA competition in the
junior Rift valley Karate competition, He is very good in acrobatics and
karate, he likes reading and is an excellent orator. The future for him (and
his brother) is open with significantly more opportunity than before his
involvement with SCANN.
Kuria Waharo was 4 years old when he was first
brought to SCANN. His case is unique Kuria’s mother was mentally handicapped
and “resided” at the doorstep of the Barclays Bank at Kenyatta Avenue. She had
been raped several times and Kuria is one of the two children borne by her. When found by SCANN,
the mother wasn’t even aware of where the children were or what they were
doing. SCANN was granted guardianship over Kuria and his elder brother
Macharia. However Macharia, was too
steeped into the life of a “Street Child” to be rehabilitated and ran away
several times. Kuria was a traumatised
child and found it difficult to believe that anyone could actually take care of
him and that he didn’t have to fight for every scrap of food he ate. He found it very difficult to converse in a
normal manner. Following a little counselling and special care and attention,
Kuria has settled down and has become a lot more secure and has made numerous
friends. He excels at studies and is a
natural and talented acrobat.
Quotes from a
Kids at SCANN.
“Before I came to
SCANN, I was not happy with my life at home”.
“My mother left me
when I was very young”.
“My father used to
drink … used to beat me … and there was no food in the house”.
“He had no money to send me to school.”
“I ran away to town, begging for
food, eating from the dustbins, sleeping on the verandah … It was so cold”.
“One day three boys
beat me and left me with so much
pain”.
“Lucky for me, one man came and brought me to SCANN. Now I don’t have to worry about food,
school or where to sleep. I am happy to be at SCANN. May God bless every one of You”.”
Notes.
Bob
& Louise Lemon of Wishart Rotary Club have visited SCANN, and have met with
the Nakuru Rotarians, and the Gilani family.
The words they use to describe the Gilani family are “Angels in
disguise”.
SUMMARY.
The
Rotary Club of Wishart is co-ordinating donations for SCANN sourced from
Australia and New Zealand, with all donations tax deductible..