On to the truly fun part, by Lily Muldoon
Hello Everyone,
After completing a grueling two weeks of monitoring and evaluation, the interns are excited for the next component. Each intern submitted an extensive report of their analysis on the effect of ThinkImpact’s past projects. Xin and Ari are pictured playing valuation games with the students to ascertain the monetary value of the impact of our latrine and hand-washing station project.
Over the weekend, we celebrated the birthdays of Jessie and Casey (pictured) with a delicious chocolate in the shape of a butterfly and fun at the hotel in Mariakani. Next weekend interns are looking forward to a two-night safari in Amboseli and Tsavo game reserves.
Interns who pursue the Fellowship are mobilizing community members around a business idea. The intern partners with an inspired community entrepreneur to leverage local assets to facilitate the creation of a social business. If selected, the fellow spends the next year deepening his/her understanding of the social business, expanding the network for product development, and fundraising. After completing the training in Washington DC and reaching fundraising targets, the fellow returns to Kenya for a fully funded year to develop the social business.
Global Development Advocates create projects to raise awareness of an issue they are passionate about. They use any medium they choose to demonstrate the values of ThinkImpact and the importance of innovation and social enterprise. Upon completion of the program, Advocates will have the opportunity to speak at conferences, present on college campuses, host film, photography and art showings and publish relevant research in magazines and in journals.
Some Interns are choosing to partner together so that an Advocate supports the initiative of a potential Fellow. On Sunday night Rachael Gordon (team leader) led a full group brainstorming session analyzing major issues in Kayafungo and potential projects. She is pictured taking notes on ideas spewing from the excited interns.
This Week’s Highlighted Projects:
Arianna and Stephanie are working on an Advocates project to create a collaborative art book with students from two local secondary schools, which will be compiled and published in the United States. The Advocates are asking students to discuss their passions, hopes, fears, problems and creative solutions for the future in art or writing form. The project will serve two main purposes. First, they will motivate and inspire students in Kayafungo while helping them understand that their voices are important and can be heard. Secondly, they will change the public’s misconceptions about rural education in Africa by showcasing the impressive skills and abilities of these students.
On the Fellowship track, Anna is proposing to develop a social entrepreneurship club in a secondary day school in Kayafungo. In Mwijo Secondary School, the school ThinkImpact initiated and built in 2009, the social entrepreneurship club plans to grow and sell soybeans in order to address malnutrition problems. Profit generated through the club will address challenges students face in education, particularly difficulties paying their school fees.
Kelly is following the Advocates track to partner with Anna on her Fellowship initiative. In a bound booklet she will provide information about and pictures of the school, biographies of the students, analysis of their educational issues and an overview of Anna’s project. She will present the obstacles restricting primary students from advancing their studies, particularly school fees, and how Anna’s innovative enterprise can make secondary education sustainable.
Also on the Fellowship track, Casey is partnering with a local seamstress and women’s group. The seamstress will train the women’s group and girls to sew school uniforms to be sold. Profits will fund the girls’ secondary school education.
Look forward to more projects highlighted next week!
Finally, the ThinkImpact Kenya staff wish you a happy day! Pictured: Lily Muldoon (Managing Director), Rachael Estess (Team Leader), Abdallah Mohamed (Country Director), Rachel Gordon (Team Leader) and Meredith Street (Team Leader).
Peace and love,
Lily
