tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72925104991315142742024-03-13T06:58:39.384-07:00*This is about my travels to Africa, working in development, the people I meet along the way and the crazy shida (problems) that happen during the journey!Alexandra Crossonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06713382459171252183noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7292510499131514274.post-53880584704981038732011-08-20T07:49:00.001-07:002011-08-20T07:50:35.791-07:00Back on African soil!For those of you who don't know, I'm currently on an adventure in Africa to tie up loose ends of my soap making project, to see what else can be done, and to travel to some countries I didn't quite get the chance to see last year. I have a travel companion, Rachael Estess, whom I met on my first trip to Kenya as an Intern with ThinkImpact. She and I will be in Kayafungo together, her working on a poultry project in which the women will raise chickens as an income generating component, and myself to see how Grace is doing, as well as how the Muungano Soap Business is going. We will be splitting our time between Kayafungo, and Mombasa, the beach town I lived in last year. We are staying with my friend Bryan in his new three bedroom house!
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<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> Currently, Rachael and I are in Lagos, Nigeria. We had a very uneventful flight to get here. But what has happened since we landed was far from that. The minute the plane touched down in Africa, the cabin was filled with cheers. Neither of us could quite figure out why until, we looked to the right and saw two broken and charred planes that had run off the tarmac. Needless to say we joined in the celebration. The planes had been there for what looked like years, but nonetheless we were grateful for our safe and breezy landing. During our wait in line for customs, we met two Scottish men who were drunk from their flight. They caused quite a less than entertaining show, between making crude and racist jokes, and scaring me about not having my yellow fever vaccination card (just another thing that was in my wallet!) Rach and I were quite ready to get out of line, which we did eventually to only meet our next lovely experience. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span> </span>Cynthia, the woman who we are staying with, and whom Rachael met at a leadership conference in Florida, met us just by baggage claim. We got a trolley and started to look for our bags, two of which were in a roped off area being manned by an airport personnel agent. We went to grab our bags and they of course wanted to see our baggage claim slips. We promptly pulled them out, and the man began to tell us that since it was a flight based from the US that we had to leave the bags with them overnight in the office, as they are cargo. Well Cynthia lost it. She was livid. She started to cause a scene, and got other officials involved in the situation. Eventually it got sorted out and we left with our personal effects. They basically wanted it because we are American and wanted to pillage through our belongings to see if we had anything good- all items were accounted for- nothing was missing. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span> </span>So we go outside and try to meet up with the car which was typical African style, organized chaos. We eventually get in the car and merge into the bobbing and weaving traffic, which I feel comfortable in even though its like a death trap- how easily we fall back into the familiar. The driver takes us to Cynthia’s office and we see her new storefront for her chicken business and pick her bags, as she has a speech to make in Rwanda this week. We get back in the car, meet Cynthia’s godfather, then continue driving to go to the Island. The Island is where we are to be staying and where Cynthia’s foster Dad and family lives. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span> </span>The lsand is more and less than Rachael and I expected. The Island is not a sandy beach style resort, but a cosmopolitan, metropolis of Lagos. It is referred to as the Island, as people refer to Manhattan in the States. So needless to say I am not staying at the beach, however, where we are staying is extremely nice. Cynthia’s Papa, Emeka, works for Exon Mobile, and owns a house in a gated community. It is like falling into suburbia here in Nigeria. Its unbelievable from the vaulted ceilings, carpet, refrigerator, espresso machine, piano to the heated water, and the huge HD plasma TV, that we’ve been watching episodes of True Blood on. It’s unbelievable. The house next door belongs to Cynthia’s uncle Dayo, who is a pilot for Exon Mobile and is full of great stories, and good advice- such as how to survive a plane crash or make it out of a hotel alive. He’s corky and hilarious. Now mind you, this is not how the typical Nigerian lives. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span> </span>During our tour of the Island, we went to the Bar beach- which no did not have bars on it, nor did it have a lot of sand or sunbathers- it was more a concrete board walk- that the government put in to modernize the city. What really happened was that it created a different tide current, effecting wildlife and pulling the sand away from the beach. Now the government has to dump sand at the beach to build it back up. We saw people drinking hooch, selling fried smoked fish (think fish jerky), shell bracelets and many homeless living on the beach. This is a quick dose of how different the class level is here, and how tangible how large the wealth divide is. After the beach we went and got gelato from Royal Chocolate, a dessert place with about 40 flavors of gelato, tons of cakes, and sweets. It was extremely refreshing after the hot sun. We drove around Victoria Island with is one of the many islands that makes up Lagos. Then ventured to Banana Island where the elite and extremely wealthy live. We saw the house of the Nigerian tyrant and drug deal, Abach, who is known for being extremely frugal but lavishly spends on himself. He even had gold reindeer in front of his house coming out of a fountain. The next stop was back home to have dinner. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span> </span>Nigerians follow a typical African diet, one of which vegetables and meat is put with a staple in some sort of way. The staples include yams, plantains, rice, beans and corn. This is great news for me as it is naturally gluten free. The only time this is a problem is during breakfast, as Nigeria was colonized by the British who like cakes, bread and tea for breakfast—hello gluten. So after a bit of explanation, we’ve had eggs, yogurt and sausage for breakfast. Our first dinner was a spicier than hell chicken rice and vegetable dish. Very good, but left my lips on fire the rest of the night. Our second nights dinner was a very traditional Nigerian dish--- blended okra with fish, prawns, crab and meat, which created this slimly green soup- that looks like alega and smelled like open sewer. It was served with yams that were pounded into flour and made into a paste with a similar consistency to mashed potatoes that had congealed—I think the Nigerian version of Ugali. All of course that had a peppery bite to it that made your mouth water, eyes explode and nose run with a power Tylenol cold could do nothing for. Obviously, I loved it and it was delicious (*insert sarcasm). Rach and I went to bed a bit hungry that night. Our lunch on day three was amazing and totally made up for the previous night’s sludge. It was a vegetable salad and soup that were both spicy but amazing. We each had seconds. Dinner tonight was shepard’s pie- which is a layer of mashed potatoes then vegetables and meat (lamb tonight) piled on top of it then covered with a layer of mashed potatoes and cheese then baked. SO GOOD! Nigerians use peppers for everything, so tonight was spicy but heavenly. I’m stuffed to the brim. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span> </span>Things have been slow moving and relaxing as the jetlag has really taken me into its clutches, and because Cynthia is speaking at the Rwandan’s first lady’s leadership summit this week. She will be home on Saturday morning and we will begin our research and purpose for being here. She has a lot planned for us. So for now it is episodes of True Blood on the HD TV that runs on the generator when the electricity goes out- a common problem here in Nigeria --- and hello all of Africa, going to the Black Diamond Hotel, which puts up the Exon Mobile employees, one of the newest hotels and well basically just resting until the weekend comes.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span> </span>Last night we went to a Jazz and Barbeque night at this nicer restaurant in Lagos. Uncle Dayo knew the woman who owns the restaurant, so Teme, Cynthia’s cousin- who is 16 and provides such an insight into teenage life in other countries, Rach and I went to dinner. When we walked in I could swear we were seated at Bravo outside. It was surreal. The chicken and chips (French fries) were delectable, but of course spicy! The BBQ pit was outside, kind of like a charcoal grill made out of a huge barrel cut in half and on a stand. Good times, excellent music, and nice conversation. Uncle Dayo and Teme are so fun to listen too! </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span> </span>It has been mentally and emotionally rich living with a Nigerian family, even if we aren’t doing anything in particular. It is interesting to get to know another culture, especially without the language barrier that is such a challenge in Kenya. They speak a mixture of British English, American English and pidgin, which for the nerdy English major in me is a fun side linguistic project all on its own. I’m really enjoying myself.<span> </span>I can picture having a home in this neighborhood. I get how people can live in Africa and have a Westernized life- yet at the same time I realize that this is not a cheap token. To have a life like this, you have to have a high paying job. Better start looking for a job that pays! Lately, Rachael, Emeka and I been discussing<span> </span>a variety of topics, including politics, development work, movies, university, family and books- we literally talked for a half hour about the series Game of Thrones. I’m shocked and pleasantly surprised that I’m halfway around the world and having the same conversations that I’d be having at home with people. This transition to Africa has been smooth, euphoric<span> </span>in some ways! </p>Alexandra Crossonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06713382459171252183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7292510499131514274.post-58271386203745014732010-11-22T06:24:00.001-08:002010-11-22T06:24:23.330-08:00Mama G.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> 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0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">Grace Chihanga is my community partner in Kayafungo, Kenya. She is a living breathing testimony to why social business and entrepreneurship will revolutionize rural areas such as Kayafungo.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>Grace was born to a family of moderate means. She was a middle child who was fortunate enough to have a loving Uncle who paid her way through Primary and Secondary School. For all four years of Secondary school she sat in the first student seat, meaning she had the highest marks of her class. She unfortunately did not get the chance to go to University to pursue nursing, a dream of hers, but not because of lack of competence or lack of ambition, it was because of a lack of resources. University was unobtainable, yet this did not stop Grace from volunteering with the Kenyan Red Cross, AMRIF2- an HIV focused organization, ThinkImpact as a Certified Health Trainer, or the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation as a Community Health worker. All positions of respect within Kayafungo, and also positions that lack payment. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Grace is motivated by the idea of helping others. She has one of the warmest hearts and positive attitudes of anyone I have ever met. She is efficient, effective and hard working. She is used to putting in extra effort when needed to cultivate a situation for the positive. She and her husband worked their way from a modest mud hut home to one of cement and grandeur, complete with solar powered electricity. Grace has an attitude and demeanor that would give powerhouse women in the States a run for their money. She has spent years devoting her time to establishing a network within Kayafungo and the surrounding areas. She epitomizes the vision that ThinkImpact has about community ownership of projects. As Chairperson of the Kayafungo Mungano Women’s Group, Grace has advocated for the making of soap to help alleviate the spread of disease by providing a product to the community for handwashing to occur. She wants the sales of this soap to not just be for income but to also have an educational component for the community. Grace and the women came up with this product themselves after asset mapping occurred in August 2009. After seeing partial challenges with access to one of the main local ingredients, the women in the group turned to Grace for guidance. As a women’s health activist, she suggested sanitary pads to be sold. After many lengthy discussions it decided that reusable pads would be the most effective. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">I left Kayafungo for a period of time to go to Nairobi for some meetings. While I was away Grace located another female entrepreneur in a surrounding area, who works with young girls empowering them through football and educates on menstruation. Grace and her new partner had many meetings and discussions about different ways to make the reusable pads. Grace had meetings with the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation to learn more about the issue of access to sanitary pads, and to look for the grass her new partner had said could be used in the absorbency part of the pad. She did research on what local women use each month and approached schools about the support offered to young girls about menstruation. All this was self-prompted. She was doing market research without even being the wiser; just a natural step for her to take. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Grace is a motivational leader, of whom the women she works with turn to for advice and guidance, not just about the business, but also about health and life. <span style=""> </span>Most of the mornings at Grace’s home consist of neighbors dropping by to chat, drink chai, and discuss things that are happening with them. Grace takes the time to sit as long as needed, with each and every one of them who drops in. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Grace has a thirst for academia and is always seeking for ways to learn as much as she can. She recently just bought a university level course book on business. She told me it was so she could further her knowledge, so the business will be successful. Grace works and sets up meetings without prompt from me. Grace is an example of the kind of person that a community partner needs to be. I know that my project would not be as successful as it is right now without her. She does the hard work, and I am here to facilitate and prompt thoughts. I know when my fellowship time is up; the KMWG will be in good hands. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Recently, I had a meeting that included some new women. I listened as Grace spoke about social business. She described it in English first in an eloquent and stimulating way. She completely understands the idea, something a few months ago I may not have been able to say. Grace will make this successful because of the passion I heard during that speech. When the soap and sanitary pad business is ready for expansion, she has contacts and potential markets identified to do so. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">The attribute Grace has that might be the most imperative is her strong voice in the community. Living within a male dominated society, this is an important and key aspect to the success of the Muungano business. Grace knows who she is and what she stands for. She is prepared to fight not just for her own rights, and freedom of speech, but that of her fellow women in Kayafungo. She is a rare gem that shines brightly. Grace’s spirit illuminates those around her, and during meetings I see her confidence inspiring the other women. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Grace is causing a revolution in Kayafungo. She is causing women to rethink their situation, stand up for themselves, and begin to have hope. Grace is an entrepreneur for a vast number of reasons, but most importantly she is an inspiration. <span style=""> </span>Grace is the reason I have come to fully believe in social business. This is the type of person I know lives undiscovered in many places throughout rural areas of the world. People, who are silently inspiring others, are fighting poverty in unique creative ways and are naturally leaders. All it took for Grace to take off running was a conversation. A conversation we had on the steps of a shop, about women’s health, and how to improve it. One conversation has ignited a fire that empowered 30 women to become businesswomen. One conversation that has changed my life forever. </p>Alexandra Crossonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06713382459171252183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7292510499131514274.post-57576135212123502010-11-21T10:42:00.000-08:002010-11-21T10:43:09.697-08:00Aunt Carol got me thinking.......<p>The French expression, "L'Afrique est comme une drogue," meaning Africa is like a drug, exemplifies the way life here in Africa is.</p> <p>Like all addictions, you start small. The first taste hooks you. For me this hook, was the fact that there is so much need and life to discover here in Africa. I always talked and dreamed of going, learning the language. The culture of Africa seemed diverse, interesting and so rich. The first taste for me, was an easy sell, no peer pressure involved at all.</p> <p>The second taste was more than I could handle. I set foot here in Kenya, and well I was over the threshold, both feet fully committed to this addiction. The minute I inhaled the sweetness of Kenya, I knew my life would never be the same.</p> <p>Addiction like all things in life comes with its positives and its negatives. The highs here in Kenya include the wonder of the safari. Seeing animals that you only can see in the States at the zoo, in their natural enviroment. No concern for you, going about their business all in harmony. The highs show you the balance of nature and development. The highs are the vibrant people full of hope, love and happiness despite their surroundings. The highs are a ride of your life. The ride that takes you up and down, takes you to the far reaches of dreams and opens your eyes to the unimaginable.</p> <p>The lows however of this addiction are heartbreaking. The lows are seeing poverty in the fullest of its definition. Seeing starvation. Lack of access to water. Lack of electricity. Lack of basic needs. The lows are knowing all this exists in a place you are now living, yet, you can do little to combat this. You are one, you are making a dent, but in the big scheme of things is too small.</p> <p>In between the highs and low you realize that you are not the only person addicted. You are not the only person living in a hazy African fog of ugali, maize, love and emotion. You are together. You are one of many. You know that you are united under a common cause. The addiction that is Africa.</p> <p>Africa. I hope I never have to go to rehab.</p>Alexandra Crossonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06713382459171252183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7292510499131514274.post-30440627135757915612010-11-16T00:53:00.000-08:002010-11-16T00:54:38.374-08:00what color is development work?Borrowed from what I wrote for ThinkImpact's <a href="http://blog.thinkimpact.org/">blog</a><br /><br /><div class="post-content"> <p>While only being in Kayafungo living and working with the group of women who have named themselves the Kayafungo Mungano Women’s group (mungano meaning united together in Swahili), I have come to realize that while development work at first seems like an adventure, it turns into something completely different. It is a something that will make you taste nature and the pure raw Earth. It will make you grapple with mankind’s endless kindness and foreboding cruelty. You will become aware of your surface ambitions, but will more importantly hone in on your acute fears, wishes and ideals.</p> <p>Development work will challenge your morals, and ultimately your character in ways personal to your experience. You will learn no amount of school, training or advice will prepare you for your on the ground, real life, real people experience. The places and people you encounter will no longer be a face in a picture, a location on a map, a story you read somewhere, an advertisement or commercial for a charity; each will become a part of your soul and very being. You will ever be changed. You will never see the world again in <strong>black and white. </strong></p> <p>Instead the world will be constantly changing shades of gray with sporadic color bursts erupting when you least expect them.</p> </div>Alexandra Crossonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06713382459171252183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7292510499131514274.post-58092031078681173972010-11-06T14:20:00.000-07:002010-11-06T14:32:59.486-07:00Tonight is lonely, quiet and humid. The lack of free entertainment is something that reminds me of life here however. No television, no radio, no movie because of my lack of CD-rom in my netbook, and no real outings places to go that are 1)safe, and 2) free. Unless there are undiscovered hang out places I have no idea what people do here.. STILL. Yes, we venture to the bars, beach and into town but I can't seem to figure out where the "young" people my age are... its a mystery. If I had unlimited shiling (kenyan currency) I would find out. I would hunt for them. But alas I have little shilling and live halfway between Nyali (the nice/rich area of mombasa) and Old town- the thriving center of mombasa, so here I am on a Saturday night stuck. Now dont get me wrong I had opportunities to go out and party, but let's just say last night was "too much." If the internet/electricity goes out, I'm also out, out of luck. I would try to sleep but well its too damn hot.<br /><br />So what have I done tonight? Sat on facebook and untagged pictures of myself... for like an hour. What a sad excuse of a Saturday night! Facebook is currently my frenemy... I long to deactivate, yet it is my true source of connection to people back home. Home. Where is my home? After living at school, moving down to North Carolina, and now living here in Kenya... where do I call home? I never imagined living back in Livonia, for more than a few months of transition, but as life has evolved, I know not where the transition will be too. One thing is for sure I miss walking on carpet barefoot, sitting around in my underwear eating gf crackers while watching CNN, and most of all living alone.<br /><br />There is too much time here to think. And by think I mean overthink. One of my host Mamas, Mavella told me just a few weeks ago, that the worst thing anyone can do is to get lost in their own head. She told me this after revealing what life is like for a woman whose husband decides to take a second wife. Polygamy is largely practiced here in Kayafungo. She told me how no matter what to push on, and busy the hands, to busy the mind. Her advice I hate to say is so right, yet here I am sitting in my moist apartment lingering in my head. Flipping through old photos of the days at Central, wishing I was there, wishing my friends where here, wishing my hair looked that good here, wishing my hair was long or even short like the pictures, wishing I could see the snow, wishing I was as tan as some of the pictures, basically wishing for the best of all the worlds and all the things I've been so lucky to do the last few years.<br /><br />Wishing gets you no where. Living is what drives the dreams we have, and reach for. I should get off my tush and go do something!Alexandra Crossonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06713382459171252183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7292510499131514274.post-79250699208237074432010-11-03T10:56:00.000-07:002010-11-03T10:58:19.878-07:00Kombe Chronicales Part 1<img src="file:///C:/Users/ALEXAN%7E1/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot.png" alt="" /><img src="file:///C:/Users/ALEXAN%7E1/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot-1.png" alt="" /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> 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{mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Kombe is a ten year old with the curiousity of epic adventures. Armed with his sling slot and dreams, he roams the dirt paths of Kayafungo looking for the unknown. He braves the brush and shrubs in search of creatures. If unearthed he befriends them as his new found pet, others may see this action as imprisonment but either way Kombe is appeased. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">His most recent adventure brought him to Harriet the hummingbird. Harriet made her home in a lemon tree behind Kombe's hut. Kombe was out slinging rocks at chickens and goats when one of his arsenal went ary. The pellet flew into the lemon tree and stunned a very suprised Harriet. Harriet fell out of her nest with a soft thud. Kombe rushed to her aid. He was relieved when he discovered Harriet was well, scared, but overall just fine. Kombe scooped her in his calloused hands to place her back in her nest. As he was gently laying her in her home, Kombe discovered Harriet was a Mama. Mama Harriet had three small turquoise eggs in her cozy nest. After Kombe's rush of excitment and small high giggle sounded, he placed Harriet in her nest then plucked the whole thing out of the lemon tree. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him into his hut.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Kombe raced around inside trying to find a suitable resting place for Mama Harriet and her eggs. He placed her in a kanga that he has folded into a circluar ring, a nest for the nest. Then rushed over to his mother's sewing kit. Kombe withdrew a small silver needle and spool of brown thread, what his mother mends his school uniform with, and raced back to Mama Harriet. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Upon reaching Mama Harriet, kombe saw she was coming backaround and he needed to work quickly. He took hold of Mama Harriet by the wings and set to work. Kombe quickly and efficiently threaded Mama Harriets left leg to the small nest with her eggs in it. After his work he perched Mama Harriet over her babies and said good night. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The next morning Kombe checked his new pet. He saw that Mama Harriet was fairing well and was in the same position as the night before. Kombe left for school in his brown shorts and bright blue school uniform with satisfaction his new pet would be waiting for his return.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">While Kombe was learning his 1,2,3s Mama Harriet was trying to break free from her prison. She needed to hunt so she would be able to feed her newborns as they were due to hatch any time. Mama Harriet tried and tried and flapped her wings with such force she was creating small dust swirls around her captive nest. Mama Kombe while taking chai heard this camotion in the corner and went to investigate. Armed with her palm branch broom she quietly approached the corner prepared to eliminate any vermon she discovered. To her great suprise she found Mama Harriet! Mama Kombe scooped up the nest, tore the string free from Mama Harriets leg, with her broad skilled hands and set her free. Mama Harriet dove and circled around Mama Kombes head in skillful aircraft tactics. Mama Kombe recognized this maternal instinct of protrcting the eggs from danger, and softly and slowly took the nest to the maurubine tree just near the lemon tree. Mama Harriet followed Mama Kombe back to the house before resting on her new perch. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Mama Kombe waited all day for Kombe to come home. Kombe rushed into the house as dusk approached, coming from school hastily instead of his usual slow tempo. The door burst open to the house and he went straight to the corner he placed Mama Harriet in. Mama Kombe watched her son from the doorway to the kitchen, she slowly stirred the pot containing dinner, as she saw the look of horror and sadness roll over Kombe's face. Kombe screamed and demanded to know where Mama Harriet was. Mama Kombe calmly replied she has no idea about what he was referring to. Kombe let out a mournful wail, tears leaking down, and staggered outside to check the lemon tree. To his great sadness, Mama Harriet was not there. </span></p>Alexandra Crossonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06713382459171252183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7292510499131514274.post-15457378206394528582010-11-03T10:23:00.000-07:002010-11-03T10:39:43.078-07:00Shida has been following Laura and IDuring my fellowship I am accompanied by a fellow Fellow, Laura MacArthur. She is working on an agricultural project as I am working on a health and sanitation project. During the last few weeks we seem to be Mazungu Magnets for shida.<br /><br />Shida is a Swahili word for problem. And let me tell you Laura and I know the meaning of Shida here.<br /><br />A few weeks ago Laura and I were in Nairobi, after a series of meetings falling through we decided to go to the Masai Mara, a well known safari area, known most for the wildabeast migration, and the vast views of the Rift Valley, home to many animals including SIMBA! (Lions!). The morning we are to leave, I am awoken at 3 am with the most intense stomach cramping I have ever felt. The next 3 hours were spent rushing to the bathroom with the Kenya equivalent of Montazuma's revenge. Needless to say the safari was to be delayed. Laura and I, along with our Country Director, Abdallah, pile into a car and head into town to go to the hospital. The hospital is pretty empty, and the night shift is ready to help. I have to leave a stool sample and give 3 vials of blood. Laura came back into the hospital room with me as to keep me company. The RN on duty- a guy who has little practice with English, one of Kenya's native languages, tells Laura she is the run the samples to the lab. Laura, a non medical personelle member, is to take my poop and blood to some unknown corner of the hospital... can we say WHAT? How is this even allowed to occur? Well either way she trots off with the "goodie" bag and goes to the lab. While she is gone the trusty RN fills my IV line- which he had less than zero skill putting in- 2 weeks later I still have a bruise!- with a medicine that makes my head feel like it could pop off. No warning, no nothing. I just have the strangest sensation, and when I panic because I think I'm about to stroke out the machine I'm hooked too goes haywire from my heartrate, and the RN goes, "oh you will feel funny for a minute. don't worry. hakuna shida!" WHAT! What kinda of Nurse are you--- oh right you aren't even a doctor--- great. At this time Laura arrives after a mouse maze to get to the lab. Story gets better later in the day... but basically I had a bacteria and a 104 fever! Yikes. At least it wasn't malaria- like the day doctor who came on duty was extremely worried it was.<br /><br />The next day we delayed the safari again and I sat around recovering and visiting my new favorite place the bathroom- in which the toilet also had flushing issues!<br /><br />Finally the safari! Laura and I are all packed up in our tourist clothes, and we are off. We get in the van to take us to the mara and about 3 hours into the drive, the van breaks down. It doesn't just sort of break down, it breaks down in the middle of no where! The only thing around are a herd of masai children who are so excited they cant stop crowding around, and trying to touch our "soft hair." needless to say the situation was less than wonderful. Another safari van rolls up, and by random chance a guy on safari is a mechanic, he climbs under the car and says that the issue is the radiator, it has a leak. He suggests taking it somewhere to get a patch, and then a driver of yet another safari van says, "oh no when we are out in the mara we use this!" He produces from a pocket an ORAL REHYDRATION SALT packet! Needless to say the mazungu with the degree was ignored and the rehydration packet was used, as Laura and I were shuffled into a different van like sardines with a church group. This set the tone for the safari. The car broke down EACH DAY we were in the mara. INcluding on the drive back home.<br /><br />The following days consisted of Laura and I's tuk-tuk, a small cab that runs on a vesper's motor, breaking down and rushing into oncoming traffic, the lights at the grocery store going out when we are there- 3 times. AND a movie we went to see flickering and dying in the middle. SHIDA SHIDA SHIDA. We are now the Kenyan Queens of Shida. We should make headpieces for each event that happens, it would be enormous. One day Laura and I will document fully the shida that has happened in more epic details.Alexandra Crossonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06713382459171252183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7292510499131514274.post-34606450360824286972010-11-03T10:05:00.000-07:002010-11-03T10:20:02.273-07:00Time to get serious about blogging........I've been in Kenya now since August. A whole 3 months, 1/4 of a year, 9 weeks, and no matter how I measure the increment of time that has passed it seems like my life has been a serious of trials, successes and ....... well.... unbelievable events. Some days I feel like to quote my favorite musicians, a candle in a hurricane! Other days I feel like this is the life I am destined for, and I find myself daydreaming of how to build a house here, and the amenities that I would need to install in said house to live a "normal" life. Normal. Ha. Nothing about life here is normal. Starting in the morning I have to use bottled water to brush my teeth, rinse and gurgle. The morning routine of a shower, potential shave of the legs- ha why bother? Can't show my knees- so wear pants, becomes an obstacle. The water for the shower comes in small bursts of ice cold water- water that even Lake Michigan would run screaming from in the middle of winter. Then to complete the morning trifecta, the toilet. Ah the toilet with its western style seat, raised in a familiar way, will most mornings mutiny and refuse to flush. This country seems to have the idea for the toilet in mind, but the mechanics that go into said technology are less than stellar.<br /><br />On that particular note, it must be said that Kenya is a country full of jerry rigged things. Our internet cable, for example, runs down the side of our 8 floor apartment complex, is secured on the roof by twine and a metal rod to which the receiver box is taped and hoisted into the air a good 10 meters. Looking out across the length of the rooftop it can be seen that is a common practice. While on the roof you will also see the sadest attempt at a clothesline from the token "mazungus," (what Kenyans call white people, not in an offensive manner, just way it is...) living here. Kenya is a city full of creativity because of this phenomenon of jerry-rigging everything and anything.<br /><br />Most days I look around and think to myself- do I really live here? What am I doing? How is this "normal?" CRAZY things happen without a particular reason. Shida is a Swahili word for problem. Hakuna Shida means "no problem." similar to the overused, widely known saying from the Lion King movie, Hakuna Matata, meaning no worries. To use Hakuna matata in Kenya is a tourist trap. The Kenyans around you will pounce on you like a hungry lion to a wildabeast as they realize you are a walking dollar sign. You will be escorted to your destination- you may or maynot have needed help finding- then upon arrival charged by this Kenyan entrepreneur who saw an opportunity to exploit a mazungu using a taboo phrase. Whats the bottom line- WHEN TRAVELLING TO KENYA DO NOT USE PHRASE HAKUNA MATATA- USE HAKUNA SHIDA.<br /><br />Hakuna Shida. Ah. words that if you come to Kenya you will hear a zillion times a day, and will eventually want to tell the person speaking the words where to stick the phrase. Hakuna Shida. No worries. Usually when this phrase is babbled.... there is a HUGE shida. A huge problem. Never underestimate however the person saying this to jerry-rig a solution to the problem. This solution will most undoubtedly be the wildest solution that in fact will bring more shida to unfold. Beware of the shida.Alexandra Crossonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06713382459171252183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7292510499131514274.post-3737047098182660072010-03-28T12:29:00.001-07:002010-03-28T12:29:56.684-07:00Witchcraft?Witchcraft. Burning at the stake. Accusing those who live amongst us, the devote, the faithful, the opinionated. This happens not in Salem many decades ago but in Africa, present day. In a village that is coming into its own, divided by poverty and educational level. A village where wealth is measured by wives and cattle. A village where men sneak and creep in the middle of a dark cool crisp night, waiting, watching, seizing the moment to strike at the hearts of the weak. The hearts of the witches. Machetes in hand, torches in the other, bare feet moving as silently as crickets along the uneven earth approaching ever closer to the wicked. Those possessed by the demons of beyond this world, demons that kill the crops, disease the cows and infest the wombs of the women. Demons which allure the young to drink, and the women to be loose. Demons which use temptations of the flesh to swoon and woo, only then to enter the body in the shape of a virus, that destroys the immune system, that weakens the already famished. The men sneak and come in the night to stop the spread of demons as if they themselves are the cleansers of the community. Witchcraft. Must be stopped. Must be ended.<br /> A man in the crowd wonders aloud, “Is this really witchcraft?” His voice barely a decibel above a whisper, yet the men in the crowd with machetes in hand and torches in the other all hear over the patter of their feet on the earth. A whisper that brings a halt to the precession of demise, a whisper that brings the man to his death, a blow so swift and sharp, his lips still in the form of a whisper. Deaths for asking a simple question most were thinking. This is a mob on a mission to cleanse their community of a demon that has spread its arms to embrace the weak, the elders, the unborn and the mothers. A demon that knows no boundary, that seeps into the marrow of the living who helplessly watch all around them meet the darkness. This is a mob that has lost itself to a demon that the rest of the world is still fighting. This demon has no cure. This demon loves to thrive on the vulnerable. This demon has friends who embark on the infestation before he comes calling. His friends are violent and stealth, not always showing there faces, hiding in the dark, while the demon sets himself up nicely to invade. The demon and his friends have travelled the world over. Yet, find a nice home in Africa, where their fruits are plenty. When will this witchcraft and witch hunt finally come to an end?Alexandra Crossonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06713382459171252183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7292510499131514274.post-69264291335485659282010-03-28T12:25:00.000-07:002010-03-28T12:27:35.672-07:00time to get seriousIt's a few days before April and it's time to get serious about fundraising. If you stumble across this please donate at <a href="http://www.thinkimpact.org/alex">www.thinkimpact.org/alex</a> Any amount WILL HELP! Thanks!<br /><br />I'm also going to be blogging about Creative Stories that I thought about while I was in Kenya.<br /><br />*** HERE IS MY DISCLAIMER!******<br /><br />These are FICTIONAL STORIES. Whiles some aspects of these stories are true, this does not mean that this is what happens in Kayafungo, Kenya.<br /><br />That being said ENJOY!Alexandra Crossonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06713382459171252183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7292510499131514274.post-57450525829913037862010-02-03T09:36:00.000-08:002010-02-03T10:16:17.491-08:00Suds n' PlugsIt has become more and more apparent that education is the key to helping break down barriers in developing countries, such as rural Kenya. Investing in young girls education is linked to increasing gender equality. By educating girls and women many positive changes within a community can occur; higher wages, a greater likelyhood of working outside the home, lower fertility; reduced maternal and child mortality; and better health and education. The impact is not just within the women's lifetime, but has lasting effects on health, education, sanitation and productivity of future generations. There is a saying in Africa that it takes a whole village to raise a child, and since the women are primarily care givers, it takes a whole village of women to raise one child!<br /><br />Around the world, women lag behind men in terms of education, access to healthcare, work, and opportunities in the political areas. According to the Council on Foreign Affairs, "there may be no better investment for health and development of poor countries around the world than investments to educate girls." Gender gaps are seen in access to education very visably in primary school. Income, geography, social and cultural norms come into play when looking at many communities. It is often thought that investing in the males in the family is the only option when it comes to financing school fees. Young girls are often left behind, even if they have great potential. Young girls become victims to losing their childhood, by having to take on more womanly roles: cooking, cleaning, child care, fetching water, ext. This cultural norm can lead to higher fertility rates, higher maternal and child mortality and higher causes of female reproductive issues/infection because young girls are beginning to have children to early.<br /><br />In my Fellowship project, a large component is health and sanitation education in schools. Sanitation efforts and healthy habits need to be established within the nursery schools, where children in Kayafungo learn to read and write. This is a perfect way to start building a generation of informed healthy adolescents. Primary schools and secondary school is where the focus must be made in dealing with reproductive health, healthy relationships and then reinforcing sanitation ideas. Investments in early education creates lasting prevention efforts later in life.<br />My commitment to health improvement and women’s empowerment became solidified as I experienced life in Kayafungo, Kenya, a rural Southeast Kenya devastated by poverty and poor sanitation. <br /><br />While in Kenya, Grace shed some light on the issues about gender equality, and lack of access to education. She was extremely passionate about how young female students were missing almost one week of school per month because of their menstruation cycle, and that female reproductive health was breezed over in school, leaving female youth questioning what was happening to their bodies with no one to ask about it. Many female youth when surveyed said, they were uncomfortable asking their teachers, who were mostly males, about their cycle, and that their mothers did not seem open to the discussion. Young girls and women of Kayafungo do not have readily available sanitation pads to use during their cycle, and are reduced to using bits of cloth or fabric. This practice is not only ineffective to stop leakage, but coupled with a lack of access to clean water, it is unhygienic and potentially very harmful. Grace and many other women in Kayafungo wish for their daughters, nieces and other girls to have a chance at a childhood the women never had. Grace and I gathered CHTs and local women to create a social enterprise, a soap business that will bring in financial means to support health and sanitation endeavors within the community at large, and have a specific focus on female health sanitation. The soap business will provide capital to start a Women’s Action Center, a hub for the soap business, hold soap making demonstration, a place where soap and other sanitation products will be sold to local community members and schools, trainings on health issues, and a community center for young girls to come and discuss health topics in an open and nurturing environment. The Women’s Action Center allows for many issues to be addressed, the large goals being improve health and sanitation, increase girl attendance in school, and positively improve the lives of young girls and women in Kayafungo.<br /><br />The Kayafungo Mungano (united) women's group is the women's organization that I started to help address health and saniation issues in Kenya. We have already made a huge impact. The 30 women that make up the KMWG come from various areas within the community; have diverse skills and a passion for improving health and sanitation as a whole in Kayafungo. The women and I formed the KMWG, started a soap business where 250 bars of soap were made from local materials to be sold in the community market, improving the sanitation on homes in the community, a total of approximately 500 people. Every single bar of soap was sold during our first business day, grossing 3000 shillings, equivalent to $43 USD, and with most of the community living on under $1 USD a day, this is a huge accomplishment. Part of this money was put towards registering the KMWG with the government, the rest was put aside to later invest in the building of the Women’s Action Center, the long term goal of the KMWG. The women met on a bi-weekly schedule to create soap, discuss philanthropy opportunities in the community, and to work on skill building. While I was in the community we had six successful meetings, and one soap making session.<br /><br />My fellowship project is a social enterprise based idea that will lead to great sustainable change within Kayafungo. This project has taken many different turns and has been a constant flow of thoughts, input from others, and a wonderful learning experiance. I am most proud of the fact that the women's group is already established, has sustainable qualities and we have only just begun.Alexandra Crossonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06713382459171252183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7292510499131514274.post-20136017003274109952010-01-25T06:37:00.000-08:002010-01-25T06:59:55.014-08:00Sustainable Development= WINNING!<div align="left"><strong>News:</strong> </div><br />Think Impact did not place in the top 10 spots during the Chase Giving Challenge. While this news may seem disappointing for some, I was still optomistic and excited when I heard the news because while we didn't win a place to earn us boat loads of dough, we did create extreme awareness about the organization, how sustainable development is effective and had a great time competing. The proof was in the checks that came to my house to help sponsor the Women's Action Center. It was a great day Saturday! Funny how there can be a positive that comes from a negative situation.<br /><br />Since the beginning of this adventure as a Fellow, I worried about raising the funds for the Action Center, and now I can see that in a week things can turn around. It's exciting. But while I'm feeling good about the propects of raising the cash needed, I still am nervous. This week is going to be full of inquires to women's groups around the country, and working on the Do Something Award, that Pepsi is sponsoring. The Do Something award is similar to a grant, but it allows young people to apply for money to help "do something" positive in the community. This award is applicable abroad, and you can talk about what you have already done, what you will do or what you want to do new. I'm feeling great about this award, because while in Kenya, the women started their own soap business, so my project would be adding to something that already exists!<br /><br />More to come...Alexandra Crossonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06713382459171252183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7292510499131514274.post-69591361804908485942010-01-21T09:46:00.000-08:002010-01-21T09:55:05.026-08:00Attention ALL FACEBOOK USERS!!- Chase Giving ChallengeMy journey as a fellow is in the halfway stage... but better to start documenting the journey late than never! Part of the fellowship is raising the funds for the project. But the other part is working on background and putting together ways to implement the components of the project once on the ground.<br /><br />Currently, I am obsessed with fundraising. I can't stop thinking about it. One way that Think Impact is trying to raise money is by being a part of the <a href="http://www.thinkimpact.org/chase">Chase Giving Challenge</a>, which is being run through the Facebook Causes page. Think Impact was one of the top 100 organizations who made it through round one. Round two began on Friday January 15th, and is going until Friday January 22, 2010 ending at 11:59 pm. In the last week we have been towards the bottom of the leaderboard, but in a leap of hope last night we jumped 10 places! In 7 hours we were able to matriculate 500 votes!! Think Impact's cause is a significant one! I hope that we will be able to be first place ( wins $1 Million) and if not, than at least in the top 6 (2-6 gets $100,000). This is a great way to help out a cause without having to donate a dime of your own money. If you come across this blog before Friday Jan 22nd at 11:59 pm PLEASE VOTE for us.<br /><br /><div align="center">To do so: Go to <a href="http://www.thinkimpact.org/chase">www.thinkimpact.org/chase</a></div><div align="center">Sign into facebook</div><div align="center">Become a fan of Chase Giving </div><div align="center">Vote for Student Movement for Real Change (think impact's old name)</div><div align="center">And you're done! It's as simple as that and takes less than 30 seconds! </div><br />Help be a supporter of change within the world! I'm currently stalking the leaderboard, and am hopeful of us getting to the top 6. But we can't do it alone! Thanks for your help!Alexandra Crossonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06713382459171252183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7292510499131514274.post-16579507186685479052010-01-21T09:25:00.000-08:002010-01-21T09:38:26.161-08:00And so it begins....During the summer of 2009, I went to Kayafungo, Kenya as an intern with <a href="http://www.thinkimpact.org/">Think Impact </a>(then called Student Movement for Real Change). Myself and 9 other students from universities around the United States, were the first interns to venture to the rural community of Kayafungo. What we learned while there was unimaginable, and will be with us forever....<br /><br /> In the community it was impossible not to be touched by everyone I met. Each person whom I met had a unique gift to give, new ideas, different skills, their own personal story, but the person whom I was touched by the most was Grace Chihanga. She comes from a progressive family where her husband respects and values her as an equal, a rare thing in Kayafungo. Grace is educated and knows the value of hard work. She and her husband started their marriage in a mud hut, which eventually became a huge cement home with solar panel electricity, and a full cement latrine. She has helped put her children through private school, and her husband through university. Education is emphasized in their house, which is not the case on other homesteads where education is overlooked. Besides Grace’s rise from poverty that is inspirational, it’s Grace’s soul that is truly moving. She is dedicated and passionate. She sees issues in the community as a necessity to change. She believes in the power of teamwork and unity of women. She is her own advocate. Grace showed me how dreams and goals transcend the lot to which you were born. She believes anything is possible. Her warmth and compassion for her fellow women and men is something I foresee being the driving force for the women’s group to be successful. She showed me the power of women, and how simply gathering women in Kayafungo can lift their spirits to new heights. Without Grace the women’s group would not have started their soap business, and would not have already made a profit. Grace’s influence in my life and in the women’s lives has been invaluable.<br /><br /> Currently, I am a proposed Fellow with the non-profit organization, Think Impact, which connects American college students and recent graduates with rural villages in Africa to become social entrepreneurs. Through Think Impact’s Global Development Internships and Fellowships, young Americans are given the opportunity to alleviate poverty through a sustained commitment to social innovation, leadership and entrepreneurship. Think Impact’s philosophy is people-powered global development. <br /><br /> My Fellowship project will focus broadly on the issue of empowerment of women in Kayafungo. Women have a quiet voice in Kayafungo. Yet, they know about the concept of power in numbers. They want to come together as a group to address many social issues in the community such as hygiene, female health and safety, sanitation, and keeping young girls in school. The women feel these issues need to be addressed so the lives they live can be more rewarding and healthy both mentally and physically. In partnership with Grace, we mobilized a committee of women who named themselves the Kayafungo Mungano (United) Women’s Group (KMWG), a constitution was made and is to be registered by September 1, 2009. The groups’ mission is to unite the women of the community to work together to improve the quality of life in Kayafungo. A soap business was started to create capital to be saved to build a Women’s Action Center. The idea of making soap came from the group’s asset mapping as well as surveying the local population about access to inexpensive effective soap. The soap was sold at the community market. The soap business will be a continuing source of revenue for the center, as well as a way for the women to come together to create group unity. The issues to be addressed will be combated by other projects the KMWG planned including: education in schools on sanitation, family planning promotion, team building projects, first aid stands, and awareness about women’s empowerment.<br /><br /><strong>Long term goals of the KMWG:</strong> To build a Women’s Action Center for women to learn about health education and sanitation. Educational curriculum approved by the Center for Disease Control will be used to educate the women about reproductive health, and making safe healthy choices. The women will be trained then expected to train others. The women want to focus on empowering all women in the community. This also includes teaching young girls the value of education, the importance of staying in school, eventually raising female attendance in schools, and how to make good life choices.<br /><br /><strong>Short term goals of the KMWG:</strong> To continue the soap making business to create revenue to build First Aid Stations. The first aid stations will also include a small service fee, and will be selling hygienic items such as maxi pads, soap, condoms, ext as well as providing first aid. These stands will provide care to all of Kayafungo. First this idea addresses the issue that schools do not have any type of first aid to offer their students so stands could be used to address student care, as well as a place for female students to buy pads. The second issue the first aid stands addresses are the long distances between the sub-locations and the nearest hospitals. Women are charged with taking their children to the hospital, so these would help address issues such as burns, cuts, or diarrhea. First aid would be given to those as a first line of treatment, and would also refer clients to the hospital if treatment could not be administered. The women’s group will also go into schools to educate young girls on menstruation and self-hygiene. The women have expressed interest in doing group empowerment projects such as helping each other dig water ponds to increase the water supply upon homesteads. Also, it has been expressed to further the work on hand washing and sanitation within the schools, with a particular focus on the nursery schools.<br /><br /> Upon "re-arrival" in Kayafungo, I will gather the KMWG and evaluate the women’s groups progress in my absence. If nothing has occurred then the KMWG’s committee will make revisions to the plan of action. The estimated timeline will be between six to nine months. During the first four months, trainings will occur. These will be ten to fifteen day sessions in each area of Kayafungo (4 villages in total). Compensation of food will be given for attending. During the fifth month, school visits will be done at the Primary and Secondary schools (schools to be determined by community) to pilot in girls health weeks, focusing on reproductive health and concrete ways of making good choices. Secondary school girls will be recruited to work with KMWG’s group to teach sessions. Also during this time meetings will be taking place about the construction of the Action Center, and where the center will be located. During the determination of the Action Center’s location the whole of Kayafungo will be informed of the meetings so as to have a chance to voice opinion of the center’s location. The majority of the parties involved will be women from the community, as well as local youth groups, women’s groups and dance groups that have expressed interest to participate in this endeavor. The idea is this is for the women, from the women of Kayafungo, which will create ownership, and in turn sustainability. During the sixth to ninth months evaluation of health sessions will take place.<br /><br /> This project is a direct investment in the community. Each dollar raised for the Action Center will be spent on the construction of the building itself, and the health workshop components. The sustainability of this project is three-fold. The soap business will continue. The soap is to be made during the bi-weekly meetings to then be sold throughout the community. The schools that Think Impact has previously built in the community will be targeted because of the hand washing stations, so sanitation at the schools will continue to increase. The soap business’ revenue will go towards maintenance of the Action center. The trained women will be training youth to work at the center as well, creating a cycle of informed women.<br /> <br /> The total budget for this project is $14,000 USD. This project will help to empower the local women by using the soap business they have already created as a platform for health and sanitation reform in the community. The soap business creates sustainability for the project. Research done by the World Bank shows educated women are more likely to invest in their community, and can be important drivers of economic growth and development. The Kayafungo Mungano Women's Group is creating a chance for health education, and access to soap, which will allow for young girls to attend school on a regular basis, allowing them to pursue higher education. This Action Center gives the Kayfungo Mungano Women's Group the starting point to reach out and work with other issues in the community. This will be an establishment of philanthropy, and community projects identified by stakeholders in the community will be addressed. The women of the Kayafungo community are hard working, driven and want to change their situation. We created a successful soap business in two weeks, I can only imagine the great heights that will be reached during the nine months this project is to implemented. Every woman and young girl deserves a chance to optimize about their own health, the right to go to school, and the right to fulfill their dreams. The <a href="http://www.thinkimpact.org/alex">Women's Action Center Proposal </a>is the opportunity to make these basic rights become a reality.Alexandra Crossonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06713382459171252183noreply@blogger.com0