Grassroots Logistics is a regional organization based in Nairobi and operating within East Africa, with the aim of facilitating and supporting projects aimed at empowering local communities to address conservation and poverty alleviation challenges. We also aim to support our sponsors and donors to fulfill their philanthropic, emotional and individual needs by contributing to ‘their own projects’ while ensuring that they are updated on ‘what their dollars’ have achieved. In a sense, Grassroots Logistics therefore aims to encourage our sponsors and donors to visit the various project areas so that they can participate and have the experience rather than just donating to causes that they do not identify with. As such, we aim to work with projects that strengthen the mission and objectives of Grassroots Logistics. |
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ON THE GROUND: Kalacha Women’s Girl-Child project, Northern Kenya
The
overall goal of this project is to empower women through training and better
methods of self reliance to over 60 indigenous community members. Women
in this community are disadvantaged and marginalized. The girls’ childhood
education is hindered because they often supplement the household labour
force by fetching water and other domestic chores. Literacy levels are low
due to budgetary constraints, inadequate facilities, lack of learning resources
and a small number of trained teachers in the area.
In order to promote education in the area, we have been supporting a sponsorship program targeting bright but needy girls pursue secondary education. This program makes it possible for young girls to continue with school instead of joining early marriages; sometimes as young as 12 years! In certain schools, we have helped to form groups to tutor and mentor the girls to increase their chances of success in future.
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) or female circumcision also affects education in the area. Although FGM is an illegal practice in Kenya since 1982, it is still widespread especially among Muslim communities and certain other ethnic groups. We have been educating the community, including health education at primary school and community level with emphasis on the dangers of female circumcision.
Although this project is in its infancy, there are some positive results. Already, 12 girls have received sponsorship through our program.
Email: grassroots@originsafaris.org
Copyright © Grassroots Logistics, 2007.
