The Kondwa Centre
In Zambia, SEED works with the Kondwa Day Centre for Orphans, a pre-school that provides early childhood education and two meals a day for Zambian orphans. In addition, the Kondwa Centre acts as a gathering place for community groups and projects, including a support group for people living with HIV/AIDS. Kondwa has a volunteer staff that strives to provide the children enrolled at the centre with happiness, love and care, as well as the physical, social and spiritual attention that they need. SEED’s overseas partner Ms. Angela Malik founded the Kondwa Centre in 2000, and is responsible for the distribution of SEED Scholarship funds to the students who are graduating from Kondwa and attending primary school in the surrounding areas.
The Kondwa Centre is situated in the Ng’ombe Compound, which is one of the poorest residential areas in Lusaka, Zambia’s capital. The population of the compound is approximately twenty thousand. Ng’ombe suffers from symptoms of extremely high rates of poverty, unemployment, HIV/AIDS and related illnesses, especially Tuberculosis. The Kondwa Centre and other educational facilities in the compound provide students with opportunities to dream, be nourished, have access to medical care, spiritual guidance, counselling services, simple recreation, and loving and caring guardians.
The Kondwa Centre has facilitated the entry of 250 orphans into various grades at local Government, Private, and Community schools and continues to source the funds for their school requirements. The Centre also assists 18 Orphaned and/or Vulnerable Children (OVC) from Ng’ombe with school requirements and fees for those in higher grades.
The Community Support Group
Community Support Group (CSG) is an apolitical volunteer organization comprised of several dedicated individuals who are committed to supporting community development in the Kibera Slums of Nairobi. CSG is one of the many community groups active in Kibera, working on issues such as environment and sanitation, waste management, HIV/AIDS awareness, counselling and testing, domestic violence, education, and unemployment. CSG encourages and fosters volunteerism amongst youths who are committed and passionate about making an impact in their community.
The Kibera Slums are a densely populated area of land that is approximately 2 square km. It is occupied by 1 million people. Kibera is divided into ten villages, each with their own Village Elder. The area’s water supply is dependent on a poorly designed pipe line that ensures little, if any, sanitation. The community lacks any substantial health and education services. Fifty-four percent of people living in urban areas in Kenya are either HIV positive or have AIDS.
Dan Ogola is a leading member of this community based organization. SEED first made contact with Dan during the summer 2006 internship. He is an inspiring individual full of compassion, confidence and perseverance. He is responsible for building the SEED Junior Academy and is responsible for the distribution of SEED scholarship funds in Kenya. Although CSG and his work are based primarily in Kibera, Dan is also connected to the Lifunga Primary and Humwend Secondary schools in Ugenya, Northern Kenya. Similar to the Kondwa Centre in Zambia, the formal educational institutions provide comfort and safety to all students, in addition to academic lessons.
