get involved > Maisha Bora: community sponsorship
Questions
- 1.Who are Food for the Hungry?
- 2.Has this been done before?
- 3.How can I support Maisha Bora ?
- 4.Where does my money go?
- 5.How are the community involved?
- 6.Who does the programme target specifically?
- 7.What will I receive if I support this work?
- 8.What updates will I receive?
- 9.How long will it last?
- 10.Where can I find out more?
Who are Food for the Hungry?
Food for the Hungry is a Christian International relief and development charity. Founded in 1971, the organisation now have over 2000 staff world wide working amoungst extremely poor communities across 26 countries; in Africa, Asia and South America.
The work of Food for the Hungry is supported by donors around the world and this goes to funding projects designed and run by a workforce of staff in the field, over 90% of whom are local to their country of work.
You can read about the record of Food for the Hungry in Kenya here.
Has this type of project been done before?
There are 13 similar community development projects being supported in Kenya by donors from around the world today. One project in particular is being supported solely by people from Highfield Church in Southampton. Since 2005 the community of Nkunga - just 30 miles from Maisha Bora - have begun benefiting from this support as you can read about here.
Most of our community programmes are supported through child sponsorship. In an effort to increase the flow of resources directly to the work in the community, by reducing administration, we have modified the support mechanism for Maisha Bora to community sponsorship, though the objectives of the programme have not changed.
How can I support Maisha Bora?
You can support the work in this community by becoming a sponsor.
Community sponsorship means being a supporter of the work in the whole community rather than being linked with a specific child or family.
As such all updates are from the community, though these will be supplemented by the stories of individuals impacted by the programme.
To support the equivalent of one family costs £20 a month, though any regular donation larger or smaller is welcome.Where does my money go?
Your money goes to supporting the most vulnerable and neglected people in Maisha Bora targeted by this programme, to help them realise their God-given potential.
This includes:- giving children an education (fees, equipment and uniform are provided)
- providing healthcare training
- home visits to support outcast children and families
- income generating projects/ saving groups
How do you work with the community?
We walk alongside the most neglected community members; sharing skills and information, consulting them and encouraging them to work together to transform their community- giving people a ‘hand up’ not a ‘hand out’.
By forming ,and then consulting, community based groups we can identify and tackle the main issues in a given community and empower local people to tackle these issues for themselves in the long term.
We believe the answer to poverty can not be met simply by administering physical solutions to complicated problems, which are often predicated on a matrix of false beliefs, economic failure and broken relationships.
For this reason, we also work to address the social and spiritual problems in a given community as we believe all forms of poverty (physical, social and spiritual) are connected. This means we actively care for vulnerable people – placing as much value on the spiritual and emotional needs of people outcast or stigmatized as any physical aspect of our programmes.Our work also affirms biblical truths to tackle false beliefs holding people in poverty. For example, affirming that all people are created in God’s image and have equal value, can have the radical effect of empowering women and children who previously have been oppressed. At the same time we are sensitive to local and cultural issues because the staff we employ are from or near the communities we work in, who have the benefit of experiencing first hand the topics our programmes are designed to deal with.
Who does the programme target specifically?
The primary targets are:
- 70 nursery age children
- 282 other school age children
- 125 of the poorest families
These individuals have been chosen following consultation with community leaders and a needs assessment of this village. Of the 352 children overall, there are 169 orphans. The remaining 183 have been chosen because they are from households with extremely poor or chronically ill parents, who are unable to meet the basic needs of their young.
What will I receive?
As a supporter you will receive
- A welcome pack with an introduction to the community with photos and stories from people living there
- An update twice a year of the progress being made and what's been made possible by your generosity
- An invitation to an annual gathering of all Maisha Bora supporters to hear updates and share a meal together
What updates will I receive?
Supporters of Maisha Bora will receive an update on the progress of the community every 6 months (typically June/July and January/February time).
These reports are written by local staff members and reflect the progress made and challenges faced during that time period. Informal updates on developments in the community, including the latest photos and visits made, are also accessible here
How long will it last?
Food for the Hungry UK have committed to supporting this community for the long term. We always go in with an exit strategy for the communities we work in and typically we work within communities like Maisha Bora for 8-10 years, to the point where people are meeting their own basic needs with confidence.
Supporters are not committed to any time length; when you join a sponsorship scheme and can stop your sponsorship support at any time. Contributions made at any point during the programme all go towards securing the long term future of this community.
Where can I find out more?
If you are interested in engaging more with the work in this community we would love to meet with you to discuss ways or more deeply getting involved. To do this please contact us.
If you would just like to read more about this community and the work being undertaken there, please read out our project summary document. To read a case study of how this programme will impact a typical family click here.