Sisters on a Journey

23 February 2010

The statistics coming out of the meeting at KMET were staggering. What a difference it makes to have people on the ground who are committed to what they and we are doing. Never before have we had hard numbers as to what is going on in the schools.

It is not enough to feed a child if they have no future. If they are malnourished or have worms, the food does little good. If the girls drop out of school one week a month because of their period, they fall behind and eventually drop out. If a widow cannot take feed her children, if she cannot feel some sense of pride and certainty that there is a future for her children we are only donors doing more harm than good.

The presentation today was both thorough. Many different approaches are done at the same time. So KMET helps change the nutrition of the children, but they send out a nurse to check their weight and body mass. They examine the children for worms. They help the women do micro-finance. Today I saw a widow who was making liquid soap and using the plastic water bottles people throw away. Not only is she making a living for herself, but also she’s recycling at the same time.

KMET makes an enriched porridge which is has flax, peanuts, soy and other essentials to combat malnourishment. They have gotten the parents in all 3 schools to cost share the porridge for grades K-4. That means that the youngest and most vulnerable shall be fed first. Grades 5-7 cost share as well and grade 8 which before got the food first is now supported by the parents entirely! Go KMET!!

Further they have done an analysis of Kwihirle our newest and smallest school. The children have been weighed, tested and documented. And here’s where the statistics are overwhelming.

Kindergarten

4% kids were severely malnourished

8% malnourished

14.7% had ringworm

2.3% had no meal a day

5.3% of children had one a day

First Grade

3.2% severe malnourish

29.6%malnourish

23% had ringworm

1.6% no meal

4.7% one meal

Second Grade

10% malnourished

35.9% had ringworm

2.6% no meal

7.7% one meal

It doesn’t get better as we go up the grades. So we hope to when we go out to the schools among other things we do is to deworm the kids. It doesn’t do any good to feed them if they are really feeding the worms. The other two schools will be evaluated next term.

Our Micro-Finance is off to a good start. It is wonderful to hear how carefully they have thought out both the way the financing shall be done and to whom. For example they pull together 5 women into a cell. They will give out a loan to 2 of them and the other 3 shall have to wait till the 2 have paid back their loan. That puts community pressure on the 2 and encourages the other 3 to help them. When we go out tomorrow we shall be giving out some of the checks to the cells. Malanga has 17 cells and Manyole 5. Asuke and John are our community workers and they will be joining us to go over the accounts and evaluate new projects. What a difference a year makes.

The concerns for reproductive health are manifest in so many ways with KMET and now in our schools. KMET girls who have dropped out of school are now making reusable sanitary pads. The sewing machines that sat idly at our schools are now all in use with the girls at KMET. Not only have they solved the problem of girls missing school, they are making eco-friendly pads and helping young women achieve self-sustainability.

Monica and I have found an easy pace and a quiet respect and understanding of each other. It is as if I have found a missing piece of me which makes whole, We work together with grace and laughter. We share our dreams and try to make it come true for the other. It is an extraordinary relationship. We are sisters on a journey grateful for each other.