Our Partnerships

 

Partnerships are about organizations finding ways to work together successfully, and avoid “re-inventing wheels”.
Building relationships and facilitating effective communication among working partners is one of our most important underlying goals.

AFK is blessed to have among its partners wonderful charities located in the United States and in Kenya.

 

The Voluntary Counselors Kenya (VCK) 

A group of volunteer counselors performing HIV/AIDS counseling and awareness campaigns through churches, schools, learning institutions etc.  The purpose of VCK is to respond to challenges posed by HIV/AIDS related problems in a therapeutic way. This group of counselors is not a carbon copy of other community-based organizations but instead stands on its own and works tirelessly to help the citizens of Kenya through HIV/AIDS counseling, awareness services, campaigns, taking care of orphans and widows who have been affected by HIV/AIDS, creating income generating projects, and supporting women and youth in other myriad ways. We work in partnership with the VCK on our Orphan Support Program. 

Jane Kahuthia, is the program coordinator and can be reached via email:  voluntaryck@yahoo.com or kahusjw36@yahoo.com.

 

 

Both Your Hands 

This organization led by Deborah Naybor connects caring communities with impoverished villages who wish to be assisted to create self sufficient income and improve the lives of families.  The programs work to create "enough":  having enough to go through a day without hunger, to educate one's children, to afford medical care for good health, and to live without fear.  At a grassroots level, Both Your Hands is working to create microloans, provide materials for income producing projects, and to support education and health.  
Both Your Hands work in partnership with AFK and SHOFCO on the SWEP ( Women Empowerment Project) microfinance project.
Website: www.bothyourhands.org

In picture, Deb Naybor with Kennedy Odede (SHOFCO) in Kibera, June 2007




Shining Hope for Community (SHOFCO)

Led by program coordinator Nicholas Masivu (who is in charge of the organization while its founder, Kennedy Odede, is studying at Wesleyan University in the U.S), SHOFCO, in conjuction with well-wishers, works with less fortunate youth in the slums of Kibera to empower them to overcome the pressing issues in Kibera:  overwhelming poverty, unemployment, unclean environment, lack of good education, of sanitation, of electricity and security, of means of transportation, and the lack of clean water.  The general goal of SHOFCO is to help Kiberan youth take leadership in their community, to take on entrepreneurial projects, and to become involved in setting agendas (political, economic, etc.) that keep the Kiberan interests at heart, thus restoring the community. 
For more information please email shofcokenya@yahoo.com or visit their website www.shofco.org
 

United Kenyans of Chicago

United Kenyans of Chicago, NFP (UKC) is a tax exempt non-profit organization that serves as the Kenyan community organization in Chicago and the surrounding areas with the objectives of: a) creating a central point where Kenyan community in Chicago and its environs can socialize, network and otherwise productively exchange useful information, b) developing programs that will enable Kenyan and Kenyan descended children to build a strong African cultural foundation and to identify with the country and its cultural values, c) acting as the voice of the Chicago area Kenyan community and to represent and articulate the needs of this community, d) networking and building friendships and strong working relationships with the friends of Kenya and Africa, as well as other community organizations working on similar issues, e) sharing the rich heritage of Kenya with the friends of Kenya and Africa in the area, and f) contributing to local and Kenyan community projects wherever possible.  For more information, visit their website at www.chicagokenyans.org or contact them at info@chicagokenyans.org.

KidsLibs Trust 

An organization directed by Anne Moore MBE that creates Community-based Information Centers with members of local communities and community based organizations (CBO's).   Kidslibs not only creates the centers, but advises on buildings, finds stock, trains all staff in library skills, and keeps the Centres on the right path through monthly staff meetings and regular training sessions. Currently all centers are in some of the poorest areas of Nairobi Kenya.  They are places where all people come to meet, to have access to information, and materials to encourage growth and imagination.  Kidslibs Information Centers are free and open to all, readers and non-readers alike.  Often these centers can be a method toward conflict resolution, as they united previously divided communities through a shared activity beneficial to all community members. 

Their Website is: http://kidslibstrust.org/ and Blog: www.kidslibskenya.blogspot.com

Kibera School for Girls

It is with great joy and pride that AFK takes on a new partner, the Kibera School for Girls. Built as a result of the efforts of Kennedy Odede and Jessica Posner, who secured the grant from Wesleyan University to build this unique school in the largest slum in Sub-Saharan Africa.  A completely tuition free primary school for the little girls of the Kibera slum, we ask that you go to their website to see the full incredible story and be sure to follow the blog so you can meet the little girls of KSG.  AFK provided the uniforms, the school supplies, the talents of Melissa Dearborn (a marvelous teacher and developer of the curriculum for the school), and on-going support for the school.  The school has honored us by naming the library (books provided by AFK) for Dennis Silver (brother of our Board President ) who died of brain cancer in February of 2009.  AFK was honored to be there this summer and assist with the building of the school which went up in record time.  The first 45 little girls in pre-school, Kindergarten, and first grade started school the first week in September.  We shall watch them and try to provide the best for them.  You may make donations directly to Hope to Shine and the Kibera School for Girls at their website or to AFK for our continued support of the school.