Overview

• Three classrooms to be separated by removable walls, which can be taken out to create a large hall for big assemblies.
• Solar shading and strategic building orientation (positioning the building to take advantage of the sun path) to keep our new facilities cool naturally.
• A large garden, which could be used to grow produce for meals, families in need or sale in the marketplace.
• A play area for our youths.
• A library and computer room equipped with tables and chairs for studying and reading. Parents will be able to take classes and have access to the Internet in the library, and the local community will be invited on certain days of the week.
• A well ventilated kitchen with hot water, cool storage and enough food preparation space to prepare meals in an efficient way.
• A solar hot water heater providing hot water for cooking, cleaning and other purposes.
• Separate latrines for boys and girls. The latrines will be well ventilated and will compost waste into fertilizer for agricultural use.
• Roofs designed to collect rain water and direct it into storage tanks for later use.

Photos

Please click on a photo below to see examples of current facilities and future plans. 

Our Current Facilities

Our current building doesn’t have a large enough outdoor gathering space to accommodate our growing student body.

Our current building doesn’t have solar shading to keep the building cool naturally.

We currently only have one classroom. It isn’t big enough to accommodate our entire student body.

Our small library has no room for tables or chairs for reading or studying.

The shed we use for a kitchen lacks the food preparation space necessary to prepare meals in an efficient way.

Our current kitchen is very simple and doesn’t have a fuel-efficient stove, so it requires a lot of firewood.

Boys and girls share use of our single pit latrine, which isn’t ventilated.

Our Future Facilities

Solar shading and building orientation (positioning the building to take advantage of the sun path) will keep our new facilities cool naturally.	Our new compound will have a large garden, which could be used to grow produce for meals, families in need or sale in the marketplace.	Our new compound will include play areas for our youth.	We will have not one but three classrooms. They will be separated by removable walls, which can be taken out to create a large hall for big assemblies.	Our new classrooms will have lots of storage space.	Our new library will have tables and chairs for studying and reading.	Our new kitchen will be ventilated and have hot water, cool storage and enough food preparation space to prepare meals in an efficient way.
A solar hot water heater will provide hot water for cooking, cleaning and other purposes.	We will have separate sanitary facilities for boys and girls.	Our new latrines will be ventilated, reducing flies and smells and improving sanitation.	Our new latrines will compost waste into fertilizer for agricultural use.	Separating solid and liquid waste will allow the solid to be mixed with ash and become fertilizer.	The roofs of our new facilities will be designed to collect rain water and direct it into storage tanks for later use.	Water collection and storage will ensure we always have enough water for cleaning, crop irrigation and grey water.

When I was about seven years old, I went to the city of Nairobi. I used to take other people’s property and run away. One day luck was not on my side. I stole a woman’s bag but when I was running away, I was caught and beaten by a mob.

At nine or ten years old, I came to Machakos. I had nowhere to live. I had spoiled my respect with my friends, so I didn’t have friends. One day I met some children who talked about a program for street children. At first, I was afraid to go there, but then a man came to me when I was standing outside the supermarket. I was so afraid and I kept a distance from him but he told me that he was a teacher from the children’s program. I was happy because I had already heard of the place.

He told me there will always be githeri (corn and beans) and porridge and that there will no longer be child harassment. When I got to the place, I found children and one of the teachers. The teachers were so happy and were treating us like their own children. I was in this place for about one year and here my behavior really changed a lot and I became a responsible person.

After some months, we had a camping trip to Mombasa. Every one of us was happy about it. From Mombasa, my life changed so much from worse to good. My parents were happy about the change. Even in the village, I was again respected.

I am now fully at home. I cooperate with my parents and teachers and I think that’s why today I am like this. So thanks to all those who help Jitegemee and those who have that willing heart to support children. It is from that support that I have come all this way to this far.

Now, I am doing panel beating (auto body—learning to repair damaged vehicles). I am doing very well and I am expecting to start my own business after the learning process. I want also to teach other (street children) about my trade and my skills. Thanks.

By Mwania Musyoka

The final design and plan reflects the recommendations the Jitegemee Board of Directors and the volunteer architects from the Washington, D.C., chapter of Architects for Humanity made in December 2009 to the planning committee in Machakos, Kenya, along with the planning committee’s subsequent recommendations.

The planning committee is a group of students, teachers and parents who formed a committee during the architects’ visit to Kenya in August 2009.  During the visit, the committee members joined the architects and board members on a trip to see examples of other buildings and affordable, environmentally sustainable designs in Kenya. We learned how the roof can be designed to harvest water (a very important resource in Machakos, which is known for its lack of rain) and how buildings can be designed to keep cool without air conditioning. We even saw toilets that composted human waste into fertilizer, another pretty simple but powerful technology that improves the crop harvest.

If we can raise $90,000 by the summer, we can break ground on our new education center this fall. The planning committee will pick and manage the architectural team and contractor.

“NYAMA!” everybody else responded. Looking around the yard of Jitegemee’s rented house, I was shocked to realize that every single student had contributed to the thunderous echo.  Nyama means “meat” in Swahili and is the refrain in a Kenyan children’s game, signaling that the leader was about to announce the name of an animal.  About one hundred kids, from 5 to 21, stood in front of me, and I could not find one who did not seem genuinely excited about jumping every time the animal’s meat was edible.   As my visit to Kenya continued, I became increasingly impressed by these Jitegemee students. No game seemed too boring for them. No joke seemed too bland. No kid was too ‘uncool’ to talk to. No challenge was too tough to overcome.

I had come with my parents to visit Jitegemee and to participate in a workshop that involved architects, students, guardians and teachers in planning a new school building to be constructed on an acre of land that Jitegemee, a program for street children in Machakos Kenya, had just purchased.

I spent my first few days in Kenya in this workshop, working together with a planning committee of 25 students and adults led by two incredible members of Architects for Humanity. The entire committee travelled to Nairobi to learn how to keep a building naturally cool by shading it from the sun, how to collect rainwater from a roof, and other forms of sustainable, efficient architecture.  At the University of Nairobi, we got a lecture from one of Kenya’s most prominent environmentally-sustainable designers.  In a small town north of Nairobi, we visited a school with a beautiful library large enough for the community to learn and study in, a far cry from Jitegemee’s small library in a cramped teacher’s office.

Although no one on our planning committee had ever designed a school before and many had no more than an 8th  grade education, they soaked up the information. They understood our budget limitations and the importance of prioritizing. When we were introduced to the intricacies of solar panels at a well-known company in Nairobi, not a single committee member believed the product was worth the high prices. Even the fourteen- year-olds understood the value of money and the concept of trade-offs.

The lessons learned will extend well beyond Jitegemee’s new home. When an architect explained that the orientation of a building can have an enormous effect on the temperature within it, the guardians immediately began talking about the orientation of their own houses. They could scarcely wait to return to Machakos and spread the news of what they had learned.

Enthusiasm and a sense of responsibility were traits that everyone in Jitegemee shared.  I was fortunate enough to accompany about 130 Jitegemee students and staff to Amboseli National Park on its annual field trip. We slept in bunk beds at a dusty primary school. Our visit to the park the next day was marred by the same severe drought that had created food and water shortages in Machakos.   At Amboseli, the lack of water had destroyed much of the vegetation, leaving the wild animals without food. We were all silent as we passed zebra carcasses in the dust.  Still, the circumstances did not keep the students from enjoying the trip. Many were excited simply to be on a bus for the first time and to journey far beyond the edge of their town. Others took full advantage of the environmental lesson in front of them. Muli Kieti, a recent high school graduate who is now doing an unpaid journalism internship at a state-run news wire, spent the entire time in the park jotting down notes for an article he planned to write.

Muli is about my age, and he already knows that he is passionate about journalism. In fact, it seemed that all the Jitegemee students my age had already established their goals for the future. Most of the vocational students introduced themselves with both their name and their trade. Two girls my age informed me numerous times, through their giggles, that it was not acceptable for me to be in college and not know what I want to be when I grow up. They had a point. While I spent my freshman year dabbling in subjects like linguistics that I had no intention in pursuing as a career, these vocational students had already started their own businesses and were earning money to support their little sisters and brothers.

These kids had grown up on the streets and most were still often forced to skip meals, yet in the bus to Amboseli they offered me half of the snack that the teacher had just given them.  On our overnight trip, despite having gone to bed very late, despite the lack of warm water and the inescapable dust, the Jitegemee students woke up before the sun rose to wash themselves and polish their shoes.

The students refused to accept the identity of “street kid.” They presented themselves as respectable, young individuals with bright prospects. As equals, we compared music tastes. As equals, we taught each other games. As equals, we shared details about our lives.

As I watched the group play Nyama again, however, the truth dawned on me: We were not quite equal. I would get bored of jumping every time somebody shouted “cow”. I would never choose to wake up at 5 a.m. to polish my shoes.  I could never relate to each new Jitegemee student and give them the comfort of knowing they were not alone in what they have been through.  In truth, each Jitegemee student was superior to me in mental strength, compassion, and self-awareness.  They were fortunate to find Jitegemee, and I was fortunate to experience, however briefly, the family that they have become.

By Jenya Kahn-Lang

In August 2009, Rayya Newman and Mark Palmer, two volunteer architects, visited Kenya with Jitegemee board members to begin the design process. They conducted a five-day workshop introducing our teachers, parents and students to environmentally sustainable designs, such as roofs that collect rainwater, latrines that compost waste, and classrooms that stay cool due to natural ventilation.

Below is a YouTube video with clips from the workshop.

But we are proud that our children did not drop out of school, even with these many problems. We attribute this success to our lunch program where more than 75 students come to eat daily. We worked hard to ensure that children have food, clothes, medical and support.

Our strategy remained participatory and collaborative. We have an outreach program to meet with street kids, observe them to understand their potential, and act as a catalyst for change and holistic development. This year, we recruited 30 new students from the streets to our vocational program, which is proving to be one of our most successful.

After 6 months of rehabilitation classes, youth who despaired in life start to build their ambition. We then place these youth in hands-on apprenticeships with skilled tradesmen. About 80 percent of our graduates are earning money from their trade through commissions, employment or self-employment.

I am also pleased to report progress among our students in formal education. Our students did very well in their exams last fall, and this year we enrolled six children in prestigious secondary schools, including two in Machakos Boys High School, the best in the district, where they are now scoring A’s in mathematics and science. Another joined Makueni Boys, another leading district school. Three others also performed very well and joined Kaumoni, Kathiiani, and Mumbuni Girls High School, three respected provincial schools.

Jitegemee improves academic excellence and motivation by introducing empowerment sessions during month-long school vacations. During the April holiday, all the secondary school scholars were enrolled in tutoring classes to help them improve their skills. “I believe the tutoring I attended during the holiday has given me a new perspective about organizing my time in school,” Mbithe Mutinda, a high school senior said.

We also invite motivational speakers, counselors, teachers and parents to talk with the children to encourage them. Children who joined Jitegemee have been able to see that teachers, parents and others in the community care for them. They have been able to translate this into care for themselves and a commitment to their own lives. In this way, former street kids have developed aspirations and ambitions for their future.

Last summer, Jitegemee launched a microloan program with a pilot group of 14 kids with the aim of bringing loans into process with former street youth. The aim was to create opportunities for the kids to start or improve their business by issuing loans of about $50 to graduates of our vocational program who submitted promising business plans. We faced a number of challenges, as some youth involved in the program took jobs outside Machakos, making repayment a challenge. About 60% of the funds were repaid. This year, Jitegemee staff revised the program to increase parental involvement, institute closer monitoring and require that youth who participate save a certain amount with Jitegemee before receiving a loan. This spring, we issued another round of microloans, and so far the program is working smoothly. Jitegemee also acquired its own tools, which youth borrow for their businesses. For example, two vocational graduates who learned tailoring borrowed Jitegemee’s sewing machines to make school uniforms to sell.

As you know, Jitegemee has had a long-term goal of acquiring our own office, vocational class, and library and computer lab. Now, our dream is almost coming true. We are in the process of purchasing an acre of land, and will begin the process of designing our new building this fall, with input from parents, staff, kids, and experts. Your donation will go a long way towards making this plan a reality and serving more street youth to become self- sustaining and productive members of society.

By Mike Kimeu

To make the dream of a new center a reality, Jitegemee will need to raise $150,000. A generous donor has pledged to match donations for the building fund, so your contributions will go twice as far. We have already raised $25,000—which means that we have pledges for $50,000 or a third of our total goal. Contributions may be made online on our Donate Today page.

By Keanne Henry

This January I travelled with Emma San Segundo Riesco from New York City to Machakos, Kenya. Emma and I had been working on our Masters in International Affairs and fervently studying everything about development and Kenya we thought might help us on this trip. Our first day in Machakos, teacher Elizabeth Nzivo brought us around town, where we met with seamstresses, carpenters, and mechanics who told us their everyday problems, talked about paying for their siblings’ school, and spoke confidently about what they had gained from Jitegemee in terms of courage and friends. Our job was to take these stories and somehow reconcile them with our Columbia “book knowledge” to conduct an impact assessment of Jitegemee’s Vocational Training Program.

Every night when we returned to our hotel room, Emma and I typed pages of notes into our computers, looking for key words and phrases, trends in students’ answers, and recording our observations of the town and people. The next day we would go out again, this time meeting with parents to ask them what they hoped their children would gain from Jitegemee, or how they had seen their son or daughter change during the program. I won’t say our book knowledge became irrelevant on the ground— it didn’t. But what did happen was a slow realization that to assess the Jitegemee program we needed to use criteria that the Jitegemee staff, parents, students and mentors deemed valuable. To impose our personal, or Columbia’s, academic criteria, would not do justice to the hopes, desires and values of Jitegemee’s students.

Upon our return to New York and with the help of our other two team members, Greg Nichols and JeongMin Cha, we used the information we’d gathered to come up with indicators for success as defined by the Jitegemee community. They are:

1. Satisfying social relationships
2. Ability to live life based on good values
3. Ability to live a healthy life, for my age
4. Ability to financially support myself
5. Ability to engage in leisure activities
6. Satisfaction with achievements in the workplace
7. Ability to find meaningful work
8. Feeling of physical safety
9. Ability to feel spiritually fulfilled
10. Suitability of vocational training
11. Extent training met expectations
12. Ability to freely associate with the community
13. Feeling of confidence
14. Level of excitement about learning

With surveys, interviews and other activities based on these indicators ready, Min and Greg returned to Machakos in March to gather data. They talked to many people and even were convinced to buy a suit and dress respectively from a particularly good Jitegemee saleswoman!

After analyzing their extensive quantitative and qualitative data, our team found that Jitegemee has had a huge positive effect on almost every indicator. The greatest positive effects were seen through Jitegemee students and graduates’ success in the following areas: communication, education, spirituality, good behavior, safety from police, confidence, stresslevel, and desire to work. The rehabilitation class is having a large impact on students’ social abilities and behavior, and students are benefiting from greater income and professional ability. 82% of students who were interviewed were employed. 62% of vocational graduates reported being the primary breadwinners in their home, while none of the students who were just starting the program reported being the breadwinner. Students were also much more confident after the rehabilitation program— one student said that “In Jitegemee, I learned about myself and that I am a good person.”

I remember Emma and me thinking after the January trip—”How are we going to help this organization improve? It’s already amazing!” While our data analysis corroborated this initial observation, it did reveal some areas in which Jitegemee can expand or improve its impact.

First, we found that boys are typically earning lower profits than girls. Second, Jitegemee students had experienced a huge decrease in their contact with police, but were still in some danger at home and/or in their communities. Third, we found that Jitegemee students and mentors with higher educational levels were more successful both in the rehabilitation program and in their careers. Lastly, because mentors themselves worked on a commission basis and had varying levels of training themselves, some students were less prepared for their trade than others.

ased on these findings, my team made several recommendations to Jitegemee to improve its program and expand its impact. We would like to profusely thank Mike, Elizabeth, Mwelu, Alex and all the students, graduates, and mentors for their hospitality and for making this analysis possible. This is a fantastic organization and we are excited to see it continue its great work in Machakos.

 By Kerstin Ahlgren