Report by Janet .B. Adhiambo.

(Maseno University)- Kisumu - Kenya

INTRODUCTION

I started working with out of Africa (OOA) as a volunteer on 12th of July 2004. Grace, Desmond and Julie welcomed me. I was then introduced to their projects and activities with which I was to be subjected.

Activities

There are a number of activities that I was entitled to do including office work, individual projects and education.

Office work:

In this area, I helped in implementing databases, making presentations about OOA, typing the booklet and other minor office work like arranging and sorting things.

Individual projects:

During one of my visits to the Ruiru Rehabilitation Center (RRC) I noted with concern that one of the children (Simon Kinuthia) had some weird behavior like taking a friends pair of shoes and exchanging them for petty things e.g. sweets in school. On inquiry about the boy, I realized that he was known to be a very quiet boy who rarely plays with his mates in school or in the RRC. His behavior got worse and I found it necessary to involve myself in working towards changing Simon?s behavior.

I confronted Simon and we had a one on one session and through this I realized that he was doing all these because of depression and denial. We have worked together through guidance and counseling for about two weeks and at the moment he has really improved and he plays with his friends and so far there are no cases of stolen property by him.

The social worker at the RRC (Francesca) whom we?ve been working together has not received any complains of indiscipline or aloneness of Simon as causes of stress or depression.

Education:

In this sector I helped the teachers at the RRC with their classes and also their daily activities like cooking and cleaning. I also realized that the classes in the RRC don?t have enough charts so I drew for them two.

Achievements:

Through working with OOA, I have achieved a lot. First of all, I have gained experience in my field of study (sociology) and I have managed to
Experience the challenges that the experts in the same field may have faced in their careers thus familiarity in future.

Also during my office work I got to learn more about computers that I had not learned by the time I was joining OOA.

In the process of doing my work at the RRC, I met a volunteer from Norway called Janiche who is a jeweler and as she was teaching the children in the RRC how to make ornaments from beads I also got my lessons on beadwork.

Observations:
There is need to implement more income generating projects in the RRC. In this way the center and also the children will in future be independent.
The washing basins and pails in the RRC seem to be few and the others have rusted so they need more for hygiene purposes.
The latrines in the RRC are a mess and there is need to build others since their condition is a health hazard.
Cutlery is also a problem since most kids eat using their hands that they may not have washed properly.
Since the kids are growing up, there is need for guiding and counselling to promote self-awareness

Conclusion:

Time is running so fast and all that has a beginning has got to end. As much as I would really love to stay and continue working with OOA, I have to go back to school. It was nice to work with OOA and and you bet I cant wait to work with you again in future. Thank you for your hospitality.

Appreciation:

I give my special thanks to Julie Martin, Desmond and OOA staff.