Visit a slum
18.2.2010 Nas region p. 3 From the villages
ODOLENA VODA - Kibera is the biggest slum in Kenya with over one and a half million popuplation. People live in sheet huts, more then ten people crawded in small space, they live among rubbish, without any infrastructure, they have no water, no electricity and no sewage pipes.
During the whole February in the Minigallery in Odolena Voda there can be seen photographs by Alena Polanecka who distance-adopted a small boy from Kenya in 2007 via the Humanist Centre Narovinu. But she did not stay with the adoption only. „I can't do things superficially and I started to work as a coordinator in the centre," says the author about her journey to African children. At the turn of the years 2007/2008 there were post-election riots with great loss of lives. In the centre the idea, to do something for the kids beyond the terms of the adoption with the goal to show them how to spend their free time meaningfully and learn them to tolerate and respect each other "cross-tribely", arose. Thus in the year 2008 with the help of Kenyan co-ordinators it succeed to organize a big football tournament in which over 90 teams participated. From the kids who were involved in the tournament five teams - four of boys and one of girls - were chosen.
The plan is to get the kids even outside the slum. "We are trying to arrange tournaments with other teams," says Polanecka and continues: „Once the children go to school, they have plenty of free time after classes but only if they are not used for work. Then there is the danger that they will be hanging around in the streets and the end up in the street." The project runs under the name "Kibera Kids 4 Peace". Alena Polanecka's photographs were taken during her visit to Kibera and truthfully document the life of local children. The exhibition is sales one and the yield from the sales goes to humanitarian actions of the centre.
The private view of the exhibition took place on 2nd February and was opened by the vice mayor of Odolena Voda Roman Straka with the words of human help: "Help is an inward human concern that comes from our hearts as well as love." The author of the photos was showing pictures from the life in Kibera and her narration was so gripping that the private view drew out up to several hours.
To the question: "What was your strongest impression from Africa?" she answers: "People, they are wonderful although they have not a penny, have nothing to eat, nothing to drink and the little they have they are willing to share and treat you." The Humanist Centre Narovinu has many other activities, thanks to them an orphanage and hospital were built in Africa, they run humanist schools and try to solve problems with drinking water. If you want to learn more about their activities, go to kiberakids4peace.org or www.adopceafrika.cz.
Photo with text: A. Polanecka at the private view of the exhibition of photographs in the Minigalerry in Odolena Voda
Author of the photo: Pavel Novotny Regional version Nas region - North
Snack For Adoption of a Girl from Kenya
6.3.2010 Mlada fronta DNES p. 1 District Hradecky
For the yield from a snack they adopt a girl
Hradec Kralove - Before it rang at break at the primary school Pouchov in Hradec Kralove children from class six and seven ran to warm up toasters. During the break they were making toasts in front of their schoolmates from other classes and sold them for 20 crowns. The money they earned that way will go to the distant adoption of a girl from African Kenya.
The teacher of English Eva Humlova came with the idea to support a girl from Kenya via distant adoption. To earn for it through selling snacks that was the inspiration by her colleague from Jihlava. "We tried that for the first time now and it was success" said Humlova. She herself makes toasts with another teacher. "We have a food licence and its guaranteed in the respect of hygiene" she told. The interest in toast selling was enormous among the 260 students of the school. "On Wednesday we
bought about 250 toasts and thought it would be enough for both days. Over the first day we sold it all so we had to buy more"said Humlova.
She has students of class six and seven for English lessons and wanted them to have contact with someone from abroad. "That way they will write true letters to a frined, it will be nothing made-up according to a textbook" told the teacher. Moreover the children can help with good thing.
The whole school participates in the adoption thans to the snack day but some students from class six and seven contribute three hundred crowns. The adoption of an African child costs 7200 crowns for the whole school year. The student will pick up the girl for adoption once they have all the money.
Last year some students from class nine and some students who already left for secondary school visited a boy Mwabary whom they support in the form of distant adoption for the fourth year this year.
Young sponsors organize presentations about their journey to Kenya as well as local life and distant adoption at other schools of the republic.
The goal of the distant adoption is to support the education of a chosen child above all. The adoptive parent can be an individual, group of people, family, organisation or company. They cover one year school fee of 7200 crowns and all teaching tools to the selected child. The sponsor receives information about how the child is doing and can correspond with it.
Foto author| FOTO: MAFA - ONDREJ LITTERA
Regional version| Mlada fronta DNES - Eastern Bohemia (Hradec kralove)
Thank You, Write the Kenyans to Sokolov
29.5.2010 Mlada fronta DNES p. 2 Region Karlovarsky
Libor Michalec
Students from Sokolovian secondary school gained the heart of several small Kenyans. Thanks to the action Adoption at distance they helpAfrican schoolchildren to study. For example to Awuor, who is reliant to her uncle.
SOKOLOV „Martin, Kuba and all students, I hope you are doing well. The reason I am writing is to thank you for what you are doing for me during the whole school year. I am happy like a king" wrote small Francis Aduru Abunu from Kenya to the Intergrated High School of Technology and Economy (ISSTE) in Sokolov. „Thank you for the shoes you gave me for Christmas and God bless to each of you and your work" he writes further in the letter. The young Kenyan is one of the children who can study in poor Africa owing to financial help of students and the management of the school in Sokolov. The complete project born six years ago when editors from the students magazine "Voice" learnt about the possibility to help children in Africa to study. They picked up then ten year old Irene Awuor from Kenya, a girl who lived at her uncle's as her parents were caught by the desease called AIDS. „It was decided that all students from ISSTE Sokolov together with the staff would contribute to the programme "Distance Adoption" under the Humanist Centre Narovinu" remarks the director of the school Pavel Janus. Both students and teachers contributed to the adoption and by December 2004 the amount of 7200 crowns was collected. Irene could then start going to school since January when one of the three school terms starts. "For the fee she gets from us Irene can pay for her school fee, textbooks, school uniform, and possibly other tools for school and home it depends on the current exchange rate of euro towards Kenyan shilling" answers Janus. "Now Irene studies at high school, three times a year she sends a letter in English to us and her photo and a copy of school report us to see how she studies." The management of the school liked the idea so much that they decided to adopt another schoolchild from Kenya - Francise Aduru Abunu.
Letters and all the rest can be seen by students on the notice board in the ground floor of the school building. All classes that contribute in the given year to the Distant adoption get a certificate with a collected amount. They mostly show it off on the class notice board then. The collection is not only the opportunity for students to do a noble deed but also to learn more about the culture and living style of another nation. That contributes to the ability of greater tolerance and unselfish help. Via the project of Distant adopction students want to say NO to all forms of rasism, xenofobia and intolerance and show that it is better to give then to be given." writes students on the school web page. Did you adopt a child at distant as well? What is your experience with this project? Write to: Libor.Michalec@mfdnes.cz
Photo text| They adopted her. Irene Awuor from Kenya is a girl who lives at her uncle's. Her parents died of AIDS.
Photo author| Photo: archive
Regional version| Mlada fronta DNES - District karlovarsky
Vocational College and High School, Ltd.
Prazska tr. 1813/3, 370 04 Ceske Budejovice
On 11th November 2010 the students from our high school had a great opportunity to learn much information about the life in Kenya and also improve their English. Co-ordinators from the Centre Narovinu Mrs. Lenka Roskova and Veronika Simeckova visited us together with a precious guest from Africa - Alice Kawulani who lives in Nairobi and works as a co-ordinator of adoptions. The meeting with the apt name "How is life in Africa" was most gripping and edifying although many of our students were shocked by the stories about female circumcision and street kids as well by the photos of the life in slums. Nearly two hours meeting had its follow-up for students of the fourth year from gymnazium as part of the subject Planetary problems. In a small class colective the students were braver to use their language abilities and asked many questions about the details from the life in Kenya. We believe Alice enjoyed her stay at our school. We thank to Mrs. Lenka Roskova for realization of the whole action as well and look forward to further cooperation.
Partnership of Krnov and Kenyan schools help a girl
29.11.2010 Bruntalsky a krnovsky deník p. 8 U nas doma
martina kremenova veronika brazotikosova
During the last school year female teachers arranged a presentation with the subject „Africa by uncommon eyes". Schoolchildren from lower classes learnt about life of children in Africa and then tried to make toys from used wrappings and boxes. Older students acquainted with serious problems in Africa as AIDS etc.
After this presentation we decided to help children in Africa. First we organized a collection of old toys that were sent to Africa later on.
Then we concluded partnership with Kenyan school. This co-operation was arranged via the Humanist Centre Narovinu and consisted in making school tools that schoolchildren in Kenya could use. Students from our school were involved in the production again. The tools were sent to the Humanist Centre then and they would arrange their delivery to Kenya. We will continue in making tools in the future again.
In the framework of the project „Africa by uncommon eyes" we also decided to adopt an African girl Snaida Mammy who lives in Kenya in very poor environment. We are trying to get the required money out of which school fee, uniform, writing tools and various school tools are paid to a child. Together we would like to help a child to whom we give minimum of out time yet huge chance for its further life. In this school year the project " Africa by uncommon eyes" started up with a presentation with the co-ordinator of our adopted girl Ilona Musflkova on 8th November 2010. She prepared very nice and unusual surprise for us when she brought a co-ordinator Alice Kuvalani with her directly from Kenyan Nairobi.
Students from 7. B and 8. B classes learnt plenty of interesting information about the environment where Snaida lives and school where she goes to.
Snaida Mummy is a 14-year old girl from Nairobi who our school adopted last year and the amount of 7200 CZK - gained from the collection among teachers and employees from the school - was sent in March to support her education.
In getting financial resources for the next payment we involved the students by them making various products and their selling at Krnov Fair or by picking up old paper.
Foto popis| AFRICA BY UNCOMMON EYES is a project that brought Alice Kuvalani to Krnov straightaway from Kenyan Nairobi. She was telling the students how the life of their coevals is in Africa. Phot author| Photo: School archive Region| Severnf Morava
Okoko in Czech Republic
2.6.2011 Haló Newspaper p. 11 With Young Eyes
One of the Kenyan co-workers of Center Narovinu Rachel Okoko visited Czech Republic and Slowak Republic within the project “Africa with Uncommon Eyes – Education Towards Unity and Partnership of People Around the World“. This project wants to acquaint children and youth with Africa and the situation in which local people live in and also prevent rasism and xenophobia in our society.
Rachel has been volunteering and working with children from slums for a long time already. She is also one of the co-ordinators of the project „Adoption of African Children – project of remote support“ which the Humanist movement in CR have been focusing on for many years.
On the occassion of her arrival many lectures, presentations and workshops in Czech and Slowak schools and several meetings intended for general public is taking place.
You can meet the co-ordinator from African Kenya in person at the public meetings and gain information on foreign development cooperation projects and first of all talk about current life in slums and poorest neighbourhoods. Both adoptive parents of Kenyan children and general public interested in that topic are welcome to the meetings.
For example, today from 6 p.m. Center of Non-profit Activities gives presentation at Tyrsova1 in Prague 2.
Next Sunday on 12th June from 1 p.m. there is Football for Development at FC Ostrava stadium.
The Kenyan co-ordinator will be chatting with children at schools about the life in developing countries, speaking about projects they do in Kenya as part of development help and will show them African culture, its customs, music and dance in engaging workshops.
Her tour started yesterday at Újezd nad Lesy, then she moved to Prahy. Next week there is Odolena Voda on programme for example and the following week Klánovice when the marathon will be completed on 16th June in Gymnazium Varnsdorf with a project day.
See more on: http://www.adopceafrika.cz (contact the co-ordinator Simona Heřtusová) or go on: http://www.fotbalprorozvoj.org.
Holčovice Reporter, June 2011
School News: Africa with Uncommon Eyes
Our school, similarly as other schools, adopted a girl Rose Kadenge who lives in African Kenya. Owing to Rose´s adoption we cooperate with Center Narovinu that kindly complied our request and organized a whole-school project day “Africa with Uncommon Eyes“ on Tuesday 10th May 2011 in primary school. Mrs. Jana Válková, the teacher, was a guarantor of the project.
The reason of this project is to acquaint children with Africa and the situation in which African children, including our Rose, live. With these problems the goal of the project, i.e. prevention of rasism, discrimination and xenophobia in the Czech society, is connected. The presentation included projection of interesting documentary films from Africa, photo exhibition, a sale exhibition of African handcraft and engaging narration of the co-ordinator Alena Polanecká who goes to Kenya regularly and organizes projects and help in slums in the country.
We sent a great collection of school items, that we had extra at home or we bought, to children in Africa so that they know we wish their schooling to be the same we have in our country. (Primary school)
When you have visited Africa, you see the world differently
20.10.2011 denik.cz p. 10 Regions
Ondřej Leinert
Prague – Interview with Simona Heřtusová from the civic association Center Narovinu.
Simona Heřtusová and her colleagues from the civic association Center Narovinu have been helping people in Africa over ten years. At the same time they dispense the knowledge of living on the black continent within the project “Education Towards Unity and Partnership of People Around the World“.
On Thursday they give a special multicultural Africa party in Roxy and its yield will go right to development projects in Africa. I visited her in her office, in a small corner of Africa, which is situated near the metro station I. P. Pavlova.
Interview
