volunteering for change - undp in india · mungu aiweke roho yake mahali pema peponi. ......

UNV Kenya

VOLUNTEERING FOR

CHANGE

A newsletter of the United

Nations Volunteers Programme in Kenya

|May-June 2013

INSIDE

UNV Field Unit led by Mr. Tapiwa Kamuruko

visits Kisumu mission;

Tribute to the late Michael

Osir.

National civil society

organizations’ forum on

post-2015.

UNV visit to Dadaab

Get Informed Get

Involved UNVs –

Volunteering for Civic Education &Devolution

Australian volunteers

from global voices’

visit Kenya.

Cover Photo© Portfolio

Manager East Africa –

Mr. Tapiwa Kamuruko

sharing briefly with the

members of Kisumu

county peace forum in Kisumu, Kenya

“Kisumu County is one

hardest hit region

during the 2007 post-

election violence in

Kenya. Despite the

economic challenges,

we have continued to

work with other peace

coordinators to

volunteer our time and

resources to

encourage and

promote peaceful

election in the 2013

general elections.”

Kisumu County Peace

Monitor

Mr. Domnic Odipo.

UNV Senior Portfolio manager for East Africa leads Kenya UNVs to

Kisumu mission.

UNV Field Unit team in June 2012 had the unique privilege and company of Mr. Tapiwa

Kamuruko the Senior Portfolio Manager for East Afica who led them during a visit to

volunteer District Peace Coordinators working under Mr. Domnic Opiyo a UNV County

peace monitor in Kisumu. The visit was part of the periodical monitory programs by the

UNV Field Unit to the UNVs in the field.

The District Peace Coordinators volunteers work in six districts in Kisumu County. The

DPCs were involved in civic education in an attempt to solve political party rivalry in

Kisumu, engaging in various capacities building programs within the county to help the

locals appreciate and uphold peaceful coexistence in the County.

The UNV County peace monitor and the DPCs worked with the county government to

come up with structures that helped reduce conflicts of functions between the county

government and national government.

The work and commitment of the DPCs and the UNVs has been commended and

recognized as their efforts resulted to peace in Kisumu and its environs during and after

the 2013 general elections.

VOLUNTEERING FOR CHANGE: A NEWSLETTER OF THE UNITED NATIONS VOLUNTEERS PROGRAMMME IN KENYA

VOLUNTEERING

FOR CHANGE

MAY 2012

VOLUNTEERING

FOR CHANGE

MAY -JUNE 2013

Photo © UNV team with District peace coordinator in Kisumu.

Tribute to the late Mr. Michael Osir.

What UNVs said about him;

“Indeed it was very shocking to learn of his death. Osir was not just a colleague and friend but a brother. We had shared a lot since we came on board to work as Peace Monitor for Nairobi County in 2010.Anyway it has happened. Let God's will be done ,but I know how much I am already missing his presence in the peace fraternity and in my social life especially when watching football matches at Kasarani which he would definitely not miss .Mike, Jeremiah and I shall miss his company today and forever. Rest in Peace dear brother!!!!! ”

UNV-Khadija Thabit

It was with deep sorrow that the wider UNV family was informed of the passing away of Mr. Michael Alva

Osir. Before his untimely death, Mr Osir worked as UN Volunteer Peace Monitor in Nairobi County for almost

3 years.

UNDP UNV team led by the portfolio manager Africa Mr. Kamuruko joined the family of the late Mr. Osir to

lay him to rest on the 15th

of June 2013 in Kisumu.

By UNV-

Zipora Otieno.



"The Remembrance of the good done by those we loved is the only

consolation when we have lost them."

To Michael’s family:

"May tender memories soften your grief,

May fond recollection bring you relief,

And may you find comfort and peace in the thought

of the joy knowing what your loved one brought...

For time and space can never divide”

“Mungu aiweke roho yake mahali pema peponi.”

Photo © the late UNV Michael Osir in his light moments

“Life is a mystery. I was with him about 2 weeks ago at a hotel in Nairobi where we both had different official assignment. May God rest his soul in eternal peace.” UNV- Rahab Mwaniki

With a population of some 425,000, Dadaab in the North Eastern Province of Kenya represents the largest

refugee settlement in the world. 96% of the refugees come from Somalia. The Dadaab refugee programme is

coordinated on the ground by UNHCR Sub-Office Dadaab. Apart from newcomers in 2011, a large part of the

residents in the camps came to Dadaab in the 1990’s who have children plus grandchildren born in the camps.

In June, nineteenth 2013 the UNV Portfolio Manager for East Africa, Mr. Tapiwa Kamuruko, visited the

UNHCR Sub-Office in Dadaab. UNHCR and UNV have long and fruitful collaboration with deployment of

UN Volunteers in support of various aspects of the management of displaced populations that includes

registration, refugee status determination, repatriation, resettlement and local integration.

This mission by Mr. Kamuruko was aimed at meeting with UN Volunteers, serving in Dadaab, and assessment

of a joint UNV and UNHCR programmatic intervention in the area of youth development, vocational skills

training and community integration. Mr. Kamuruko discussed the reflection on assignments with the UN

Volunteers in Dadaab, he briefed the team about latest priorities and policies of the UNV programme at global

level.

Mr. Kamuruko also attended a refugee youth meeting in Dadaab, led by Mr.Tomoya Soejima, an International

UN Volunteer -Youth Community Officer under UNHCR. Mr. Soejema is the coordinator for youth refugee’s

initiatives in Dadaab. The youth shared their lives and experience, expectations and perspectives where some of

the challenges facing refugees were brought out i.e. lack of opportunities for education, problems with

registration and identifications, limited employment opportunities and insecurity. The young leaders

acknowledged the significant efforts of UNHCR in the field and personal contribution from Mr. Tomoya

Soejima into the youth development initiatives.

While concluding the meeting, the youth asked for more of such projects to allow young refugees, especially

those ones, who were born in the camps to realize themselves, their potential in the community and to be fully

integrated into the society.

Youth Focus on UNV in Dadaab Refugee camp.


“We really appreciate the

service and great assistance

of the UN Volunteers to

refugee community, our

colleagues, who perform

their daily tasks under

difficult climate conditions

and vulnerable environment.

Nowadays we also need to

pay more attention to young

people, residing in the

refugee settlements, talented

and inspired. It is our role

and commitment to help

their integration into the

society”.

Mr. Tapiwa Kamuruko

while in Dadaab.

{Below, Photo © Kibera Community Development Agenda group members acting a play on

devolution on 15/6/2013 }

UNV Kenya joins National Consultations on Post-2015 Development Agenda

The National Civil Society Organizations’ Forum on the Post-2015 was held 10th

– 11th

June,

2013 in Nakuru Kenya. Participants came from civil society organizations, working directly at

grass root level in Kenya. Issues and concerns on food security, employment and civic

involvement of young people, environmental sustainability, education, gender mainstreaming,

support to people with disabilities were discussed.

{Photo Participants in the post2015 Agenda meeting}

A particular attention was paid to problems as well as roles youth in achieving

the Post-2015 Development Agenda. A representative from the Organization of

African Youth pointed out the existence of a large population of unemployed

youth in the country plus lack of capacities for wider involvement of young

people in decision making processes as key factors to be considered in the post

2015 Agenda.

Some of the proposals in the forum included; the need to develop a Youth

Employment Agenda, secure funding and ensure involvement of youth into

development processes, launch youth empowerment programmes, provide

infrastructures for youth business activities and encourage youth internships.

UNV Kenya’s Programme Officer, Dmitry Frischin did represent both

UNDP and UNV in the event. In his speech, he stressed that Post-2015

Development Agenda is an important and complicated process, requiring

involvement of all social groups to consult and collaborate for better and

sustainable solutions.


“It is great, that Kenya has

such a unique opportunity

among other selected

countries around the world

to hold national

consultations on Post-2015

Development Agenda. I

believe the results of the

consultations will be

incorporated not only in

the national report, but

also integrated into

respective policy

documents at country

level,”

Dmitry Frischin.

UNV Programme Officer

{Photo © Kibera Community Development Agenda group members follow a training by UNV- Mary Ondiek about effective communication

of devolution concept through theater on 15/6/2013}

Get Informed Get Involved UNVs - Volunteering For Civic Education and Devolution

The Get Informed Get Involved UNVs working with Youth

Agenda extended their volunteer service to KCODA ( Kibera

Community Development Agenda) community based

organization members to brain storm on challenges facing

youth in slums. Out of the many issues raised, it came out that

youth have minimal access to proper information on the

Constitution and how well Devolution works.

The seven UNVs took responsibility to shed light and capacity

build the 16 members of the group on the new constitution of

Kenya. As a way of making the youth appreciate devolution the

UNVs opted to train the KCODA members to act a play/skit on

devolution which was meant to help inform other youth on facts

about the constitution and devolution. Since April the UNVs

had been frequenting Kibera to fine tune the play which came

out to be very educative and interesting. The UNVs are

currently trying to find opportunities/platforms for these young

people to empower and train more youth and the public to

understand devolution through theatre.


“Since we met this

wonderful UNV team led by

Mr. Keya, our activities

have been very fruitful.

Your team has been of

impact in changing the

mindset of the youth

towards volunteerism and

theatre to impact knowledge

to many other youth and

people in Kibera and its

environs.

On behalf of the KCODA

members I wish to thank

you for shedding light on

our constitution and

devolution to the youth in

our slum and making them

positive and productive.”

Mr. Dancun Otuoma

KCODA Member

{Photo© Kibera Community Development Agenda group members acting a

play on devolution on 15/6/2013}

Strengthening Partnerships – Australian Volunteers from Global Voices Visit to

Kenya

{Photo @ the Australian Volunteers pose for a Photo with children at Mathare slum in Nairobi}

For more information on this Newsletter, the UNV programme or to submit stories of your volunteering, contact the UNV Communications Officer in

Kenya Kelvin Keya on [email protected] or [email protected] or call us on +254 20 762 5540

www.ke.undp.org/un-volunteers UNVKenya @unvkenya

www.onlinevolunteering.org

Global Voices is an Australian non-profit private company with the office in Melbourne, limited by guarantee through a British Council grant and established in 2011. It is funded through partnerships with Australia’s leading universities, corporate and philanthropic communities, Government. Global Voices prepares and coordinates delegations of Australia’s future leaders to a variety of major international events. It also runs a domestic event programme, designed to link young people with key international decision makers. The delegation of young volunteers of Global Voices visited Nairobi, Kenya from 22 June, 2013 to 1 July, 2013 was hosted by UNDP Kenya under the initiative of the UNDP Country Director, Ms. Maria-Threase Keating. Nine young people plus UNDP staff and UNV programme team in Kenya, were briefed about the main development priorities and informational exchange of UNDP as well as the role and contribution of UN Volunteers into development goals. The UNV Field Unit in Kenya assisted Global Voices in organizing their meeting to Mathare Slum, where young people had an opportunity to share, discuss and exchange ideas with local youth organizations. George Gachie a UNV, project officer in the Housing and Slum Upgrading project (UN-Habitat) led the volunteers in their visit to

Mathare. The new joint UNV and UN-Habitat Mathare Slum Upgrading Project was introduced to the delegation as a new volunteer initiative, built on the “Delivering as One” approach.

“The youth should play a

leading role in major

decision making processes.

Starting my career as a

volunteer, I definitely see

volunteerism as a key tool for

efficient integration of young

people into community

development and global

sustainability.”

Maria- Threase Keating

Country Director UNDP

KENYA.

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