We hope you enjoy these stories.
For more stories and regular updates please follow Australian Friends of Tandaza and Tandaza Trust on Facebook by clicking on these links.
News from Tandaza
Challenging Times
As with the rest of the world Kenya is experiencing the Covid-19 pandemic. This has impacted on the ability of Tandaza Trust to run their normal programs but that does not mean the Trust has not been busy! In March they launched a “Feed a Family” initiative and have since been able to provide much needed supplies to approximately 1400 people across 280 families.
Many of the street young boys and men that were engaged through football have been moved out of the CBD during the pandemic. Some of them have been taken in by different shelters and the Trust is endeavouring to keep in touch with the shelters and have been able to make donations to assist where possible.
Economic Empowerment and discipleship groups are sadly currently unable to meet. Many of the small businesses set up are experiencing hard times and those who were in casual work have not had work. There are some positive stories however. Some of the women are using this time to learn a new skill of mat making in their own homes. Others such as Freshia and Lillian have been blessed with new job opportunities. Mirriam, a teacher in a community nursery school, who has been put on unpaid leave whilst schools are closed, has been able to use the savings she accumulated from the economic empowerment program to start a business selling roasted peanuts.
New beginnings in Isinya- December 2019
The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. This is the journey to setting up a rehabilitation center for street people in Isinya. Fencing almost done, tree planting following next week as Tandaza Trust looks forward to putting up structures early 2020!
Changed lives – October 2019
Tandaza Trust recently started a T-TECH ladies group in Kibera, Nairobi. This new group will be part of their skills training program. These photos are taken in Loresho where the ladies are learning embroidery and quilting together with the Advocacy Project that helps marginalized communities to tell their stories.
Changed lives – September 2019
The Kariua Heroes – SILC group
The young men in this recently formed self-help group are making good strides in business. With support from Tandaza Trust, they run a TV-Club that is airing very entertaining and educational content at a minimum fee.
From these daily collections, they have managed to buy a good quality Sub woofer and are planning to upgrade their TV set to Smart Flat screen TV, so as to better entertain their patrons!
Bold For Change Charity Walk- August 2019
On 10 August Tandaza Trust held its charity fundraising walk “Bold For Change”. There was a terrific turnout and the successful day ended with a shared meal in celebration
Social Week – June 2019
Social Week is the week in a month where Tandaza Trust shares in kind gifts with their beneficiaries and fellowship over meals as they discuss deeper, relatable life issues. Last week’s social week was very successful and left big smiles on faces!
Changed lives – June 2019
Left: The boys during the Tandaza Trust football therapy session. After football it’s usually catch up and fellowship time over a meal.
Right: AFOT were first introduced to Peninah in 2016 when she graduated from the Tandaza programme. In June the Tandaza Team met up with Peninah . She is now using the mat-making skill she learned through our economic empowerment program to earn a living. Along with that she has added confectioneries to supplement her income. We were glad to see this progress as we visited her yesterday!
Tandaza Trust Farm Land – May 2019
Photos of a recent visit to upcoming Tandaza Trust Farm in Isinya, Kajiado County where the Trust is planning to put up our farming and rehabilitation projects. Australian Friends of Tandaza focuses its fundraising on supporting these projects to ensure the sustainability of the Trust’s programmes
Changed lives – May 2019
Right: Agnes, a beneficiary of SILC and T-Tech business training, now runs a successful business selling chicken necks and ugali (a Kenyan maize flour meal). She has promptly paid off her loan and increased her SILC savings.
She is considering expanding her business within Kariua and possibly employ new staff to keep up with increased demand for this chicken delicacy!
Agnes says…“I would like to thank Tandaza Trust for opening my eyes to many possibilities through the savings and lending group. I see myself doing greater things.”
Below: A weekly meeting with one of the young men’s savings group. These young men are visionaries! They are currently in the process of registering their group as a Self Help Group and are planning to start their first joint project once through with registration. We are delighted to see this kind of determination.
Tandaza Trust’s Savings and Lending Program – May 2019
52 women currently take part in two SILC (Savings and Internal Lending Communities) groups where they are learning to save and invest their money.
They resumed their meetings in January and began a cycle that ended recently with contributions of KSH 100 weekly per person. One group closed at KSH 65,480 compared to their last cycle which they closed at KSH 19,000- reflecting a vast growth of 244.6%!The other group closed at KSH 77, 960 compared to KSH 67,650 in their last cycle-again reflecting a growth of 15.2 %! We are grateful for the saving culture that is firmly taking root among our women!
Changed lives – March 2019
Patricia is a 29 year old single mother of 3 children. She has been part of Tandaza Trust since 2017. She decided to get out of the streets in the same year as she felt her mindset was changing. In 2018, she joined the economic empowerment program and was able to start a small business in groceries after she learned how to save and invest her money. She also does people’s laundry for a fee. Now she can afford to house and provide for her three children. She says, “Tandaza Trust has helped me as a woman and has transformed my life. I’m no longer living the life I was living before as a street woman”.
Changed lives – February 2019
In February the Tandaza Staff team visited one of our first beneficiaries Sam Gicheru. He and his wife were blessed with a baby boy – Sanchez Gicheru. If ever there was a turn around in anyone’s life, Sam’s captures transformation!
They also stopped by to encourage another beneficiary Grace Makena. Grace is wonderfully proactive, with a big business sense and had just returned from work. She continues on a path of growth and development
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January 2019
Watch a couple of stories of what Tandaza Trust is doing and join in to the good work of extracting men and women from the violence and drugs of the streets of Nairobi.
Tandaza Trust’s Savings and Lending Program – January 2019
Anastasia is a single mother who was struggling to feed, shelter and educate her children. Early in 2018 she joined the Trust’s SILC program (Savings and Internal Lending Communities) and was able to take a small loan to establish her business. Anastasia now sells confectionary and clothing accessories to support her children. She continues to be supported by the Trust in making informed choices.
SILC is a concept that involves small groups coming together under an organizational structure and agreeing to contribute a small amount to the group each time they meet. The money is then divided into “soft loans” amongst the group members at a mutually agreed interest rate. The money and interest is returned at the next meeting resulting in an ever-increasing amount of funds available for further soft loans. SILC helps the participants to understand the benefits of saving and supporting each other. During 2018 41 women and 37 men across 4 groups took part in the SILC. The two womens groups and one of the mens groups have met with great success through the determination of the group members
Invaluable partnerships…
In November a group of young people in a ministry called Teens Influencing Life Today partnered with Tandaza Trust and a number of the Trust’s clients to clean up the Kariwa area where many of the clients live.
Tandaza Trust is grateful for the partnership of a number of people and organizations including Australian Friends of Tandaza. Thank you to all the supporters of the Trust through AFoT.
Food Program – June 2018
Three days a week, in three different areas of Nairobi, Tandaza Trust provides a food service program amongst street families. It is estimated that 60-80 persons regularly benefit from this service. As well as meeting immediate need it provides and opportunity for the Trust to engae with families about more life changing opportunities they can offer such as counselling, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, vocational skills, business education and table banking.
Engaging with young men – April 2018
In addition to the wonderful work the Tandaza Trust does with women and children on the streets the Trust works with young men and boys. Eight boys are currently engaged in a carpentry course, providing them with invaluable employment skills while a total of 21 young men and boys from the streets join the Trust volunteers for regular soccer matches providing an opportunity for engagement and mentoring. On the 12th April the Tandaza team won a football tournament played on International Street Childrens Day.
January – February 2018
2018 opened with an unexpected setback. The owner of the land on which the Trust operated the Agricultural Initiative and the Transformation Centre terminated the lease at very short notice. This was initially a stunning blow to the Trust and to AFoT and particularly to the women involved in the program. It has however resulted in a move towards a brighter long-term future for the work of the Trust.
Faced with this unexpected crisis the Trust has secured a smaller block of land rent free for five years on which to re-establish the Agricultural Initiative. This will allow the Initiative to continue to provide vital funds through the production and sale of produce. The Trust has reformulated its strategic plan to raise funds to purchase land and re-establish the rehabilitation centre. The purchase of land will secure a permanent location for both the centre and the Agricultural Initiative allowing the lives of disadvantaged women to be transformed with brighter futures in line with the initial vision of the Transformation Centre.
AFoT’s Memorandum of Understanding centred around funding the Agricultural Initiative as a funding sources as well as a skills training program. With the unexpected changes to the Trust’s situation AFoT has worked closely with the Board of the Trust in Kenya to ascertain how AFoT can continue to support their work. As the Agricultural Initiative is now, with the help of funds raised by AFoT, equipped with a greenhouse and irrigation equipment AFoT has determined that future fundraising will focus on assisting the Trust in their pursuit of funds to purchase land. Funds raised in Australia will be kept in trust here and invested to gain the best return possible until the time that Tandaza Trust in Kenya is ready to make the land purchase.
Happy success for Grace – November 2017
It was such a happy moment for the Tandaza Trust family as an exited Grace Makena who came from the streets and is now ready to begin life again having completed her rehabilitation process. With support from Tandaza Trust, she started a business and will now be able to look after her son.
Winnie Graduates! – June 2017
Winnie has transitioned from the Trust’s program back to her community where she has been reunited with family and friends. She has begun work on a farm. Her journey through the Tandaza Program has been a life changing one.
“A Taste of Tandaza” – August 2017
Australian Friends of Tandaza launched its fundraising recipe book
“A Taste of Tandaza” at its third Annual Walk. A collaborative work of recipes from both Australia and Kenya the team was very excited about its completion.
Celebrating Nancy’s Graduation! – May 2017
Congratulations Nancy! Nancy has graduated from the Tandaza programme and is now enrolled in a beautician’s course! Wishing you all the very best for the future Nancy! We are also celebrating the news from Tandaza about the bumper first crop planted as a part of the Agricultural Initiative! Two great and exciting blessings!
New Accommodation Wing open! – February 2017
On Sunday 12th February over 60 adults and 25 children gathered at the Tandaza Trust Transformation Centre for the official opening of the new accommodation wing. It was an amazing celebration of growth and blessings. The accommodation wing was built by a team from the Glenmore Park Anglican Church in Australia who travelled to Kenya specifically for that purpose. The kindness and work of others including members of the Kilelelshwa Covenant Community Church, Australian Friends of Tandaza, Carolyn Lucas and Renee McClelland amongst others, have contributed to its furnishings and equipment. This new accommodation wing means that the Tandaza Trust can now accommodate up to twenty women and children and provide for them opportunities to build a better future. It is a new beginning.
Family and Friends Day at the Orchard – November 2016
On Saturday 26th November Australian Friends of Tandaza Inc held their first Family and Friends Day. This was a special event for Members and invited guests. We were very privileged to have the day hosted by Deb & Dave Bush at their Fairlight Orchard in Mulgoa. Deb and Dave not only opened their orchard to us but generously donated an abundance of peaches and nectarines which were sold to raise funds for the Tandaza Trust Agricultural Initiative.
What a fantastic afternoon it was! Guests were greeted in the orchard packing shed where they were able to learn more about the workings of the orchard, experience the sorting and packing process for the fruit and go on an escorted educative tour of the orchard itself.
Kenyan handicrafts and jewellery were on sale. Harry the horse made a visit to the packing shed to the delight of everyone. And then there was a sausage sizzle and the most sumptuous afternoon tea available to take the edge of any hunger. All reports indicate that it was an enjoyable afternoon and funds raised for Tandaza Trust were fantastic. Our special thanks again to Deb, Dave, Olivia and Cameron Bush.
Nancy – September 2016
It is every girls dream to one day grow up to become a success in the society. However, some of our paths are rockier than others. 19 year old Nancy’s path has been very rocky.
Nancy is the last born in a family of four. She born and raised in Dandora’s Korogocho slums. Her mother, an alcoholic, left when Nancy was two years old.
A Good Samaritan found Nancy and paid her school fees until she finished primary school. unfortunately this support could not continue into secondary school and Nancy came under the care of her brother. After a year he started mistreating her and eventually threw her out. Nancy had no option but to live on the streets where she got entangled with a gang.
Nancy abused drugs like bhang and miraa as a means of seeking solace. Eventually, she met up with the street ministry team and has started her recovery journey at Tandaza Trust. She has now rekindled her hopes
of becoming a hairdresser as she follows in the footsteps of her sister Helen who has just finished the Tandaza Trust program.
Click here to read the full August/September Bulletin from Tandaza
Susan’s Story of Hope – July 2016
Susan was born in 1987 near the Buruburu estate, Nairobi. She was the fifth child in a family of eight. When Susan was only seven, she was forced to the streets due to abject poverty. Dark, cold alleys became her home and garbage cans provided morsels for her and other street children. Aged 9, Susan was helped to get back to school, but she dropped out in fourth grade and returned to the streets.
Life on the streets was very hard. Susan became a mother to five children. Three of them died due to the harsh conditions and Susan’s health deteriorated. Then Susan came into contact with Tandaza Trust. She has since left the streets and is currently undergoing medical and psychotherapeutic treatment. Despite the suffering she has gone through, Susan believes that her life will be transformed and she foresees a better future for her two surviving children.
HAVING AN IMPACT – June 2016
Australian Friends of Tandaza were very excited to receive a write-up in the Tandaza Trust News June Bulletin! It included mention of our market stall and a link to our webpage.
“Tandaza Trust is blessed to have such amazing friends, who are already making a significant difference in the lives of our beneficiaries.”
It is wonderful to know that, even in these early days of our association, we are making a difference.
CELEBRATING SMALL VICTORIES: PENINAH’S STORY – May 2016
When Peninah Muthui joined the Tandaza program in July last year, she did not know how to read or write. Peninah has never been to school. When her parents separated in 1998, Peninah’s mother had no money for tuition and school fees. Peninah moved to her aunt’s place in Mombasa in the hope that her aunt would take her to school, but the aunt turned her into a house help instead. Peninah returned to her village where she met the father of her two boys. Life was very difficult and Peninah ended up living on the streets with her children. They were sleeping hungry in the cold alleys. Peninah was begging to survive, and was arrested. Depressed, Peninah started drinking, mostly illicit brews.
Through Tandaza Trust’s Street Ministry Peninah heard about the Tandaza Transformation Centre in Kiserian. Eager to leave the streets Peninah joined the programme at the Centre. Peninah has been sober for over 10 months now. Peninah has flourished at the Centre and staff attest that to her positive attitude. She is always willing to learn and showing initiative. Peninah turned 28 recently. To celebrate she decided to put the catering skills she has learnt at the Centre to good use. She baked a 3-level cake from scratch! This delicious cake was shared with the others, including staff. Tandaza staff see such a transformation in this young woman’s life! She continues to be a role model for the other women.
For more stories and regular updates please follow Australian Friends of Tandaza and Tandaza Trust on Facebook by clicking on these links.
