Katherine Tate-Bradish Named Associate Expert for Sex Education and HIV Prevention

Katherine Tate-Bradish was recently appointed project leader of a new initiative to train large numbers of African sex educators in rural areas and provide the means to sustain their work through private enterprise.

An American, Tate-Bradish has many years of experience as an educator and advocate for rural women and children. In 2004, she began developing a sex education curriculum that is widely taught in Kenya and has found favor among women and youth groups. 

The curriculum includes the fabrication of sanitary napkins by local artisans. The scarcity and cost of sanitary napkins in rural areas is a major problem for local women and a significant impediment to girls’ education. 

Our sex education curriculum, she says, evolved organically with input from Kenyan teachers, high school students and women’s groups. “I call it The Sexual Health Alphabet: HIV/AIDS, other STDS, and the ABCs,” she says. In sex education circles, the ‘ABC’ concept refers to comprehensive education: Abstain, Be Faithful, use Condoms Correctly and Consistently.

The training takes six days, and includes pre-and post-testing on factual understanding, daily assessments, and group and individual practice teaching.  Most of the trainees are women farmers. Local church groups, HIV support groups, and women’s organizations also play a role.

The two-year initiative, which is now being organized by Tate-Bradish in collaboration with ACH and the Vumilia orphan’s home in Western Kenya, will provide proof of concept and seek ways to extend the curriculum to large numbers of rural educators.  Vumilia is an ACH member organization that works with women and children affected by HIV/AIDS.

An estimated 50,000 Kenyans have been taught by  local educators  trained using Tate-Bradish’s curriculum . In addition to scaling up, the project will also develop means to help sex educators sustain themselves financially.

ACH Honored for Educational Work 

African Childrens Haven was recently named one of five top children's education non-profits by a leading personal finance website. The real credit, of course, goes to our African partners on the ground. This is really for them most of all. Read more

Pen Pals 2012 Link US and African Kids

Over the past three years we’ve been working to establish a pen pal letter program that connects African kids with students in the United States. Pen pal letters are a great way to build understanding and friendship and they mean a lot to the children who receive them. They’re also a fun way to improve writing skills.

We started with university students in 2009 and slowly expanded it to include kids as young as eight. In 2012 we’ll be working to connect 20 fourth graders in Galveston, Texas with students at the St. Philips Primary School in Nairobi, Kenya.

The first group of 2011 letters was sent to St. Philips in November and the replies should reach us in February. When they do, we’ll take them to fourth graders at the Ambassador Preparatory Academy in Galveston, Texas.

Just how important are the letters? Hear what the kids have to say about the program in a video they produced with help from their teacher, Mr. Lowie Paz. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaefzEt43f0&feature=fvsr

Want to become a pen pal? Send a letter to www.africanchildrenshaven.org. Tell us about yourself – describe your daily life and tell us where you are from and what you do and what you like to do.

You can also help by contributing funds, providing supplies and by volunteering to carry letters. Let us know how you’d like to participate. Thanks!

Galvestonians Aid African Science Scholars

A small group of African girls with a talent for science will receive full scholarships next year thanks to the generosity of local Galvestonians. The girls, all orphans ages 14-17, are secondary schools students in the East African nation of Tanzania.

The program, now in its second year, is organized by African Childrens Haven, a Galveston non-profit that supports projects that help African kids lead healthier, more productive lives.

“We receive support from around the country, but are especially grateful for the contributions of our neighbors here in Galveston,” says Linda Ercole-Musso the organization’s board chair.

The project recently received a $1,000 contribution from Beverly and John Frannea in memory of their daughter, Andrea Hufstedler Walker (see photo above and box below). The donation is slated to be matched by a donation from the Exxon-Mobil Foundation.

“The funds -- $2.000 in all -- will support two of our scholars in 2012,” says Ercole-Musso. “The contributions we receive from Galvestonians have really helped the program flourish,” she adds.

Other Galveston supporters include Winkie and Jerry Mohn; Susan, Robert and Harris Lynch; the Kempner Foundation; Cheri Ray; Ritchie Adoue; Sharon Gillens; Maggie Fuller; Joy Gilcrease; Elizabeth Lanier; Deb Naremore; Celia Padnos; Pam Rice; Marilyn Shultz; Cathy Stoval; Stephanie Thomas; Kellianne Vallee; Courtney Walker as well as business supporters Galveston Computer Solutions and Galveston.com.

Andrea Hufstedler Walker, 1965 - 2010

Andrea Walker was a pilot and flight instructor who gave up flying when her first child was born. Her mother, Galveston resident Bev Frannea, says Andy never lost her spirit of adventure. “She loved sky-diving and traveling, valued cultural exchanges and taught her children to appreciate people. “Andrea, the mother of four, would have loved the fact that her memory is being honored through African Childrens Haven Science scholarship program. She and her husband owned a vacation home in Pirates Beach and were long-time residents of Monteverde, Costa Rica.

Si Mweraba … Tunalabagana!

As my amateur Luganda states above, this is not “goodbye” but “see you later.” I am writing this short note to you, my inspirational colleagues at African Children’s Haven, and to all of our many ACH donors and friends. It is with great sadness that I stepped down from my position on the ACH board this month due to a job offer and an impending move to Uganda. The job is one I feel I have been working my whole life to be considered for and it will allow me to live on the African continent – a place that has utterly captivated me since I first visited almost 10 years ago to the day.

Yesterday, while cleaning up and packing I found an old journal and flipped through the pages. On one page, written not long after my first trip to Africa, I wrote: “I am now totally fixated on going back to Africa. I think my purpose will be found there.” How serendipitous it is that exactly 10 years later I am moving to Africa to fulfill that prophecy.

Of course, leaving so many loved ones here in New York brings with it much sadness, as does leaving the ACH board. I was young and somewhat inexperienced when Ed took a chance on me and invited me to work with ACH. But, through his guidance, mentoring, and the support of his adorable wife Linda and the lovely Ginny I found my place in the organization. It has been a joy to watch ACH grow so rapidly – a powerful testament to the value of the work being done. Recent developments, particularly our membership in Aid for Africa will ensure this growth can be sustained and even accelerated.

I will forever support the work of ACH, visit its projects whenever I’m in the area, and continue to network people with ACH projects they can assist. I look forward to learning how the children benefiting from our projects are progressing and of the new ways ACH finds to enhance the support it provides.

To all ACH’s friends and donors, I thank you. Your support has enabled ACH to become what it is today and is truly making the world a better place, one child at a time.

All my love,

Skye Dobson

Dodger Helps Orphan Kids

It's been a long while since our last post. We'll be back with more regular updates soon. Meanwhile you might want to check out this story about orphan kids and a professional baseball player from the United States. It's a good news story that's sure to touch your heart...

Drought Continues for Sixth Year in Horn of Africa

Rainfall across the Horn of Africa has fallen short of expectations once again. The October/November rains in the region were projected to be heavier than usual due to El Niño effects, and millions of farmers and pastoralists had pinned their hopes on the weather experts being right.

Hope of improved food security was high with the rains beginning as promised in October, but there was a lengthy dry spell in November that continued into the first part of December. In their latest report, Oxfam GB said “Large parts of Turkana (northern Kenya), Somalia, and Ethiopia have received less than five percent of normal rainfall in November.” According to the report, Turkana has received just 12 mm of rainfall in the last three months.

This is the sixth successive season of poor rains in the region, which is experiencing its worst drought in 20 years. The next rains are now projected for April at the earliest. As a result, the USAID Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS-Net) predicts “food insecurity is likely to deteriorate substantially in the coming months, compounded by human and livestock disease upsurges, conflict, and higher food prices.”

After visiting affected areas, Mr. Jeremy Loveless, Oxfam GB Deputy Humanitarian Director, said “Millions of people in these areas are of particular concern as they face at least another six months of hunger and destitution.”

Tiff Harris

Reporting from Nairobi, Kenya

Special Needs Kids in Africa

African children contend with problems unknown to kids growing up in the developed world. Hunger, lack of clean drinking water, limited access to quality education, and poor healthcare are the norm. For African children with special needs, however these problems are greatly intensified. Eight-year-old John Mugisha Prudence is one such child. To support himself and contribute to his family and his community, John needs special schooling. To help, African Children’s Haven and the Wembly Fund have awarded John a scholarship that will allow him to receive a quality education. Learn how you can help.

Where the Water Meets the Sky

"Where the Water Meets the Sky" is the remarkable story of a young African woman orphaned by AIDS. Her self-made documentary, narrated by actor Morgan Freeman, depicts her struggle to provide for herself and her siblings. What began as a filmmaking workshop is transformed into a story of how African women are demonstrating with courage and humor that the future rests in their hands. http://www.watermeetssky.com/

World AIDS Day

According to the United Nations, AIDS infections in Africa were 25% lower last year than in the peak year of 1995. However, Africa still accounts for two-thirds of all HIV infections worldwide, 68% of new infections among adults and a staggering 91% of new infections among children. See the report.

Happy Home

A video shot earlier this year at the Happy Home Orphanage in Western Kenya provides an insider’s look at the lives of some 30 orphans supported by African Childrens Haven. Produced by McGill University students Will Miller andAlex Pritz, the new film is available on-line at http://www.vimeo.com/5327856

UNICEF: Hunger Affects 200 Million Children

A new UNICEF reports says that hunger is stunting the development of 200 million children under age of five in Africa and Asia. But the UN agency also says that eliminating or at least reducing malnutrition is feasible. Read more http://www.unicef.org/nutrition/index_51688.html

Kid Stuff

Last Sunday’s New York Times Book Review weighed in on the new self-help book “Natureshock, New Thinking About Children” in which the authors – former chroniclers of the financial bond trade – review recent research on childhood development.

The authors – Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman – cite laboratory studies that show that over-praising children comes at a price. Kids who were tested in laboratory studies and then praised for their intelligence, they say, were outperformed in a second round of testing by children who were simply commended for their efforts. The authors conclude that the “commended” students challenged themselves to do better while the “praised” kids were content with the status quo.

Bronson and Merryman also report – and this is what initially caught our attention– that the more children are threatened with punishment, the more they lie and the better they get at it. For example, the book relates how kids in a traditional colonial school in West Africa, where teachers frequently hit the children, were more and more likely to lie simply to avoid punishment.

At African Childrens Haven, we’re still struggling with how to deal with schools that receive our support and continue hitting their students. We’ll be coming out with a policy soon, but meanwhile we encourage you to share your views and let us know how you think we should proceed. Read the review

Climate Change Likely to Put 25 Million Children at Risk

A new report from the International Food Policy Research Institute – a Washington think tank – predicts that by 2050 global climate change will put an additional 25 million children at risk for malnutrition. The authors believe that developing countries will be hit hardest by climate change and that the problem will be most pronounced in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. This outcome could be averted, they add, with an additional annual research investment of US $ 7 billion per year, about $280 per child. Read more: Climate Change: Impact on Agriculture and Costs of Adaptation

Counting on El Niño

According to our old friend and colleague Tiff Harris, Kenyans are eagerly -- and anxiously -- awaiting the arrival of next month's rains following one of the worst droughts in recent memory. The problem, he writes, is likely to affect all Kenyans, both rural and urban. Harris is based in Nairobi and writes widely on the subjects of agriculture, environment and development. He can be reached at t.harris@cgiar.org.

Millions of farmers and pastoralists in Kenya are counting heavily on El Niño rains that, according to meteorologists, should arrive in October. The projected rains are desperately needed to stave off further widespread hunger in rural areas across the country, but especially in the exceedingly dry north and northeast zones where crops have failed completely and livestock have dropped to about 30% of their usual numbers. The World Food Programme (WFP) estimates that 10% of the country’s population – about 3.5 million Kenyans – is already at risk of starvation because of drought over the past few years.

At the beginning of 2009, the lingering effects of the persistent drought were made much worse by major social unrest caused by a disputed presidential election. Many farmers in the Rift Valley, Kenya’s traditional breadbasket, missed an entire planting season, and the government now projects that its stores of maize are sufficient to last only one more month. WFP is struggling to meet the rapidly growing needs for emergency food in the region and, if the rains fail again in Kenya, starvation could threaten as many as 6 million people in the coming months, an estimated 70% of them women and children.

Ironically, in the midst of the worst drought in decades, recent headlines in local papers are trumpeting the government’s swift actions to prepare for severe floods expected in October. Those actions are no doubt necessary, but steps to “harvest” as much rainfall as possible should complement them. Three days ago, a small article appeared in local papers alerting Nairobi residents that, if the October rains fail, they can look forward to continued water and power rationing until April of next year – at which point the reservoirs that supply the largest city in East Africa with water and hydropower will run dry.

Time For School: Must-See-TV

The award-winning documentary Time for School returns to Public Television in the United States on Wednesday, September 2 at 9 PM Eastern time with visits to classrooms in seven countries, including the largest slum in Nairobi, Kenya. Statistics provided by the filmmaker are chilling: more than a hundred million children are currently out of school, two-thirds are girls, and one in four children does not complete five years of basic education. As a result there are nearly one billion illiterate adults - one-sixth of the world's population.

Are Women’s Rights the Cause of Our Time?

The New York Times Sunday Magazine seems to think so. Yesterday’s entire issue was devoted to women in development. In an excerpt from their new book, Nicholas Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn say that the liberation of women could solve many of the world’s problems, from poverty to child mortality to terrorism. The African Childrens Haven board agrees with that sentiment and places a high priority on programs that benefit women and girls. Read more:

What Should We Do About Sticking?

An African Childrens Haven Associate recently returned from Africa concerned that teachers in one of the schools we support routinely hit the children. The school’s policy prohibits corporal punishment, but the policy is openly ignored. As we understand it, so-called sticking is mainly confined to a wrap on the hand and is a standard practice across larges parts of the Continent. African Childrens Haven does not have a policy on corporal punishment, but our board will discuss the matter at its September meeting. The question is how far do we go? Should we deny funding to schools where corporal punishment is practiced or should we find a middle ground? Cutting off funding to a school that is otherwise doing a good job seems extreme and would hurt the children. Is there a middle ground? Ideas?

MSNBC Highlights Plight of Nairobi Slum Kids

Andrea Mitchell’s recent report on the plight of kids living in Kibera, Africa’s largest slum, is a must-see for anyone interested in the well-being of African children. The story focuses on a primary school for local orphans, nearly 40 percent of whom are HIV positive. African Childrens Haven support a similar school in Mathare, Nairobi’s second largest slum. The plight of children in Mathare is all-too-similar to what Mitchell describes and the need is equally urgent. See a video about the work being done at St. Phillips.

Texas Journaling Group Supports Tanzanian Orphans

Dody Stovall

A local women’s journaling group, the Flamingos, is supporting orphan girls in Tanzania who have shown a talent for science and math. Thanks to the Flamingos, five girls will receive a Twirligirli gown in recognition of being selected for a secondary school science scholarship.

“The idea is to make sure that the girls know that someone cares about them,” says Twirligirli founder Cathy Stovall. The gowns were donated in memory of Stovall’s mother, Dody Stovall (pictured here on her 57th wedding anniversary).

“She loved my Twirligirli business and encouraged and inspired me to continue my mission of bringing cheerful twirls to girls through colorful, playful gowns.” Stovall adds. “Many times, she sewed finishing touches to the gowns with her loving hands. They carry her goodness and sweetness and are dedicated to her.” Learn more about Twirligirli.