Launch of Emergency Volunteer Scheme for Kenya
What: Launch of Emergency Volunteer Scheme for Kenya
When and Where:
Nairobi East - Friday 22nd 2008; Tom Mboya Grounds, 10:00am – 1:00pm
Nairobi West - Saturday 23rd 2008; Kibera Grounds; 10:00am – 1:00pm
Nairobi North - Monday 25th 2008; Lions Clinic Huruma; 10:00am – 1:00pm
Volunteer for peace and development, Volunteer for a peaceful neighborhood!
The volunteering scheme approach for Kenya plans to tap the energy of the influential persons, retired professionals and youth leaders to bring about positive change, instill a sense of responsibility and equip them with necessary tools to initiate reconciliation amongst their affected neighbourhoods. Through emphasis on the need for restoration of trust and building social cohesion - it endeavours to promote ownership of the healing process, reconciliation and peace rebuilding.
The program strategy anchors on volunteerism that will be utilised to:
(1) influence and guide the communities on volunteer action in order to promote peace and reconciliation and
(2) engage volunteers to supplement human resource capacity for delivery of the urgently required services in areas such as: distribution of food and non-food items; management of anger and counseling of affected members in the neighbourhoods. The initiative will be guided by the following key considerations:
· Volunteers will be sourced from their own communities (influential persons, retired professionals, youth leaders etc) as central actors in the scheme since they offer substantive knowledge and familiarity of the community set-up. Ethnic diversity and gender balance will be a critical element in the selection process. Each volunteer will be identified in consultation with partners and the communities. It is envisaged that 200 volunteers shall be engaged.
Youth who have been affected in the skirmishes as perpetrators and/or as victims will be mobilised to play key role in reorienting the community and restore dignity and solidarity.
· Through orientation and training, volunteers will be inducted and briefed on their expected role; especially on being non-partisan while executing their duties. Additionally, the recruited volunteers will be taken through a three-day crash programme to brainstorm and identify training needs; build their skills in volunteer action, emergency food management, peace-building/conflict resolution and disaster management. As the scheme rolls out a continuous training approach will be established to: further enhance volunteers’ skills in conflict resolution and transformation, handling trauma and peace-building, community policing and control of proliferation of small/crude arms and all other crucial skills needed to handle humanitarian response and early recovery.
· The volunteers will work within their neighbourhoods to harness positive attitudes within. In so doing the neighbourhoods shall be charged with the responsibility to reconcile and build each other in the recovery process. This complements the national call and stance for self-healing amongst Kenyans hence bringing about national ownership, motivation and encouragement.
· The identified priority hot spots for implementing the Emergency Volunteer Scheme are: Nairobi (Kibera, Mathare, Kangemi, East Lands - Dandora, Karibangi). The scheme will subsequently be rolled out to hot spot areas in Eldoret, Nakuru and Kericho
In case of any query please contact
DC – Nairobi North, Ms Charity Chepkongo, Tel. 0722 813 761
DC – Nairobi East, Mr. J.M.Kanyiri, Tel. 0720 253 813
DC- Nairobi West, Mr. E.M.Ogwankwa, Tel. 0727 701 543
Renée Olende Office - Tel: 254 - 020 – 7624398
E-mail:
Laban Chiko Office - Tel: 072193164
E-mail:
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