We
say that the Clubhouse is run by Kenyans and for
Kenyans. It goes without saying then, that we could not do the
work we are doing without our commited staff!
The
Soweto Clubhouse staff as per December 2009 (from left):
Maria Kioko,
Frederick Oguttu - "Fred", Esther
Apunda, Florence Kibicho (social worker), Letisia Karimi, Fredrick Omole - "Kwame"
and Florence Mkala.
The
Soweto Clubhouse staff 2008-2009 (from left):
Esther
Apunda, Fredrick
Omole - "Kwame", Florence Kibicho (social worker), Letisia Karimi,
Julius Kinoti [left Maisha Mema in January 2009 fore further
schooling], Florence Mkala and Maria Kioko. Frederick
Oguttu - "Fred" was not present when the
picture was taken. The occasion is Kibicho's graduation
in Higher Diploma for Psychological Counselling.
But here is Fred! He got married
to Peninah on 31st October. Many Soweto mothers
and a bunch of kids from Soweto also came, putting an
extra dimension on the wedding as that's where Fred is
working. Many people in Norway know Fred from the
April meetings and school visits through many years.
In celebrating
LIFE, Fred has entered an even BETTER LIFE now.
Just ask him :-)
The
Soweto Clubhouse staff 2007 (from left):
Fredrick
Omole - "Kwame", Maria Kioko, Frederick
Oguttu - "Fred", Julius Kinoti, Esther
Apunda (volunteer), Marianne Haldimann Mydland, Florence Mkala,
George Mbugua (volunteer, from Maisha Mema Children's Home),
Letisia Karimi (volunteer), Elizabeth Mutheu (volunteer) and
Florence Kibicho (social worker).
The picture was taken after a nice staff
lunch at Java Junction, December 2007. We feel it is
important to grow together as staff, and will prioritize such
events every now and then.
The
Soweto Clubhouse staff 2006 (from left):
Florence Mkala
Julius Kinoti
Fredrick
Omole - "Kwame"
Maria Kioko
Frederick
Oguttu - "Fred"
(Florence Kibicho not present - see below)
Florence Mkala
– “Aunty” (born 1968)
was the first to be attached to Maisha Mema’s work in Soweto
all the way back in 1998. Her main obligations in Clubhouse are
teaching kids (presently Pre-Unit to Standard 4) and being in
charge of letter-writing, art & craft. She is also the
secretary for staff meetings, and usually in charge of taking
visitors to homes of the children. She has also organised
some mothers into self-help groups. Florence has also taken
upon herself to pray especially for the organisation together
with four of the mothers once a week. She is a member of
Blue Cross Kenya, and sits in the Board of both the national
organisation and the Nairobi chapter. She started a secondary school Blue Cross
club in February 2006. Her hobbies include singing, dancing,
travelling, making jokes and doing hand work.
Fredrick Omole
-"Kwame"
(born 1973) has been with us since 1999 in Clubhouse. Kwame
says: “An important part of my work is to teach the children
so that they can be conversant and also have an advantage over
other children who go to school only. When our children come
to Clubhouse we teach them using the public school’s syllabus.
I also find it very important to provide love to these
children as some of them lack love and affection – especially
the “fatherly love”. We think holistic, and counsel them to
grow in all areas of life, i.e. physically, emotionally,
mentally and spiritually. I am also in charge of the girls’
soccer teams and started in January 2006 also a girls’
basketball-team”. Kwame adds that “It is my joy and
fun to se the children change and become responsible persons
in the community”. He is also the main organiser of Blue Cross in Nairobi, and
also a member of the Board of Blue Cross Kenya. Prevention work against
drugs such as alcohol and bhangi (the local
variant of hashish) has been the main area of
operation in the Nairobi area. His hobbies mainly concentrate
on sports, and he had a stint on the National team in handball
some years ago. He also likes travelling and meeting new
challenges.
Maria Kioko
(born 1973) is our latest attachment to the staff in Soweto,
and began in January 2006. She is married with two kids. She
says: “I am very happy with my work with the kids and their
parents in Soweto. To me this work is like giving back to
society. I was brought up in absolute poverty, but some
people went out of their way to assist me. My education was
sponsored all through to high school, and for that, I feel I
can never out-give the society and God. I love it when people
share with me about their problems and challenges in life,
hence my very big desire to become a fully trained and
qualified counsellor and social worker. I want to learn about
human behaviour, especially kids”. Her hobbies are
travelling, singing, watching movies and reading.
Fredrick Onyango Oguttu
– “Fred” (born 1977) has been attached to Clubhouse in Soweto
since 1999. His personal ambitions in life are 1) be a
farmer, 2) being involved in charitable work, and 3)
practising as an architect. So far, even though he is an
educated architect and comes from an agricultural area
up-country, it is the charitable work through Maisha Mema that
has been the ambition fulfilled… He has been in charge of
some of the Maisha Mema football teams – three junior
(Top-Notch, Flossmode and Mekaddishkem) and two senior (G2G
and Battle-Axe). He comments that it is a “hostile soccer
fraternity / world, but okay though”. Presently, he is also
in charge of the Standard 8 tuition in Clubhouse. He has two
main slogans or work philosophy: “It is only human to be
humane” and “I will be there for you!” Hobbies include
playing, watching and coaching soccer, travelling, singing and
listening to diverse forms of music, and reading inspirational
and motivational books.
Florence Wangechi Kibicho
(born 1971) is our social worker since 2001. Her main duties
are being the coordinator for the Soweto Clubhouse, doing case investigations, follow up with parents and children
and organising workshops and seminars with parents and
children. She is also networking with other organisations and
government departments on behalf of Maisha Mema. Other
obligations include identifying schools and placing children
in these schools, and buying uniform and shoes for the
children. She is saying that “My motivation for being
involved with Maisha Mema is the realisation that the children
in the program would be hopeless without Maisha Mema, hence I
am working hard to help them make more use of this golden
opportunity”. She is adding that she likes honest and
straight forward people, and dislike double standard people.
Her hobbies include reading real life stories and listening to
music, and her motto is “To make the best out of an
opportunity”.
Florence and her daughter Ivy
Florence and
her children Joel and Joy
Florence Waithera
(born 1976) is the housemother in our family, and has been with us
in two periods, from November
1999 until September 2003, and
again from January 2007.
She is a good cook, and has a very good way in
handling the children. To a
certain extent she is our
unofficial social worker in the
family. She is also very
good in helping with homework,
including Secondary syllabus. Hobbies include cooking
and socialising.
Leah Wamucii Gathii (born 1971) is the
live-in housemother in our family, and has been with us
since February 2008.
She is a good cook, interacts very well with the
children, and also makes sure
that the children do their house
chores. Hobbies include
travelling, listing to the radio
and reading educative magazines.
