Swarm’s marketing tutor volunteers in Africa
One of Swarm’s values is COMPASSION.
In 2022, Marketing tutor, Suzanne, recently visited Kenya, Africa, to see first-hand the project she supports in her spare time.
Suzanne first visited Tanzania several years ago and was so struck by the painful contrast between the opportunities available to young people in the UK versus the lack of any opportunities for them in Africa. As a result, she vowed to pass on her own business skills where possible and tutor the African youth to create their own jobs. From then on, Suzanne has supported a project in Kisumu, Kenya, called the ‘Kisumu Children Trust’ with marketing advice and fundraising. She visited them in person to help with development work. Here is her report:
“The Kisumu Children project runs a small home in Tieng’re, about 1 mile from Kisumu, for children with nowhere to go – usually the lost, abandoned or abused. They are cared for until foster or adoptive families can be found for them long-term. For other children in need, the project supports them to stay in their own homes in the heart of their families by helping them with basic supplies where they would otherwise be starving. But, crucially, they support them with education and basic farming gifts which will help them to become self-sustaining.
The Power of Education
This project resonates strongly with me because, as a tutor, I obviously believe in the power of education for long term change and opportunity in life so that people have the power to help themselves and direct their own destiny. Business training for youth and parents is one of those essential educational skills. Youth unemployment in Kenya is around 66% and young people and whole families feel hopeless.
A Business Apprenticeship Scheme in an African Village
This recent trip was very productive and I was able to develop the relationships I needed to get a business apprenticeship course set up to run from the home as a training centre for the whole community. I am currently developing the entrepreneurship training resources needed for the course to start, but most importantly, I have connected with a wonderful lady in Kisumu to work with who shares my values and belief in people and she will be delivering the teaching itself. Without these kinds of people to work with, I can achieve nothing. She is an experienced Kenyan entrepreneur and will be taking on small groups at a time covering a 6 session programme.
Then, a young man by the name of Alex, with a heart for helping his community who is already voluntarily teaching entrepreneurship skills, is going to mentor the students on a 1-2-1 basis in between the training sessions to help them put their learning into practice – just like we do here at Swarm in the UK. He and I will be working closely to support each individual situation. This ensures that the students really understand the learning, get a chance to practice it in the context of their own predicament, and that they come out of it with a tangible business to earn a living and perhaps even create jobs for others. I am so grateful to Joanne and Alex for their support to get this off the ground and make it happen.
The three of us know though, that nothing happens quickly in Kenya but we are all driven and determined and it is moving steadily forward and should be up and running in the next 2-3 months so I will keep you posted on what the students achieve!
Feeding the Hungry
Whilst there, I was also able to see some of the wonderful development work that the community has been doing together in setting up a lunch programme at the local school. But the school has no money so the parents must still pay 14p per day for their child to eat and it is heart-breaking to see around 250 children whose parents cannot afford that. They must stand and watch as others eat whilst they have nothing. As food costs go up worldwide, the cost must now go up to 21p per lunch which will mean that the 250 will swell further and more will go without. It is so painful to see thin children with nothing to eat and my plan is to try and raise £6/month for each child from individual sponsors to feed those kids.
Living by Swarm’s Values
I have one last story to tell you which is about a little boy called Boaz who is severely handicapped in the Kisumu community. As a handicapped child in African life, you tend to be hidden away as an embarrassment to the family, but not this family! His mother is the most incredible lady who actively takes him out and who encourages a group of 30 disabled people, or parents of disabled children, to meet together each week. As a single parent, she cares for him as best she can alongside selling bananas to raise a little money for food. Her hope is to be able to set up a small shop in her community which is amidst very difficult terrain where people cannot easily get out to the market, so she has recognised the need and gap in the market. She is one of the community members whom the business training aims to help and with a startup capital of around £100 for stock plus the training support and mentorship, I know she can do it! She already saves a little each month but it’s just not enough to ever get going. I have her in my sights and want to make sure she gets what she needs to succeed. I’ll keep you posted!
There is so much to tell you and if you’re interested to know more then let me know! My email is suzanne@swarmgroup.org.uk. I feel very blessed to be working for Swarm, a CIC organisation that shares the same values, and actively encourages and supports us all to spend time giving back to the communities we care about, so feel free to raise it with me through Swarm.
