Phoenix Aviation supports KCDN

Mr Odhiambo T Oketch of KCDN on the left and Mr Shaun Barretto, the General Manager Phoenix Aviation Ltd, witnesses the handing over of a support cheque of Kshs 50,000.00 to Mr James Kariuki of Text Book Centre Ltd in aid of KCDN Child Support Initiative on 13th Nov 2008.


this was our end year summary; 5th Jan 2009

At this very moment last year, Kenya was pregnant with hope.

We were looking forward to an election which had all the indications of changing the face of Kenya and Kenyans. Politics was at its highest, and the people were excited either way.

But it reached an anti climax on 30th December 2007 when the Hon Samuel Kivuitu made his announcement and pronounced Mzee Kibaki as having won the elections. Kenya erupted and fighting broke out all over.

The fighting that I saw, the blood letting that I saw across the country made me change. Time had come for me to do something useful for Kenya and Kenyans, than to engage in endless political discussions which added no value.

I made up my mind that from that time on, I would work with forces that focused on the plight of children. I had seen that in times of conflict, men would fight leaving the women and the children vulnerable.

In worse case scenarios, women would trade off their security for sex while the child had nothing to trade off. These were the scenes that were obtaining in conflict zones. Property was burned; women were raped; children got lost; some lost their parents; and many more lost their homes and education become a pipe dream.

In January, I started discussing this with friends like Mr Jairus K'Onyiego from USA. He would call me long hours on phone and I would update him on the situation in Kenya. Thereafter, Sam Okello, also from USA would join in and we discussed more.

Out of these discussions, KCDN was born. It had been registered in May of 2005 as a Community Based Organization, but we were dormant. In February, with the support of Mr K'Onyiego and Sam Okello, I was able to open the KCDN office in Komarock. Thereafter more support came in; Mr Joram Odus, Ms Pamela Ohonde, Mr Dick Aduong'a, Mr Sebastian Onyango, Ms Caroline Otieno, Mr Richard Mungla, Mr Lenny Amolo, Mr Otiende Amolo, Mr Rodgers Orero, Mini Bakeries Ltd [Mr Mwaura], SGS Kenya [Mr Aswegen], Ms Irene Ngugi, Phoenix Aviation Ltd [Mr Barretto], Mr Ragem Lugonzo, Ms Irene Wasike, Aristocrates Insurance Brokers Ltd [Mr Kasim], Express Connections Ltd [Mr JM Mugo], Capital Airlines Ltd [Capt Vaghela], Ms Elizabeth Onyango, Mr Owino Olendo of Taxplus Consults Ltd, Tetra Pak [K] Ltd [Ms Mwihia}, The Cradle [Hon Millie Odhiambo] and many more.

It was not easy. We first wanted to group vulnerable people into self help schemes where they could mobilize their own resources for self sustainability. We soon found out that in the wake of the Pyramid Schemes syndicates, this was going to put us at loggerheads with the people whom we wanted to help.

We immediately changed focus and identified 3 issues that we wanted to address namely;
1] The immediate plight of IDPs
2] National Healing and Reconciliation
3] Child Support.

1] The immediate plight of IDPs
Our immediate task was to call for material support for Kenyans who were internally displaced following the post election violence. We got very favourable responses, more so, Caroline Otieno from Arusha Tanzania came in handy with massive mobilization of friends in Arusha and he consigned to me many bundles of used clothes, shoes and beddings in support.

We gave these out to two groups; one in Karachuonyo and the next to a local church in Kayole where some IDPs had taken refuge. This first phase was a resounding success.

2] National Healing and Reconcilaition
This was our second phase. We thought of better ways by which we could preach the gospel of National Healing and Reconciliation and we settled on organizing a peace run in May.

KCDN Embakasi Peace Run was hence conceived, and initially we settled on 31st May. This date coincided with a presidential function in Embakasi and the PC Nairobi informed me of the need to make changes. We hence settled for 15th June 2008.

With financial support from SGS Kenya, Rachier & Amolo Advocates, Jairus K'Onyiego, Rogders Orero and Mini Bakeries Ltd and material support from Text Book Centre Ltd, Phoenix Publishers Ltd and East African Educational Publishers, we were able to host a very successful KCDN Embakasi Peace Run.

We were able to assemble a galaxy of guests who added their voices to the need for National Healing and Reconciliation. The Commissioner of Sports was ably represented by Mr Karinga, the Assistant Commissioner. In attendance we had Ms Sarah Kiwanuka, Chairperson Athletics Kenya Nairobi Province, sports officials from Nairobi Province and many more guests besides the occasion being graced by school children from different schools, athletes from several athletic clubs and the general public.
This second phase of our programme was also a resounding success.

3] Child Support.
Our last focus was on child support and we decided on December 24th as our due date. We later revised this to 5th December 2008.

The KCDN Child Support Initiative was meant to give educational support to as many children from vulnerable family backgrounds for their schooling for 2009. To get the right mix of children, we worked in collaboration with the various Head Teachers. The number of children who need help was so overwhelming, but we settled on mobilizing support for 250 such children.

This was not easy. We made several appeals and when it all looked like getting lost, support started coming in. We have made our public appreciation to all those who helped this day to become a resounding success. We have also made our public appreciation to all our guests, starting with the Director Basic Education in the Ministry of Education.

This is a challenge we want to take into the new year where we hope to retain your support. It is you who have made us succeed with the 3 initiatives we undertook this year. God bless you so much.

We have 4 things lined up for which we would solicit your support in 2009;
1] In March 2009, we will be launching the KCDN Quarterly Newsletter. We will invite your support and sponsorship for this. Through this, we will be articulating what we are doing for the society and the children in particular. We will invite teachers and pupils to post their challenges and aspirations. We will also be inviting policy issues from the Ministry so that the parents and guardians know what the government is doing in support of the Free Primary Education.

2] In June 2009, we will host the second edition of the KCDN Peace Run. We will not call it KCDN Embakasi Peace Run since this is limiting. We will invite support and participation from you all as we preach the virtues of National Healing and Reconciliation. We will mobilize participation from all our children, their colleagues from the surrounding schools, parents and the general public.

3] In September 2009, we will organize a KCDN Child Day Out for our children. Many children of privilege often have days out where they have lots of fan. We will mobilize your support to make this day out a success. This will see us organize tours to the parks for these children. It will be lots of fan for the children.

4] In December 2009, we will again mobilize the second edition of the KCDN Child Support Initiative. Through this initiative, we will mobilize support for educational materials for these children.

The best gift we can give to our children is EDUCATION. And this we can only achieve by actively helping the government as they provide for Free Primary Education, by providing the remaining necessities.

As we close the year, we must thank you all for your support. We could not do any better, but we appreciate the little that we have done in support of our country and our children. In our collective responsibility, we believe. And Yes, we did it.

May we wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2009. God bless, God bless, Amen.

Odhiambo T Oketch,
CEO KCDN Nairobi.


this was our thank you note to all those who helped make the KCDN Child Support Initiative on 5th December 2008 to be a success.

Dear Friends,

We hereby replicate the speech delivered by the Director Basic Education Mrs Leah K Rotich during the KCDN Child Support Initiative Day on 5th December 2008 at our offices. The speech was read on her behalf by Mr Paul Mungai, Assistant Director of Education, Ministry of Education.

We also take on this opportunity to sincerely thank the following for both financial and material support that enabled our day to be a success;
1] Phoenix Aviation Ltd
2] Capital Airlines Ltd
3] Express Connections Ltd
4] Mr Leonard Amolo of AIG
5] Aristocrats Insurance Brokers Ltd
6] Ms Irene Wasike of Barclays Bank
7] Ms Irene from South Africa
8] Mr Lugonzo
9] Mr Chacha Odera [Oraro & Co Advocates]
10] The Cradle- the Children's Foundation

We also want to appreciate the following for having taken their time to be with us on this day;
1] Mr Paul Mungai, Assistant Director of Education
2] Ms Irene Wasike, Manager, Barclays Bank of Kenya, Haille Sellasie Avenue Branch
3] Mr Peter Mwangi, District Education Officer, Nairobi East District
4] Ms Grace Ngine, SQASO Nairobi East District
5] Ms Edna Ambasa, SQASO Nairobi East District
6] Mr John Muli Makau, PA to the MD, Aristocrats Insurance Brokers Ltd
7] Mr Arthur Kibisu, representing the MD, Express Connections Ltd
8] Ms Teresia Muturi, The Cradle
9] Mr Eric Juma, Chairman, Komarock Residents Association
10] Eng Barrack Okal, Secretary, Komarock Residents Association
11] Mr Meshack Kimathi, member, Komarock Residents Association.

We know that we have friends whose support we will still be receiving, those who had called and written to us pledging their support, we want also to appreciate your envisaged support.

We will account to all our benefactors. This is just the beginning of what we want to do, and it is a journey of a thousand miles. We have only made the first step. We hence still need all the support we can get.

To you all we say; Thank you, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, 2009.

Odhiambo T Oketch,
CEO KCDN Nairobi.
Tel; 0735 529 126, 0724 365 557,
Email; komarockswatch@yahoo.com