Our New Year Wish; 2010

Dear Friends of KCDN,
As the year 2009 comes to a close, we at KCDN have all reasons of thanking you. And we wish that you share this with a few Friends.
You came to our aid in 2009, and you made our Initiatives take root. From January 2010, we are making new moves at KCDN. We want to reach out to Friends of KCDN, those who can donate $500, or what God inspires you to give us to help drive our initiatives in a once in a year contribution to us.
You may choose to give us this once or you may give us the same in instalments. Either way, we will really appreciate this support.
We will not be making online appeals like we have done before. This will be our only communication directly seeking for support. The rest, we will be posting in our website which will be hosted in Mid January 2010 and in our blogspot; http://kcdnkomarockswatch.blogspot.com  and http://nairobieastba.blogspot.com
In this new thinking, we want to bank and count on friends like you. We know and believe that you will be a driving cog in Our Social Transformation. It is our time, let us do something.
Our calender of events will be as follows;
1] 6th February 2010; 7 schools around Komarock will be joining KCDN on a clean up of the entire Komarock Canal. On this day, we will also unveil the plans for the proposed Komarock Community Arboretum, the process that is being undertaken by KCDN, City Council of Nairobi and Design Students from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.
2] 25th March 2010; We will officially launch the construction work at the Komarock Canal in partnership with the City Council of Nairobi and Friends of KCDN.
3] 12th June 2010; we will host the 3rd KCDN Peace Run/Walk. Prior to this, we shall have made extensive sensitization meetings with guardians/parents and the children on the need for Peace, National Healing and Reconciliation.
4] 4th September 2010; we will host the 2nd KCDN Environmental Conservation. On this day, we will move our members to help in cleaning the estate as our contribution and thank you to the support we have recieved from Friends of KCDN.
5] 3rd December 2010; we will host the 3rd KCDN Child Support Initiative. On this day we will give 1950 Orphans and Vulnerable Children books, stationery, uniforms, shoes, socks and PE Kits. This remains our flagship initiative.
6] 28th December 2010; we will host the 1st KCDN/NEBA Crime Mitigation Ceremony. On this day, we will encourage groups who shall have convinced us that they can play achieve a lot with minimum resources in the fight against crime and insecurity.
In between, we have a series of mobilization and sensitizations. It is our desire to move the process of Social Transformation forward so that we all become more informed, more focused on National Healing as we all become politically sensitive to the National Good.
Besides, we will appreciate taking into account our administrative expenses so that we can pay our rent, pay our bills and pay our staff.
Our Budget for this is Kshs 16.434.000.00 and with your once off support, we believe that Our Social Transformation will play a key role in shapping our society as it gives help to the deserving.
Peace, blessings and Happy New Year to you.

Odhiambo T Oketch,
CEO KCDN/NEBA Nairobi,
Tel; 0724 365 557, 0735 529 126,
http://kcdnkomarockswatch.blogspot.com
http://nairobieastba.blogspot.com

mailto:friendsofkcdn@yahoogroups.com

...hope and love is what maketh us.....

Group mailing list for Friends of KCDN

We are pleased to invite you to our group; friendsofkcdn@yahoogroups.com

We have set this group to make it easy for us to communicate in the New year and beyond. This group will purely deal with our issues of Social Transformation. I know you share this thought with me.

This is a group of Friends who believe in the power of collective response to our social plight. We have come together to give solace to the less fortunate members of our society. Not that we have wealth in excess, we only believe that the little that we share can open doors to someone else.

In coming together, we drive four initiatives;
a] KCDN Child Support Initiative; here we mobilize educational support for orphans and vulnerable children. They need books, stationery, shoes, socks and uniforms, and through our efforts, we give these to them.

b] KCDN Peace Run/Walk; here we mobilize Kenyans to come together and walk for peace, national healing and reconciliation. By both guardians/parents and their children coming together in solidarity, we aim at achieving some lasting peace amongst our people.

c] KCDN Environmental Conservation Efforts; here we mobilize the residents to be on the first line in environmental conservation. It is our responsibility as a people to tend to our environment. Let us not waste it and wait for Moses to come and deliver us. We can do better by each becoming personally responsible.

d]KCDN/NEBA Crime Mitigation Initiative; this is a real challenge, but one for which we are ready to battle. Crime and insecurity has been the preserve of Nairobi East for a very long time. All cases of crime are always tracked to Nairobi East. We now want to challenge the residents, the institutions and the companies that operate in Nairobi East to rise up and put up a case for Nairobi East.
We have some of the best learning institutions situated in Nairobi East. We have some of the best companies whose household items we use daily in our homes in this area. So, what can stop us from facing this wrong notion often associated with Nairobi East.
We will encourage collective response to creating a positive image of Nairobi East through a raft of Initiatives we are coming up with at KCDN/NEBA.

We invite you to support us in this.

Peace and blessings. Welcome

Odhiambo T Oketch
Moderator

Invitation to Our Social Transformation

Our Social Transformation; The case of KCDN

8th December 2009

In the last 2 years, we have been making several appeals to help support our initiatives at KCDN. In 2010 and beyond, we want to do it differently.

We want to invite you to join us at Komarocks Community Development Networrk and Nairobi East Business Association, where our focus remains Social Transformation. Through our membership, we will ensure that our programmes run on course as we engage the Business Owners and the Community in actions that minimize insecurity, encourage environmental conservation and gives Nairobi East a positive image.

In so doing, we will positively engage the City Council of Nairobi, the Central Government, the Diplomatic Community and other Development Partners. Our forte will remain Child Support and with you as our member, we will strive to give these children educational support to the best of our ability.

Our environmental conservation efforts are geared at converting the Komarock Canal into a Community Arboretum ass the first phase of what this partnership can do. As it is now, people are using the place for dumping waste and it is a security threat to our people. In Our Social Transformation Initiative, and in partnership with the City Council of Nairobi, we are inviting institutions and corporates to each own a piece of the Canal. Through this process, we will ensure that a recreational facility that benefits the people is created and well maintained.

Through the KCDN Peace Run/Walk, we mobilize all Kenyans to come together and walk or run for peace. This is our way of ensuring that we have Peace, National Healing and Reconciliation amongst our people.

Our last focus will be on empowering the groups that will best convince us that with minimal financial resources, they can become creative and self sustaining. Our Social Transformation will aim at helping such groups and through this, we will impact positively on the lives of several people. We will also introduce an Award Scheme for the best Journalist who captures Nairobi East in a more positive light. There will be an Award Scheme that will also capture and reward the estate that best captures our eyes in terms of environmental conservation and cleanliness.

If our kitty will allow, we will also introduce Discipline Awards to our Matatu Crew, so that we reduce indiscipline in our roads. This we will do in collaboration with the FM Stations.

To be part of this Social Transformation, kindly register with Kshs 5,000.00 for listing in our website which is under construction and then, we will invite you to give us a monthly support of Kshs 2,000.00 to help support these initiatives.

As we have done with all our initiatives, we will remain transparent with our members on all the events we host. We will give credit to all the team members in the achievements of Our Social Transformation.

We look forward to working with you more into the New Year. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Peace and blessings.


Odhiambo T Oketch,
CEO KCDN Nairobi,
Secretary; NEBA.
Tel; 0724 365 557, 0735 529 126,
http://kcdnkomarockswatch.blogspot.com
http://nairobieastba.blogspot.com

Quick Profile of our activities at KCDN

Quick Profile of our activities at KCDN

Date	Event	Beneficiaries	Supported by	Comments
06/11/09	Greening of Nairobi East; Emmanuel Memorial Park	Residents of Komarock, the Canal	Safaricom Ltd presents to KCDN cleaning equipments worth Kshs 50,000.00	In support of Komarocks Community Arboretum
03/11/09	Grounding Komarock Community Arboretum	Residents of Komarock and the society at large	Deputy Town Clerk Ms Jane Ndonga makes a visit to the Komarock Canal	In support of Komarocks Community Arboretum
03/10/09	Greening of Nairobi East; Emmanuel Memorial Park	Residents of Komarock, the Canal	Mr. Eric Jang’olo presents a spade to the KCDN staff on site, and KCDN	In support of Komarocks Community Arboretum
26/09/09	Tree planting at the Canal	Komarocks Community Arboretum	Mr. Steven Oundo of AAK, Mr. Juma Assiago of UN-Habitat, Mr. Reginald Okumu Arch Consult and others	In support of Komarocks Community Arboretum
11/09/09	Tree planting at the Canal	Komarocks Community Arboretum	Ms Teresia Kanyenya from Isiolo visits and plants a tree at the Canal	In support of Komarocks Community Arboretum
05/09/09	Greening of Nairobi East; A KCDN Initiative	Komarock Canal, local residents	Total Kenya Ltd- Eco Challenge, City Council of Nairobi, Provincial Administration, and Friends of KCDN	Yearly event held every 1st Saturday of September
13/06/09	2nd Edition of the KCDN Peace Run/Walk	Parents, youth, pupils, general public	Friends of KCDN, Text Book Centre Ltd, Akiba Uhaki Foundation, H2O Beverages Ltd, Development Though Media, Bunge La Mwananchi, Partnership for Change,  Administration Police Band	Yearly event held every 2nd Saturday of June
17/04/09	KCDN Child Support Initiative	134 Pupils	Nestle Kenya Ltd	One off event
07/03/09	KCDN Nutritional Support	110 Pupils	Friends of KCDN	One off event
23/01/09	KCDN Child Support Initiative	250 Pupils	Friends of KCDN, Staff Barclays Bank Of Kenya, Haile Sellassie Avenue Branch	One off event
11/12/08	KCDN Nutritional Support	250 Pupils	Tetra Pak East Africa Ltd	One off event
05/12/08	1st Edition of KCDN Child Support Initiative	250 Pupils	Friends of KCDN, Phoenix Aviation Ltd, Capital Airlines Ltd, Express Connections Ltd, Aristocrats Insurance Brokers Ltd, , Taxplus Consult Ltd, The Cradle; the Children Foundation.	Yearly event held every December
15/06/08	KCDN Peace Run	Parents, youth, pupils, general public	Friends of KCDN, SGS Kenya Ltd, Text Book Centre Ltd, Phoenix Publishers Ltd, East Africa Educational Publishers Ltd, Rachier & Amolo Advocates, Erdemann Company Ltd, Mini Bakeries [Nairobi] Ltd	Yearly event held very June
Jan/Feb 08	Evacuation	32 Internally Displaced Persons	Friends of KCDN	One off event

Notes

At KCDN, we have been on the front line in supporting Orphans and Vulnerable children. Last year, 2008, we supported 250 such children with educational materials such as books, stationery and uniforms. This year, we are supporting 1950 Orphans and Vulnerable Children with the same. We have hosted several successful events in support of this cause where we also engage the parents on issues of governance, peace, national healing, reconciliation, human rights, social justice and environmental conservation.

Contact emails; komarockswatch@yahoo.com or nairobieastba@gmail.com

The Year 2009 at KCDN

Friends,

The Year 2009 has been very eventful for us at KCDN. We had three initiatives that were completed on time, thanks to your overwhelming support.

The KCDN Child Support Initiative got encouraging support from the Friends of KCDN, Nestle Kenya Ltd, Tetra Pak [EA] Ltd, Barclays Bank Haile Sellassie Avenue Branch [Ms Irene Wasike], Phoenix Aviation Ltd, Dr Matunda Nyanchama from Canada, Mr. Leonard Amolo of Chatis, Ms Irene Ngugi from South Africa, Capital Airlines Ltd, Express Connections Ltd, Mr. Chacha Odera- Advocate, Mr. Ragem Lugonzo, Staff at Aristocrats Insurance Brokers, Ms Elisabeth Onyango Auma and Text Book Centre Ltd.

The KCDN Peace Run/Walk got encouraging support from Akiba Uhaki Foundation, SGS Kenya Ltd, Bunge La Mwananchi [Mr. George Nyongesa], Mr. Elijah Kombo, Ms Arinolah Elizabeth-Nite from Juba, Mr. Otieno Sungu from Juba, Mini Bakeries [Nairobi] Ltd, Mr. Rodgers Orero from UK, Bishop Dr Julius Mbagaya [President- Baptist Convention in Kenya], Dr Shem Ochuodho from Juba, Rachier & Amolo Advocates- [Mr. Otiende Amolo], Ms Josephine Kamanthe, Ms Truphena Awuor, Text Book Centre Ltd, Phoenix Publishers Ltd, East African Educational Publishers Ltd, Erdemann Company Ltd- now H20 Beverages Ltd, Partnership for Change and Mr. herbert Omondi.

The KCDN Environmental Initiative got generous support from Total Kenya Ltd, Eco Challenge, Safaricom Ltd, the City Council of Nairobi, Mr. Eric Jang'olo, Mr. Cosmos Omondi, Ms Teresia Kanyenya, Mr. Reginald Okumu, Mr. Juma Assiago and Cllr John Muchori- [Councillor for Komarock Ward].

In the course of the year, we had internal challenges that prompted us to seek for financial support and for their support, we are very greatful to the following people; Mr. Jairus K'Onyiego from the USA, Mr. Samuel Okello from the USA, Dr George Omburo from the USA, Mr. Samson Olendo, Ms Pamela Ohonde from Denmark, Mr. Lameck Siage from Abuja Nigeria, Ms Jeannette Khaoya from Switzerland, Mr. Ben Ondoro from Canada, Dr Paul Nyandoto from Finland, Mr. David Ochwangi from the USA, Mr. Zedekiah Nyanchama from Canada, Mr. Jorum Odus from UK, Ms Nancy Wambui from Juba,Mr. Mark Matunga, Dr Edwin Otieno, Dr PLO Lumumba, Mr. Kuria Mwangi from the USA, Ms Janet Feldman from the USA, Prof John Maina from the USA, Mr. Oduor Ong'wen, Mr. Maurice Odenyo, Mr. Chris Obwolo, Mr. Dennis Obiero, Mr. Wilson Omondi, Mr. George Onyango, and any other Friend of KCDN whose name we might have omitted.

To you all, we salute you and we look forward to working more closely with you in the New Year.

We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.

Sincerely,

Odhiambo T Oketch,
CEO KCDN Nairobi,
Tel; 0735 529 126, 0724 365 557
http://kcdnkomarock swatch.blogspot. com
http://nairobieastb a.blogspot. com

Message from Mr. Chitnis- NGS HCK

The attention of the nation is now firmly riveted on the new draft constitution of our country. But we can not get away complaining, as we have to bear this formality of the launch of Nairobi East Business Association.

It is not for the sake of mere formality that we have assembled here. A journey of 1000 miles begins with the first step. Equally it must be remembered that not every launch is associated with pomp and fanfare….many large corporate have grown from very humble beginnings! So I wish NEBA a bright and successful future and God’s choicest blessings.

I have always believed that the key for social development lies in social transformation first. It is sheer coincidence that I interacted with Oketch and we shared similar ideological thoughts. We shared ideas on how to engage youths in community projects for economic empowerment. The country has a vibrant youth population that is waiting for opportunities and rearing to go. The opportunities for social development have to be created at grass roots by giving the youth a platform. That platform can be created through public private partnership dialogue.

I am happy to learn that Komarock Community Development Network has already embarked on environmental conservation and improvements such as canal cleaning. It has also taken up the challenge for a Model Satellite Estate in Africa in pursuit of Safer Cities Initiative where the environmental and security needs of the residents are factored in. These initiatives will make Kenyans proud, more so because Nairobi is home to Habitat and United Nations Environment Program – UNEP.

There are many innovative projects Komarock Community Development Network and Nairobi East Business Association can undertake. I am aware that some are in the pipeline already, some are being undertaken but let me elaborate for those from the audience who are not introduced to the concepts of the projects.

· The issue of environmental conservation by the youth is the most laudable proposition. Let us have clean environment, green environment and healthy environment and recapture the title: “The green city under the sun”. Today the City Council of Nairobi is lacking capacity for cleaning the sidewalks / footpaths and levelling them. There are also open spaces and river banks that need regular cleaning and constant improvements. Building partnership with CCN for environmental upkeep is the first step towards social transformation.

· One can only turn to beautification once space around the neighbour-hood is clean, neat and trim. There will be a positive change of attitude in the residents, in a cheerful and healthy atmosphere.

· City Council of Nairobi has long resigned from the task of garbage collection and disposal. But garbage dump sites are the proven source of power generation. Only yesterday it was highlighted in the press of its immense potential. This project is capital intensive and highly technical but the community youth have an opportunity in recycling glass bottles, plastic wares, metal articles etc. Even manure can be harvested from bio degradable waste such as vegetable off cuts and left over food.

· One of the greatest challenges to safer city is insecurity. Like City Council of Nairobi, the police force has failed to curb this menace. Community policing is the only answer to reduce crime and improve security. Community policing is not the preserve of corporate. The social responsibility to provide security lies with every individual, every family. The socio-economic transformation takes place with a safer and secure environment.

· Today, the youth lack the opportunity to acquire skills necessary for gainful employment. There is an urgent need for vocational training. With the current size of the population of the city of Nairobi, we must open more technical training institutes to enable youth in improving technical skills.

· The technical skills, such as plumbing, electrical, carpentry, welding, painting etc. help a person to set up small scale businesses which complement industries and promote entrepreneurship.

· In social transformation, advocacy plays a critical role. The advocacy has many advantages of promoting family and moral values, religious education, the effects of HIV-aids on the families and even the benefits of water harvesting.

· And finally, I seek your support for the Child Alive campaign. This is a Unicef program to help an African child undertaken jointly with religious organisations. Funds are raised by sending out messages from your mobile phones, and they are used to sensitise the general population on the importance of post natal care, nutrition, hygiene and sanitation, immunisation etc.

All the above examples show that a small initiative can match the strides of large corporate in terms of vision and mission. It is possible to bring about a change by people’s initiative.

We want the community to embrace positive civilisation values. The civilisation can not exist without the residents and the civilisation can not thrive and flourish without moral and family values. These are two faces of the same coin. So we must promote and enhance civic responsibility, education and action leading to a better Nairobi East community

While I wish to congratulate Odhiambo Oketch and his team for the launch of Nairobi East Business Association, I can assure the support of Hindu Council of Kenya which is an umbrella body of over 150 institutions and 5 branches in Kenya. As a representative body of 60,000 Hindus in Kenya, it has participated in the inter-religious, social and political fora in the country.

HCK is a key stakeholder of the faith based organisations in Kenya and a strong voice of the Hindu population. HCK through its member institutions has over 100 years of legacy in diverse sectors of the Kenyan society – a legacy of bringing communities together for national cohesion and to alleviate poverty. This we have achieved through our traditional and religious value systems.

We can assure the residents of Nairobi East of our support for this noble cause when we see in this initiative desire, commitment and drive.

And let us remember that it is not in the hands GO/NGOs to transform but in the hands of every one of you. You will need each other’s support to facilitate in our journey.

Thank you and God bless you all.

Rashmin Chitnis
National General Secretary
Hindu Council of Kenya.