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Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Progress Update at Akili

Our beautiful baby tomato plants growing big and strong!

As I enjoy my final days in Kisumu in the company of my beloved hubby that got here last week, I want to share with you the amazing things that are happening at Akili. First, our 3 green houses are filled with beautiful baby tomato plants that are growing really fast. Not only tomatoes but also other vegetables were planted to generate extra income for the school. The vegetables are sold in Obunga. Our land is completely fenced and a new access road leads to the gates of our future school. The land is ready for construction and the building material are being bought this week!
The next school year starts in January and Akili will grow as we have our first 3rd grade class. We needed to make sure that the girls will have everything they need. So we bought new desks, chalk boards and books! We also had a technician coming in to fix our computers and now their are just like new and ready for the girls to learn with them.

Thanks to you who donated all these amazingness was possible!

Preparing the vegetables to be sold.

Our land is big and ready to receive a school.

The land is fenced and gated!

Sara and I, and the new desks that are ready to receive our 3rd graders in January.

Computers ready to work at the Akili Library.



Wednesday, December 10, 2014

A Yoga Class

Erin goes headstand. The crowd goes "Yoooooo".

During the school year the girls have Physical Education classes weekly. As you know, we are on vacation but lots of girls still come to school for tutoring. Last week, we came back from our trip to Uganda with a visitor. Global Advocate Erin has been doing amazing work in Tanzania with St. Timothy's School. When not traveling the world, she lives in San Francisco and is a great yoga practitioner. On her visit to the Akili School we asked her to teach the girls a yoga class. The girls went bananas when we said they could come to school next day wearing their gym clothes. Interesting fact: so many more school girls showed up! They knew they were about to have tons of fun.

Across from Obunga there is a nice, big soccer field and it is one of my favorite places to go in Kisumu. Just like the girls I have so much fun every time we go there. The best way to do yoga with the children is to turn it into a Simon Says game. From some less complicated poses to some kicks, everyone started giving headstands and bridges a try. We found out that lots of our girls are very flexible!

I'm so happy and grateful I had the chance to enjoy this moment with the girls. I only have two more weeks in Kisumu and I will miss them so much! I am only $800 away from my $15,000 mark! Please visit stayclassy.org/julianeakilischool and consider helping us to build new classrooms for these cuties!!





Fatuma did a head stand on her own! Way to go girl!

Do you think Maya is flexible?


Resting pose.



Monday, December 8, 2014

Family Day

Our youngest student, Witney.

This past Saturday we finally had our event at Akili School, Family Day. I say finally because we’ve been preparing ourselves for this day for what feels like a loooong time.

The event and the girl’s performance started an hour and a half late… During this time I was impatiently stomping around as everyone who knows me would imagine. T.I.A. is what Kenyans say… This Is Africa. Silly me to think that everything would work according to my schedule. The thing is, things here always work out in the end. Somehow, in a way that my brain does not fully comprehend, but they do. Family Day was not different. With a little bit of faith and trust we started the event with a performance from baby class. They were even more adorable then usual, if that’s at all possible. Slowly the room was filling up and all of the girls showed up for their performance as well.

Class Final (equivalent to Kindergarden) performing a song.

Valentine, Esther, Mary and Nely performed the play Joy and the Three Lions. The story goes like this: Joy was a little girl wondering in the fields, she saw a little hut in the distance that belonged to three lions. One was a big daddy lion, one was a medium-sized mommy lion and one was a tiny little baby lion… Recognize that story? It’s my african version of Goldilocks. The girls were so good! Everyone laughed and clapped! What a hit!

Joy and the Three Lions, coming soon to a stage near you!

After singing, dancing, and saying their poems the girls left and David and Erick started a meeting with the parents. It went really well. They were able to show the parents the progress of the school during this year and tell them about the exciting future plans, including the new school building.

Last, but not least was lunch time! In the menu: rice, ugali, beef stew and greens. Sixty parents, some little siblings and seventy girls went happily back home with a full tummy!

Many families came to the event.

Lunch time.

Good job team! We did well!

Thursday, December 4, 2014

A Magical Place Called Budondo

Girls at the workshop, under the jackfruit tree.

Global Advocates Sara, Erin (who is working in Tanzania), and I went to visit Ashleigh and her project in Budondo, Uganda. The Mukisas welcomed us so well and I ate so much! In one single day I had bananas, watermelon, pineapple, passionfruit, papaya and jackfruit. It's funny because I knew jackfruit from Brazil (jaca) but I had never tried it before, and let me tell you, it is delicious!! One of the best ideas I ever had in life was to grab a camera and record my first experience eating a jackfruit. The best part is when Mukisa steps in and says he lost his cow.  You can watch the video here:

While in the village we also had the opportunity to participate in a workshop for girls about reproductive health and family planning. The workshop was led by Days for Girls, and they also taught the girls how to make their own disposable pads so they don't have to miss school days! I was so impressed with the pads that I am committed to make my own kit. Not only are the pads amazing for girls with no access or money to buy regular pads, but also they are really good for the environment! I found this tutorial on Youtube and you can learn how to make them too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5Qvcq_urA0.

I had such a great time in Budondo, it is so pretty and green... and delicious. I am so lucky that I had this opportunity to visit the village and the amazingness of the Suubi Health Centre. Thank you Ash and the Mukisa family! Hope to see you again soon!

Girls at the end of the workshop!

Ashleigh, Sara, Erin and I at the Suubi Heath Center.

Ash showing her bubble skills to Julie and Ana. 

With the Mukisas.



Sunday, November 30, 2014

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Happy Thanksgiving!


I’m thankful for my families:  the one that I was born into, the ones that accept me as part of theirs, and for the one that I am building;
I’m thankful for my friends and for all the things they've taught me;
I’m thankful for my health;
I’m thankful for the opportunities that I’ve been given through my life;
I’m thankful for the lessons that I’ve learned from them;
I’m thankful for each and every one of the girls I met on this journey, and for the new kind of love that they made me discover;
Finally, I’m thankful to all of you supporters and donors. I’m thankful because I would not be here if it was not for you. I am thankful because there are people like you that care and believe that we have the power to make a better world for everyone!


If you are thinking about doing charity these holidays, please consider us again. Akili Preparatory School wishes you a Happy Thanksgiving!








Wednesday, November 19, 2014

1 Tomato, 2 Tomatoes, 3 Greenhouses Full with Tomatoes


Our 3 green houses are up and standing tall. Now it's time to plant tomatoes. The process is pretty simple. You put moist soil on these trays that looks like muffin cooking trays. Then you drop a single seed in each tray and cover it. Done! 


Now we put the trays inside of the green house and wait patiently for a whole month. From then, we will transfer the new baby tomato plants to bigger sacks and distribute them between all the green houses we have. Tomatoes are picked weekly!

Before Mama Hope, Akili owned a single green house located 45 minutes away from the school. Because of you, amazing donors, now we have a total of three green houses and they are right next to where the future school building will be. The math is even simpler than planting tomatoes: 3 green houses = 3X the income! All the money made with tomato sales will pay the teachers salaries, school maintenance, and go towards the feeding program! That, my friends, is how a sustainable school does it!


Holidays are around the corner! Want to give back? Visit: stayclassy.org/julianeakilischool

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Pictures, pictures and more pictures!

The tittle of this post says it all!

Couldn't pick my favorite picture of Nely, so I'm posting these two. She is always so sweet and  very much enjoys posing for the camera!


You don't understand... girls LOOOOVE to draw! 

Esther is a leader. She is always organizing the games at play time, she knows exactly what role everyone must play! She is also very smart and gives me the best hugs! 

Mary has one of the most contagious laughs I ever heard! She can laugh so hard that she falls on her knees... I adore her!

 Velma is such a pretty and sweet girl. She lives right outside the school and always waves good bye in the end of my day!



 Very focused!


Thursday, November 13, 2014

Practicing Gratitude with Kindergardeners

Beryl, Vera and Bella: Top three in Kindergarden! Good work girls!

Tomorrow is the last day of the school year! We've been looking over the report cards and we can say  that the majority of our girls performed above extraordinary. We are so proud of them and we are so thankful for our teachers that made this possible!

Today my fellow advocate Sara did a Gratitude exercise with the Kindergardeners. We told them: "You are grateful for the things that you love most". So they drew huts, food, friends, toys, the sun and also some very peculiar things like all parts of a tree.

Starting next week Sara and I will be at school in the mornings teaching the girls computer lessons, sanitation and health education, and reading books at our library! It will be an amazing opportunity for us to spend more time with the girls!



Nicole is always so smiley!

I think this is my favorite drawing ever!

Friday, November 7, 2014

End of Poverty. Next Step: To Educate our Girls!



That women might have the chance of a healthier and happier life should be reason enough for promoting girls' education. However, researches show that investing in girls' education has substantial long-term benefits for the rest of the community. An educated woman has the skills, information and self-confidence that she needs to be a better parent, worker and citizen.

Girls’ education is both an intrinsic right and a critical lever to reaching other development objectives. Providing girls with an education helps break the cycle of poverty, because educated women are less likely to marry early and against their will; less likely to die in childbirth; more likely to have healthy babies; and are more likely to send their children to school. When all children have access to a quality education rooted in human rights and gender equality, it creates a ripple effect of opportunity that influences generations to come. Also, where there are better-educated girls, rates of HIV/Aids are likely to be lower.

An educated woman will also be more productive at work and better paid. Indeed, the dividend for educational investment is often higher for women than men. Studies from a number of countries suggest that an extra year of schooling will increase a woman's future earnings by about 15 per cent, compared with 11 per cent for a man.


But there are still millions of girls without access to education, and big part of this problem is located in sub-Saharan Africa.

While gender parity has improved, barriers and bottlenecks around gender disparities and discrimination remain in place, especially at the secondary school level and among the most marginalized children.

There are various barriers to girls’ education throughout the world, ranging from supply-side constraints to negative social norms. Some include school fees; strong cultural norms favouring boys’ education when a family has limited resources; and negative classroom environments, where girls may face violence and exploitation. Additionally, schools often lack sufficient numbers of female teachers.


That is why the work of the Akili Preparatory School is so important. Akili is a school for girls located in the middle of  one of Kisumu's biggest slum. For women, the most common jobs at Obunga are selling rest of fish that factories don't use and brewing ilegal alcohol. At Akili, the girls receive education and a daily meal for no cost. Akili offers a secure and friendly environment and the teachers are all woman!

Akili Preparatory School prepares girls to get adequate knowledge and skills for success in education and in life, and to develop strong leadership character that will ultimately enable them to emancipate themselves from the vicious cycle of poverty in the slum and be the change they would want to see in their community.


To support Akili Preparaory School and the future of these beautiful girls, visit stayclassy.org/julianeakilischool.


MENINAS NA ESCOLA: PRÓXIMO PASSO PARA O FIM DA POBREZA MUNDIAL.


Porque mulheres terão a chance de uma vida mais saudável e feliz deveria ser motivo suficiente para que hoje meninas recebam educação. Porém, estudos mostram que investir na educação de meninas apresenta um impacto positivo em toda a sociedade. Uma mulher que recebe educação possui as qualidades, informação e auto-confiança que lhes permite ser uma melhor mãe, profissional e cidadã.

Educação de meninas é um ponto essencial quanto se trata de desenvolvimento social. Garantir que meninas recebam educação ajuda a quebrar o ciclo da pobreza. Uma mulher com escolaridade tem menores chances de se casar ainda criança e contra a sua própria vontade; tem menores chances de morrer em parto; provavelmente terá um menor número de filhos; e maiores chances de colocar os seus filhos na escola. Também, quanto maior o número de meninas na escola, menores são os índices de Aids.

Uma mulher com escolaridade será mais produtiva no trabalho e receberá salários mais altos. Estudos mostram que para cada ano a mais que uma menina frequenta a escola, o seu salário aumenta em 15%.

Mas, infelizmente, ainda existem milhões de meninas fora da escola, e grande parte do problema está localizado na África Subsariana.

Embora a igualdade de gênero tenha melhorado em muitos países, ainda existem barreiras e disparidade principalmente entre as comunidades mais marginalizadas.

Ao redor do mundo, existem lugares onde a educação não é gratuita e famílias com mais crianças tendem a favorecer a educação dos seus filhos homens. As escolas muitas vezes oferecem um ambiente negativo, onde meninas enfrentam violência e exploração, e um número reduzindo de professoras do sexo feminino.

Por isso tudo é que o trabalho da Escola Preparatória Akili é tão importante. Akili é uma escola somente para meninas e está localizada em uma das maiores favelas de Kisumu, no Kenya, chamada Obunga. As atividades mais comuns em Obunga entre as mulheres são a venda de restos de peixe e a fermentação ilegal de álcool.

Na Akili as meninas recebem educação gratuita e uma refeição diária. Akili oferece um ambiente seguro e feliz, e todos os professores são professorAs! É o objetivo da nossa escola preparar as nossas meninas com conhecimento e habilidades para  que obtenham sucesso nos seus estudos e nas suas vidas, para que sejam líderes em suas comunidades e assim, possam se emancipar do ciclo da pobreza.

Para ajudar, visite stayclassy.org/julianeakilischool.


Fonte:
http://www.bbc.com/news/education-29880500
http://www.unicef.org/education/bege_70640.html
http://www.roomtoread.org/page.aspx?pid=284
http://www.ungei.org
http://akilischool.weebly.com