World Network for Sustainable Change (WONESU)
INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEERS
WONESU and the international partners organizes for exchange visit trips for stay in Kisumu from time to time. The visit also entails visits/ interaction with WONESU beneficiaries/ staff and project sites/ areas by friends and partners\ donors
AGRICULTURE
We are Enthusiastic about Food Security and Livelihoods. In delivering food security and livelihood pillar, WONESU’s approach is underpinned on increasing household income, improving household food security, Improving families’ abilities to cope with shocks and on-farm and off-farm management of productive resources. Working with over six self-help groups, we envision a situation where ‘all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life’. WONESU considers the longer-term causes of food insecurity by facilitating communities and groups to better produce and purchase their own food.
“My life is not the same since we started working with WONESU, I have milk and vegetables that I sell to feed three orphans under my care, they are well fed, schooled and are happy..” WONESU beneficiary
Over the period of our existence, we have supported construction of units for dairy goats, cows, rabbits and poultry across our farmers’ homes- controlled breeding, enhanced manure collection for sustainable production of horticulture and grains; ensured adoption of proper animal feeding program, enhanced records keeping, pest and disease control, early detection and treatment. We have facilitated increase in milk production; improved families’ nutrition, expanded access to market for sale of surplus produce resulting additional household income.
Power in Group Savings and Loaning: embedded on food security is Groups Savings and Loaning schemes; WONESU Farmer groups have initiated savings and loaning schemes; members use proceeds from savings and loaning schemes to pay school levies for their children boost their small scale businesses stocks and purchase food for their families. Further, they have expanded production (purchased) of pure breeds of goats. The groups have also purchased plastic chairs for hire at a fee- income generation for the group.
EDUCATION AND HEALTH
We work to make children thrive through Education and Mentorship. WONESU’s goal in education is to see all vulnerable children in partner communities have access to formal and non-formal education opportunities; ensuring that children who attend school are learning and work towards increasing the amount of engagement of parents, guardians, communities and volunteers in children’s education. WONESU’s mentorship program continues to impact the lives of adolescents (girls and boys) ensuring sense of responsibility is inculcated in them on their pathway to adulthood.
A comprehensive mentorship curriculum anchors our adolescents’ mentorship program; the effort leverages on school monthly sessions to discuss vulnerability and prevention to early marriages, teenage pregnancies, negative peer influence, drugs/ substance abuse, HIV/AIDS and other Sexually Transmitted Infections. The program offers safer space for adolescents to vent out and freely converse on issues affecting them; teen girls also benefit from sanitary towels during these dialogues forums. For sustainability, the program builds the capacity of parents/guardians/caregivers on parental skills emphasizing their roles in molding and upbringing responsible adults.
In partnership with over fifteen primary and nursery schools in slums and rural areas of Kisumu County, WONESU showcases increased enrolment, retention, performance and transition rates in schools; the organization tailors and distributes school uniforms, Hope pads- (reusable sanitary pads) and other scholastic materials to children from vulnerable households; promotes learning and holistic development at Early Childhood Development (ECD) age benefitting them with art and play materials.
COVID-19
WONESU offered leadership in addressing the impact Covid19 pandemic had on health and livelihoods. Through emergency efforts, the organization distributed food items to households and families of partner schools from Kisumu County that had lost their jobs and business as a result of Kenya Ministry of health Covid-19 containment measures.
In Kenya, we reported the first case of the novel corona virus infections around mid-March 2020.The number of infections have since continued to surge, the Government put in place a raft of standard measures that included encouraging regular hand washing, social distancing and suspension of all public gatherings / events, issuance of all travel restrictions and closure of learning institutions. As a result, the lowest income households in Kenya (slums and rural dwellers) bore the brunt of the negative consequences of both pandemic and the measures to mitigate its spread.
WONESU has established though home visits that indeed many families are going without food, have lost jobs or are on pay cut and unable to pay their house rents among other basic needs.
Our education calendar for 2020 period has also been disrupted as schools remain closed and children sent home. Children being at home has placed a greater burden of care on parents who are under pressure to generate livelihoods amidst economic hardship. WONESU partner schools children are also not receiving the daily school meal that provides valuable calories and nutrition for these poor households.
WONESU distributed food supplements of sugar, ugali flour, rice, salt, cooking oil e.t.c to households (parents/ guardians) across our partner schools in Kisumu East, Kisumu West and Kisumu Central Sub Counties. This will help them cope with negative effects of COVID-19 and in turn avoid secondary humanitarian crisis.
World Network for Sustainable Change (WONESU) is a local (Kenyan) Non-Governmental organization established in 2015, initially as a Community Based Organization and registered as NGO in 2017 and currently headquartered in Kisumu and operates within Kisumu County primarily to promote livelihoods support systems, with a major focus on Agro-based production and value chain, Education and Training, Health, Advocacy and rights promotion.
With over 6 years foot print in community work, WONESU envisions enhanced human capital, self-reliance and sustainable development that is reflected through improved lives of children affected, supporting caregivers to keep them healthy, safe, stable and in school, Nurturing their growth and development by promoting opportunities geared towards education, health and economic empowerment. It is our commitment to improve and expand on opportunities in poor communities with focus on food security and self-reliance.