Submitted by olivia on Thu, 2013-09-19 14:33
- STORIES FROM SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA -
CTC is founded on the Kenyan philosophy of Ubuntu, which means, “I am because we are.” It is the fundamental acknowledgement that we are who we are because of those around us. Or, in other words, we are all connected.
The idea itself is powerful – everything is interrelated – but when put into practice to break the cycle of poverty for an entire community, its impact is truly awesome. Over the past year, my boyfriend Brendan and I have been lucky enough to see Ubuntu at work in our lives and in the lives of thousands in Maai Mahiu, Kenya and around the world.
It all started a year ago, when we arrived in Kenya. It was the first stop on our 10-month, 11-country, once-in-a-lifetime around-the-world adventure. We had partnered with CTC to help bring focus and context to our trip. We were so blessed to have the opportunity to experience the world and we wanted to give something back. From our first meeting with Zane in the garden of CTC offices in Austin, we knew we had found our match. CTC’s fresh approach to development – empowering the local community to help themselves – gave us the confidence we needed to enlist our friends and family in a little fundraising. We went to Maai Mahiu to see first-hand where the money was going and do what we could while we were there to help.
I will never forget driving into Maai Mahiu for the first time. We were, to say the least, overwhelmed by the reality of the situation. The poverty is extreme and the symptoms are obvious. But, over the next month, working alongside CTC staff and the local community, we were able to look beyond the problems to see the potential of a community on the cusp of real change. Now, a year later, that change is happening. Programs that were just getting off the ground while we were in Kenya have prospered and are bringing tangible hope to the town and people of Maai Mahiu. Here are just a few examples of what a difference a year can make…
Breaking New Ground in Education
Heading into our trip, the Knowledge & Resource Center became the main focus of our time and fundraising energies. It promised a dedicated place for education within the community, offering everything from the town’s first public library to a computer lab to Adult Literacy courses and tutoring programs. It’s a big dream with huge implications for the sustainable development of Maai Mahiu and CTC’s educational programs. When we were in Maai Mahiu, the KRC was a piece of ground marked off by stakes and string on CTC’s land. The adult literacy courses were underway, but temporarily being held at an off-site location and being taught by a volunteer teacher who walked about an hour each way to teach the class three times a week. We sat in on several of the classes and were overwhelmed by the student’s enthusiasm for learning. The classes have empowered them to take control over their lives and futures. And the confidence that it inspires is contagious.
Today, the KRC is in progress! There are over 2,500 books ready to be stocked in the library. The computer lab is outfitted, connected and almost ready for use. And, the teacher who volunteered her time to work hard for others in her community is now a full-time employee. Eventually, others will join her, creating more jobs and offering more educational opportunities to members of the community, despite age or ability. Knowledge is power!
Cleaner, Brighter Future for Maai Mahiu
Going into our trip, never in a million years did Brendan and I imagine picking up trash in Africa. But, true to CTC form, the unexpected became a reality… at least for one dirty, smelly day. The Waste Management program is the first of its kind in Maai Mahiu and was about six-months-old when we joined the Friday pick up. The program seeks to educate the community about the problems caused by unsanitary living conditions, inform them about benefits of waste management, inspire them to pay for the service and hire local youth to perform it on a weekly basis. No small feat, especially when dealing with a population accustomed to living with the current situation. That Friday, we worked alongside the youth employees to pick up trash from about 30 households. We also cleared one of the many piles of trash along the streets as part of an ongoing “community clean up” effort to reverse the effects of decades of neglect.
Today, there are six full-time youth employees servicing more than 200 households in Maai Mahiu. The program has tripled since we were there and continues to grow toward its goal of signing on 1,500 households. The youth employed by the program are earning money for school and to help support their families, paving the way for not only a cleaner, but brighter future for Maai Mahiu.
No Grandmother Left Behind
Our most emotional day in Maai Mahiu was spent with 25 Maasai grandmothers (cu cus) in a small community church in the middle of nowhere. To this day, these women remain some of the strongest, most beautiful women we've ever met. They've been left to care for young children after losing their own to HIV/AIDS, with miles between them and any potential support systems. And still they smiled and sang and welcomed us with open arms. The purpose of the visit was to meet with the grandmothers, learn more about their needs and deliver supplies for L.I.F.E. Line bracelet making, which would soon help generate income for the group. It is just one facet of the GAPA program, which started in 2011.
Today, the GAPA program is supporting more than 150 grandmothers and 465 known dependants. The beadwork bracelets made by the grandmothers are sold internationally through Whole Foods Market and other partners as part of the CTC L.I.F.E. Line fashion brand. The women also make liquid soap and floor mats to sell locally, a supply chain enabled by the CTC network in Kenya. GAPA program has empowered the grandmothers to build a better life for themselves and their grandchildren. Most of the women live in extreme poverty and having a way to support their families is the first step forward.
Fashion as a L.I.F.E. Line
Nowhere is CTC’s global network more clearly outlined than in the story of L.I.F.E. Line products. The program affects thousands of lives across Kenya and is growing exponentially every day. When we were in Maai Mahiu, our “down time” was spent working quality control on L.I.F.E. Line bags being sewn by about 30 Malaika Mums. The mums are a group of women with special needs’ children whose work not only supports their families and livelihoods, but also helps fund special education programs for their kids and others with special needs. It is the only program of its kind in Central Kenya. The bracelets the GAPA grandmothers make are also a part of this project (everything is connected). The bags we were helping get out the door were part of the first big order from Whole Foods – 10,000 bags to be distributed nationally to participating US stores. The bag, coffee sleeve and bracelet were the only three products offered by L.I.F.E. Line. The best part for us was listening to the women gossip and sing as they worked. You could feel the pride in what they were doing – and themselves.
Today, CTC – and specifically L.I.F.E. Line – is the largest employer in Maai Mahiu and surrounding areas. Its local employee roster includes 80 grandmothers, 40 mums and dozens of Kenyan suppliers and manufacturers. The product line is expanding and can be found on three continents and online! With the growing demand for L.I.F.E. Line products, more women can be hired and more lives can be changed.
Land of Opportunity
One of our favorite memories of our time in Kenya was visiting the newly purchased CTC land just outside of Maai Mahiu. We stood on top of the water tank with a cold Tusker, and took in the long-term vision of CTC with Zane as our guide. “KRC will go there,” he said. “See the Café Ubuntu foundation over there? And the Health Center will be built just there.” He stood and pointed to different spots on the 11.5 acres and we understood that this land signified a turning point for CTC and Maai Mahiu. It would serve as a job creator, a revenue generator, a community-gathering place, and a foundation for a better future. All CTC services housed in one place, interconnected by a common mission and common ground.
Today, that vision is being realized. The development of the land has already employed more than 50 individuals from Maai Mahiu who would otherwise be unemployed. Two acres of the land support a flourishing garden and several cooperative agriculture projects that empower local youth and protect the interests of local farmers. Construction of the Knowledge & Resource Center and first ever Maai Mahiu Library are well underway. And, in just two short weeks, Café Ubuntu will open its doors for business and serve the first of many cups of coffee, bringing new jobs and revenue into the community.
The Bigger Picture
Each of the programs we’ve seen blossom over this past year is making a huge difference in the lives of those it serves. But, the true impact can only be seen when you take a step back and look at how each program strengthens the other to impact sustainable change for the community as a whole. Everything is connected and is greater than the sum of its parts.
The same is true in our lives. Over the past year, Brendan and I have had countless individual experiences to shape our future. We quit our jobs, packed up our lives, left the place we had called home for the last decade, traveled around the world and started over in a new city. But, when we take a step back and look at the big picture, we see Ubuntu at work. From Austin, to Kenya to San Francisco, CTC connects the pieces of our journey.
We are who we are today because of our CTC family.
Blog By: CTC TRIBE Members, Brittni McCorquodale & Brendan Starr
