SUPPORT US

Daniel Kobei, of the Ogiek Peoples' Development Programme, says,

"Our people have received no help at all.

To contact Daniel Kobei, Chairman, Ogiek Peoples' Development Programme in Kenya, please call +254 722 433757

www.forestguardian.net, 31 Mar 2014

Daniel M. Kobei Executive Chairman OGIEK PEOPLES` DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM ( OPDP )

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT !!!

Daniel M. Kobei, B.comm, PAM - Executive Chairman

Email: opdp2001@yahoo.com , dkobei@yahoo.com

Ogiek People Development Programe (OPDP) P.O BOX 622-20500

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"Thank you very much for the efforts you are making into the survival of the Ogiek people. It's great to know that you have been able to read our website."

Daniel M. Kobei
Executive Chairman
OGIEK PEOPLES` DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM ( OPDP )

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT !!!

Ogiek Peoples Donation

Please select a cause  that you would like to donate towards

Here you can read some letters from OPDP to persons, that the Ogiek support can - or simply only help want... (please click the date)

10.October 2005  SAFE DRINKING WATER FOR THE OGIEK- KENYA...

10.October 2005  REHABILITATION OF MAU FOREST COMPLEX, KENYA...

20.October 2005  WOMEN AND HEALTH PROGRAM SUPPORT...

31.October 2005  Information about Ogiek people and language...

20.December 2005  Passport for a project officer...

20.February 2006  HIV-AIDS AWARENESS CAMPAIGN...

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10.October 2005

SAFE DRINKING WATER FOR THE OGIEK- KENYA

Ogiek Peoples' Development Program (OPDP) is an NGO registered in Kenya by the Kenyan Government. It serves the Ogiek community, the only remaining forest dwellers in Kenya. The majority of who live in the great Mau Complex of the Rift Valley province. Their livelihood is basically hunting and gathering, though the government of Kenya has outlawed hunting and termed it as poaching. They also campaign that our way of living is not sustainable.

The Ogiek have faced forest evictions from pre colonial and postcolonial governments, leading to their land being grabbed and allocated to other well to do communities, who in turn have deforested the place, hence water springs drying up. It's in this note that OPDP is requesting your Trust to support the Ogiek families in solving the water problem as a pilot project to jump start development in Ogiek land.

I have therefore, attached a proposal and a copy of our registration certificate for your consideration. Please do not hesitate to contact us for clarification and improvement of the proposal.

Yours truly,

Valentine C. Sang
In - Charge Gender - OPDP



Project:

Pilot project for Innovative Rainwater Harvesting (Water Tanks - Surface and Sunk Storage systems) and construction of Toilets in Nessuit Location, Nakuru District for 120 Ogiek families, for Domestic use.

Project areas: Nessuit Location (Nakuru District) - Kenya

Duration: One Year

Amount requested: $ 66,447

Contact persons:

Daniel M. Kobei, B.comm, PAM - Executive Chairman
Email: opdp2001@yahoo.com , dkobei@yahoo.com 

Or

Valentine Sang, Dip.Pharm, MTC Nrb -Program Officer Gender (OPDP)
Email: opdp2001@yahoo.com , valchep2002@yahoo.com 

INTRODUCTION

The Ogiek community is the largest community of forest dwellers in Eastern Africa with a population of approximately 20,000 people with a unique language and culture. They are a hunter gather group,and solely depend on the forest for food,medicine,shelter and preservation of their culture. The Ogiek inhabit areas in and around the Mau forest complex, ( Narok and Nakuru district, Rifty Valley province) and Chepyuk and Chepkitale area of Mt Elgon forest, Western province in Kenya.)

The community has been subjected to several evictions by the colonial and independent government of the day not withstanding the settlement of non members in their ancestral lands. This not only threatens their livelihood in terms of culture,food and shelter, it also pepetuates environmental degradation, as a result of logging introduction of new farming methods and crop varieties marking a variable shift from the way of life of the communities. The water catchment areas have been dilapidated and destroyed due to reduced forest cover exacerbated by uncontrolled illicit harvesting of trees. These activity has momentarily lead to poor sanitation, and increasing likelihood of spread of water borne diseases eg Cholera and Typhoid .

It is due to this that OGIEK PEOPLES DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (OPDP), has considered sensitizing the community on the need to conserve the forest cover, reduction of environmental degradatory practices, encourage sustainable community based water projects, building of  latrines , protection of water sources and paths that lead to them, and to enhance hygienic practices related to uses and harvesting of water for domestic and other uses. 

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The Pilot project for Sustainable Rainwater harvesting and construction of Toilets in Nessuit Location, Nakuru District for 120 Ogiek families, for domestic use.

By encouraging environmental and water catchement areas conservation,the community will be able to save itself from natural disaster and waterborne diseases. The community will recognise the need to practice good hygiene,the need to build tanks for clean water instead of having problems in the search of water which results in time wastage and reduces their productivity.
OPDP has found it necessary to start a pilot project on Rainwater Collection and construction of toilets in 120 homesteads with the aim of achieveing the Millenium Development Goals(MDG's) for the Ogiek Community. This will ensure clean water for people and guarantees hygiene with Toilets being constructed,people will not be going to bushes incase of any call of nature, especially women. Our target group in this project are women,this is because they are the main source of labour in the community not forgetting that they are solely left to take care of the children in all aspect,while their men nowadays go loitering in market centres and in the evening they arrive and ask for food from women. Water and Toilets construction will save them alot in time and improvement of their personal hygiene, their families hygiene, cleaning of clothes and utensils, hence good health.

OBJECTIVE/OR MISSION STATEMENT

The sole objective of the project is to provide clean water and sanitation to at least 120 familes, for a healthy and productive community.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

1. To construct at least 120 water Tanks for collection of rain water.

2. To provide 12 Iron sheets, 2.5 metres of 32 gauge to the 120 homestead to help in collection of clean rain water. 

3. To encourage boiling of drinking water.

4. To get 120 latrines constructed in every household and used by everyone to stop the spread of of bacteria,worms and pollution of water sources.

5. To discourage people from bathing at drinking water sources

6. People to practice personal hygiene eg washing hands,to stop spread of diseases.

7. To advice the community to seek medical advice when with any disease condition.

8. To conserve the forest cover,by avoiding logging and planting of more trees 

9. To educate the community on refuse disposal.

ACTIVITIES AND METHODOLOGY

Learning is best achieved by electing facilitators/consultants who can easily communicate to the villagers in Ogiek language.The facilitators/consultants will be trained on the importance of using clean water and use of latrines(toilets) and the adverse effects of poor hygiene and sanitation.

OPDP will use the existing community leadership and the women groups who requested for this type of project in mobilizing the community in making the project a success. The community will provide other material as a contribution to the project, for instance the project will not provide Nails, Posts, Rafters, frames etc. but, will provide only Iron sheets for building a house, which will be used for water collection and construction of water tanks. Since it is a specialized function, there is need for professional masons.

The proposed project will be done in Nessuit Location, Nakuru districts in Rift valley province Kenya.A team from OPDP will visit the area and will inform the chief to organise a community meeting where they will set up committees, that will form the main rallying point for activities.The committees will be trained on sanitation and environmental conservation who will in turn call for meetings within their geographical location to sensitize the community.The training of the commitees will be a three day workshop where the participants will travel to a selected training facility by OPDP.The topics to be covered are

- sanitation
- environmental conservation
- refuse disposal
- water borne diseases
- water management,and construction of water tanks,
- budget for construction, and the community contribution in achieving this.

After the workshop, the OPDP team and the committees will call for a community meeting where, they will inform the community on the areas to be covered, how it will be done,set up a calender of activities, budget,and community contribution to achieve the stated goals. 

Campaigns will be done covering the goegraphical area,and OPDP will do a quaterly follow up to asses the success of the project.
A handbook in Ogiek language detailing the need for clean water and of waterborne diseases will be made by OPDP,and distributed to the community.
OPDP intends to start with a pilot project covering two villages one in Nessuit area Nakuru district and later another in Narok District,with the aim of building atleast One hundred and twenty(120) latrines for One hundred and twenty homesteads and a tank for each household.

BENEFICIARIES AND ACHIEVEMENT

By the end of the whole exercise,the Ogiek community will have gained knowledge on the need to have clean water and the need to have toilets(latrines) in their compounds.It will free itself from a looming disaster of disease outbreak. It will preserve its culture to the future generation and will be disease free. The project will have benefited approximately 1200 persons (120 homes x 10 members) directlty and it will positively affect more than 5,000 people
The government of Kenya will benefit in alleviating poverty in one part of the country by meeting the MDGs in Ogiek land.
OPDP being the implementing agency,its mission and vision statement will be acheived.

Other indigenous societies

By seeing the achievements of Ogiek community on environmental conservation,sanitation and prevention of waterborne diseases,preservation of culture and lifestyle,other indigenous communities will follow ogiek example.

JUSTIFICATION OF THE PROJECT

The project will solve water problem in the area and enhance sanitation. The community will have a replica of a Millenium Village as per the MDG's target for the next few yeas. The project will be an eye opener in the development of the Ogiek people in general. The same may also be done in Narok District where Ogiek people live. 

REPORTING

OPDP will ensure everything done in the project is documented and copies sent to the donor.All forms of expenditure will be made available for auditing by the donors auditors or OPDP external auditors.

In the section below I will try t o give you some of the places you can drop your proposal.

UNHABITAT,
Water, Sanitation and Infrastructure Branch,
United Nations Office at Nairobi,
P.O. Box 30030, Nairobi

UNEP,
Regional Office for Africa,
P.O. Box 30552, Nairobi

WHO,
Community Water and Sanitation,
P.O. Box 45335 - 00100, Nairobi

There are many other NGOs and CSO that you could sen this for funding.

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10.October 2005

REHABILITATION OF MAU FOREST COMPLEX, KENYA

Ogiek Peoples' Development Program (OPDP) is an NGO registered in Kenya by the Kenyan Government. It serves the Ogiek community, the only remaining forest dwellers in Kenya. The majority of who live in the great Mau Complex of the Rift Valley province. Their livelihood is basically hunting and gathering, though the government of Kenya has outlawed hunting and termed it as poaching. They also campaign that our way of living is not sustainable.

The Ogiek have faced forest evictions from pre colonial and postcolonial governments, leading to their land being grabbed and allocated to other well to do communities, who in turn have deforested the place, hence water springs drying up. It's in this note that OPDP is requesting your trust to support the Ogiek families in solving the water crisis problem due to destruction of major water towers through rehabilitation of the forest.

I have therefore, attached a proposal for your consideration. Please do not hesitate to contact us for clarification and improvement of the proposal.

Yours truly,


Daniel Mpoiko Kobei
Executive Chairman-OPDP 


PROJECT TITLE: REHABILITATION OF WATER CATCHMENT AND FOREST COVER

PREPARED BY: OGIEK PEOPLES DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (OPDP)

TARGET GROUP: OGIEK AND OTHER ADJACENT COMMUNITIES

PROJECT AREAS: MAU FOREST COVER 

DURATION: 3 YEARS

AMOUNT REQUESTED: US$69,055(Kes. 4,971,960)

BANKERS: National Bank of Kenya, Nakuru Branch
a/c No.0102120452000,swift code NBKEKENXXX

CONTACT PERSON: Daniel M. Kobei, B.comm, PAM -Executive Chairman
Email: opdp2001@yahoo.com , dkobei@yahoo.com 

INTRODUCTION

The Ogiek community is the largest community of forest dwellers in Eastern Africa with a population of approximately 20,000 people with a unique language and culture.They are a hunter gather group,and solely depend on the forest for food,medicine,shelter and preservation of their culture. The Ogiek are found in the Mau forest complex,( Narok and Nakuru district, Rifty Valley province and Chepyuk and Chepkitale area of Mt Elgon forest, Western province in Kenya.) 

The community has been subjected to several evictions by the colonial and independent government of the day not withstanding the settlement of non members in their ancestral lands.This not only threatens their culture,food and shelter, it also poses the danger of environmental degradation,as a result of logging and introduction of new farming methods.The water catchment areas have been destroyed due to reduced forest cover,causing poor sanitation, and increasing likelihood of spread of water borne diseases eg Cholera and Typhoid .

It is due to this that OGIEK PEOPLES DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (OPDP),has considered sensitizing the community on the need to conserve the forest cover, reduction of environmental pollution,encourage community based water projects,building of latrines ,protection of water sources and paths that lead to them,and to discourage people from bathing at water source. 

OPDP's Mission

The OPDP is dedicated to the protection of Ogiek culture, nature and the improvement of socio-economic opportunities by way of building the synergies of the Ogiek youth, elders and women through education. OPDP gives attention to the special needs of persons with disability, the youth, the elderly, social justice, peace, family stability and food security. Its pioneer project area covers all Ogiek inhabited areas. Above OPDP is committed to the eradication of poverty amongst the Ogiek peoples.

OPDP's Vision

The OPDP endeavors to create an environment of tranquility upon which human life and nature prospers for posterity.

OPDP's Goal & Objectives

1) To preserve the indigenous culture of the Ogiek people,
2) To develop the small scale enterprise sector,
3) To protect the environment,
4) To increase education opportunities,
5) To promote accessibility to development incentives,
6) To sensititize and create awareness of felt development needs among the Ogiek people through workshops and field days.
7) To harness Ogiek community development initiatives into sustainable ventures.
8) To establish a resource centre to nurture community development initiatives.

1.0 Executive Summary

Over the last two decades Mau forest cover has witnessed progressive denudation due to human farming and logging activities. The project will restore vegetation cover in and around Mau forest catchment area and will involve and benefit all the more than one million members of the community regardless of age and sex. To enable successful implementation of the project, nurseries will be established in selected schools and villages around Mau forest. The community will contribute to the project in terms of labour for tree nurseries and seed collection. The project will be self-sustaining due to community capacity building and sale of seedlings outside the project area. This participatory approach will also enable the local community to plant their own trees at home. Once the trees have been planted on farms by the families, the extension service framework of relevant ministries will be sought to guide farmers on appropriate agro-silvi-pastoral practices for sustained on-farm tree utilization and conservation which places no pressure on local forests. 

2.0 Problem Statement

Beginning early 1990's the government of Kenya degazetted some parts of the forest to settle landless people. This, combined with declining capacity of the forestry department to manage the exploitation of forest resources, opened Mau to intense human activities that have resulted in negative socio-economic and environmental consequences. For example, studies using satellite images to detect changes in forest cover shows that some 7,084 hectares of forest was cleared in the Mau forest complex between the years 2000 and 2003. Between 1986 and 2000, River Njoro watershed, which is part of the eastern Mau forest, alone lost 18% forest cover to small scale agriculture and unplanned settlements. (Baldyga et al., 2004). This was mainly caused by conversion to agricultural land use by the newly settled people and their encroachment on forest margins. Alarmed by this trend of events, the government ordered closures of all saw mills located in and around Mau forest in the year 2000. Despite this, small-scale harvesting of forest products mainly timber, firewood and pasture continues unabated by mobile loggers. Visits to nearly all parts of the forest reveal extensive areas of cleared plantation and burned bamboo forests. Newly settled inhabitants live in perpetual fear of displacement by government. As a result they exploit soils without putting in place conservation measures. Increasing populations in these areas, which actually surround the forest, has caused de-vegetation of forestland for fuel wood and building materials. Increasing demand for these products by both the newly settled and those settled earlier has led to increased pressure on remaining forest patches. Clearly, forest conservation is not possible unless these people have alternative sources of fuelwood, timber and other building materials. These products can be provided by encouraging and mobilizing people to plant trees on their farms and by embarking on community based afforestation programs by encouraging and facilitating local communities to replant logged forests.

2.0 Background information/Justification

Mau forest, which is the focus of the proposed project, is the largest remaining forest block in Eastern Africa and is located in the western central rift-valley, Kenya. The forest is the source of many rivers serving lowland communities in Baringo, Koibatek, Bomet, Nakuru, Kericho, Narok and Transmara districts and across the borders to Tanzania. These rivers drain into lakes Nakuru, Baringo, Victoria and Natron which are considered important for the economic and social well-being of riparian communities, mainly for tourism, conservation, water sources and fisheries. Lakes Baringo and Nakuru are actually registered under the Ramsar convention as sites of international importance as waterfowl habitats. River Mara, which originates from the Mau catchment area is a source of water and habitat for numerous species of flora and fauna in the world famous Maasai Mara Game Reserve in Kenya and Serengeti ecosystem in Tanzania. Ewasongiro River, which drains to Lake Natron in Tanzania, is an important breeding site for the flamingo birds.
This project will not only help to recover lost forest cover but will also reduce pressure on existing forest resources as the community will have the same resources on their own farms. It is also expected also that this will have multiplier effects including improving soil organic matter content, moisture retention capacity and productivity of the soils. Besides, it will leave lasting effects, as farmers will enjoy the benefit of afforestation as they prune trees to get firewood for many years and also get building materials. Also, the success of the proposed approach will act as an incentive for other communities to adopt. 
By establishing trees on farms, the proposed project will help women by reducing the distances they have to walk in search of firewood and also keep girl children in school. 
By involving the youth in environmental and development issues, this project will seek to foster a generation of environmentally conscious citizens who will act responsibly to create a sustainable world. 
A decade or two ago, this forest block used to serve several saw mills located in the surrounding towns and villages as a source of logs for processing into timber and boards. It is also widely exploited as a source of fuelwood and building materials by local communities whom, being largely rural, are not served by other sources of energy like electricity or gas. In overall, this forest has been the lifeline of millions of Kenyans. It also serves Uganda and Tanzania as the main catchment area for lakes Victoria and Natron, which are important fishery and breeding site for flamingoes.

3.0 Why other initiatives/ approaches have not succeeded:

Traditionally the government has responded to afforestation programs in the past using one or a combination of three main approaches. The first approach has usually been the mobilization of government resources in establishing tree nurseries, distributing seedlings and in planting and tending them both in the forest and on farms of adjacent communities. This approach is expensive and given the current resources capacity of the forest department, is neither feasible nor possible to re-establish forest cover in Kenya. 
The second approach has been the so called "shamba system." In this case, landless people are given temporary farming rights in cleared parts of the forest. In the first year the new farmers are expected to clear the land of shrubs and stumps. In the second year they plant their crops in the spaces between rows of young trees. This is repeated in the fourth, fifth and sixth years for as long as the shade of the planted trees allow. This approach is favoured because with the exception of establishing a seedbed and distributing seedlings, the government spends little money. However, because of politicization of the approach, some farmers eventually refused to move out of the forest claiming to be squatters. In the long run, some farmers uproot seedlings to give them continued use of the land. 
The third approach involves the transfer of forest management rights to large scale saw-millers and paper milling companies. These companies establish seedbeds; tend tree nurseries and plant seedlings on assigned forest land. They also hire labour to weed young trees and provide security against illegal logging. Although they pay government royalties, they retain rights to harvest trees when mature. This is theoretically attractive in establishing forest cover for two good reasons. First, there is little investment of public funds in forest restoration which mean that money is used in other social programs offered by the government. Secondly, the forest remains secure against illegal logging through out the growing time. However, the public views this as privatization of public resources. Communities living around forests because, essentially, they lose their partnership role with the government in managing resources particularly resist it. For example, they are required to pay money to the firms for firewood and building materials which they acquire free in state owned forests.

4.0 This Project's approach:

The project will involve the surrounding communities and especially the youth in all the activities that will shape the environment and restore lost forest cover. It will come up with various initiatives to enhance the ability of all ages and sexes of community members around Mau catchment to participate in rehabilitation and management of denuded environments. In an effort to foster a generation of environmentally conscious citizens, this project will seek foremost to inspire and increase involvement of children and youth in environmental issues and processes through education, information exchange, youth participation in decision-making processes and capacity building. Youth will be educated on how politics, farming, homes and industries interact in environmental protection and sustainable development. They will also be enabled and given chances to showcase environmental projects they undertake at home, school and village levels. Nurseries will be established in villages and schools (primary and secondary) situated around Mau forest in a three-year program aimed at planting 3 million seedlings both on farms, around the forest and in the forest, especially close to settlements. School children and the youth groups guided by conservation management committees and government extension agents will be expected to run the show. This program aims at reaching out to local communities in eight divisions of Nakuru, Narok, Bomet, and Kericho districts. 
Once the seedlings reach homes, children will be encouraged to plant them with the help of their parents. This gives a sense of ownership to the children, as they will view it as planting their future. Children will be educated that by the time they grow up, the trees will provide them with wood fuel and materials to build their own homes. 
Since many of the seedlings taken home will be planted on farms as agroforestry, we will supplement it by encouraging and facilitating young people in the communities to establish forest conservation youth groups. In collaboration with the forestry department's outreach programs, the youth will be enabled to plant seedlings raised in the nurseries. The specific parts of the forest to be re-vegetated will be identified by the forest department.

4.1 Project Goal and objectives

The objectives of the project are as follows:

1) Establish100 tree nurseries around Mau forest in three years
2) Educate surrounding communities living around Mau forest on the importance and benefits of forest conservation 
3) Plant three million seedlings in Mau forest and on adjacent farms in three years
4) Form and train conservation and management committees.
5) Train local communities on appropriate agricultural practices for sustainable soil and forest conservation
6) Form and train environmental and conservation youth groups
7) Involve women groups 
8) Evaluate the success of the proposed project 

5.0 Activities and program of work

- Exploratory survey to check on the extend of the damage
- Awareness creation on the intended project
- Formation of committees and contact persons
- Identification of nursery sites
- Identification of forest revegetation sites
- Seed collection activities/selection of species
- Establishment of nurseries
- Formation of youth environmental clubs
- Involvement of school-going children and schools
- Organization of seminars, workshops, field days and showcases 
- Evaluation and Monitoring

5.1 Budget and budget justification

The proposed project is estimated to cost more than Kshs 4 million as shown by the table below. As indicated, much of the costs will actually be on education, establishing seedbeds, planting them and monitoring and evaluating the success of the project. This approach is necessary so as to ensure that the funds sought are put into the most important aspect of this project - forest restoration.

BUDGET Kes. 4,971,960 (At exchange rate of USD 1 = Kes.72 ($ 69,055)

Staffing:

1 Research Officer qualified and experienced in Natural Resources Management (Project Adviser)

2 Research Assistants

1 Full time project coordinator, experienced in community mobilization,

100 Nursery Attendants 

8 Elders to assist in community mobilization

Casuals (hired occasionally)

Volunteers and Govt. extension agents 

Local Administration and Leadership.

4.6 Evaluation of project 

Evaluation of the adoption rate of the proposed project by target communities must be done regularly to ensure timely and successful implementation of the proposed project; Regular monitoring and evaluation mechanism will be put in place.

I. A project monitoring and evaluation team will be informed.

II. Meetings scheduled to coincide with the end of each activity that will evaluate their successful implementation 

III. Writing of quarterly progress reports as a way of appraising.

Conclusion

Because of the involvement and participation of all members of the community from planning stages, there is now some sense of belonging and hence the project will continue at the end of the project. They have also been educated and trained on environmental conservation and management.

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20.October 2005

To...xxxxxxx

Dear Sir/madam,

RE: REQUEST FOR WOMEN AND HEALTH PROGRAM SUPPORT

The Ogiek People Development Program(OPDP) do kindly submit their request to your Foundation on the above subject.

OPDP is a Non Governmental Organization(NGO) registered in the year 2001 in Kenya with an aim of promoting and protecting Ogiek culture, education, health, human, land and constitutional rights. It is based in Narok town and operates in three main districts inhabited by this community namely: - Nakuru, Mt. Elgon and Narok itself.

OPDP has worked its action plan for the health and thus request for material, moral and or financial support from the well wishers so as to undertake its project.

The organization looks forward for your humble response and its ready to participate for any other activities if invited that intends to promote Ogiek women on health sanitation.

Yours faithfully,


Valentine Sang 
PROGRAM OFFICER 
GENDER - OPDP

-----

PROPOSAL ON WOMEN HEALTH AND SANITATION ANTE AND POST NATAL CARE

Project areas: Narok and Nakuru (Kenya)
Duration: Six months (6months)

Contact persons:

Valentine Sang, Dip.Pharm, MTC Nrb - Program Officer - Gender-OPDP

Email: opdp2001@yahoo.com , valchep2002@yahoo.com 

Daniel Kobei, Executive Chairman

Email: opdp2001@yahoo.com , dkobei@yahoo.com 

INTRODUCTION

The Ogiek women being indeginous forest dwellers have been marginalised for a long time.This has impacted negatively in their development,health matters and economy which has resulted to illiteracy which is at 80%,poor living conditions,lack of infrastructure and health facilities.The forest is a place they call home,they do not have proper housing,and are predisposed to harsh weather conditions,poor sanitation which inturn increase opportunities of infections,high mortality rate,and reduce their productivity as a community.

On many occasions they have relied on herbal medicine and traditional healers.It is to this note that OGIEK PEOPLES DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM(OPDP) has considered training Ogiek women on sanitation,adolescent sex education,pre and post natal care,HIV-AIDS,sexually trasmitted diseases, and communicable diseases.OPDP, centres on training the girl child because they are future mothers.The old women too are not left out because they have knowledge on herbal medicine,and traditional methods in health issues and they too need to be enlightened on new mordern methods.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

By training Ogiek women on health issues they will be able to save their families from disease conditions which would have otherwise affected their families and also reduce deaths which would have been prevented.The community will recognise the need to practice good hygiene,the need to build hospitals,and the need to refer sick members to better placed hospitals in complicated,or life threatening conditions.

Description of the Project

Training of indigenous Ogiek women on sanitation, ante and post natal care

Indigenous women, have been unawake in training on sanitation, ante and post natal care because of low levels of education poor living conditions, lack of infrastructure and health facilities. Their living in forest, predispose them to harsh weather conditions and limited knowledge on how to care for themselves.

On many occasions they have relied on herbal medicines and traditional healers. Ogiek development programme (OPDP) has considered training the indigenous women on how infections, and complications of pregnancy.

This begins by training them about menstruation, and sanitation the girl child, because they are going to be the future mothers of the next generation. The old to take care of themselves to prevent communicable diseases and also ways to prevent generation is not left out also because they too have knowledge on old ways of managing pregnancy and would wish to get enlightened with new methods.

Menstruation occurs at puberty as a result of cynical changes by hormones in the uterus and is normally 28 days in normal cycles while ovulation takes place on the 14th day. And if fertilization occurs, then pregnancy results. If it doesn't then there is blood loss at end of cycle. The indigenous women are trained on sanitation during menstruation to prevent infections as this may precipitate because of the warm conditions and bacterial growth resulting from using poor sanitary, or prolonged usage of sanitary. The woman should bath at least twice in a day, use clean pads and change frequently. Otherwise it may cause bacterial vaginitis, candidiasis, which is characterized by itching of private parts accompanied by a curded like discharge and some degree of inflammation.
Antenatal care is regarded as preventive medicine, to maintain the mother in health of body & mind, preserve her pregnancy to term, to anticipate difficulties & complications in labour, ensure the birth of a living healthy infant and to help mother to rear the child.
OPDP elects women in the community to be trained on ante and postnatal care. This will assist regain the indigenous woman in need. This entails training them to know the general medical history of the patient, duration of pregnancy, visits, diet, minor disorders of pregnancy e.g morning sickness, and education of patients on labour and preparations for the arrival of the baby e.g buying clothes.

The indigenous women are trained to understand the stages of labour duration, fatal position and mechanism of labour & its management. The women are also taught on prevention of infections during and after labour. This is by imparting them that the mother should be trained on swabbing and sitting baths using salty water and mild antiseptics.

Training on onset of lactation, which should begin 2 months before birth, to avoid complications like mastitis and cracked nipples. The women are taught about expected mental illnesses as a result of childbirth, legation of the umbilical cord and general baby care. Basically these are the objective of OPDP on safe motherhood. However, there are limitations to attaining our goals. OPDP wishes to ask for financial assistance to build a health facility to assist the indigenous community. The facility should cover both out and inpatients complete with a bed capacity of at least twenty patients, complete with a maternity. 

OPDP has for instance provided the women with sanitary towels for use, advice women to seek medical treatment when sick. OPDP considers too, training of women on pregnancy, ante and post natal care. Ogiek women per se understand pregnancy, but OPDP has decided to train them, to prevent and reduce maternal mortality rate as a result of complications of pregnancy. 

OBJECTIVE OR MISSION STATEMENT

The soul objective of the training is to have a healthy productive community.


SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

1. To train Ogiek women on general hygiene standards among the women by use of clean water, use of simple procedures in managing simple health conditions eg cleaning wounds with warm clean salty water,washing hands before assisting in delivery,and general care of umblical cord.

2. To train the girlchild and women on sexualy transmitted infections HIV-Aids and communicable diseases.

3. To train community based health workers who can recognise obstructed labour,cases of retained products of conception,any excessive bleeding,or any psychiatric disorders after birth and the need of immediate transfer to hospital.

4. To set up community based health centres that can offer midwife services and carry out simple first aid procedures

5. To train community based health workers on the immediate care of the newborn,the importance of breast feeding nutrition and immunization.

6. To prepare a simple handbook in Ogiek language covering general sanitation, 
sexually transmitted infections,immunization,nutrition,and care of expectant mothers.

7. To organise free medical campaigns covering all members of the community,to sensitise them on our core objectives.

ACTIVITIES AND METHODOLOGY

OPDP will prepare the basic materials,for training,recruit the necessary support team of typist and office assistant(s) It will also prepare logistics.The proposed project will be done in Narok and Nakuru districts in Rift valley province Kenya.There will be a team from OPDP, who will visit the area, inform the chief,organise a community meeting where they will vett Ogiek women representatives who will be trained on midwifery,sanitation,sexually transmitted infections, and post natal care.

Learning at the village level will be best attained by electing facilitators/experts who can easily communicate to the women in Ogiek language,have illustrative instruments and if possible use instructional media like videos to impart knowledge.Knowledge can also be imparted by using different lecture methods,encourage problem based learning,and open forum.

The topics to be covered are classified as follows.

• Sanitation
• Pre and post natal care

The training will be a three day workshop each day four topics.Learners will be given active participation through presentations and homeworks.

After the workshop a team from OPDP,and the hired experts will visit the community, to inform them of the trained community based health workers.
The OPDP team, with the help of the local chief will identify site for building a health facility where the community health workers would be based.

The facility will be equiped with medical apparatus which the trained community based workers can handle.This will be a way forward as we solicite for the extension of the project from both our donors and the community.
After all these are a chieved, OPDP team will do a follow up with the local leaders on quartely basis.The team will do data collection report writing and home visits.

A hand book in Ogiek language will be made detailing all about sanitation,sexually transmitted infections pre and post natal carewill be published by OPDP and distributed randomly to the community.

Beneficiaries and Achievement

At the end of the meeting OPDP would wish to achieve the following

• HIV & trained community based health workers, who can screen mothers who may have problems during pregnancy and delivery.
• Prepare a handbook
• Set up centres for midwives.

Ogiek communities at large will be recognized in their good health status and increase in number. It is the promotion of lifespan and active development.The Ogiek generation and their friends will be the beneficiary as the minorities' community in Kenya.

Proposed Budget

At exchange rate of Kshs 78 to Us$ 1

The Sum total is Kshs 780,076. Or US$ 10,001

Reporting

A final report of the Ogiek women training will be drafted giving accounting details and the outcome.  Above all the OPDP and the Ogiek fraternity will convey vote of thanks to the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation for its brave and generous support given, and will intend to request for more funding so as it can implement other projects. We shall never be the same if our mothers and women get the training.

Evaluation

After the training OPDP would do a follow up survey to identify and distribute the equipments required for the day to day running of the activities by the trained community based midwives. Also the ....XXX... will send their team for interaction with the trained women on the outcome of the project.

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31.October 2005 ...

.......  Let me underscore the following information about Ogiek people.

The assimilation of the Ogiek people has been contributed by the following:

The Ogiek population is approximately 22,000 people (No census so far give figure of Ogiek, this is because nobody could reach them for national census. The national census classified Ogiek in the category of others, this are the small and unknown communities in Kenya). In Kenya there is no school which can accept to teach Ogiek Mother Tongue apart from two which Ogiek are teaching as headmasters in those primary schools. The two schools are poorly managed due to the economical situation in Ogiek land.

Ogiek people have a language called Ogiek. The singular for Ogiek is Ogiot. Ogiek people are classified under the Nilo-hamatic speakers. Previously many writers and Kenyans in particular use to call Ogiek derogatively as Dorobo a word derived from Masaai people Ildorobo meaning a poor man without cattle. Ogiek people have language considered to be having both Maasai and Kalenjin people words but with an absolute different dialect and of course different culture and traditions. It's because of this affinity with the two major communities that the Ogiek are at risk of their language being lost at an alarming rate. Ogiek people are minority in the Districts which the Maasai and the Kalenjin are the majority. The districts are Narok(Maasai/Kipsigis), Nakuru(Kipsigis) Nandi Hills(Nandi)and Mt. Elgon(Sabaot). In these districts the Ogiek people are found but as a minority. Apart from the Masaai all the other three are Kalenjin speakers who are Pastoralist and Agriculturist while Ogiek remain as hunter- gatherer community, contemporarily known as the forest dwellers.

Ogiek people are among the poorest people in Kenya due to high level of illiteracy and their lifestyle of hunting and gathering, which is considered by the Government of Kenya as unsustainable. The government have also demonize hunting and termed it as poaching. The illiteracy rate of the Ogiek is about 98% with 95% living below poverty line meaning they earn less than a dollar a day. It worthy nothing that until 1994 Ogiek people were called Dorobo even by the so called the learned, it was after this that Ogiek civil society members through the media advertise the name the called themselves i.e Anthropologists Scholars like Dr. Corinne Kratz misspelled Ogiek name to "Okiek" which with Ogiek pronunciation is different, he did is PHD research in the late 70s in Narok district.

Ogiek as an ethnic community has not written anything in their language or translated documents to Ogiek language.


Daniel M. Kobei
Ogiek People Development Programe(OPDP)
P.O BOX 622-20500
NAROK
KENYA
Tel 254-50-23185/254-722 433 757

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20.December 2005 ...

To
Immigration Office,
Passport Section
Kisumu,

Dear Sir,

Ref: Simon Ole Kiuwape

On behalf of OGIEK PEOPLES  DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM(OPDP), I wish to introduce to you Simon Ole Kiuwape who has been our staff for the last 3 years as our project officer and office administrator. Mr. Kiuwape has played a big role in our Organization since inception, and has been in forefront in ensuring that our strategic plans are`realised.

We have nominated him to apply for a human rights training in Canada which is to begin next year. One of his challenges is to have a passport to allow him complete the process as well as a visa for the said country. Previously he was to attend a meeting in Geneva Switzerland, but due to lack of a passport he had to forfeit the offer. It is in this regard we are appealing to your esteem office to consider for a passport.

Thanks,

Yours truly,

Mpoiko Kobei

Executive Chairman- OPDP

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20.February 2006 ...

A PROPOSAL ON

HIV-AIDS AWARENESS CAMPAIGN AND THE IMPACT AMONG THE OGIEK COMMUNITY IN KENYA

TO ....

PROJECT AREAS: NAKURU DISTRICT (KENYA)

DURATION: TWELVE MONTHS (12 months)

AMOUNT REQUESTED:  Euros 9,412  US$ 11,294

Bankers:

National Bank of Kenya,Nakuru branch A/c No 0102120452000

Contact persons:

Valentine Sang, Dip.Pharm, MTC Nrb - Program Officer - Gender-OPDP

Email: opdp2001@yahoo.com , valchep2002@yahoo.com 

Daniel M. Kobei, B.comm, PAM-Executive Chairman (OPDP)

Email: opdp2001@yahoo.com , dkobei@yahoo.com 

INTRODUCTION

The Ogiek community are the largest forest dwellers in East Africa with a population of approximately 20,000 people with a unique language and culture.They are a hunter gather group,and solely depend of the forest for food,medicine,shelter and preservation of their culture.The Ogiek are found in the Mau forest complex(Narok and Nakuru districts)Rift valley province in Kenya.

BACKGROUND

The Ogiek community,a hunter gather group are considered as the guardians of the forest since time immemorial since they solely depend on the forest for food,medicine shelter and preservation of their culture. For a very long time,the community has been marginalised on their land rights,subjected to evictions by the colonial and the independent government of the day,and settlement of non members.These has caused great changes in their habitat with the introduction of new lifestyles,logging,new farming methods and a harsh economy.The changes has also threatened the integral aspects of the Ogiek existance,continuity and culture.With these problems,the community is predisposed to poverty coupled with high illiteracy levels and diseases one of them being the deadly virus HIV-AIDS.

The changes in culture has resulted in a general moral laxity,Increased cases of pre-marital sex,early marriages,prostitution, single motherhood and wife inheritance.Due to illiteracy,there has been general denial of the existance of HIV-AIDS,lack of knowledge on the mode of transmission and the need for behavioural changes.The community's preservation of other culture eg mass traditional circumcision practices using same instruments,giving birth at home,polygamy, has contributed to the spread of HIV-AIDS.Unequal distribution of resources by the government,eg hospitals,roads has resulted to lack of vigorous public campaigns against HIV/AIDS by national leadership, lack of medicine to treat opportunistic infections,lack of diagnostic centres(VCT)and the tendancy of those infected not revealing their sero-positive status for fear of stigmatization. All these factors have contributed to the high prevalence of the disease among the Ogiek,and has reduced the most productive group of people leaving the old and orphans thus high poverty levels.The low availability of radios and other forms of instructional media eg TV's within the community and lack of local language programming limits the number of people the National media reaches thus comtributing to lack of knowledge on the HIV-AIDS pandemic.The Ogiek women and girls are at a higher risk of contracting the disease than their male counterparts.This is explained by the fact that women play a central role in productive and reproductive activities,manpower dynamics where they have been forced to usurp male responsibilities as a result of polygamy and environmental changes which force the male to move away from home in search of food,and employment.For instance rural urban migration in search of jobs in the National army,police,and local security firms has made couples to live apart denying them their conjugal rights and predisposing them to casual sex, increasing chances of contracting the deadly HIV-AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.Gender discrimination and marginalization in decision making leadership,property ownership and inheritance has increased the Ogiek women and girls level of desparation which in turn push them to high levels of poverty and prostitution.The community has not also been able to involve themselves in income generating activities eg large scale bee keeping which would keep members busy,and earn a living forcing them to engage in local brew drinking and prostitution,thus the spread of the disease.Prolonged traditional celebrations like in the case of circumcision coupled with late night dances and traditional brew from home to home has increased chances of rape,and casual sex among the Ogiek especialy at the end of every year predisposing the community to extinction as a result of the spread of sexually transmitted infections including HIV-AIDS.The community fear of the disease has made family members not to announce the real cause of death of a family member who suffered from HIV-AIDS for fear of stigmatization,causing more spreading of the disease.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The pilot project for HIV awareness campaign In Nessuit Location, Nakuru District.

By highlighting the deadly disease HIV-AIDS and the impact to the community there will be a complete behavioral change,reduced deaths,acceptance and care of the already infected cases,care of the orphaned children and the desire for visiting VCT centres without any fear. Our main target in this area are women, the youth and the elderly, because they play a big role in the community socially and economically. OPDP through assistance of donors, also wish to open VCT centres, stock antiretrovirals(ARV's)for easy accesibility,have qualified medical proffesionals who run and train patients on ARV use, dosages, expected side effects and the need for compliance once initiated.The pilot project by OPDP will be done in Nessuit location in Nakuru district with a population of about 5,000 Ogiek community members.OPDP, chose this area because there has been great environmental changes in this area for the past ten years, which has caused a negative impact to the livelyhood of this people who were mainly hunter gathers.The massive deforestation coupled with the influx of non forest dwellers,has introduced moral decay,and for survival reasons,there has been a rise in prostitution,and breaking up of the family unit,thus the spread of the disease.

OBJECTIVE/OR MISSION STATEMENT

The sole objective of the project is to creat HIV -AIDS awareness,and educate on the impact of the disease in the community.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

1. To train the community on the history of HIV/AIDS
2. To educate on the HIV virus-HIV structure

- HIV types and subtypes
- Meaning of CD4 cells,and viral load

3. To educate community on HIV-AIDS transmission.
4. To highlight on the HIV-AIDS test and meaning of the results.
5. To advice on Voluntary counselling and testing (VCT)
6. To educate on HIV-AIDS disease-factors determining the disease progression

- Major and minor signs of HIV infection
- Opportunistic infections
- Psychological and psychiatric manifestation of HIV-AIDS.

7. To train on management of the disease with Antiretrovirals and home based care.
8. To advice on HIV-AIDS prevention
9. To discourage people from discriminating those living with HIV/AIDS
10. To highlight on the social and economic impact of HIV-AIDS
11. To encourage the National radio and media to open local FM stations with programmes prefferably in Ogiek language for easy dissemination of information.
12. To train community on human rights issues relating to right to education,right to religion, right to health,gender, leadership,and property.
13. To train community on the need for environmental conservation,which in turn reduce vulnerability to environmental and social economic shocks that promote the spread of HIV-AIDS.eg drought.
14. To encourage the Ogiek community participation in income generating activities like bee keeping as a sustainable source of income.
15. To discourage traditional practices eg wife inheritance, polygamy, mass circumcision with same blade,and vertical transmission through unsafe child birth at home
16. To encourage dissemination of information on HIV-AIDS in the community through use of religous leaders and traditional communication eg in traditional dances and local baraza's.
17. To sensitize the community on the need for proper nutrition especially for those living with HIV-AIDS.
18. To establish a mobile outreach programmes on HIV-AIDS.
19. To encourage acceptance and care of HIV-AIDS orphans by family members

ACTIVITIES AND METHODOLOGY

Learning is best achieved by selecting and training facilitators who are also conversant with Ogiek language.OPDP will prepare the basic materials,prepare logistics, budget and organise a meeting with the government representative (chief)of the area,who will in turn organise a community meeting to inform them of the proposed project,venue and duration.The training will involve the use of different lecture methods,open forum,problem based learning and use of instructional media like videos about HIV-AIDS.During the process pamplets and newsletters,T-shirts with HIV-AIDS printed words in Ogiek language of caution and care will be distributed randomly to the community.The training will be a three day workshop where the participants will travel to a selected training facility within the area and the topics to be covered are:

1. The history of the disease HIV-AIDS
2. HIV-AIDS by age and sex distribution
3. The HIV virus
4. HIV transmission
5. The HIV test, and voluntary counselling and testing(VCT)
6. The HIV-AIDS disease
7. Management of HIV-AIDS disease
8. Mode of Preventing the spread of the disease
9. How to accept, and give moral support to those living with HIV-AIDS.
10. Current statistics of the disease,and the impact socially and economically.
11. Initiation and location of VCT centres accesible to the community and hiring of qualified medical personel to run the centres for a period of one year with the assistance of donor funding.
12. Environmental conservation,a core factor in income generating activities and sustainable developement.
13. Human rights issues relating to right to education, right to health,gender and property ownership.

LIMITATIONS OF THE PROJECT

The limitations which may be experienced are

1. High levels of illiteracy
2. Poor infrastracture and lack of transport
3. Lack of electricity or solar systems
4. Identification and location of VCT centres

HOW TO OVERCOME THE LIMITATIONS

1. Translation of materials to Ogiek language verbally
2. Walk or hire vehicles for transport
3. Buy a small generator
4. The community with the help of the area chief will identify specific land for construction of a health facility with VCT centres.

EVALUATION

OPDP board will liase with the Kenya National Aids Control Council (NACC) to evaluate the impact and monitor the project.
The donors are free to send their own evaluators.

BENEFICIARIES AND ACHIEVEMENT.

Ogiek community

By the end of the training, the Ogiek community will learn the need to practice safe sex, stop traditional practices like mass circumcision with same blade, encourage family values, educate future generation about the disease, avoid discriminating community members living with HIV-AIDS, know about HIV test, visit VCT centres without fear, and access antiretrovirals for those already living with HIV-AIDS. The Ogiek community at large will be recognised in their good health status, and in turn there will be promotion of lifespan and active developement.

The government of Kenya

The government of Kenya in colloboration with donor communities will recognise the need to protect its citizens from the deadly scourge,encourage equal distribution of resources like VCT centres and antiretroviral drugs, and care of the orphaned.This will inturn enhance productivity and economic growth.

The funding agency

The funding agency will have used its resources meaningfully to enhance good health and protect the community from near extingtion as a result of the spread of the deadly scourge.

Ogiek Peoples Developement Program

Being the implementing agency,its vision and mission statement will be achieved.

REPORTING

OPDP will ensure that everything done in the project is documented and copies sent to the donor. All forms of expenditure will be made available for Auditing to the donor auditors or OPDP external auditors. OPDP will also do quaterly visits to the establishd VCT centres and send reports to the donor.