What Have We Done So Far?

Between 2004-2012, several projects have been carried out in Mbrizi village. These projects are the beginning of the process for a significant change, towards creating an empowered community. Moreover, these projects started turning the vision into reality, and until today are functioning as the people's source for motivation and cooperation. 

Mbrizi Primary School

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The pioneering project in Mbrizi village was the establishment of a primary school in the village itself. The school started its way with a few children sitting under a tree and learning the basics of reading and writing, and is now a fully-functioning, successful school consisting of 300 students in grades 1-7. Thanks to the devoted staff and the students' cooperation, the school shows high success rates in the national exams.

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Women Empowerment Project

 

Women in Mbrizi village, as in many undeveloped countries, have been subjected to continuous discrimination. Due to primitive attitude towards woman's role, many women have become victims of premarital motherhood, thus being left as school dropouts and vulnerable to poverty and HIV/AIDS. The lack of skills and knowledge, led to a high percentage of unemployment among the women.



This situation led to the formation of a "women empowered group", a place where women could express their daily struggles, and acquire knowledge and skills necessary for becoming more productive and influencing. In these meetings, the women are taught skills such as sewing and knitting, reading and writing. They are encouraged to establish an income generating activity, in order to take a part in improving living conditions for the families. Through these activities, the women strengthen themselves, and with time take a more significant role in the family. 

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Malaria Prevention

 

A major problem around the area of Mbrizi village is malaria. 100% of the villagers suffer from two to three episodes of malaria a year.  Attacks of malaria prevent children from attending school up to two weeks a year, and prevent adults from working in the fields. Moreover, with no proper treatment, malaria could be deadly. 



In order to reduce the community's exposure to malaria, the villagers have been provided with long-lasting mosquito nets. In addition, a few seminars in the subject of malaria prevention and treatment have been held. Thanks to these steps, the awareness of the disease among the people have increased greatly, and the number of cases of malaria have reduced. 

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Before the opening of the school, very few children acquired education, and the majority remained with their parents at home. Therefore, the establishment of the school was a turning point in the attitude towards education, opened people's minds, and made them understand there is another way.
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The process of building the school and expanding it throughout the years, was done mainly by the community itself, if it is by providing land for the school, physical work of building, or continuous support in the project. Today, the school is functioning as a communal center for the entire village, and will be used as the foundation for the next projects to come.

The Improvement of the

Water Foundation

 

The Building of a Water Pump

Mbrizi village is located in a very dry area. Until the organization started working in the village, there were no sources for clean drinking water anywhere near by. The locals had to walk very far in order to collect water, and even then, the water was usually not clean.

 

Because of the understanding that the nonavailability of clean water is the main source for the low sanitation in the village, as well as a major cause for diseases, one of the first steps of the organization was the building of a water pump.  



The pump serves the entire village, and enables the school to function properly, with kids that have good water to drink and clean food to eat.



 

The Construction of a Dam

Mbrizi community is depended almost completely on cattle-herding, which requires available water sources. Due to the lack of water, the farmers had to walk for days in order to reach rivers or pools where their cows could drink. Having no other choice, the farmers would take their children along with them on the trips, unabling them to attend school regularly.  



This created a complicated situation where the school could not function properly, because everyday a great amount of students were missing. However, the school could not expect the parents to leave their children unsupervised at home while they were away.   

In order to solve this problem, the organization decided on the construction of a water dam in the proximity of the village. A few tractors were hired, and along with the help of the locals, a dam was built. A protection committee was formed, one whose job is to enact the regulations under which the dam will be effectively used so that it can last as long as possible. Today, the dam serves the entire community and the villages around, and enables the kids to attend school consistently.  

 

 

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