Mapping sustainability model for Ndhiwa Maarifa Centre

By Timothy Obabo

A group of 15 diligent people consisting of ALIN staffs from Nairobi headquarter and advisory committee members met at Institute for Rural Development-Kenya on 10^th December 2013 to discuss on ways and means of sustaining the centre now that most foreign donor pools are diminishing with time.

From the sharing of the past 7 year’s experience of service to this community, the team was able to review the milestones of the centre. It was clear that the Maarifa centre had overseen the training of over 4,000 community members on ICT, assisted over 40,000 community members’ access free library and internet service; the centre had also overseen the training and visit of over 42,000 amongst other achievements.

Under the leadership of the committee advisory Chairperson Mr. Jeremiah Omogi the sitting gave Mr. Noah Lusaka and Paskwalina Morris from the headquarters an opportunity to share with the members the possibilities and ways of sustaining the centre locally. Finally the members came to a consensus to tag a little fee on ICT training due to its high demand in the region since its donors period had elapsed but to have the free access to information bit upheld.

The implementation of this new approach is yet to be rolled out after the committee and the relevant stakeholders have put in their weight behind it. Talking to the field officer in-charge of Ndhiwa Maarifa Centre, Gerald Yongo, this is what he had to say, “We shall ensure that whatever s charged from our trainees has to be the most minimal charge since we are not in business here. We only need communal support to ensure this programme keeps transforming the lives of the needy”.  

A man takes away his life after slaughtering his family of three in Rodi

In Rodi town, Homa-Bay County on Monday 11^th November 2013 at around 4.00 am, a man killed his family and then took away his life after a quarrel with her wife over unknown issue. The man is said to have had similar issues with the wife sometime back, matters that had led to their separation for a period.

This family had barely two weeks since their rejoinder in Rodi where the wife had remained with the children for the period. The neighbors here seemed not understand clearly the cause of disagreement on this particular day. 

The neighbors here confirmed that on this particular night the situation seemed a bit different from the kind of verbal threats that the man shouted to the wife.  The simmering man is reported to have bunged the door when the argument heated before padlocking themselves inside.

The man is said to have picked the youngest child of 4 years first from her sleep and slit her throat leaving the body soaking in blood; on seeing that, the 7 year old child who was now awake by then, screamed in terror but before the voice too could go far, she was brought down to death with her arms chopped off and the throat split.

By now the wife had screamed all her voice for help but in vain. Finally the man is said to have drove the machete deeply into her wife’s rib sending her into immediate silence. The woman died immediately. After accomplishing his mission, the man hanged himself in the room via a rope. That is how the life of a family of four came to a sad end in Rodi.

Fear as hunger looms in HomaBay County after crop failure in major schemes

By Otieno Nicholas Owino

Failed crops in Kwabwai

After the rains failed for a couple of weeks when crops needed it most in HomaBay County, most residents now dwell in fear of the looming hunger in most regions especially along the lake.

This comes as a result of unpredictable climatic change that has hit hard on the areas which have acted as major production schemes for maize in the region. Farmers in Kwabwai ward which is the biggest ‘Kitale’ in this county did find it very challenging to plant as usual due to delayed rains hence huge junks of productive  lands have left fallow with flocks using them as grazing land.

Talking to some residents in Osogo village in Rachar location, this were their appeals to the authorities “we are dying of hunger and we are appealing to the government to support us and give us meals for we are going to die of hunger”, said one of the residents.

This awful scenario comes at a time when the expectation of farmers was geared towards better outcomes in the second season following failures met by most farmers in the previous season, early this year. 

The area County Representative, Hon. Ouma Ogindo when addressing a gathering at burial in Kwabwai location, Orandi village took heed of the cry of his people towards access to relief food and promised to present the matter before the HomaBay parliament. He and his team urged farmers to embark on drought resistant crops and also go for the crops that take the shortest period to mature.

Statistics indicate that climate change is one of the most serious global challenges and is also evident in Kenya. In Western Kenya, weather observations indicate that maximum day temperature have increased in a magnitude between 0.5 and 2.5 degrees in the last 50 years and is expected to increase further.

The agriculture sector among is the most affected by climate risks. Those working in agriculture have therefore no alternative, but to adjust their farming systems and at the same time consider also other ways to mitigate risks increases their resilience.

Motorbike rider in HomaBay identifies perpetrators of his night ordeal as he recovers in hospital.

By Wanga Maureen

This motorbike model dubbed 'Chopper' is the most targeted

It was on Sunday morning of 10^th November 2013 at around 9.00 pm -10.00 pm when two suspects both  male and a female aged 30 and 25 years respectively boarded a motorbike in HomaBay in what turned out to be a trick to lure the rider into their trap. After miles of travel in the dark, the rider was brutally pierced with a sharp object from the back when he stopped for the customers to alight.

The pierced victim went onto an instant comma which left the criminal assuming he was actually dead.  They then made away with his motorbike. Luckily enough, a Good Samaritan was able to notice the body of the wounded gentleman before seeking for assistance to rush him to the nearest hospital.   

On the following day, his colleagues visited him at the hospital to get a direct knowledge of what had happened to him from where he narrated his entire ordeal. It is said to have been unfortunate that the offenders were people who were well known by the victim and he was able to identify them clearly.

The angry riders later left HomaBay district hospital with the zeal to bring down the offenders of whom they well knew. They later raided the home of the couples finding the two in unawares.

On seeing the danger before them, the man tried to take on his heels but not this time round. The mob caught with him landing a number crude weapon upon his helpless body. The man is later on said to have died on the way to the hospital after rescue by police.

On the other side, the mob was perplexed to learn that such a young lady could be part of such a mess. She too was brutally beaten and totally stripped before the in public. The onlookers said the scene was worse as the mob raped her in public by the use of crude materials like wood and bottles.

Just as the mob was getting ready to sling her did the police come in. The battle here wasn’t a simple one between the two rivals to the extent at one time they had to use force to disperse the angry mob before rescuing the lady with them.

The residents here claim that the security condition in this town has really deteriorated in the past six months but no serious step has been placed in consideration and that is why the residents seem to be taking law in their own hands.  

Otangre primary school remains the school to watch in the oncoming Kobama Divisional mock exams

By Otieno Nicholas Awino

Big schools in Kwabwai ward and Kobama are now worried of a threatening Otangre primary school that that took lead in the last years Kobama divisional mock.

It is their major worry because this is just a new school whose pupils undertakes learning under a tree and unlike other that count themselves lucky to have four walls and a roof to call classes. This worry comes after the school had beaten bigger schools like Nyarandi in sports last term and some of their pupils appeared in top ten last year in a highly contested Kobama divisional mock.

 After a long period of constantly challenged preparations, the school is now smiling and ready to face out former giant schools in Kobama divisional mock which is expected to start in one weeks’ time

The school committee, pupils, teachers and parents are now appealing to the well-wishers, donors and the government at large to come to their rescue to help them build proper classrooms especially at this rainy season.