What is "Project Yongo"?

Project Yongo is my brainchild. Having lived and worked among
the poor in an AIDS ravaged community (among a plethora of
other diseases), I have decided to sensitize the world on the plight,
epidemic, and opportunities, which can be explored in order to
minimize, if not eradicate, the poverty within one African
community in Kenya called Agok village.

Agok village has lagged behind the rest of the country due to
cultural and political reasons, with the latter being the major
contributor. The post colonial Kenyan political system did not
favor this region. They were branded anti-government due
to the political ideologies of the country's first Vice President
who hailed from this region. This, coupled with cultural
beliefs in witchcraft (due to minimal exposure to modern
medicine, and women's inheritance), the AIDS epidemic, and
a poor infrastructure, has resulted in a lack of proper
educational materials and a high primary school drop-out.

Agok school was built through community efforts in 1972 to
cater to about 300 plus children from this village and its
environs. It was not until the mid 1980s that other
communities started to build primary schools. This is when
Buru and Ndonyo Primary Schools were born. These two
primary schools helped in off-loading the number of pupils
attending Agok, but it also meant that the limited resources
were to be divided amongst the three.

Meanwhile, for decades, the village's Gudwa Beach, has been
a beach of call for fishermen. This has had a negative impact
on the young girls in this society. Due to economic challenges,
they are forced to drop-out of school and marry some
fisherman because he can provide the much needed daily meal,
not only for the poor girl, but for her entire family.

The boys are not left out either, as they too opt out of school
to look for income-generating ideas namely fishing. This is
mainly because they cannot attend school on an empty
stomach. Even the battle hardened ones who want to continue
cannot. How does it feel to see your mama and siblings go
without food for days, only to beg from your age mate who
dropped-out earlier than you? These kids are left with very
little or no choice but to drop-out of school.

The same with AIDS orphans. The problem is this disease
kills both parents and leaves kids to take care of kids. At this
stage the choices are limited - either head to the beach and
get married or perish. And the circle continues.

In an effort to deal with the above mentioned socio-economic
ills, "Project Yongo" was born. If through it five kids (3 girls,
2 boys) can be educated up to college level, it shall have
attained its goal. Please remember the emphasis on GIRLS.
They have been told they cannot be anything in the society.
While other villages have women doctors, Agok prides itself
in none. My three sisters dropped-out of 10th grade not
because of lack but because they did not have anyone to look
up to. All they heard was 'why waste your time, get married
and start your family... nobody cares about your education'
and sure enough that is what they did, despite Mama and
Daddy's resistance. That is the focus of this project.
TO SEND A GIRL TO SCHOOL & TO EDUCATE THE ORPHANS.