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Having set up and run-in the cafe over the last couple of months, we felt it was time to hand-over the cafe to the refugee women with the support of the refugee community here in Kayole and surrounds.
Of course, starting such a business is never easy, and we had our teething problems. But all-in-all, the cafe seems to be a moderate success. But It's more than a successful business venture - it marks the turning point in not a few refugee families. Anita, a 24 year old single mother of three, was beside herself talking about the opportunities this cafe can bring families like hers. "We have never been helped in this way before. No-one has thought about us like this. This will change our lives and our children's lives." Bishop John is a Kenyan pastor who for over 8 years has been tirelessly looking after refugees from East African nations. He helps them physically and uplifts them spiritually. When John and his team agreed to take on board the oversight of the cafe project, we knew we were leaving it in good hands. His extensive experience, his good standing among the community make him and his team an excellent choice for the oversight and direction of the project. So, we had a little party. Cakes were eaten and sodas were downed. Big dudes in high places were there and the little people were too - all rubbing shoulders and having a good time in celebration of a successful project and a bright future for all involved. (The local chief, MP and County Rep were present). Then there were the goodbyes. But not the Game Over. Having now been running for over a month without us looking over their shoulder, the cafe is still going strong. Good memories and discounted dinners are now ours for the taking anytime we want! AND THIS IS ALL THANKS TO DONATIONS. If you were one of those generous people, no matter how small or large it was money-wise, it was BIG to us. You could have used it somewhere else, but you stood by us and our needs. Thank you. This project also made another impact in our little organisation. It allowed us to use the GlobalGiving platform for other projects. That was no small feat in itself. There are very, very few crowdfunding platforms that allow a small grass-roots community organisation in a developing world with no office in a first-world to run a crowdfunding exercise for us. Nor with the professionalism and support that puts GlobalGiving ahead of the rest of the platforms. Each and every donation counted - that's no exaggeration - we only crossed the finish line with one donor more than we needed and that one was almost too late! It just goes to show how much a little bit of help from many people can do. Thanks again for sticking by us. I invite you to check out our other projects currently running. We are supporting young men and women in reaching their dreams of a higher education. In Kayole, this is a pipe-dream to most youth. Now it is becoming a reality.
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The following is a story from one of the young ladies who will benefit from the creation of Newstart Cafe.
Hello. I am 28 years old, Burundian. I am married with one daughter. Both my parents were killed during the violence between 1995-2003. My elder sister was killed in 2012 by people from Mtabila Camp in Tanzania when our land was taken by force. Soon after I went to work as a maid for a family in Bujumbura. After a market fire in February 2013 my boss moved to Uganda taking me with them. Shortly after moving, my boss tried to rape me, his wife chased me away. I was afraid to go back to Burundi where all my family had been killed, so I made my way to Kakuma Camp in Kenya where I was cared for by a Ugandan woman. I married in June 2013. A month later we were falsely accused of working secretly with the Burundian government and were victimized by others in the camp. Our food assistance provided by World Vision was regularly stolen - leaving us helpless. In September 2014, war broke out in the camp. Fortunately we were able to escape unharmed. We now live in Kayole, Nairobi. It is very hard for us here. Both my husband and I are unemployed and we struggle to be able to provide enough food for regular meals. My daughter often goes hungry. It is my desire to start a small restaurant in partnership with other ladies from similar circumstances to my own. We have a vision of being self-supporting by means of this business. Any assistance you can give to help make our vision a reality will be greatly appreciated. At the end of 2016, UNHCR reported that 494,900 refugees were living in Kenya with 14% living in urban areas - particularly Nairobi. Kayole, Nairobi is home to a huge populations of refugees in Nairobi with South Sudanese and Congolese making up most of the majority groups. Many of the women refugees are families who have lost their fathers / husbands in the political & tribal turmoil of their countries. Moreover, waiting for resettlement as a refugee sometimes takes up to 10 years - leaving unrest and uncertainty a daily demoralizing factor in an already difficult circumstance. With no living security, many have struggled just for daily bread and life just spirals downhill as the children become malnourished and can't commit to regular schooling due to lack of school funds. 10 Refugee Women Looking for a NEW START Ten young refugee mothers from Burundi, Rwanda and Congo have decided not to prolong their misery - sitting around in poverty, struggling to feed their families on 'who knows what', waiting on a resettlement that might take years, raising their children in fearful, unsafe and very precarious conditions. Their aim is to utilise the skills that they have and turn it into a small joint-venture business - a restaurant For these refugee women, the 'NEW START' CAFE project represents more than just a job. It represents a new life. A new beginning.NEW START cafe - Burundi style'NEW START' cafe will be situated in a main area of Kayole where there are many refugee families. This will be ideal for the Burundi Cuisine they intend to serve up. Catering for the simple local diet will also be an easy addition to the menu. The women will roster themselves to work a couple days per week, sharing the workload as per the demand. As the project gains stability, other similar projects will stem from this such as event catering. Kayole Mtaa Safi will be raising funds for this venture through the Global Giving platform and we expect Newstart Cafe to be up and running by the end of the year. |
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Post in this blog are contributed by the various members of Kayole Mtaa Safi Initiative. Archives
February 2019
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