Who are you trying to help? What issue are you trying to address?

Oases Centre is working to help the people of Riruta Satellite and Kawangware slums.

Education
Oases Academy was set up to give younger children an early start in their education. They are able to come into school at around 3 years of age, and begin to learn social skills, have opportunities for play and interaction, and learn basic educational skills. A meal at lunch time, porridge and tea support their health and physical development.

Women’s empowerment
Many women are lone parents, whilst others are in abusive relationships. The Centre hopes to meet their needs through counselling, business training, skills training, confidence building workshops and educational opportunities.

Poverty relief and prevention
A food and water support programme was set up during the worst of the effects of the drought in 2011. It is planned to continue this support in 2012. Many children are living with grandparents as a result of being orphaned through HIV/AIDS. The Centre aims to help elderly relatives meet the challenge of supporting their grandchildren

Children with special needs
There is limited provision for children with special needs in the community. Many stay at home and receive no education. Others are in school but unable to keep up with their peers. Oases Academy is working with a small community school for children with disabilities to develop this programme in the community.

What is your project and how will it help?

Oases Centre is registered under the Ministry of Gender Sports and Culture Development as community based organization. The centre currently operates a number of services, including education of children in kindergarten and primary school, church ministerial work, and giving arms to the poor and the needy.

Aims
- Enhancing training life skills to adults and pupils alike especially in vocational training
- Promoting of education in children
- Reaching out to the needy and supporting them as possible

Oases Academy
Oases Centre gives quality but affordable education to children. Pupils aged from 3 – 14 come from the local community. Some have sponsors whilst others pay a small fee towards food and tuition. The school currently has 9 classes each with a qualified teacher many of whom live in the local community. There are 130 pupils registered with the school, with new enquiries coming regularly. Management is by local committee, with daily oversight by the head teacher.

Development programme
From 2012 the Centre aims to be offering tailoring lessons, sewing lessons, and carpentry and joinery training. These will be free of charge but the products will go towards meeting the costs this unit/section. This kind of training will help those that cannot afford to pay towards such courses especially from the nearby Kawangware slums.

A social work department will be working in conjunction with Oases Academy and the church. It will also be a part of a women’s empowerment project. Through self funding, donor funding and other NGO supports it will be able to support as many people as possible especially in the sprawling slums of Kawangware.

How can other people partner with you on your project?

Other people can partner with us through leading training workshop, offering financial support, supplying educational resources, sharing ideas and jointly working on common issues such as the empowerment of women in the community.

Please detail the resources that you need.

• Help with educational resources, including books for our library

• Sponsorship funding for individual pupils.
50 pupils need sponsors at ksh 6000 per term (£50)

• Donations for feeding programme and other family support needs.
Ksh 65,000 (£500) will give 20 families one meal a day for one month

• Partnership working on building classrooms and training spaces.
The Centre needs 3 additional classrooms, 3 counselling/training 
rooms and a training/meeting hall.

• Staff training support from organisations with counselling skills, 
and knowledge of children with special needs.

• Equipment for pupils with disabilities, including braille books,
adapted chairs and eating equipment, and mobility aids. 

• Financial support for vocational workshops for women and young people