• The lobby is focusing on young poor children in resource deprived schools in informal settlements, investing in nurturing their dreams, the dreams already being choked by poverty.
You probably associate Chinese with mega roads and SGR. Not any more.
NGOs from China are now expanding their visibility, lending a helping hand to vulnerable children and communities.
These organisations have joined the drive to combat dehumanising poverty.
Dream Building Service Association is one such entity with roots in Beijing and living up to its name.
The association’s impact is being felt in the slums of Nairobi and other countries in East Africa.
The lobby focuses on nurturing the dreams of poor children in resource-deprived schools in informal settlements.
Yimenghan Liu is the co-founder of the NGO.
Before establishing the charity, Liu had been in Kenya long enough to see the challenges faced by urban children whose aspirations were being snuffed out by poverty.
Armed with this information, he knew exactly what would work.
DBSA was born from the realities in the slums first-hand.
And the fruits of their work are beginning to show.
The association has reached 30 schools in Mathare slums, targeting low-income facilities - both public and private, injecting funds to programmes that help keep children in school.
Currently, DBSA’s school feeding programme gives pupils breakfast and lunch, serving 4,000 children.
“It is my greatest joy to hear reports that children are now getting retained in school. Because they are sure food is in the school, they would rather be in class and not anywhere else. This means truancy, drop out or even lack of class concentration is done a way with,” Liu said.
Besides the school meals, the non-profit also harnesses resources from donors and well-wishers to invest in other charity projects.
The organisation gives scholarships to the needy and holds activities to make school attendance enjoyable.
“We mobilise resources back home in China, like from the Chinese Red Cross, among others, to do this work of rehabilitating the dilapidated infrastructure of schools and support the programmes,” he said.
Liu, who came to Kenya aged eight years, says his passion to help stemmed from seeing the state of the lives of the urban poor.
His first ‘project’ was in 2014.
Liu, then an undergraduate at USIU, teamed up with friends to volunteer at a primary school in the slum.
They pooled resources and mobilised other friends to help rehabilitate the institution, raising Sh1 million for the Chang Rong Light Centre Elementary School.
The organisation is active in Kenya and is also registered in Tanzania and Uganda.
“DBSA has grown organically to include board members, staff and volunteers located across Canada, China, the United States and Britain. We are looking for great people who truly want to make a real difference in the world,” Liu, who is the director, said.
The association organises extravaganzas that enable children to participate in creative and sporting activities.
Early August, the organisation engaged children from different schools in a talent extravaganza at Heidemarie Primary School in Mathare.
The Star attended the show, which lined up a singing and dancing competition, folk dancing, skits, modelling and football.
“These kids are talented and only want an opportunity. That is why we host this jamboree every year to encourage them that as they pursue their formal education, they can also explore their talents and have fun while at it,” the lobbyist said.
Seline Achieng’ from Mathare Light Chang Rong’ school was one such participant.
The fourth grade pupil said dancing is her thing and was thrilled with DBSA for investing in honing their nascent talents.
“I just feel good when dancing. I just like dance because that is my talent. Sometimes we are called to other places during events to entertain and I just like it,” the elated girl told the Star.
“I did not know that Chinese also have NGOs that can work in our area. DBSA has helped us in such events where we showcase our talents.”
Her schoolmate Wilfred Mwinga also enjoyed the dance, but was more interested in the tours the organisation sponsors.
“Sometimes we go to places we have never gone,” the 13-year-old said.
Caren Atieno is the music teacher at the school.
The lobby is keen on organising soccer tourneys to keep children engaged in school, she says, and giving them alternative career paths.
“During the DBSA tournament that ran for a whole week, we had a football tournament that went to quarters, semis and finals today. The final soccer match took place in the morning and then in the afternoon, the talent show kicked off.”
She specialises in teaching rhumba and the children love her for it.
“The sport and talent competition helps to motivate the children and it is inline with the CBC because it promotes nurturing of talents and provides multiple career pathways.”
The feeding programme has turned around pupil attendance, she said.
“DBSA provides breakfast and lunch in school. This has been a game changer in terms of the number of children eager to be in school and learn. Also, it has enhanced teacher retention in the school to a meaningful extent,” Atieno said.
“The meals are of well-balanced nutrition and the institution helps build the classrooms and stock them up with desks.”
Besides investing in education, DBSA is focused on integrating communities and ensuring social cohesion.
They have also given books and course material, ensuring slum pupils are not disadvantaged.