Thanks Giving Friday

Thank God It's Friday-A time to give thanks
 
So it's Friday!!! Everybody is looking forward to the weekend. Finally some time to relax after five days of hard work. It is also the last day of the month, January is over! Time is moving pretty fast!Just the other day we were ushering in the new year 2013, making new year's resolutions(which i wonder how many of you have actually STARTED implementing them).

That aside, whether or not you've started on your "new year's" resolutions, one thing is for sure though...you have a lot to be thankful for. The fact that you are able to read this means that you are alive and well, you made it through the first month of the year 2013.

This weekend, make a point of doing something to celebrate and appreciate life. Write a list of all the blessings you've had in January 2013. Family, Friends, good health, sound mind, LIFE. There are so many things to be thankful for! Most importantly, do something special for a stranger. It can be a homeless person, a street child, anyone...someone. Give someone who needs a reason to celebrate life, a reason to celebrate.

"Every person has the ability to make a difference, the tiniest acts of kindness and good will to good causes can change the world for the better tremendously. Can you imagine how different the world would be if every single person in it made an attempt to do something good, something kind, or something selfless every single day? "

~Unknown

Nufaisha Girls Program

For the modern day girl child, growing up does not only mean mastering the art of cooking all dishes, fetching more firewood or learning how to do all household chores... Today, they are faced with tougher challenges and harder decisions because of the exposure they get from such an early age. Growing up is a more complicated affair.

Transition from "childhood" to "adulthood" otherwise known as the "teenage-hood" isn't an easy phase for both the teenager and the parents/guardians.

The Nufaisha Girls Program (A Muthaa Community Development Foundation Initiative) creates a forum through which teenage girls are initiated into adulthood and are prepared to deal with the challenges that occur during this transition. The 2013 theme is "Nufaisha Msichana, Boresha Maisha."

The program aims at

• Strengthening the participants knowledge and awareness of career
  and personal development;
• Build communities of girls equipped with the resources to advocate for policy changes and social justice;
• Assist participants to develop critical interpersonal and life-skills;
• Nurture active citizenship and interest in service to community;
• Introduce role models and positive leadership locally and globally.

“Educate a boy, and you educate an individual. Educate a girl, and you educate a community.”

― Greg Mortenson, Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at
a Time


 For more information, visit our website www.muthaafoundation.org

Appreciate Life

Tragedy As Four Children Killed In An Accident

Yesterday, a speeding vehicle lost control and hit four pupils from Kapkoi Primary School at Burnt Forest along Nakuru-Eldoret highway. According to witnesses, the car lost control and rammed into the children who were waiting to cross the road as it tried to avoid hitting another car.

Well, the reckless driver was arrested, he definately has a case to answer, and he may or may not receive a fair punishment for causing the death of these innocent children who had their whole lives ahead of them. But really, what punishment would be fair enough to console the parents of these lost souls? what punishment will compensate the maybe future doctors, teachers or even president? I don't know about you but, i am getting very confused on what an "accident" really means.

The Oxford dictionary describes an Accident as follows:

" An unfortunate incident that happens unexpectedly and unintentionally, typically resulting in         damage or injury"

In this case, according to the dictionary, it would only pass to be an accident because of the adjectives "unfortunate" and the verbs "damage" and "injury". But "unexpectedly" and "unintentionally"? No. This is why i think this should not pass as an "accident"... since time in memorial, we have been taught about road safety. there have been countless advertisements and campaigns about keeping it safe on the roads. all this is for the preservation of life. It's simple; if you overspeed, recklessly overtake, break traffick rules, EXPECT that you are endangering someone else's life. At least think about someone elses life, if not your own.We all know the repercussions of all these vices, so lets quit blaming everything on "accidents" and start taking responsibility for our actions. Remember, every action has a reaction. Question is, what reaction do YOU want to create?

To the families and friends of the little angels, may you find peace.

MEET THE STAFF...

                                                          Esther Wanjiku- Health Officer
A graduate of Makerere University [Kampala, Uganda] in 2011 and has a post graduate diploma in project management from Kenya Institute of Professional Studies. Currently, she works as a Project Officer dealing with Health Programs at Muthaa Community Development Foundation. She coordinates the running of Female condom promotion campaign.

FIVE QUICK FACTS ABOUT HER

Favourite Food:   Pilau anytime

Favourite Color:  Sky blue
Hobby:               Watching TV

Scared of:           Dissapointments

Given a chance to be president, the one thing you would want to accomplish: I would try my best to upgrade the livelihood of marginalized people.

A Good Year It Was...A Great Year It Will Be

LOOKING BACK

I came across my last year's diary where I had written my 2012 resolutions and I couldn't help but smile. It was a long list...a VERY long list. I had even forgotten some of the resolutions I had listed down! So this year, I decided I was going to do things the SMART way...Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time bound Resolutions. I would like to look back and pat myself on the back because I have achieved ALL my resolutions for a change. Wouldn't you want that too? Then let's all do it the SMART way, make 2013 "The Smart Year"

Speaking of achievements, Muthaa Community Development Foundation had major achievements last year, the highlight being the immense success of the Female condom(Fc2) program, that we worked on in conjunction with Support Worldwide. In that effect we would like to thank all our partners, stakeholders, participants and the MCDF team for their contribution towards this success. We would also like to acknowledge and appreciate the online support we have received in our social media pages;Facebook, twitter and this blog. The likes, follows, comments, requests,shares...have been overwhelming. We hope to interact more this year!

CONCLUSION

I read something somewhere, that I would like to share with everyone if I may...

Five Things Things You Should Do For Society This Year

1. Call your family often
2. Each day give something good to others
3. Forgive everyone and everything
4. Spend time with people over 70 and under the age of 6
5. Try to make at least three people smile this year

Happy new year from MCDF!!