Spotlight on the Smart Center

My colleague, Elin and I held back our emotions during a meeting with Dan Olga , a new Kiva Zip trustee. ‘What would you do if your children had not eaten food the night before and your husband had not sent money?’ Dan described how mothers would do anything for their children, even sleeping with a truck driver for 200 shillings ($2.30), so that they are able feed their children. Siaya, where Daniel is from and where he has started the Smart Center, is frequented by truck drivers on their way to Uganda and Rwanda.

Here are some facts about Siaya County
-the HIV prevalence is 24%
-It has one of the highest infant mortality rates 44/ 10,000 due to malnutrition and malaria
-89% of the population is illiterate

The Smart Center is a social enterprise where woman can bring their young children for pre-primary education and for breakfast and lunch. These women then learn how to read and write. The next step is entrepreneurship training, during which groups develop a business plan. The group of Kiva Zip borrowers from Smart Center have developed a business proposal for food production through poultry and vegetable farming. Below are two of our Kiva Zip borrowers, a teacher and cook at the Smart Center.

Children and Orphans at the Smart Center

Poultry farm which they want to expand to 100 chickens

An outdoor classroom at Lefunga girls

Daniel has also developed a program with the Lefunga girls high school where young girls who have given birth at the age of 11/12 can return to complete their secondary education.