It is a goal of Partners for Care US to assist PFC Kenya to be sustainable. There are different ways for programs such as PFC to be sustainable. The following are some of the ways PFC Kenya is moving towards sustainability:
1. The plan for the water back packs is to manufacture them in Kenya (at least in the beginning to bring them as kits and sew them in country). The profits from this project would go to support PFC. This is called social enterprise and is becoming more the way charitable organizations help support themselves.
2. The solar project is also designed to bring revenue to PFC.
3. Donations from inside Kenya from individuals, organization and foundations is another way for PFC to be more sustainable.
This time while I have been in Kenya I have seen PFC takes encouraging steps toward sustainability. First, they received a $3,000 unrestricted donation from a foundation. They will be purchasing 500 water packs with those funds. This is their first major donation in Kenya and first large order of water back packs.
Second, they have someone who wants to open a center in his home village in the Kisumu area and will fully fund the start-up costs and the monthly costs including rent, salaries, etc. This can serve as a good model for expansion of PFC in Kenya. PFC has developed an excellent model of changing lives in the far reaches of Kenya. The model involves finding a local leader with the passion and whose life’s work is to serve the most needy and establish a center for them to work from.
This model has worked in Marsabit with Pastor Hirbo, in Mai Mahui with Pastor John, in Limuru with Anthony and in Watamu with Pastor Peter through the Joe Beasley Learning Center.
The person who will be funding the new PFC center in the Kisumu area came yesterday to learn what PFC is doing and to make the decision of he would fund a PFC center. He went to the PFC Marurui Center to see the IT and 2nd Chance programs. There were children in the IT school and women at 2nd Chance. Out of the 10 children at the IT school our visitor selected one young boy and asked if he could write a letter on the computer – the young boy went to the computer and typed a letter. He then asked if he could spell check the letter and open a new document. The young boy could do both.
The team then brought our visitor to the PFC house where he saw a photo slide presentation about the work of PFC. Then the temples of Worship sang telling about how they have reached 450,000 people with their music telling sharing the message of HIV/AIDS prevention.
Our visitor then told the PFC staff his story. He told the team he had been orphaned in 3rd grade. He knew if he was to make it he would have to stay in school. He did well in school and was able to go to the university. He has risen to a high corporate position in a major international company.
He told the team now that he has achieved the financial ability to care for himself and his wife he wants to help in his home village. He told them he doesn’t want to be a rich man. He said, “the world doesn’t need any more rich people.”. He believes as the bible says – his purpose is to serve.
PFC staff had prepared a detail plan for a center in his home village which includes an IT school. They presented the plan and he accepted. During his talk to the staff he had said if he could change the lives of 200 people he would be happy. All of us smiled as we had put in the plan the first year 200 people would go through the IT school.
I am proud of the PFC staff as they walk the path of sustainability.
From Kenya,
Connie
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