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April 2022 Issue

Greetings Friend,

A warm welcome to our April newsletter. This month two people, on opposite sides of the world, write about individual and collaborative work. This is the work that allows Friendly Water to be successful.

Getry Agiza, who is located in Matsakha, Kenya is the Executive Director of Transforming Community for Social Change (TCSC). A quiet leader, Getry moves community development forward with a blend of thoughtfulness and drive. TCSC provides bridge leadership, enthusiasm and motivation between Friendly Water, the Matsakha Development Group and the Matsakha community.

Heather Avery, Friendly Water for the World's Finance and Administrative Manager, lives on the Big Island in Hawai'i. When not being photo-bombed by sea turtles, Heather is responsible for maintaining and documenting the flow of information between programs, partners, staff and the community groups with whom we work. Heather's personal touch in creating regular informal dialogues and long-distance friendships are both critical elements in the development of an egalitarian and diverse partnership.

It is the detailed work of these two difference makers and the dynamic communication network that they support where you will find Friendly Water's recipe for success.

Thank you for reading!

A blessed Passover, Ramadan, Easter and spring to all,

may you find peace and joy this month.

In Brief- What happened in March

>> As you see above, the dedication plaques are being affixed and then clear-coated onto the three tanks at Namanja Primary School. We had to take a three-week break during National Exams as the schools were closed to everyone but students and teachers.

>> The Matsakha Development Group produced 462 liters of Liquid Soap and sold 541 liters, producing 46,700 Kenyan Shillings ($404) in revenue - a 33% jump from last month!

>> The Kambiri Community Development Group produced 373 liters of Liquid Soap and sold 305 liters for sales of 38,400Ksh ($332). This is a great pace for their second month of operation.

>> The first Community Engagement process was done in Matsakha over a year and and a half ago and it is from this first engagement that we launched our programs in Matsakha. We conducted a Post-Community Engagement process with Matsakha Community in March to evaluate and assess the progress we have made so far. Over one hundred people from across Matsakha attended the event. From this process, we were able to identify a number of grey areas that required our attention. However, what clearly came out is that the community likes and participates fully in the programs that Friendly Water for the World is undertaking within the Matsakha Community.

>> The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has granted Friendly Water an opportunity to participate in a training in Strategic Management. This has been made possible as a result of our close collaboration with various Government Agencies both at the National and the County Government levels.

>> We were privileged to have a courtesy visit from representatives of Muzuzu Water Users Association from Malawi. They visited our two build Centres-Matsakha and Kambiri respectively. In Kambiri, they were taken through both the brick and soap production process. They also participated in the Post Community Engagement Process that we did with the Matsakha Community.

>> We have started production on 20,000 ISSB Bricks in Matsakha and Kambiri as we prepare to for construction on 20 more Rainwater Catchment Tanks (RCT).

>> Have a question or suggestion? Send an email to curt@friendlywater.org.

Please share our work and invite others to join our mission.

Thoughts on Friendly Water for the World's Community Work in Matsakha, Western Kenya

by Getry Agiza

My first encounter with Friendly Water for the World was when I met Eric (Lijodi, Friendly Water Programs Manager) and he talked passionately about the organization. Being a social worker by profession and I believe in community development and women empowerment to eradicate poverty, I fell in love with the knowledge sharing technique and made a commitment, to enlighten the community.

Friendly Water started working in Matsakha, a village in Kakamega County in 2020. Before any work was started, we did a community survey and had random community members respond to questions that can enable us to assess if the Friendly Water techniques match with the needs of the community. After the survey, we did a community engagement in three sessions to hear verbally how this is an important project and what techniques we are to start with as a matter of (community) priority.

This was a unique approach that most organization ignores. It involves the community to be part and parcel of the decision made. There was an opportunity of having a group to work on projects that are happening on behalf of the community.

Always before the projects or any technique starts, there is a planning meeting with individuals involved. And always helps to learn on how we can work better. This is a meeting of the Masons doing RCT planning before they start working.

The work started with hygiene techniques, the making of Multipurpose Liquid soap. This technique is done by the community members within Matsakha, and they are selling the soap. Some people work for a little pay to support family. It was evident then that the soap outside in the local market, was done using wrong formula and thus not safe for hands.

But our Friendly Water product of META soap was duly registered and safe for human use. From the proceeds of the soap, you could see community members supporting 2 students in high school to pay for school fee.

These are among the needy cases. One girl is called Christable, her mum was in an abusive marriage and she decided to walk away, living in a one roomed rental apartment at the Matsakha market, with her 3 children, Christable being the first born and two boys. She has to fend for her family, food, medical and school responsibilities. Betty, Christable’s mum has been volunteering with Matsakha Youth Development Group for a while.

Another project that has had a positive impact to people in Matsakha is the ISSB technique, making of the interlocking stabilized soil bricks. This project together with the RCT, Rainwater Catchment Tank has been of great benefits to the community in Matsakha. The ISSB project has created employment to young men in the community without which they have been idle and getting involved in petty crimes.

One Example is one of the boys, by the name Alex (above), he has been studying in Matsakha Secondary and from the narrative background as he shared, he found himself taking drugs and substance abuse. He became the enemy of his father’s Church Members and the administration was always threatening him. He decided to hide from the community and did his things Hidden.

As I asked what was going on in his mind? He openly said, “There are times I did not have cash to restock my big stick (marijuana cigar), so thoughts of attacking at night and stealing kept lingering in head.”

For the days we have been producing the Bricks, Alex has been busy and gets home tired, and he never have reasons to find time looking for the drugs. His father, when visiting the office, wanted to confirm to us that he came to check where his son spends his time, and encouraged us, to help him towards these reforms. He has been more responsible at home.

Alex is just one of the young people who have got a second opportunity to build trust in the community. Many more have seen transformation in one way or another. ISSB has proven to do more than just building rainwater catchment tanks. As an example is I used the ISSB Brick to make a shade spot where my visitors can sit and enjoy the outside cool air as in the photo below.

RCT also has been very impactful. The masons feel Friendly Water for the World is here to make people feel worth. They feel the Organization has given them an opportunity to prove their best worth. It’s not how academically good one is, or how rich and wealthy any one is, but how best one can be involved and give their best out. The skill of building the rainwater tanks with the Makiga ISSB bricks has given us more insight of flexibility and being open to try new techniques. Most materials are gotten locally and that means most community members are involved, those who supply materials at a cost and those who offer labour services.

There is renewed energy and positive vibes that is happening in Matsakha. Indeed Friendly water was the Key to this huge door. It feels positive as time goes by.

Shared Learning & Local Knowledge:

Our Keys to Success

by Heather Avery

I have been with Friendly Water for 3 years as an employee and another 2 years before that as a volunteer and contract bookkeeper. It has been an exciting experience to grow with an organization and learn how to adapt during a global pandemic. I like to think that we spent this time wisely, preparing for the day that we can once again move freely in more than just our corner of Kenya. Financially we are doing well, we have a conservative but realistic budget to carry us forward and to support the start-up of more programs.

A listening session with a potential partner community.

Covid-19 forced the closing of our US office but opened our eyes to a new way of getting things done. While the support staff in the US is important, we have come to realize that the more employees we have in the area we are working in, the better off we will be. There is so much to learn about the way businesses are run in countries halfway around the world. We have been very fortunate to have Eric Lijodi, our Programs Manager, with us through this journey. Thankfully, he knows everyone in Kakamega. Eric is a man that has never met a stranger. His relationship with the government and local villages has been vital to every step of our process and made it very clear that without strong and constant communication this work would not be possible. He also introduced us to Ezra Kigondu (FW Asst. Programs Manager) and Getry Agiza both of whom helped us get the program, as it stands today, up and running.

Eric Lijodi, center, shaking hand with Chief Simwatachela in Simwatachela, Zambia 2019

Without this core group to support our partners communities it would be a much more difficult task to communicate and supervise the implementation of our programs. I personally meet with each group weekly along with some combination of Eric, Ezra, and Getry. These meetings are informative and necessary to help us build relationships and gain insight into their leadership practices and cultural differences.

Above: Our headquarters are in Kakamega, Kenya, rather than the U.S. This makes it easy to receive visitors from interested communities and other NGOs exploring partnership opportunities. Two-doors down are the offices of the Kambiri Community Development Group.

Left: Margaret Wafula, a key contact in the Matsakha Development Group.

The communities we work with measure success differently, it doesn’t normally come with a price attached, their success is the community’s success. If the wages we pay, or the material we purchase helps keep a young man from causing trouble in the marketplace…success. If someone can pay for their child to go to school or get to a doctors appt for chemo…success. I have learned so much the last couple of years and count myself lucky to work with such a dedicated group.

The Kambiri Community Development Group having a regular meeting at their offices.

Your support is how this work gets done. Thank you!

FRIENDLY WATER FOR THE WORLD

We are on a mission to transform the villages of the world.

https://friendlywater.org

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