ROTARY DESIGNATES DUNCAN A "PAUL HARRIS FELLOW"

Because of his dedication and commitment to various Rotary projects in Ndandini and Kyaithani, Kenya, successfully completed over the past three years the Rotary Club of the Sunshine Coast (Sechelt BC Canada) has awarded Duncan Kamau the prestigious Paul Harris Fellow recognition.

Duncan has been our project manager responsible for all on-site management of our Rotary matching grants and TRF Global Grants at Ndandini and Kyaithani.

By reading all the posts on this blogspot, you will understand why he deserves this recognition.

Below is the content of the presentation made to Duncan on 30 October 2011.

Well done Duncan!

Terry

             Paul Harris Fellow Presentation 

                             To 

              Duncan Kamau Ngochi 

                     Oct 30, 2011 

The presentation of Paul Harris Fellow recognition is The Rotary Foundation's way of expressing its appreciation for a substantial contribution to Rotary’s humanitarian and educational programs. 

The Paul Harris Fellowship is named for Paul Harris, who founded Rotary over 100 years ago.  The Fellowship was established in his honor in 1957 to express appreciation and recognition for a contribution of US $1000 to The Rotary Foundation.    A Paul Harris Fellow is an individual who contributes $1,000 US or in whose name that amount is contributed in recognition of the significant work that person has done to further the humanitarian objectives of Rotary.  Every Paul Harris Fellow receives a pin, medallion and a certificate when he or she becomes a Fellow.  This identifies the Paul Harris Fellow as an advocate of the Rotary Foundation's goals of world peace and international understanding. 

Rotarians often designate a Paul Harris Fellow as a tribute to a person whose life demonstrates a shared purpose with the objectives of The Rotary Foundation.  Today we have the honor and pleasure of recognizing  Duncan Kamau Ngochi as he becomes a Paul Harris Fellow. 

Duncan was designated to receive this special recognition as an expression of sincere appreciation from the Rotary Club Sunshine Coast – Sechelt, British Columbia, Canada. 

A world of peace and good will comes closer to reality today as Duncan becomes a Paul Harris Fellow.  It is because of support and commitment from people like Duncan  that The Rotary Foundation is able to carry out an array of programs that achieve beneficial changes in our world: 

-  improved living conditions, 

-   increased food production, 

-   better education, 

-  new channels for the flow of international understanding,  

-  and brighter hopes for peace throughout the world. 

Today this Paul Harris Fellow award is given to Duncan Kamau Ngochi . 

Duncan has been our Project Manager for 3 years, working in the very arid Ndandini and Kyaithani area of Kenya south-east of Nairobi.  Duncan was responsible for managing all of the on-site work for the successful Ndandini Rotary Matching Grant water project.  This project, which was supported by the generosity of Rotary Clubs and many non-Rotarians, resulted in the successful drilling of the very productive Ndandini borehole in June 2010 and making water potentially available for over 3000 people in the Ndandini and Kyaithani area of Kenya .  

Duncan managed the acquisition and installation of a drip-irrigation greenhouse for the Ndandini Primary School in July 2010, a project that has resulted in the growing of year-round crops in the area for the first time.  This project was a result of  the generous support of St. Hilda’s Anglican church in Sechelt, BC Canada. 

Duncan also managed all of the on-site work for our Solar and Scholarship Project this year for the Kyaithani Secondary School.  This has seen power and lighting installed, an internet-enabled computer with TV/DVD and camera provided, and the provision of 9 scholarships.  This project was supported by the generosity of Rotary Clubs and many non-Rotarians. 

Duncan has also managed all of the on-site work this past 12 months on the Community Garden project.  This has seen the acquisition of land and the installation of a large community greenhouse and a small building to accommodate volunteers who go to Ndandini.  This project was made possible by the generous donation of a non-Rotarian. 

Duncan is now continuing his support and commitment by working with us on the Ndandini Water Distribution Rotary Global Grant project which will deliver water from the Ndandini well to 6 schools in the Ndandini and Kyaithani area, making potable water much more easily available to the 3000+ people living in the area. 

We acknowledge and sincerely thank Duncan for: 

his personal dedication and commitment for almost 3 years,  

his time away from his home and family,  

his endurance of hardship in the village with no facilities,  

his donation of personal funds for many things that were never invoiced,  

and his suffering injuries in a taxi roll-over while en-route to Ndandini to do work for our project.  

Without Duncan’s daily communication with us and all the work he has done, these projects would never have happened. 

 It gives us great pleasure, Duncan, to present these three emblems of recognition and appreciation which are given to each Paul Harris Fellow: 

 Your certificate,   

  Your medallion,   

   And Your Paul Harris pin,  

We heartily congratulate you and thank you Duncan 

   for your commitment to Ndandini,  

   for your commitment to the projects sponsored by our many donors,  

   and for helping the  Rotary Foundation with its humanitarian programs. 

The Rotary Club of Sunshine Coast – Sechelt 

    On behalf of the many individuals and Rotary Clubs around the world who have partnered in these projects. 

REPORT ON VISIT TO NDANDINI and KYAITHANI Sept 30 2011

We (Jan & Terry) have just returned from several days visiting the Ndandini and Kyaithani villages.  We are very pleased with the progress that has been made over the past year since we last visited in September 2010 after drilling the well at Ndandini.

All work has been completed at the community garden and a ladies group has been formed that is already starting to turn the soil inside the greenhouse.  They are so excited with what is happening at their village and so committed to getting started.


They have decided that they want to start planting inside the greenhouse as soon as they can, even though they will have to fetch water by donkey from the well site (some 4km away) for the drip-irrigation until the tractor and water wagon becomes a reality early next year.

The sight of the very large 8x24 metre greenhouse inside the fenced acre of land along with the new volunteer building and toilet hut is quite impressive in this area of mud & thatched huts and basic mud brick buildings.

There are 250+ tomato plants growing inside the greenhouse at the Ndandini Primary School that St. Hilda's church donated last fall.  The plants are each over 5 feet tall!  What a sight.



The womens group doing the work there are very excited with the crop and the fruits of their labour.










Unfortunately, because the only green to be found in the area is the drip-irrigated gardens at Ndandini, the birds have found the outdoor garden and are feeding on the Kale leaves.

It would be great if we could provide a netting cover over the outdoor garden area to protect the crop from being eaten by the birds.















The newly installed solar system at the Kyaithani Secondary School is making a big difference in the habits of the students there.

Many of them leave home in the dark at 3:30am to get to school by 4:30am to study under the lights.  With average family income of 100 Ksh/day ($1), they cannot afford to spend 80 Ksh/night for a litre of kerosene for lighting at home to do their homework there.

We delivered a PC, internet connection, DVD player, LCD TV and camera and spent several hours training the teachers how to get started with them.  We have already received emails from the teachers and several students.

We met with the 9 Kyaithani Secondary School students who each received a $300 scholarship this past year and had a chance to talk with each of them.  They are all eager to start exchanging emails with donors and especially with other students.  We have set up an email address for students, teachers and the administration.

We are actively soliciting donations for hopefully even more scholarships for next year.  Check out www.ndandini-scholarshipfund.blogspot.com for more information about the scholarship program.

We also visited each of the 6 school sites in the Kyaithani School Cluster where we will be installing water tanks and soon delivering water from the Ndandini well with a tractor and water wagon.  In concert with the teachers and parents, we have identified the best location at each school for the water tank as it will be used by nearby villagers as well as the school itself.  We can now begin constructing the bases for these water tanks.  At each of the schools we were impressed with the support of the teachers and parents.   The parents at each school have planted a garden to support the school meal program even though now they have to bring the water by donkey from the dry riverbed over 4km away (and scoop in the sand to get that water!).

The entire extended Ndandini and Kyaithani community of over 3000 people is now truly becoming united and working together.

Everywhere we went we were asked to "THANK THE DONORS"!  And we do indeed.  It is all happening because of your support.  Thank you.  Please keep it up.

Terry