Hi everyone!

The last weeks we have been really busy with finalizing the report and presentation material for the project Growing Knowledge. We have spent hours and hours by the computers to put together a toolbox for how to start farming at a school and at the same time improve the study environment as well as giving opportunities for new ways of learning. We have also developed a specific design proposal for how St Joseph Seconday School can get a better study environment while growing food and getting a chance to practical parts of the education.

On 1 June we will present our result at Chalmers and after that it will be published here at the blog and sent to all of you who have requested the material.

You can Visit the Home Page: http://growingknowledge.blogspot.com

Everything worked well at the Guest house and we were well taken care of, we ate breakfast and dinner together with Joseph, Lucky and their friends every day. After a few days we felt safe and walked around on our own but we would not be outside after nine o’clock in the evening. The impression of the people was that they took it very easy, no stress, after a few days this philosophy affect us too and we got quickly into the way of living. Dining experience was something exotic and special but this was what we experienced the most stressful as well. We took preventive medications before the trip, but we were still effected by the food. We would recommend people visiting Kenya to stick to fruit and vegetables that can be peeled and eat fish. The fruits and vegetables that are washed in their tap water made our stomachs angry!

We visited St Josephs secondary school and Tip top school and became friends the children, youths and teachers. We were very impressed with the students’ ambitions! The atmosphere in school was joyful, much better then in Sweden. We organized clothing collections in Sweden before the trip, which we distributed to the schools. We got the chance to visit the National Park Masai Mara for a three-day safari, see the “big five” and visit the Masai-tribe. We highly recommend other students to visit Friends Pioneer in Nyalenda. What they do is extremely impressive, Joseph has a big heart. There is no school newspaper at our school but we will have two oral reports / presentations in March for all of our school.

//Hanna Gustafsson & Nathalie Jacobsson from Valla Folkhögskola

This year we have already had alot of student visiting for Friends Pioneer - with alot of energy. Valla Folkhögskola students have really worked to support Tiptop compound they started with painting and making childrens swings at Tip Top. They really supported Sven Tumbas Ideas that every child has a right to play.// FriendsPioneer

Have you been listening to us, please click here to take the survey, we would like to know what you thought of the presentations!

One year ago one of our classes visited Kisumu and Friends Pioneer and did their field work period in developing studies in the area. After returning home they gave lectures, arranged exhibitions, made a web site, wrote texts and collected money to be used for Friends Pioneer. 10 of the former students returned for the day to tell the new students about their project and it became a great reunion with Joseph. He has not only been coordinator and supervisor for our project in Kisumu, he has also become a very dear friend to many of us.

In the afternoon I took Joseph for a walk in Uppsala and we happened to see the Swedish King and Queen which gave an extra plus for Josephs Swedish experience.

“In February  my daughter Matilda and I had the oppurtunity to visit Kisumu, Joseph and Friends Pioneer. The main purpose was to prepare for a field study coming October with students from Rosendalsgymnasiet, Uppsala but we also brought two laptops from INUG in Sweden to Google yourself out of Poverty       (the internet café in the container).
Joseph invited us to stay in the Guesthouse in the slumarea and  during daytime we visited Tip Top School with the young children and St. Joseph Secondary School with the teenagers. It is very interesting to come and by your own eyes see what you have heard so much about. Joseph is a very big entrepeneur and is very much respected and appriciated by the people in the area. Both the schools are well maintained and it is a very positve atmosphere among the children and stuff.
We very much look forward to our cooperation projekt between Friends Pioneer and Rosendalsgymnasiet. 10 October we are coming with 25 students from The International Program to study developing issues in Kisumu for two weeks. Some of them will work with VI-skogen but most of them will work with Friends Pioneer and the children in the schools. It is a great oppurtunity for swedish students to learn about living conditions in a developing country and to see how initiativ from one man and a lot of work and support from others can change the life to the better for many children and their families. Siw-Inger Halling”

Joseph with the computers we brought!

Thank you!

Joseph in Stockholm

Om ni har blivit inspirerade av Josephs besök hos er och känner att ni vill bidra till utvecklingen av  projekten finns det en mängd olika sätt att stödja Friends Pioneer på. Det kan t ex vara att sponsra ett fadderbarn eller att åka ner och volontärarbeta hos Joseph med något av hans projekt. Beroende på vad ni har för möjligheter så finns det säkert något som passar er. Nedan har vi listat det som är bäst att satsa på just nu.

Prioriterade aktiviteter att satsa på: (approved by Joseph 2008-11-20)

1. Nya toaletter för de 50 förskolebarnen kostar 5000 sek att bygga. Det innebär en kraftig förstärkning av befintlig sanitet, men inom ramarna för vad som är teknisk standard i området. På sikt drömmer vi om bättre avloppshantering men i dagsläget så är så kallade ”Pit Latrin” det som fungerar bäst.

2. Rinnande vatten till toaletter kostar 200 sek. Det innebär förbättrad sanitet vilket kan ge mindre problem med ohälsa.

3. Staket runt skolan kostar 3000 sek. Det skulle innebära att skolan blir mer ostörd och den skulle också vara lättare att skydda.

4. Plantering av träd (Avokado) på skolgården à 300 sek (förutsätter staket). Kan användas i pedagogiskt syfte. Avokado frukter till mat och att binda jorden som annars blir gyttja när det regnar.

5. Installation av gaseldad spis med 15 kg Cylinder kostar 1000 sek och refill kostar 180 sek per månad. Efter 6 år har investeringen betalat sig (jämfört med kol). Vinsten är man slipper köpa kol från illegal skövling av regnskog I Uganda, vilket annars är praxis!! Skogsskövling är den främsta miljöförstörelsen som bidrar mest till global (och lokal) klimatförändring. Det blir också mycket renare luft på skolan. 2010 hoppas vi på att kunna börja med lokalt producerad biogas istället för fossil naturgas.

6. Getter till getbanken kostar 800 sek (en ras som ger ca 4 lit mjölk/dag att sälja och eller konsumera)

7. Solar power installation för IT- café, vet vi ännu inte vad det kostar. Men el är väldigt dyrt och det skulle vara smart att producera sin egen el.

8. Tre lärare på Tip Top Community School kostar 850 sek per månad per lärare.

9. Bygghjälp och utveckling av skolans faciliteter.

10. Uppstart av internetcafé teknisk support och affärsutveckling

11. Stöd till fadder barn – kvällsverksamhet läxor, mat och samvaro

Vi som stödjer Friends Pioneer tillsammans med Joseph vill passa på att önska er alla

EN RIKTIGT GOD JUL! och ETT GOTT NYTT ÅR!

hälsningar Jerry, Marcus, Maja och Johanna

If you’ve heard Joseph, please send us some response! Good and bad!

Burgården

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Bona folkhögskola

Hallo Joseph, Thank you for visiting us at Bona folk high school in Motala. We are very glad you came here to tell us about Kenya and your project, you did it  in an excellent way, the audiance really appriciated your presentation. Just some remarks: when you speak fastly, it can be a little difficult to follow your english, so take it easy (if possible, the facts are of course often shocking). For me the film about the glue boys was a little too long, perhaps you could omit the professor who speaks about how dangerous the glue is. I think most people realize that already, and the pictures of the boys sleeping in the streets are so shocking so they speak for themselves. It wouldn´t be wrong to speak a little more about Kenya in general as an introduction, I think many in he audiance are interested also to hear a little more about such things like the nature, climate and so forth. It was very interesting to hear about the many languages that are spoken in Kenya. The finishing story about the sick girl who was cured was really good, I think everybody in the audiance were moved at heart by it.
Hope to see you again, Joseph!
Yours Klas

Kaggeholm folkhögskola

Hello Joseph, many thanks for all information You shared with us today. It really was a touching hour for all of us. You have a very high degree of credibility when You describe the situation for children in Kenya. You are engaged and seems to be hundred percent earnest in Your presentation. The DVD-film is very strong – it`s impossible not being very moved when watching and listening to these parentless, very poor children living on the streets. It`s really heart-breaking. 
Afterwards I talked to some students, and they were very thankful and touched.
Once again: THANK YOU, INDEED THANK YOU.
Greetings Nils-Eije Stävare.

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B i l l s t r ö m s k a f o l k h ö g s k o l a n – T j ö r n

Dear Joseph, I want to thank you so much for your visit to our school. I know that the students, as well as us teachers, were very moved by your presentation. Although some of them had a little problem
understanding your Kenyan accent, I am sure that all of them understood the main part, and that they realize how your people suffer, but also the wonderful work that you and your organisation do. Your friendly way and passion for what you do charmed us all and these qualities are really important in conveying your message in a convincing way. They talked about you and what you said afterwards, and I am certain that many of them are eager to see how your work progresses. We have the website address to Friends Pioneer and we will surely keep updated.

From deep down of my heart I wish you the best of luck in the future. What you do is heroic!

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M 3     K u l l e n s c h o o l: m e l l a n s t a d i e k l a s s 3 – K u n g ä l v

Hello Joseph!
Thank you very much for visiting us at Kullens school. We really liked to watch the photos from Kenya and to lisen to all your stories! It was a little hard to understand your English but we understood most of it. We look forward to get penpals, it will be exciting! From all the pupils in M3 at Kullens school.

Greatings!

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L j u n g s k i l e f o l k h ö g s k o l a

Josephs presentation and himself as a person made a strong impression on the students.

These are some of the comments:
- Interesting! – About this I did not have a clue – What a great movie! -You could really feel that he was truly engaged in his endeavor.

Nice that Joseph is so personal and talked about his parents whishes contra his own concerning his education etc. 

We wish all engaged in this project – all good!

Best Regards Lena Andersson

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B e r g s l a g e n s f o l k h ö g s k o l a

We are very happy with Josephs presentation for us and the student got really interrested of his work in Kenya. We will discuss a continuation when the students comes back from the autumn leave.

Arent Persson, Rektor

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R o s e n d a l s g y m n a i e t

Joseph met first about 50 students who will all go to Kenya during next year on field studies. The movie he started with about The Glue Boys was a tuff but good start. The movie really touched the students and made a good backgound to talk about Friends Pioneer. During his presentation about the organisation and the work they do it was very easy to follow his english and the power point had interesting information. And he woke a lot of awarness about the problems in Kenya but also offered a good portion of hope. It is possible to make difference!

During the afternoon he met 25 students who had listened in the morning but now we could more specifically talk about their own field studies which will take part with Friends Pioneer in Kisumu next year. They had a lot of questions and Joseph had a very good interaction with them. After the meeting they felt much more informed about how the conditions will be on their field studies.
In the evening we had a parents meeting and Joseph gave 1/2 hour information about Friends Pioneers activities. Even the parents had some questions and he could answer them very clear.
We from Rosendalsgymnsiet are very content with Josephs visit and we are really looking forward to continue our cooperation.
On behalf of the students and staff at the International program, Rosendalsgymnaiet
Sivve Halling

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V i t t r a  V a s a s t a n

Hello Joseph!

Your visit at our school made an impact on teachers as well as students.
I think it was a good presentation, and you could talk more specific about Your work and for how long you have been doing this.
You could also more directl tal about how every person can support you. ver all, it was good and interesting.

We are going to talk about how we can support you in the future. I will stay in contact!

All the best from Annett Bawel

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