adopt a village

---

Global Health Connections (GHC) mission statement is "To connect, engage, and empower individuals to improve the health and sustainability of their community.”

GHC is offering the opportunity to Adopt-a-Village in and around Kisii and Homa Bay counties in western Kenya. This “adoption” will coincide with the initiation of a Community Health & Empowerment Club (CHEC), which includes health and financial literacy training, assorted demonstration models and economic opportunities. By adopting a village, a sponsoring partner will be immersed in the transformation process and will have the opportunity to see firsthand how GHC has a direct impact on empowering individuals through our CHECs.

Highlights of the program include being part of the transformation process of a Village, including indirectly participating in the 24-week Health Curriculum and 10-week Economic Empowerment Curriculum. Our holistic, sustainable, community-driven models address the issues of WASH, nutrition, social complexities and economic instability through empowerment. Our program emphasizes community input and involvement to facilitate community ownership and long-term sustainability. Learning is hands-on.

● The Health Curriculum includes topics such as Sanitation, Hygiene, Nutrition, and Malaria prevention. It also includes the creation of Demonstration Models: 1. Tippy Tap/Hand Washing Station

2. Locally made Utensil Rack

3. Latrine/Shower Shelter

4. Rubbish and Compost Pit

5. Kitchen Garden

● The 10-week Economic curriculum, in conjunction with vocational training, will empower villagers with skills that can be taught locally within the community and by the GHC Team. Topics include Entrepreneurship, Generating a Business Idea and Funding it, and Managing Finances.

● Overall, GHC’s locally-driven systems are designed to build and maintain an improved and sustainable standard of living, as well as cultivate a shared sense of improved social well-being within the entire village. Adoption of the village can be tailored specifically to your Club’s wants and needs. GHC can personalize the overall experience to ensure you feel you are playing a part in the transformation. Options include:

● A Quarterly newsletter on the progress of the villages and other GHC happenings in Kenya

● Videos and Photos of the various training sessions and hand-on experiences (e.g. planting a kitchen garden and a discussion on the various crops that Kenyans grow and how they use the crops; or the details of beekeeping and harvesting honey).

● A Quarterly Virtual Meeting with the Village participants possibly including:

○ A two-way cultural exchange where, for example, Kenyans teach US Club members Swahili words/phrases, rites of passage, local beliefs, and vice versa.

○ Locals discuss their crops and how they use them to make traditional Kenyan dishes and vice versa.

○ Kenyans teach a traditional song and dance

○ CHEC Graduation ceremony

These meetings can be tailored to fit the needs of each Club.

● Exchange of ideas on Community Development, which could include ways to improve on water collection and storage, sanitation, health, transportation and education.

● Exchange of ideas on Economic Opportunities, which could include generating new business ideas, helping locals promote and market their businesses, accessing new markets, etc.

● Setting up a local village visit for Rotary club members and others. This visit would be hosted by Global Health Connections Kenya and could include site visits, history and cultural meetings, a safari in Masai Mara game park, and relaxation at a resort at Lake Victoria.

Adopting-a-Village serves to benefit both the U.S. Rotary Club and the Kenyan Village. We want Clubs around the United States to be able to experience this first-hand and be a part of a Village transformation. We want Clubs to immerse themselves in Kenyan village life and to help make a difference. We want Clubs to understand that it’s not just about giving–it’s about equipping members with the right knowledge and tools so that they can then empower and support their communities. We believe these benefits will enhance and expand a U.S. Club’s local reputation and help a Club with recruitment of members, especially from the millennial generation. Also, we believe a Club will be able to engage in a more meaningful way with its local high school Interact Club.

So please join us—we are inspired, energized, and looking to make a serious difference in as many ways as possible. Here at GHC, we are doing, and will continue to do, great things.