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Posts Tagged ‘Community Chapters’

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Phenny – Back in School Thanks to PTPI

Friday, March 11th, 2011
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Frank Okello, president of our Mombasa, Kenya Chapter, sent information on how the recent contribution of $1,500 from the International Friendship Fund was used. The following students each received $115 towards their school fees:

  • Sharon Awuor, Elizabeth Gitau and Gumba Fridah Maureen at Ribe Girls High School
  • Kiara Muthoni Irene and Mwashe Emah Medza at Rangala Girls High School
  • Jannet Umazi Tunje, Yvonne Mokeira, Phenny Anyango and Joanne Nyawire at Waa Girls High School
  • Fed Oyagi, Lawrence Mbaru, Kihenjo Susan and Diana Jerop Serem at Changamwe Secondary School

Meet Phenny, one of the students whose education is being supported by our Mombasa, Kenya Chapter and generous members of the PTPI Family all over the world. Penny is 17 years old and in grade 10 at Waa Girls High School.

Phenny

1. Tell us about your family and your life.

My family lives in rural Kenya and they don’t have any stable income, we entirely depend on farming but rains have been failing of late. I dropped out of school when I was 14 years and got married to a certain old man because he had money to pay the dowry and some money for my family. This was a informal arrangement  between him and my parents. I agreed since he promised me better life than the one I was living previously with my parents.

It was totally terrible. I stayed in marriage  for one year and one day a group of people known as People to People International Mombasa, Kenya Chapter was conducting a seminar in the village on how to stop early girl child marriage, and the benefit of education. I did attend and it was like an eye opener to me. They promised to take me back to school if  I agree to leave my “husband”.  I agreed and now am in school. I like reading and learning new things every day.

2.  What  do you like best about school?

I like interacting with students from different background and learning new things every day.

3. What is you favorite subject to learn about and why do you like it best?

My favourite subject to learn is history. I like it best bacause it helps me know other peoples’ biographies and also to know what happened in the past.

4.  Do you have a  hero?  Who is it and why do why do you admire that person?

My hero is Professor Wangari Maathai. In Kenya she has been strugling to see that the girl child is empowerd with a good education and also she is one of the recognized people in the world for her good work. She is also a Nobel Peace Prize winner.

5. What do you want the rest of the world to know about Kenya?

I want the rest of the world to know that Kenya is a  great country with hospitable people, despite some of our economic situations.

6. What is you dream for the future?

To help other people also to realize their dreams.

My sincere thanks goes to every PTPI family member who raised funds for us when we desperately needed it. We almost lost hope. Now I only have two years remaining to finish my  O Level education. Please dont tire from helping me and others to realize our dreams. I love PTPI.

-Phenny

Contributions are still needed - donate online or mail a contribution to PTPI World Headquarters at 911 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64105. Be sure to make a note that the donation is for Kenya.

To learn more about why education, especially for women, is so vital in Kenya, read this article from The Daily Beast. The article does contain graphic material.

To learn more about People to People International, visit www.ptpi.org

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Posted in Changing the World, Community Chapters, From Our Members | 3 Comments »

Update from Egypt

Monday, March 7th, 2011
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Here’s the latest from Ahmed Roushdy, our Middle East/Africa Coordinator in Cairo:

PTPI Community Chapters in Cairo have been busy with the current events in Egypt. The CairOdyssey Chapter worked in Tahrir Square (Liberation Square) where events of the recent Egyptian peaceful revolution took place. Out of a desire to bring life back to the square, the members gathered funds, bought paint, and grouped with other volunteers to clean and paint.

In recent days, traffic is once again flowing in the square, which was definitely not the case during the 18 day protest. The garden inside the square is now used to put up signs for demands from the current ministries, such as the resignation of Ahmed Shafik, who was appointed Prime Minister by President Mubarak in late January to bring reform to the country. Citizens voiced their opinion that because he worked for the previous regime, he should leave. Shafik resigned on March 3, 2011 and another Prime Minister (Essam Sharaf) was selected from the military to form a new government and handle the country during the transitional period.

The Pharaohs of Peace Chapter teamed up with Egyptair and welcomed 50 honored Italian guests (including the Mayor of Milan, Letizia Moratti) for a three day event organized by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism.  Wearing t-shirts that read “Egypt in the Heart,” the group took part in a march that began at the Egyptian Museum and ended in Tahrir Square – a site that will be on the top of the list of places to visit during future visits to Cairo. The Intercontinental Semiramis (host to all PTPI programs in Cairo – and a favorite of Mary Jean Eisenhower) also sponsored the event, and hosted the 50 guests during their stay.

During the 18 days of protests, all international airports in Egypt were full of thousands of tourists trying to leave the country, thinking that the situation could turn violent, or fall apart if the regime collapsed. Egypt then proved to the world that it is very peaceful. However, there has still been an unbelievable impact on the tourism industry – which previously welcomed around 13 million visitors annually. It is slowly reviving, but not as quickly as we hope. It will no doubt take time before people resume their travel plans to Egypt. Many countries began removing travel bans on tourist cities such as Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada right away, and have now lifted the ban entirely. The US, however, is still advising their citizens not to travel to Egypt if it is not an urgent matter. All US public services in the Egyptian community are still suspended until further notice, including the consular section (which issues visas).

To learn more about People to People International, visit www.ptpi.org

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Development Seminar in Tallinn

Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011
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“Together we must learn how to compose differences, not with arms, but with intellect and decent purpose.”

-Dwight D. Eisenhower

With help from a PTPI Chapter Matching Grant and cooperation from local organizations, the Tallinn, Estonia Chapter recently held a seminar that brought together an array of people to share expertise and points of view. Ruta Pels, the chapter president, wrote to tell us more:

On January 14-15, 2011 in the Scandic Palace Hotel in Tallinn, our chapter took place an international seminar dedicated to Policy Coherence for Development. We were assisted in the coordination of the event by the Estonian Roundtable for Development Cooperation and Fair Trade Estonia. The seminar was co-financed by the European Commission and PTPI.

The main aim of the seminar was to discuss ways to ensure that all government policies (agriculture, trade, investment, migration and others) are mutually supportive of international development goals. Among the participants were representatives from non-governmental organizations from Estonia, whose work is in some way connected with policy development, or who would like to have a better understanding on how to achieve more coherent policies.

The seminar program was lead by two trainers (Peter Heintze and Suzan Cornelissen) from the Evert Vermeer Foundation (Netherlands). The Tallinn, Estonia Chapter is one of five partners in their project entitled “Enhancing policy coherence: making development work better” . The Evert Vermeer Foundation aims at international solidarity in politics, and believes that the voice of people in developing countries should resound in Dutch and European politics.

During the two day seminar the trainers led discussions about the main challenges in policy development and obstacles facing organizations working for better coherence. The questions for discussion during the seminar focused mainly on two areas: the level of influence that Estonian policies have on developing countries and the recourses available for NGOs that lobby for better coherence.

On the second day of the seminar, fair trade sugar farmers from Malawi visited and shared practical examples of the issues of incoherence and the influence it has on the lives of people involved. Discussions also provided additional examples of policy incoherence that directly or indirectly influence Estonia, such as educated medical personnel migrating to countries that are able to provide better remuneration, or the effects of the various agricultural policies in force throughout the European Union.

Best regards from Tallinn,

Ruta Pels
PTPI Tallinn, Estonia chapter president


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