updates

REPACTED BLOGGERS                                                                 WENDY AND MSHALE

This year has begun with much promise. In the first week of business REPACTED Kenya held five day capacity building training of all the 30 members who attended. The capacity assessment meetings evaluated the organization ability to move to NGO status by mid 2009. The members and office holders reviewed the past years trials and achievements before setting goals for the coming months. It also provided an opportunity for the members to bond and exchange ideas on the different project planned or already underway.

A significant step has been made this month, moving into a bigger office at the Nakuru Player’s Theatre has improved REPACTED Kenya’s profile and capacity to operate more professionally and attract more donor to fund the organization youth activities. Spacious and secure, it houses a reception area, operations centre, accounting office and, a new initiative, a youth information centre where youth from the community can come to access IEC material on reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, Drug abuse etc…

Wendy Cross from NextAid paid REPACTED Kenya a visit. She came to learn more about the organization and to assess its capacity. Wendy held a full day media based M & E training for REPACTED. Narrative reports tend to be two dimensional but through the use of media a more detailed and personal input can be infused in a report sent to a donor. Equipment such as flip cameras are cheap to acquire and easy to use. Making brief, well shot and accurately edited videos can tell a story and make a significant impact on the recipient. With proper lighting and good composition digital photos can also be used in reporting and keeping records to great effect. Both of these options can be sent over the internet making delivery easier compared to tapes, CDs and hard copy printouts. To avoid taking too much time uploading videos and pictures should be compressed or placed in a zipped folder. Wendy was surprised by the enthusiasm of the members and their interest in the various forms of media available to them.

REPACTED MAGNET THEATER MEMBERS GOING FOR AN OUTREACH. “STAY ALIVE”

After a long break REPACTED Kenya finally resumed outreach activities. There were a few magnet theatre practitioners taking to the field for the first time and their performance was commendable and beyond all expectations. The communities visited responded well and participated fully in the discussion, a few of the stepping forth to take up roles in the skit. Information on Reproductive health is fast seeping into their minds judging from the responses members of the audience gave to the slew of questions posed. At a new site in Free area, the numbers mobilized were impressive and the reception good if not great.

REPACTED MEMBERS TAKING A BREAK FOOTBALL TIME, SKILLS DEMONSTRATION FORUM

This year it was resolved that members’ blogs will be updated on a weekly basis. Topics discussed are to be drawn from key questions posed by community members during past outreaches along with personal issues they are itching to articulate.