Background and Setting…
Bondo is in the far west of Kenya, about 10-15 kilometers from Lake Victoria, west of the regional city of Kisumu. The country appears generally poor, with most people either subsistence farmers or living from small businesses such as retail outlets, mechanical repairs etc. Earlier this century western Kenya spent several years in the grip of drought which has abated. The AIDS epidemic which has ravaged eastern and southern Africa in the last 20-30 years has left about a million orphans in Kenya.
Kenya is a republic, and the economic situation is poor (according to the World Poverty Clock Kenya is the eighth poorest country in the world) and in recent months there has been significant civil unrest, including riots in Nairobi and other major cities. My advice from the field is that there has been no such trouble in the far western area where Bondo and Ajigo are located. The dominant religion (85%) is Christianity, with about 10% of the population claiming to be Muslim.
The Bondo property is owned by a CBO (Community Based Organisation – a registered local nonprofit, non-political and non-governmental organization) called Africa Arise.
Aim of Project
- To generate an ongoing income stream to support the Africa Arise Charity Initiative CBO, the primary school located at Ajigo and an associated second campus at Asembo.
- T0 provide affordable accommodation for students, widows and others through the letting of bedsitters, and to offer services and facilities to the local community through the letting of small retail outlets to local entrepreneurs.
Beneficiaries…
- About 180 children per year, and indirectly, their families, through the ongoing operation of the Ajigo school.
- Local Bondo community
Project Schedule…
The building work is expected to be completed in a year. The building shell has existed for seven or eight years. The first four bed-sitters are complete, and tenants have been identified. They are only awaiting the installation of electricity meters before the tenants can move in.
Subsequent building activities will commence as soon as funds are available. It is estimated that the bed-sitters will be completed in two months once funds are available. The shops should be completed in six months and meet any regulatory requirements.
The project is expected to be self-sufficient once the initial capital works have been completed. The ongoing costs will only be basic maintenance, electricity for shared facilities (security lighting and water pump) and council fees. Tenants will be expected to pay for their own electricity and water consumption.
Building work is contracted to local Kenyan tradesmen who are trained and qualified. They may engage and train local apprentices at their discretion. Project planning and administration is in the hands of the local Kenyan project manager, Pastor Chris Asawo. The plot of land on which the building is situated includes space reserved for farming…crops of maize etc are grown with the help of local labour for farming operations. Architectural and structural plan has been approval by Siaya County Council eight years ago before the building commenced.
When the building is complete and individual rooms are let, any tenants seeking to operate shops or other business activities will need government permits which will be the responsibility of the individual tenants, not of the building owner.
Challenges…
Funds are required to enable the following steps:
- Engage local builders to complete the remaining three rooms as bed-sitters,
- Engage local builders to complete the seven larger rooms so they can be used as shops or other retail outlets,
- Identify any governmental or regulatory approvals need and meet them,
- Engage tenants for these facilities.
You can help…
If you are able to support CBO to complete this building as soon as possible to provide accommodation for widows, students and facilities for the community, support the Ajigo school and other initiatives, please click on “Donate to this Project” on the right sidebar. Thank you!
All gifts are tax deductible and will benefit this project in their entirety except for bank fees.
