About
Project Objectives
Project Objectives.
Lakeside Baptist Church headed felt development needs of Rusinga Island community thus extending its mandate to encompassing holistic human development approach. This led to establishing a faith based community development agency- Lakeside Baptist Church Development Centre.
Started in 1984, the first development partners of Lakeside Baptist Church were: First Baptist Church, Tyler, Texas, USA: World Hunger Relief Inc., Waco, Texas, Christian Health Association of Kenya and Christians children's Fund Inc.
Various development partners have restructured, changed priorities or relocated, leaving certain programmes without a source of funding. Funds to sustain some existing programmes and to initiate future programs is a real concern.
Ongoing Programs.
Evangelism and Church Planting.
In addition to the Lakeside Baptist church, we have initiated 8 other churches in the region. Opportunities for evangelising and planting more churches are high.
Bible School.
Rusinga Island Baptist Bible school will hold its first graduation in December 2010. It is affiliated to the Kenya Baptist Theological College, based in Limuru, Kenya. It is a rich and rewarding experience for bible and theological students in the region.
Health Clinic.
Kamasengre Baptist Dispensary provides a broad range of medical care. It offers curative, preventive and promotive health services. HIV/AIDS is a major component of the dispensary work, offering counselling, testing and prevention of mother to child transmission, and maternal child health and family planning services. We benefit from a memorandum of understanding signed between faith based medical organisations and the government of Kenya(GOK) GOK offers drugs kit and second staff to faith based health facilities. We buy other drugs from Mission for Essential Drugs and Supplies (MEDS) at a subsidised pricing.
Education.
Dr.Williams Baptist Primary School was started by Lakeside Baptist Church in 1987 and immediately handed over to the community. It is currently staffed by teachers paid by the Government of Kenya. The school has upheld a high standard of excellence as a four-times leader of the 18 primary schools on Rusinga Island on the 8th grade national examination. It has the highest population of female students of all Rusinga Island primary schools. Dr.Williams also has the highest number of graduates among primary schools on Rusinga Island who have proceeded on to achieve the highly competitive Public University admissions.
Food Security.
Worlwide Opportunities on Organic Farming (WWOOF) provides us with volunteers and technical support. We also encourage community members to plant fruit trees so as to replenish fruits in the people's diet as well as afforesting Rusinga Island.
Eco tourism.
Traditional tourism has become prohibitively expensive. Eco-tourism allows tourists to stay in local homes, enjoying local cultures at affordable vrtes. Local Self Help Development Groups earn a living through exhibitions of theatre, traditional songs, music and dance to tourists.
Planned Programs
Medical Mobile Clinics.
This will enable the disadvantaged people either because there are no health facility close to them or they are extremely ill or poor to access health care services.Services at the mobile clinic would include :dental,eye or general treatment .
Medical Services.
This will help to empower the Kamasengre Buder Dispensary to improve and enlarge healthcare services it offers ;through empowering self ,provision of drugs and equipment.
HIV/AIDS Patient Support Centre.
It is a necessity in a society that has ravaged by HIV/AIDS.The support centre will offer Anti Retriviral treatment.The closest HIV/AIDS support centre is 10km from our community.The distance encourages dropouts and lack of adherence to treatment .
Continuous Home-Based HIV/AIDS Counselling and Testing.
This important since many people do not easily go to health facilities for counselling and testing .When health personnel visits homes ,counselling and testing improves.
Vulnerable children &Orphans Sponsorship.
HIV/AID pandemic has left countless children of Rusinga Island without parents .This burden is often shifted to the children's grandparents ,many of whom are physically and economically unable to properly care for the children..Poverty levels are also very high ,leaving many children quite vulnerable Sponsorship program will there for help to shoulder some of this burden through provision of finances for education ,medical care, food ,clothing and putting up shelter.
Micro financing.
This is a low interest scheme destined to boost individuals to start small scale sustainable
businesses .The applicants will be assisted to work on their business plans to determine feasibility of their adventures .Graduates from the sewing class would be given priorities in accessing the loans .Viable business would include fish and fish mongering ,horticulture,buying and selling of grains ,commercial farming,tailoring e.t.c.
Sewing & Hand craft Program.
This is planned for youths out of school,single mothers and widows .The graduates ,would be given opportunity to access loans to start their businesses . The program would assist the people in marketing their handcrafts products nationally and internationally.
Support Group for Youth and People living with HIV/AIDS(PLWHA).
Youths and PLWHA are encouraged to start support groups so as to share experience and give moral and psychological support to each other.The program would facilitate inception and smooth running of the support groups.
Rehabilitation of Facilities.
Some of the existing facilities have suffered cracks on the walls and floor .This dispensary house in particular ,is now not in use as it has been condemned by the department of public health.
Ecovillage.
White sand beach plot has been identified for putting up an ecovillage complex ,which is planned to replicate the tribal homestead .The ecovillage complex would serve as tourist resort centre .
Target Groups:
HIV/AIDSproject targets the following groups :HIV/AIDS sufferers ,single mothers,youths widows and beach communities.
HIV/AIDS Sufferers:-are affected by stigmatisation and opportunistic infections .They are also economically disadvantaged.
Single Mothers:-Most of single mothers are either positive or are at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS .They are also economically vulnerable.
Youths:-need guidance ,training and rehabilitation. They are at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS.
Widows:-Many widows are HIV positive .They have the burden of taking care of their children under many times hash economic conditions.
Beach community:-Consist of several ghetto settlement where fishing is the main economic activity .Life in these settlements is rampant in illicit liquor,drugs ,crime and water borne diseases .
MEMBERSHIPS.
We are members of :Baptist Convention of Kenya Christian Health Association mission for essential drugs and supplies ,worldwide opportunities on organic farms and Global ecovillage Networks-Europe.
GOVERNANCE.
Lakeside Baptist church is managed by 13 member church council while development programs is managed by 11 member management community .The locational chief and elected councillor to the local county council are ex-official members in the management committee.
Pupils of Dr. William Baptist Primary School planting trees.
NATIONAL COLLABORATORS
- Christian Health Association of
- Nyanza Reproductive Health Society (male circumcision activities).
- Ministry of
- Baptist Convention of Kenya(BCOK), hosted in www.imb.org
NOTE
- INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATORS
- Gen-Europe: www.gen-europe.org