It Takes a Child to Raise a Village
How We Became Change Agents—Improving Our Families’ Incomes and Lives—and Role Models in Our Communities
By Alida Bakema Boon, Mwalimu Musheshe, and Patricia Seybold, May 20, 2010

When I was 11 years old, I made a vision of being in a healthy home with a good house, a good kitchen, drying rack, a clean compound, a latrine, a rubbish pit, and healthy people. I shared my vision with my father and asked him to add to it. My father agreed and we made a family vision of having a healthy home.

When I went home for the holidays, my father and I shared our vision with my two young brothers and one young sister. Then I led the family in making a plan and in sharing the responsibilities.

First, my two young brothers and I cut reeds and we constructed a good drying rack to keep our dishes sanitary. I went back to school, but my brothers kept on working on the projects we had agreed on. They removed the brush that attracts bugs and snakes and dug around the home so that it was clean.

Then during the next holidays, my brothers and I again cut reeds and we constructed a good bathroom with our father.

In 2007, I noticed that the kitchen and bathroom were not in good condition, so we joined hands together and my brothers and I cut reeds while my father cut poles. We constructed a new and good kitchen and a good latrine. While I was back at school, my brothers and my sister planted some flowers around our home. They worked together with my father to dig a rubbish pit.

I'm Nyesiag Safira. I'm 18. I've been at the Girls School for 5 years. This is my Mom, Mauda Habasa. When I started school, we lived in a small grass-thatched hut, we had poor health, no money, and no education.

My mom participated in a workshop with me at school. We created a vision for what we wanted: a better house, enough food, a kitchen, a good latrine, and education for our whole family. And we have achieved our vision!

Our new house is behind my Dad. The building on the right is now our kitchen. (That was our home 2 years ago.) There's a drying rack in front of the kitchen where we dry our dishes in the sun.

Now we grow bananas, potatoes, beans, maize, and other crops. We raise chickens. Because of our increased income, we have a new house and enough food. All of us are now in school.

Last season, my back home project was planting maize. We managed to have 50 sacks of maize at 100 kilograms each. We sold the sacks for 450 Shillings each and made 2,250,000 shillings.

OUR VISION. In 2006, my school held a workshop for parents and students. We discussed how to create a vision. We were told that “it is a mental picture one wants to get or to be in the future.” So my father and I made a vision of a ROLE MODEL HOME.

At first my father had a myth that his clan did not need to become rich. If they were born in poverty, they would die in poverty. But I searched for more information in order to convince my father. Fortunately, I convinced him. At home, we talked about our vision, our current reality and the steps to take.

TAKING ACTIONS. We had a family meeting and talked about many things, like cooperation and respect, and how to improve sanitation. We built a good latrine, and added a water tank to wash our hands.

We followed by planting crops, like beans, bananas, avocados, and sweet potatoes. From selling these, my sisters and brothers were able to get books and pens to start school and get food for lunch. We wanted a semi-permanent house. So we cut poles and made mud.

By 2008 we put up a semi-permanent house. But our vision is about having a ROLE MODEL HOME! So, last season, we planted maize, beans, bananas and coffee, so we now have enough food and clothes. My father, mother and all of the children made about 2000 bricks! By December 2010, our vision for our role model home will be fulfilled.

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