Community Transformation: Virtues Project in Kenya

I am pleased to share the following report:

Our local organization is growing stronger through collaboration.  Virtues Connection Kakamega (VCK) has concluded discussions with Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) and we now have a signed agreement in place that will enable MMUST to join VCK in delivery of specific skills and products in the community that will contribute to the health, economic development and well-being of our Virtues Connection Groups and others.

VCK has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with an NGO, Christian Partners Development Agency (CPDA),  that will allow us to work in unity to equip communities in Virtues, Agriculture and Food Security.  The goal of CPDA is to partner in development for the advancement of equitable communities in Kenya. CPDA is a non-profit, non-partisan organization, whose vision is empowered and connected communities. In our agreement, all groups that mobilize for training shall first receive training in the Five Strategies of The Virtues Project.  This agreement marks the beginning of our expansion of Virtues and Community Development for Kenya training, to the larger Kenya, as CPDA intends to traverse the whole country!

School success stories continue.  In an effort to curb high teen pregnancy at Lwanda Secondary School in 2016, a week of virtues training was conducted for non-teaching staff, teachers and students.  At the end of the virtues training, the principal took away the canes from the classrooms and used them as firewood, thereby ending caning at their school.  The school adopted the Five Strategies of The Virtues Project to help them address disciplinary issues.  They are now a virtues school.  They share a Virtue of the Week on parade and in the church and they handle discipline issues as Teachable Moments  focusing on virtues.  Every open space is decorated with a virtues starting from the gate of school to remind everyone of the presence of virtues.  In 2017, the principal welcomed virtues facilitators from around the world (visiting Kenya to participate in the 2017 Global Mentorship of The Virtues Project) to their school to hear from school prefects, non-teaching staff and students about using The Virtues Project. 

The principal shared the followoing rewards of adopting the Five Strategies of The Virtues Project:  

• he spends very little time on discipline and enjoys his role
• they had only one pregnancy case in 2017 vs ten in 2016, and the student chose birth over abortion
• academically, the school was the most improved having moved from position 19 to 5 in the sub-county, emerging as the top day school

We are observing a trend that, when a school adopts The Virtues Project, discipline improves as does class performance. National exam scores are outstanding in St Joseph's Shichinji Secondary, Mwiyenga Primary, Sacred Heart Mukumu Girls High School, etc.

Community virtues activities are ongoing in support of each other's well-being.  I observe groups carrying themselves with integrity and peacefulness.  They discuss the Five Strategies and participate in virtues acitivties through drama, music and poems.  Every session starts with a Virtues Pick.  

The Children Protection Unit at the police station remains outstanding in service delivery to the public.  

We thank you for you continued enthusiastic support and charitable contributions that make it possible for us to continue this important community development work, strengthening communities through virtues and  education, and thus creating sustainable futures for those we serve!

Links:

• The Virtues Project