Shining Hope for Communities (Shofco), a public benefit organization, has continued to empower communities in Migori through initiating development programmes to eradicate poverty and generate wealth.
The organization has been empowering the community through Community-Based Organisations (CBO’s) and young people through entrepreneurship and advocacy training, focusing on leadership and business development.
The NGO is a community-based movement mobilizing the largest network of social groups, to provide holistic, needs-driven services and to redefine the potential of citizen-led change.
One such community promotive gesture is work on the Mahena dam, based in South Sakwa Ward, Awendo Sub-County. Shofco embarked on a journey to desilt the dam to increase water levels.
The dam, constructed in 1952 by the colonial administration to provide water for domestic and livestock consumption, had accumulated siltation for over seven decades, which had significantly reduced its water, making it impossible to do irrigation, rear fish or use its water for domestic and livestock use.
According to the Secretary General, Mahena dam CBO, Enock Obare, the first proposal to the SHOFCO was to rehabilitate the dam to revive the economic benefits that the dam can provide, including fish farming, irrigation farming and water for domestic use.
Mahena dam CBO, which started as a self-help group three years ago, has been receiving support in the form of grants from the Shofco to empower the group members and the surrounding communities.
“We have been supporting girls’ education in our community through the grants that we have been receiving from Shofco, to empower our girls and address issues of early marriages and teenage pregnancies,” Obare said.
Obare says that they are also in the process of engaging the NGO to construct a resource centre to facilitate learning, research and trainings on issues of agriculture and entrepreneurship.
According to Janel Nyaori, an official from Shofco, the organization has been implementing Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programmes, aimed at addressing health challenges affecting the community.
Nyaori says that by rehabilitating the Mahena dam, WASH challenges like water-borne diseases and hygiene can be maintained to protect the health of the community.
“By desilting the dam, we will establish a deep-water level that will generate enough water for domestic use, and enable the community to engage in water activities like fish farming,” added the official.
Through the support of Shocfo grants, the Mahena dam CBO has managed to initiate empowerment programmes for its members as well as supporting students’ education in vocational institutions, the vulnerable children and orphans in the community.
She also explained that the NGO has been giving financial support to various CBOs to implement campaigns against Gender Based Violence (GBV) programme to enhance family ties in the society.
“We have also encouraged the CBOs to have monthly remittance contributions among its members to supplement the grants and address other challenges like supporting each other through welfare when a member is beavered,” explained Nyaori.
Duncan Odhiambo, another member of Shofco, notes that the continuous assistance by the NGO has not only empowered various communities in the county but also given hope to many vulnerable and orphaned children to access basic education.
Odhiambo, however, urges likeminded NGOs to come on board and help the community to be self-empowered to address challenges of poverty, and the triple threat effects of (New HIV infections, Gender Based Violence-GBV and Teenage pregnancies).
Odhiambo, who is also a member of the South Sakwa Village Managers CBO, called upon Shofco to continue helping and empowering the local CBOs to venture into agricultural enterprises like maize, beans and sugarcane to generate income to sustain themselves.
Shofco Youth Representative for South Sakwa Ward, Pamela Awuor discloses that the organization gave her a grant to start her cosmetics and salon shop.
The business located at Awendo town has enabled her to employ one person, contributing to wealth creation in the town.
She says that the Shofco youth wing under the youth voice programme has been assisting the young mothers, pregnant teenagers, and youth infected with HIV in addressing challenges affecting the youth.
In Migori, SHOFCO has rehabilitated and de-silted 20 water pans to address long-standing water challenges. The initiative has provided reliable access to clean water while encouraging fish farming and small-scale irrigation, helping households turn water into wealth.
According to George Okewa, a senior Shofco Official, the rehabilitation of the Mahena dam will restore a reliable water source for the community.
Okewa also disclosed that the organization has so far de-silted 20 colonial-era dams across the County to improve community access to water for domestic purposes.
He encouraged residents to explore commercial and agricultural uses of the rehabilitated dams to enhance livelihoods and eradicate poverty.
The official also explained that the organization will continue partnering with the Migori County government to support communities by stocking rehabilitated water pans with fish fingerlings as part of promoting the blue economy.
He said that the initiative by Shofco to desilt the dam will create proper economic empowerment programmes for the community, as well as making Migori County food secure.
By Makokha Khaoya & George Agimba
