Waithaka Community Library & Empowerment Center

1. Waithaka Community Library (WCL)

The Waithaka Community Library (WCL) was established through the collaboration of the Nairobi City County and AMREF Health Africa (Kenya) in 2005. Located in Dagoretti, a very poor town in the outskirts of Nairobi in Kenya, the WCL is far more than a place to borrow, read books and use the Internet.   The WCL is a community meeting place that engages and promotes inspiration, learning, empowerment, information exchange and, protection. Members and guests can join workshops, study groups, play games, watch documentary films and movies  and attend live music events.

Due to a lack of funding in 2018, the WCL remained closed for the majority of the year (2018) and was only open three times a year – April, August and December- during the academic holidays.

Discovering that such an important asset was not being used by the community, Grace Impact decided to fund and support the WCL so it could be open at least 4 times a week.  Since July 2019, Grace Impact pays all operating costs for the WCL and oversees the implementation of all activities with its talented and highly skilled on-site team, Dr. Patricia Kwamboka and Mr. Evans Murthi.

Grace Impact’s continuous monetary donations pay for:

• Stipends for the interns and freelancers
• Reimbursement allowances for volunteers
• Purchase of 10 laptops, a printer, and a copier
• New curriculum books for secondary school
• Payment of on-going WIFI costs
• New curtains to keep the WCL cool during hot summer days
• Mobile phones for interns and volunteers
• Maintenance and repairs at the WCL

In addition to monetary donations, Grace Impact has also donated wooden bookshelves and over 300 books and films (DVD, VHS).

We would like to thank the Ngong Road Childrens’ Association for its very thoughtful book donation and Dr. Ronald Beyer (Munich, Germany) and Family Osborne  Almeida  & Isbael Forgas for their generous donations to Grace Impact for the support of the WCL and its collaboration partners.

As of August 2023, the WCL has over 255 members and is open 5 days a week, from Tuesday – Saturday, between 5 and 8 hours a day.

WCL’s five main collaboration partners are:  

1. Alliance for the Protection of Children (APC)
2. Ambassadors of Hope (AOH)
3. Calmind Foundation
4. AMREF Health Africa, Kenya
5. Dagoretti Subcounty Administration

Alliance for the Protection of Children (APC)

Founded by its Managing Director, Dr. Patricia Kwamboka in 2021, the Alliance for the Protection of Children is a child and youth-centric not-for-profit organization that is developing possible solutions to advance the well-being of children and youth in the 21st Century.

APC’s programs contribute to the achievement of United Nations Sustainable Goals (UNSDGs) particularly: SDG 5 on achieving gender equality; SDG 3 on ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being; and SDG 16 on promoting peaceful and inclusive societies. APC partners with Grace Impact with the aim to be a catalyst or a world where children and youths are safe, empowered and valued.

Dinese Hannewald, Founder and CEO of Grace Impact, is Chairman of the Board at APC.

2. Ambassadors of Hope (AOH)

Under the leadership of Ms. Grace Nduta, Ambassadors of Hope is a not-for-profit organization that supports entrepreneurial women with the challenges faced by single young mothers.  Since their economic survival is key, the group focuses on workshops and business opportunities  for its micro-entrepreneurs. The present group of 20 creative and talented women makes beaded and coconut bags,  jewelry, clothing and household decoration items by hand and sells these products at various local markets as well as conferences and exhibitions.  Earning money to feed their families and to afford essential necessities for their children is crucial to cutting the cycle of poverty and illiteracy within their families.  The importance of financial independence for these women must be emphasized since lack of work and money causes extreme hardship on their mental and physical health.

Grace Impact began its relationship with AOH in 2020 with a charity donation.  Given Grace Impact’s focus on sustainable projects, AOH has transformed into a self-funding sustainable entity since the group’s sales are yielding profits.  Grace Impact markets and sells its products to friends & family in Europe and the USA, resulting in additional revenues and profits for the group.  A portion of the profits realized are re-invested at AOH to teach and support new micro-entrepreneurs.

SDGs: 1 – No poverty, 5 – Gender Equality, 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth, and 17 – Partnerships for the Goals

3. Calmind Foundation

Calmind Foundation is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to create awareness and improve access to maternal mental health services for current and future generations though education, support and advocacy. Under leradership of its founder, Pasqualine Njau, Calmind Foundation runs programs, projects and campaigns that create awareness of maternal mental health, give information on where those suffering from a maternal mental illness can access services and advocate for policies, legal and institutional frameworks and research that promotes maternal health.

Grace Impact currently supports the Calmind Foundation with a monetary donation.

SDGs:  3, 5 and 17

4. AMREF Health Africa in Kenya

Amref Health Africa, headquartered in Kenya is the largest Africa-based international non-governmental organization (NGO) currently running programs in over 35 countries in Africa with lessons learnt over 60 years of engagement with governments, communities and partners to increase sustainable health access in Africa.

Amref’s vision is Lasting Health Change in Africa.  Their mission is to increase sustainable health access to communities in Africa through solutions in human resources for health, health services delivery and investments in health.

Amref’s values are:

1) INTEGRITY – Demonstrating high ethical standards in all our dealings

2) UBUNTU – Embracing compassion based on our fundamental shared humanity

3) QUALITY – Ensuring excellence is core to our planning and execution

From 2014 to 2022, Dinese Hannewald was a Board Member of Amref Health Africa, Germany.  Since her resignation, Dinese wishes to continue and deepen her working relationship with AMREF by not only funding the WCL but by implementing and overseeing development of a holistic Dagoretti Community Village centered around the WCL.   This new project concept (to be announced in autumn 2023) will include the building of new restrooms for women and men as well as the installation of much needed water purifier systems and the repair of bore holes, water pumps and other necessary items for access to clean and safe water.

 

These new washroom facilities will be available to all members of the WCL for a small token fee. 

SDGs: 3, 4, and 17

5. Dagoretti Subcounty Administration

The Dagoretti Subcounty  Administration has been very supportive to the WCL.  Since the WCL building does not have any running water nor restrooms, WCL interns and volunteers are allowed to use the resources at the Dagoretti Subcounty Administration building.

Currently, the electricity for the WCL is provided by the Dagoretti Subcounty Administration and we are very grateful to have their support.

In autumn 2023, Grace Impact plans to begin the construction of the new restrooms/washrooms for women and men as well as the installation of new water purifier systems and the repair of the bore holes, water pumps and other necessary items for access to clean and safe water. It is important to note that the Fire Department and the Maternity Ward presently have no access to clean and safe water.  All the above infrastructure improvements will be paid for by Grace Impact. 

 

SDG: 8, 10, 11, 16 and 17