News from our Info Desk

INVITE TO STUDENT CONVENTION ON DRUGS AND LAUNCH OF UNGASS 2016 DECLARATION

It is my pleasure to invite your students to this year 8th Student Convention on Drugs scheduled for 26th September 2015 at Our Lady of Fatima Secondary School in Kariobangi North as from 0800hrs to 1300hrs. The event will start with a procession from St. John’s Catholic Church in Korogocho to the Venue of the Event.

On this day we will launch a 15 point declaration on drugs that we will forward to the forthcoming United Nation General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on Drugs set for April 2016 in New York. Our organization participated in the 58th Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) in Vienna Austria, this year in March which was also part of the UNGASS planning.

We will invite both girls and boys from your school, Activities lined up for the day including speech by Motivational speakers from various professional fields who seek to encourage them, Based on the year’s theme which is Engage me to Transform and change the World for a drug free society.

...............................................

Today as Africa marks the day of the African child let me take this opportunity to wish every child happy African day, since this is their day.

There are several issues that African governments need to address as we think of post 2015 which include the challenges of poverty, hunger Education and more so the issue of Narcotics.

It is very sad to see Children die of poverty, hunger lack of proper education and to make the matters worse they are into the world of narcotics, Many children in Africa are being left orphan as a result of Narcotics nowadays, HIV/AIDS is becoming something of the past and it is my sincere prayer that we are going to join hands together to ensure we fight for Africa that will consider the rights of the children and a better place for them to be.

Let us stand to ensure our policies are well organized in a manner that they protect everyone especially when it comes to Narcotics, so that we can stand to Nature the best brains we have to compete with the world, I know we can and Africa can do better when we stay put to what we want to achieve and i know we will stand and make them the things of the past for example abduction of girls in Nigeria #BRINGBACKOURGIRLS

As I conclude Let me say this to all African leaders and Africans in general chance starts with a single African who is either you or me, and the only medicine for African problems with regards to children is in our hands, we have the potential in us why not utilize it to the maximum, we are not poor we only lack enough or the standardized amount.

I stand to challenge each and every African to do something today and make Africa a better place now an in the Future, for us and our children.

Thank you, God bless Africa. God Bless the world children.

..........................................................................................

Interview between slum child foundation founder, the current Executive Director and Drug News Journalist


George: " I myself was a street child "

Drug news meets Drug news 28 -year-old George Ochieng Odalo ,a social
workers from Kenya and the founder of Slum Child Foundation.

As a street child in the slums of Nairobi George himself met the same
reality as the children he meets today and he experienced the same feelings
as them.

- I became a street child when my dad died. But I made myself; someone
realized my potential and introduced me to a person who paid for my
schooling.

In 2008 he started the Slum Child Foundation, a nonprofit organization that
works with street children in Nairobi.
- I want to fight for other children , says George Odalo which is on the
World Forum for learning .

- Among the children I work with uses one of three drugs, and many in my
country have died from illegal drugs.

What has been the most interesting?
- The talk with the American judge on the Drug Court system in the U.S. is
one of the best lectures I attended. When I get home , I want to engage the
president in our Supreme Court and Chairman of The Board for Control of
Drug and Substances abuse . I want to investigate whether it is possible to
deploy it with us. Kenyan society needs to become more accommodating
towards people who use drugs. Today, it is afraid of the police, but we get
a system that can offer people treatment if they are arrested , we can
gradually create a society where people can feel safe.

What does launch in Stockholm for you?
- The Forum makes a big difference , especially when it comes to marijuana
issue, which is a big problem for us .

How is the drug situation in your country ?
- Cannabis is the biggest problem. We Africans like to imitate the West and
now available such as cookies with marijuana, even among us, just as in the
West. The influence of Rastafarian culture increases and it leads to more
abuse of cannabis. Corruption is widespread and several high-ranking
politicians and prominent people involved in the drug trade.

Many young people in Kenya , President Obama as a role model and he often
hear that " you are saying that marijuana is bad , but Obama wants to
legalize it . He is our role model, he comes from our country , and we
follow his footsteps. He says it's good, who are you to say it's bad? "
It is a formidable challenge to meet it.

Is the drug issue a priority at home?
- No, the country's leadership is trying to dismiss it. The government
needs to do something , but they are not willing to take the fight . If the
government would give priority to our organization would be able to do much
more.

What do you think about legalization wave in the world?

- The long term effects of legalization will be difficult . With the
challenges that Africa faces , with such poverty , then the legalization
strike harder against the continent than even HIV and malaria done. In the
West , you have treatment , but in Africa , poverty is the main problem and
unable to prioritize treatment. Food for the day is the most important for
many people.

What do you say to the young people you meet to get them to stop taking
cannabis ?
- I tell them that those who do drugs end up in the psycho care , will be
shot by the police, leaving school , stop having dreams. The life I
describe them . They need to stay away from drugs if they want to have a
good life. Follow in my footsteps , it will go well . If you take drugs ,
you may not live long , your days are numbered and it ends with you dying ,
says George Ochieng Odalo .

...........................................................................

WHY NOT MAKE A DATE

On 19th of March as from 2pm till 4pm slum child foundation in partnership with United states international university will be conducting a drug free week, on 18th and 20th we will have desk to share with people more information about drugs. On 19th there will be a forum where the students will get to hear from our lovely and experienced speakers on many issues that touches on their day to day life with regards to drugs and substance abuse.

So far we have the following guests who have confirmed their participation

ALICE NYABUTI C.E.O KENYA YOUTH TALENT ACADEMY

WENDY GAYA NACADA AUTHORITY

DRUG CARTEL

AND MORE ARE STILL EXPECTED TO CONFIRM THEIR PARTICIPATION, JOIN US TO KNOW HOW DRUGS AFFECT THE YOUTHS

VENUE: USIU AUDITORIUM, ALONG THIKA ROAD NEXT TO SAFARI PARK

LOOKING FORWARD TO SEE YOU THERE

................................................................................................................

LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA ON MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION IN AMERICA

Date: 11, February 2014

The Hon. Barrack Hussein Obama
President, United States of America

Dear President Obama,
My name is George Ochieng Odalo, and I write you as a representative of Slum Child Foundation (SCF), a Kenyan nonprofit organization working with children and youth in the slums and streets of Nairobi.
The children I work with are among your greatest admirers – which is why your recent remarks about marijuana and your relative silence about the drug’s growing legalization in the United States are deeply troubling. I realize you face many political dynamics I do not understand. However, I do know this serious issue should not be a political one. It should be about health first. This is also not an issue for one or two of your states to decide. Marijuana legalization in just a portion of your country has a negative impact on my country, too.
I already see how the talk about marijuana in the U.S. has hurt my work in the slums, where illicit drug use – including marijuana use – is the one of the biggest problems affecting the children I try to steer away from high school dropout, teenage pregnancy, criminality and risky behaviors that often result in HIV/AIDS. These children do not have strong parental supervision. They do not have fathers like you, who insisted to The New Yorker you would tell your own daughters not to use marijuana.
Mr. President, I urge you to reconsider your words and lack of action and clarity. Marijuana legalization is not necessary to reform problematic laws in your country or around the world. Legalization is not necessary to give people better addiction treatment. It is greedy, not innovative or admirable, for industry to sell this addictive drug – which is many times more potent than the marijuana you admit using during your youth -- with untruthful ads, false claims, colorful packaging and foods that are popular with children.
Please consider the poor and vulnerable children in your country and mine – the land of your father -- and around the world. They cannot afford access to treatment, and they already have so many things going against them in life. We should stand up to adults who fail to consider the needs of children, especially poor children, in their own selfish pursuits of intoxication.

Sincerely,


George Ochieng Odalo
Executive Director
Slum Child Foundation

.................................

The student convention is here with us, please join us on the day of the event


Nguyumu primary school a public government school based in korogocho was our stop over for the primary school out reach program on drugs and substance abuse on the week that the world was marking international day against drug abuse and we shared with them more about drugs and here are some in small gathering after the session asking more question about drugs



75 GIRLS FROM THE SLUMS BENEFIT FROM SANITARY TOWELS SUPPLY FOR THE NEXT SIX MONTHS THANKS TO GOOD WILL SUPPORTER
We were very much honored last month when one of our partner organization partnered with us in order to support 75 girls in school from the slums who will be receiving sanitary towels from us for the next six months.

We identified three schools that gave us 25 girls, the school are

OUR LADY OF FATIMA SECONDARY SCHOOL

KOCHLAND HIGH SCHOOL

ST. MARRY'S KERRIS HIGH SCHOOL

Below are the photos of the girls receiving the towels

Students from our lady of fatima



Students from koch land high school



students from St. Mary's kerris receiving sanitary towels
.....................................................................

OUR MESSAGE OF PEACE TO KENYANS DURING THIS ELECTION PERIOD

Dear Kenyans,

Let us as organization take this opportunity to thank you for your intensified campaign to choose your preferred leaders from the county representative, county women representative, Member of Parliament, Senator, Governor and President, it is right and your right and responsibility to do that from the biblical way and the constitutional way, why not do it a peaceful manner?

A country without leaders is a country that has no focus but having good leaders makes a country grow from the hands of slavery that comes from poverty, as you make this decision choose the right leader who will make you and the rest leave from the chains of poverty, poverty cannot be eradicated with violence.

In the most recent times we have seen from different corners of media violence erupting from several angles of Kenya and all this comes as a result of incitement and the funny thing is that your neighbor or friend or even brother and sister had hand in it, why and how? They were called and given one or two dollars approximately Ksh 200 to come and cause violence, we hereby request that as a youth if you are called upon in such places with such leaders let us stop and keep off because we do not want to see the repeat of what happened in the 2007/2008 post election violence the only way not to do it is by making peace with everyone, the people who pay us to cause violence will run and fly out of the country and see Kenyans burnt each other so why do it? PLEASE LET US KEEP PEACE.

At this particular time we have seen people grouping into political cocoons to strategize how they are going to make sure their candidate win the elections but let us look at the leaders beyond political cocoons because whoever will be elected will not be a leader of a particular group but a leader of the majority and minority in terms of tribal cocoons, political cocoons will not bring peace but lead to incitement of this tribe attacking another tribe, let us keep peace.

Peace is a five lettered word but without it destruction of properties, burning of houses, and many more are and will be the way of living, what you have taken time to invest in going or being destroyed within a minute it is very bad and we are just requesting for you not to destroy other people property let peace prevail in everything, our tongue can confess life and death let us confess life by preaching the word peace.

As I conclude writing this small article I look at my Television and the breaking news is violence has erupted in one of the regions in Nyanza because of the disappearances of ballot papers for the party nominations, please Kenyans let us grow up and preach peace I feel bitter and bad to see all this taking place in a more advanced and civilized country like Kenya, everyone in the world is looking at us please am pleading with all Kenyans in a soft tone possible PLEASE LET US KEEP PEACE KENYANS.

MY TRIBE IS KENYA MY COLOR IS KENYA AND EVERYTHING I HAVE IS KENYA AND I LOVE IT WITH MY WHOLE HEART AND I DO NOT WHAT TO LOOSE IT.

YOUR PEACEFULL BROTHER
SLUM CHILD FOUNDATION


SCOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY
slum child foundation in conjuction with BEE HIVE Entertainment is offering scholarship opportunity to youths from the slums in Nairobi to persue a carrier in Disk Jockey (DJ), audio Production and Video production please feel free to get in touch with us on slumchildfoundation@gmail.com for more details, you can also be part of it financially by making us keep more youths in carrier, life skill and professional field. so far we have ten youths who have succesfully been enrolled in this field and they statred their classes early this year (2013)