MAY 2011 PROGRESSIVE REPORT                             01/06/2011

1. MEETINGS

Membership meetings

Both villages held one membership meeting each for briefings and as a forum for the collection of monthly dues.

Leadership meetings

The two villages have also held one organizing committee meeting each in preparation for the monthly membership meetings.

2. MEMBERSHIP RECRUITMENT DRIVE

18 new members were recruited in Highridge and 15 new members in Kisumu Ndogo. They are all oriented to the ACORN mode of organizing emphasizing on dues payments as the backbone of the organization.

3. DUES COLLECTION

Kisumu Ndogo collected ksh.1, 000 and Highridge ksh.1, 400

4. FUNDRISING

The organization has developed and submitted concept paper to Agakhan Foundation, Equity Bank, Corparative Bank of Kenya, and Oxfam GB.

Rick of solidarity International is still supporting ACORN Kenya by paying the office rent.

5. EDUCATION CAMPAIGN

We have written a petition to be handed over to the permanent secretary of the ministry of education during his visit at GUREC centre where ACORN has been invited.GUREC centre is one of our partners in education campaign. It is in this school that we recommended 24 pupils from Korogocho who were out of school and now they are continuing with their Education.   The event which will be marking celebration of the day of the African child, will take place on 6^th of June 2011 at the school compound.

6. REMITTANCE CAMPAIGN

Have collected twelve remittance receipts from our members and are working out with media houses on when to have a press conference before the end of this month of June 2011.

Report by

Sammy and David

Acorn Kenya   Co’s

I live in the village of Kisumu Ndogo in the Korogocho slum in Nairobi.  I am on the board of our local chapter. I joined ACORN Kenya in June 2009.  I heard about a meeting about education and went to the meeting.  After the meeting I talked to one of the organizers and joined because the education campaign was going to help the entire community. With our education campaign we are fighting so that our community can access the government bursaries that are suppose to support poor parents that can’t afford  school fees.  My 11 year old son use to attend an informal schools, we had to pay 300SH for school fees plus 10sh a day for food, plus 70 shillings for each exam they write, plus books.  I didn’t receive and bursary from the government.  Through ACORN I realized that I needed to have my son in the formal schools so he can access higher education.  But the fees in the formal schools are even higher.  ACORN helped me apply for the bursary to cover the fees. I was able to apply because ACORN members fault and won a new structure of dispersing the application forms from the bursary committee. The bursary committee now has people right in korogocho that distribute the forms.   The fees for the formal school include 500sh for admission, plus 500sh for a desk, plus 750sh a year for food, plus books.  I am waiting for the bursary right now.  With ACORN we need to grow as an organization and need more members so that we can be even stronger!