(L-R) Soichiro Moriya, Mitsubishi Corporation trainee, Kennedy Odede - Chief Executive, Shining Hope For Communities (SHOFCO) and Ichiro Sugane - General Manager Mitsubishi Corporation. Mitsubishi Corporation has donated towards the NGO's Early Childhood Development (ECD) Programme. [Photo: Oxygene]
The Mitsubishi Corporation has donated Sh4 million to Shining Hope for Communities Org (SHOFCO) for the NGO’s Early Child Development programme (ECD) in Kibera and Mathare.
The funds will go towards medical suppliers for the programme’s immunisation and labs, programme outreach, staff development and training. It will also enable ECD programme scale up to accommodate a higher population of children under five in the urban informal settlement.
“Our ECD Program is mix-gendered, providing a safe, stimulating early learning environment for children 5 years and under at high risk of or already experiencing developmental delays. This would not be possible without the support of such partners as Mitsubishi,” said Kennedy Odede, President and CEO, SHOFCO.
“The support provided to us today will enable us scale up maternal care and prevent under development of the children, in order to have a vibrant society of strong kids. We are grateful to Mitsubishi for enabling us to continue servicing this community, through caring for the children,” he added.
“We have had the opportunity to work with Kennedy and his team before and their passion and commitment is what has driven Mitsubishi to support their ECD programme. The growth of the programme means more children will get better development and nutritional care, leading to a community of healthy future leaders” said Ichiro Sugane, General Manager Mitsubishi Corporation.
“The Mitsubishi Corporation Corporate Philanthropy Team initiated the programme of international contribution in our African offices in 2013. The most important theme in the programme focused on supporting future generations especially girls. The areas of support we identified are health, education and sanitation, and SHOFCO’s ECD programme focusses on all these” he added.
The comprehensive programme links its day care to early childhood health and nutrition programs, ensuring participants receive the care they need for proper growth. As parent care outside the program is critical, SHOFCO actively involves caregivers through regular meetings, support groups, and workshops that educate them about the benefits of ECD. Caregivers also participate in integrated SHOFCO programs such as Maternal and Child Healthcare, Groups Saving and Loans, and the SHOFCO Women’s Empowerment Program.
Founded in 2004 by Kennedy Odede, who was raised in the Kibera community, SHOFCO aims to combat the hardships found in slums by establishing initiatives that uplift the community. SHOFCO provides a tuition-free education to girls in the area to further invest in the overall wellbeing of the community.
The services provided by SHOFCO support various community initiatives such as sanitation education, health care, and clean water. SHOFCO also supplements the public with tools such as computer and library sources, financial management programs, a SACCO and adult education. The non-profit organisation is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya and New York, NY.