Over the past 10 years, CFK has brought together a diverse group of local and international partners committed to CFK’s mission to develop leaders and respond to the complex challenges of extreme poverty. Through these 10 years of respectful collaboration, CFK has proven that poor communities can be the drivers of widespread change in their community. What they lack is not motivation or ingenuity, but resources and opportunity.
We have been so fortunate over the past 10 years to work with such wonderful people in the Kiberan community. Check out a time line of some of the highlights.
Power of 26- The Power of What’s Possible When we Work Together
The number 26 is powerful in the history of CFK. That number represents the beginning of the organization – a movement within the Kibera community to create change from within. In honor of that, our 10th Anniversary celebrates the community with the Power of 26, and is asking you to take part.
$26 Fund
10 years ago, with a small grant of $26 from co-founder Rye Barcott, Tabitha Atieno Festo achieved her dream of opening a medical clinic for her community. What started out as small shack is now a medical clinic serving over 40,000 patients annually – hard to believe it all started with $26. In the spirit of the original $26 grant to Tabitha, we encourage you to donate to our $26 fund to help foster other leaders in the community and provide the opportunities they need to create change in Kibera. This fund will ensure that CFK is able to continue to support ‘Kibera’s next Tabithas’ for many years to come. Click here to donate to the $26 fund.
26 Day Challenge
How can we begin to understand what life is like for those in Kibera? By walking a mile in their shoes. Can you go a day with only one meal? Do you borrow from your neighbor to survive? It’s hard to understand the complex, dynamic nature of Kibera, but before we can affect positive, lasting change, we need to try. We invite you to take the 26 Day Challenge. Through a series of small activities, one a day for 26 days, you can experience a glimpse of the challenges and joys of life in Kibera. Most importantly, we hope you’ll finish with a deeper understanding of the power of community and share your experiences and reflections with our online community. Click here to participate in the challenge.
It Happened on the Way to War
Not only does 2011 mark our 10th anniversary, but we are also celebrating the release of co-founder Rye Barcott’s book, It Happened on the Way to War. From the release on March 29 through July, Rye and the CFK team have been on a 26-city book tour with presentations all across the U.S., the U.K., and in Kenya.
The book recounts Rye’s experiences co-founding CFK as a 20-year-old college student heading to the Marines who sought to understand the ethnic violence that had convulsed Africa and might one day confront him in uniform. He has had over 110 presentation over the past few months to over 6,600 people talking about his book, Carolina for Kibera, and his experience as a Marine.
We have really enjoyed being a part of the tour. For photos and updates posted along the way, visit Rye’s Facebook page. For a schedule of future events, check out the event calendar on the book’s website.
Chasing the Mad Lion
Talent is universal; opportunity is not. This premise is the inspiration of another benchmark of CFK’s 10th Anniversary, the release of Chasing the Mad Lion, a feature length documentary that profiles youth from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds as they navigate life and compete for a soccer championship in Kibera. The film provides a glimpse into an Africa few have seen and attempts to break stereotypes associated with people who live in extreme poverty. It shows how opportunity can bridge the gap between talent and success.
With the film near completion, we anticipate a fall release with scheduled screenings around the country. Keep up with most up to date information on the film on the Chasing the Mad Lion blog.
Chasing the Mad Lion producer Beth-Ann Kutchma received this inspiring reflection from a reader of Rye Barcott’s book It Happened on the Way to War – quite a heartfelt review: “Reading your book was a moving experience for me in …
From Thomas Bwire of Kibera World Wide: The day started with so much energy – everyone had on a smiling face that made me think of just how each person must have been feeling. Perhaps they were reflecting on the …
