Help Bring Clean Water to a Needy Rural Community...
Siaya Emerging
Waruakou — we welcome you! Siaya Emerging is a website designed to shed light on Luo culture, the diversity of Kenya, and the resources and emergence of Siaya as a healthy cultural and commercial center in western Kenya. Siaya faces great challenges in becoming the vibrant township it is capable of, but it is in this spirit that groups, organizations, and volunteers around the district are working hard to try and catalyze the process so that Siaya can one day reach its full potential.
Siaya Emerging allows you to access information on the movements and projects happening in and around Siaya so that you, too, can participate in its development.
Erokamano maduong' — many thanks.
Mission
To support the development of Siaya by acting as a source of information for sustainable practices around the district.
Projects
Rural Water Taps
Reducing illness and disease by opening up access to treated water
Ultimate Frisbee
Involving local youth in behavior change activities
Project successfully funded
Benok Agricultural Biodiversity Project
Addressing poverty and food-security by promoting the ideals of organic farms rich in biodiversity
BABP can help you develop a highly profitable, self-controlling and sustainable farm
Mushroom Farming
This Project Has Been Successfully Funded
This project has been funded!
| Rural Water Taps | Ultimate Frisbee | Benok Agricultural Biodiversity Project | Mushroom Farming |
About Siaya
The name Siaya refers to both a town and a district in Kenya. The District hugs the equator just 60 km west of Kenya's third largest city, Kisumu and the town serves as a hub for commercial activities in and around the district. Siaya is a focal point of a proud Luo community and hosts the ancestral home of Barack Obama within its borders where "Granny" Obama still manages to maintain a busy diplomatic and developmental role despite her age. In the 1999 census, Siaya district registered a population of over 530,000 and Siaya Town is continuing to see steady growth.
Siaya, however, has remained in the economic backwater for too long now. A high HIV/AIDS rate (estimates hover around 24%), a malaria-endemic zone, and decades of political marginalization are just a few of the leading factors hindering the development of Siaya. Such factors have led to a population shift experienced by much of Africa but are truly felt in Siaya where 60% of the population is under the age of 20. Unemployment is a heavy burden on the community. 65% of the population relies on agriculture as a primary source of income. Unfortunately, resources are scarce; more is needed to be done to arrest the problems at hand.
The projects listed on this page are aimed at the youth. The next generation will need to play a leading role in combatting the challenges facing Siaya to ever see it rouse from its debilitating dormancy. Therefore, it is imperative the issues impeding youth involvement are addressed and these include: generating hope and motivation, spurring creativity and innovation, embracing their cultural past, and providing them with a voice to address the needs of the community as they see fit. We hope that your concern will help us reach our goals in initiating and expanding the projects supported on this site.
Daniel G. Watkins
Dan Watkins is a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Siaya, Kenya. He is from Seattle, WA and claims cycling, rock climbing and palling around with friends as a few of his favorite pastimes. The public health sector of Peace Corps Kenya has attached him to Community Initiative Support Services (CISS), a local NGO to assist them in their current project addressing issues of agriculture, forestry, and HIV/AIDS education.
His role as a visible member of the community allows him to branch out into other realms of Siaya and evaluate developments on the ground. The projects listed on this page are projects that he mentors and backs as being both valuable and viable additions to the development of Siaya.
Contact Dan with any questions at [danielgwatkins@gmail.com].