Kinross Arts Centre will be closed on Thursday 22 September for the
National Day of Mourning for HRH Queen Elizabeth II
but will be open on Friday 23 September for the Grand Final public holiday.
We are a people who follow Jesus. His words and actions inform our living.
Skills, Opportunities, Survival in Kenya (SOSK)
Skills, Opportunity, Survival in Kenya (SOSK) is a not for profit charity organisation in Naivasha, Kenya. Its focus is to provide resources to promote the education of slum children, and on vocational training for destitute women in the area. SOSK’s objective is to offer these individuals the opportunity to acquire employability skills, along with relevant life skills and an understanding of fundamental health and hygiene, to enhance their well-being.
SOSK has several supportive partnerships with Kenyan programs. One of these is Life Beads Kenya, who work with local, destitute women to teach craft skills. Attaining skills in beading and sewing provides not only a meaningful wage but also a Christian, supportive environment where these women can heal, and grow in confidence and independence.
SOSK’s partnership with the Women’s Prison is currently on hold, for all the right reasons: It has become a self-sustaining and financially lucrative, prison industry. All inmates are taught skills and produce jewellery, clothing, soft-furnishings, industrial uniforms, and even toys. Proceeds from the sale of items are used to fund such things as school tuition and exam fees.
The focus of SOSK’s funding varies and is dependent on the needs of the community. In the current post-Covid climate of inflation, corruption, crime, alcoholism, and drug addiction, many children are left homeless or abandoned with no knowledge of their family name, their age, or tribe. SOSK’s partnership with Jocebeds Primary School and Orphanage aims to provide a stable, loving, and positive home for many of these children as well as infrastructure, teaching resources, and teacher training for a school program that is the envy of the region.
In Naivasha, waterborne diseases such as dysentery and cholera are
rampant, killing many children. They spread through contaminated water,
due to poor sanitation, open drains, and a lack of hygiene. SOSK’s Water
and Hygiene Program provides the most desperate women with a water
filter and teaches them relevant and practical hygiene practices. The impact
of the water filter and accompanying workshop is immediate as the women
see real change: fewer sick children, a money saving and a boost in
community spirit as families help each other
The input from the Toorak Uniting Outreach Program aids in making these programs possible and helps SOSK's mission by providing much needed
monetary support.
To contribute towards the incredibly important work of SOSK, donate here
Don't forget to click into "write a note" and put the word "Outreach" so we know where to allocate your donation.