The people on the ground
People change lives. The people who make things happen on the ground in Turkana and elsewhere where we run projects, and the people who raise money and awareness in the UK may lead very different lives, but they share some common values in wanting to make a difference. As are the people who are active in the different countries. Please look at our volunteer section and you will get some idea of who has volunteered and also some of the people in Kenya and elsewhere who are also very committed to working in an environment that is very difficult, but where they are changing lives.
Who are the people who are active in the different continents?
Joseph Ekutan
Project Co-ordinator
Joseph is 41 years old and he has been working with the Missionary Community for 10 years but has been living in Turkana for much longer – about 23 years and is from down country where life is not so hard as in Turkana. He has two children, a 7 year old boy (pictured, with Joseph) and a 11 year old girl.
Joseph is the Kaikor project co-ordinator – this project involves a number of Nutritional Rehabilitation Centres with the objective of feeding over 1200 children every year for at least three years, improving the life expectancy of children under 7 years and providing the children’s community with health care and agricultural skills
Joseph is enthusiastic about the impact of the project on the development of the people and on the children. People are much healthier and that has really helped. The project is really making a difference.
What other changes would he like to see? Two things – an investment in the agriculture and some small bikes to help the lives of the teachers so that they can go around and visit the sick mothers.
What is his view of New Ways and the Missionary Community? One of the things he said was the Missionary Community are doing a lot more for Turkana than the government (echoing the points made by Lord Alton in his House of Lords speech reported above). The project New Ways and the Missionary Community are doing is a great help to Turkana especially the northern arid areas and the people really appreciate the support and help and very much hope it will continue for a long time. He thinks that the way that New Ways supports the community is ‘just fantastic’.
John Kamoya
Project Co-ordinator
John Kamoya is 25 years old helps run the earth pan dam project. His involvement with New Ways goes back many years since New Ways sponsored him for 8 years at school and 2 years at college.
He trained in welding and fabrication and now, for the earth pan dam project he actually runs the digger/JCB that digs out the earth pan dam. This is a job which requires a skill and also flexibility since sometimes they are fixing the earth pan dam and other times they are building from scratch.
How does he feel about his life and work? He says that he is very happy working for the community and glad to have come back up to Turkana. The difference is now that he has a career. Not only that but he is very aware of how important the role is since access to water means that people are healthy and they have a better quality of life. For John himself it is important to be able to make a difference.
