MY FLOW FOUNDATION DEEP IN THE ROOTS OF KISII COUNTY.

My Flow Foundation (MFF) continues to spread its wings in its bid to reach as many girls as possible in Kenya, in its tackle against period poverty.

Not limiting itself to Nairobi County, the Foundation, under the leadership of Phannie Kwegah, an advocate of the high court of Kenya, has managed to reach a   total of about 10,000 girls since it started, during the COVID 19 period.

So far, MFF has visited girls from various counties, including Nairobi, Kajiado, Vihiga, Kisumu, Homabay, Bomet, just to mention, but a few.

Period poverty is a main scourge that keeps ravaging its sharp fangs to girls and women globally. Many lack the resources and the know how to ensure that they experience their flow with dignity and in a hygienic way.

For this reason, MFF in partnership with ENA Coach, on 25/02/2022, took a great step of reaching 23 children’s homes in Kisii County.

MFF, as a way of curbing Period Poverty in Kisii county, gave the girls and women its care package, consisting of 600 packets of sanitary towels, 120 bars of soap, 30 dozen of panties and a 40 kg sack of clothes.

In addition to this, the members of the Foundation set out to talk to the girls on a one-on-one basis, enlightened them on menstrual health and hygiene, education, career talks among many other things that will enable them to reach their full potential in life.

This visit left a great impact on the lives of many in Kisii County. Many were encouraged and at least given some hope in life.

With that, we hope that many in the community will come out to help girls experiencing period poverty from all over the country.

The government needs to take up this role. Together with individuals and NGOs, period poverty will be a tale in the past. Girls will flow with dignity and that will be a plus for the whole nation.

For more information, you can reach the foundation through its website: www.myflowfoundation.org

IN LOVE? OR OBSESSED?

image by HubPages.

 

IN LOVE? OR OBSESSED?

LOVE, this is a feeling that everyone experiences at some point in life. love is the kind of feeling  that awakens the soul; that makes us reach for more, that plants the fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds.

Healthy love allows you to grow as an individual. At no point will you feel wasted or drained. Such love is supportive, empathic, encouraging and authentic.

When you experience healthy love, be it with your friends, family of partner, the feelings will come effortlessly, reciprocation will be mutual and unexpected.

Unlike love, which makes you care for another person and want that which is best for them without neglecting yourself, an OBSESSION is that notion that has control of one’s thoughts by a continuous, powerful idea or emotion.

An obsession is mostly unreasonable, persistent and has a tremendous ability to make one  forget all else. It makes an  idea or thought continually preoccupy or intrude your mind.

When you love someone, you want the best for them and always want them to be happy, even if they are not part of your life. On the other hand, obsession is a crazy feeling where the person wants the other to be his or hers only. An obsessed person always thinks of having the beloved one on his or her side all day.

This article’s aim is to help you understand the difference between love and obsession and also give you the know how of overcoming your obsession.

Here is how you can differentiate love from obsession:

1.      1. When you love someone, you trust them. you want them to be the best version of themselves and only want good things for them. that includes giving them space when they need it. On the other hand, when obsessed with someone you will be jealous and possessive.

2.     2.  Love can at times be mistaken for obsession, but the difference is how far you take your interest in the other person and when it becomes unhealthy. Thing is, obsessions will make you clingy. Being too clingy is often a deal breaker in many relationships.

3.      3. Obsessions will make you think that you own something or somebody and you will expect them to feel the same for you. For instance you will expect them to spend all their free time with you. But for love, you will understand that there are some things a person wants to do on their own.

Love can turn into obsession due to excessive attachment, low self-esteem, and mental health conditions. So, if you think your partner is obsessive about you or leaning towards obsessive behavior, it is time to take appropriate action.

Here are some of the ways to overcome your obsession with somebody and cultivate healthy love and relationships:

1.      1. Admit to yourself that you are obsessive. Once you know the problem, you can begin fixing it.

2.      2. Differentiate between healthy love and an obsession.

3.      3. Know that an obsession can hinder you from seeing things in the logic way, as they are.

4.      4. View the relationship from  the other person’s perspective.

5.      5. Realize that your existence alone will not be anyone’s only priority, and to expect that is unrealistic. 

6.     6.  Love yourself more. Do the things you like. Try out new things and avoid the thoughts of needing someone else for you to be complete.

Love is a beautiful thing. Love is such a powerful force. It’s there for everyone to embrace-that kind of unconditional love for all of humankind. That is the kind of love that impels people to go into the community and try to change conditions for others, to take risks for what they believe in. Obsessions kill the vibe, it is the singlemost wasteful human activity, because with an obsession you keep coming back and back and back to the same question and never get an answer.

Overcome obsessions! Choose LOVE.

 

DEAR 22,

When my mom asked me how I feel about turning 22, this morning, I was terrified, but told her that I will survive through that which frightens me the most, 😊the reason why I love roller coasters.

Well, this past year has given me the thrill of a roller coaster ride...I would only describe it as a gravity drop, enough so that,,, crap, 🤦 a lot is changing so rapidly that it can be hard to keep up, let alone stay ahead if the curve.

I said, mama, I will be totally honest with you, where I stand, I'm really terrified, I'm scared of alot.🥺scared that I will let myself down, scared that I will let you down....

Mama reminded me how contagious fearlessness can be... and I realised that I have to keep that promise that I made to myself and I have to run towards what terrifies me so much, So,  I need to embrace 22. Not just because I have no other option, but because that's the essence of growth

To feel inspired.

To face challenges, head-on.

To take a leap of faith.

Mama told me, "yes, it is frightening, but that's the beauty of it, isn't it? Because without that leap, you will never know... What could be, you will never know what you are capable of and I for one, can't wait to find out...

No matter how many years pass, or how the world changes, you will always have yourself. And I will always be here for you...

Many rules are placed but you need to redefine them. And now that responsibility falls solely on you. And Sue, I want to make sure that you  understand what I expect of you;

I expect you to have adventures.

I expect you to fall in love.

To get your heart brocken.

I expect you to meet the wrong people.

To meet the right people.

To make mistakes and make amends.

Take a leap, and make a splash.

And I expect you to unleash holy hell on anyone who tries to hold you back.

Because only then, will you succeed and be a better you.

It won't be easy, but just take that leap.

Happy Birthday.

Happy 22❤️."

NEW BEGINNINGS

 

To my readers, before anything I want you to forgive me for abandoning you for quite some time. Some of you will call it laziness, inconsistency but if you are a writer, you will understand that sometimes we have those periods when our heads are actually full of stories but we cannot just brace ourselves to pick a pen and a paper and pour our hearts out.

I am here to change this though, From now , I don't want to promise, but I will try my best to push myself beyond limits to make you often have a new read.

So for a start, I give you this piece: TO NEW BEGINNINGS.

Dear self, I believe the year has been one hell of a bumpy ride and you have had Equal shares of good and bad times. You have battled storms, those that you thought would kill you but at the end you did realise that they made you stronger. You have met new people, explored, experienced new things and in all, I am glad that you learnt.

During such storms, you coiled yourself up in that one favourite corner and cried your lungs out. You always felt insecure, afraid of all that was happening and I am here to tell you that it is okay. It is okay to feel insecure, it is good to cry and being afraid is part of living.

I mean, Ain't we growing? And who said that all days shall be good. Dear self, I want you to know that after a day full of light, there must be a night full of darkness. With all the births of new borns, there must be some deaths. That is how the universe works. In all, you should learn to embrace each moment since none is permanent.

Learn to be kind to yourself. New beginnings mean that you will let what flows flow. That you won't control nature's way of doing things. That you will embrace the life processes and live each moment to it's fullest.

I am not saying it will be easy. I am just positive that we will live through all the experiences.

And to you reading this, I wish you all the best in your endeavours.

MY FLOW FOUNDATION TACKLES PERIOD POVERTY in MASENO, VIHIGA COUNTY.

 MY FLOW FOUNDATION TACKLES PERIOD POVERTY in MASENO, VIHIGA COUNTY.

Everyone globally is currently responding to the Corona Virus pandemic which is still
growing its fangs and ravaging individual lives and businesses around the world since 2020. Among issues that have become glaring and exposed the lack in our society during this pandemic is increased period poverty. Period poverty is a global issue affecting girls and women who do not have the means to afford safe and hygienic sanitary materials to ensure that they manage their periods with dignity and confidence.

Some organizations and individuals in Kenya have taken responsibility and set out to ensure access to safe hygienic sanitary products and to educate and inform girls about Menstrual Health and Hygiene.

My Flow Foundation is one such organization, in its bid to eradicate period poverty in communities, they run a program dubbed Menstrual Heath Management that not only informs and equips girls with knowledge and products on Menstrual Health and hygiene Management but also mentors them across other areas of their life including but not limited to sex and sexual activity related consequences, academics, life skills, drug use, discipline, respect among others.

My Flow Foundation has visited girls from many counties including Nairobi, Bomet,
Homabay, Kajiado,Kisumu and Vihiga, meeting many girls from different communities and
giving them the know-how on their menstrual health.

My Flow Foundation preaches the gospel of awareness and period confidence. They insist that menstruation is not something our girls should be made to feel ashamed of and or stigmatized on. On the contrary, girls should feel proud and confident in their ability to
thrive within societies. We should all aspire to normalize menstruation and destroy taboos
and myths around this natural process.

On Friday, 23 rd April 2021, My Flow Foundation interacted with young girls from the
community at St. Simon Church, Ekwanda Parish. The team had conversations with the girls on Menstrual Health and Hygiene. They broke down taboos and myths related to periods. They encouraged them to be confident and speak up whenever they felt and saw a need to. They sensitized them on focusing on their education and not be lured into activities that will jeopardize their life and education. The girls were encouraged to be confident and to be bold, to avoid vices and to be responsible citizens.

In Kenya, many girls are unable to afford proper menstrual products leaving girls to use
unsafe materials like rugs, cloth, tissue papers and mattress as an alternative. Of which,
some go to an extent of having sex with men to get the money to buy these products.

Lack of proper sanitary products pauses mental and physical health risks and is linked to
reproductive and urinary tract infections. It also prevents girls from reaching their full
potential since they feel that they cannot do certain activities while on their periods making
them to even miss school. This is something that can be managed by educating the girl child about menstrual health and hygiene.

Without proper knowledge, young girls are more likely to drop out of school, enter child
marriages and experience early pregnancy, malnourishment, domestic violence and
pregnancy complications as a result.

Both genders should be educated on this natural process. This will help reduce
stigmatization and teasing of girls that are on their periods. Including boys in the fight
against period poverty will create an environment in which girls do not feel ashamed but
confident while on their periods.

With that, every individual in the society should come together, put in effort and help
educate not only girls but also boys on menstrual health and hygiene, this will be a step
forward in the fight against period poverty.

Join My Flow Foundation at www.myflowfoundation.org on this journey of eradicating
period poverty.

THE AGONY OF BEING A WRITER.

 

THE AGONY OF BEING A WRITER.

 

Writing is usually the last language skill we all learn. In early primary the first skill we obtain is listening followed by speaking, reading and finally putting it down on paper by writing.

A writer can write for personal enjoyment or use, or for an audience which can be known or unknown. Blogging to be precise is an example of writing to an unknown audience, meaning, the blogger will not know who will read an article and how the article will be perceived.

All that can be done is try as much as one can, to ensure that whatever you write is substantial, informative and will be of help to your readers.

Writing can be done from a wide perspective, that is personal experiences, social issues, politics, religion, upcoming events, own imaginations and many more others. And to make certain that your readers get the best is to ensure you are well armed with facts and are knowledgeable about what you want to write about.

As easy as it may sound, writing comes with its own pressures;

Convincing yourself that you have content worth reading, believing that someone would care enough to open your work and try to understand your writing and not be lost in your language. Believing that your story would benefit another soul which can relate through your work.

 Imagine writers as bellmen, trying to inform people of the happenings around them. Most of us bellmen spend hours on end figuring out the right words to make our readers stop, just for a second and consider the article before them.

Our hope is someday, somebody will bother to question our writing, not criticize, but tell us how something could be done better. This could be a plus on our side since that individual took time to read our article and saw the worth to commend us or correct us where he\she felt we were wrong. Our wish is that at some point our articles shall spark debates on humanity. That a reader might reach out to us to get clarity for that one line they cannot seem to forget.

The pain of typing yet resisting the publish button, many bloggers know this, because we feel that there is a missing piece. A piece we might not get hold of in a day, weeks even months. Forcing us to go back, experience, research and place our puzzles in order.

Spending hours staring at the cursor, knowing your audience wants you to deliver yet lacking the right words that could better explain your story.  Each line, each paragraph is filled with the uncertainty of how it shall be perceived.

When you finally decide to publish your work, non-writers will see these epistle of words, unaware of what the writer went through to ensure that the article came to be, unknowing of our silent expectation that the work would make someone question something before it is too late.

Some of us write for glory, some about glory. But we all write to leave earth better educated than we read about it.

As once said, writing is hard sometimes. The craft is challenging, the pressures of publication and promotion daunting. The best thing we can do is to get out of our way, and remember that writing is our passion, our play, our refuge and our privilege.

BY SUSAN DORICE KWEGAH

Suekwegah.blogspot.com

Twitter @SKwegah

Instagram @ Sue Kwegah

Facebook @ Sue Kwegah

0742836055

 

                                    

 

 

GEOSPASTIAL TECHNOLOGY IN VIHIGA.

 

 

Geospatial Technology

Vihiga Wednesday 10^th March 2021.

Geospatial Technology Services (GTS) in designing county projects

Vihiga is one of the few counties to come up with a geospatial information system (GIS) laboratory after the mandate passed by the national government for all counties to do so.

Speaking to KNA, the director of GIS Vihiga, Washington Olando said that the laboratory has enabled the county make decisions, plan and distribute projects.

“The lab was established in May 2019 and has from then, helped in planning, resource allocation, project implementation and decision making,” Olando said.

According to Olando, they work hand in hand with all the departments in the county to obtain their data.

The GIS laboratory helps to know the exact number of households in a region and also enables the county government to fairly distribute projects in the county.

Vihiga has become a pace setter on the use of technology in development planning thus attracting other counties for bench marking.

Some of the counties that have visited Vihiga geospatial laboratory include; West Pokot, Marsabit, Nandi, Turkana, Tana River, Samburu and Makueni.

GIS uses location-based data collected via satellite, paper maps and information direct from the field to map out resources for analysis and decision making.

Olando hopes that all the 47 counties shall adopt this geospatial technology so that in future it may help during census, since its data is more accurate than the physical counting.

“The country uses almost 4 billion shillings to conduct census, money that can be used to do other projects, if the whole country adopts geospatial technology services,” Olando said.