During a walk through a slum in northeastern Nairobi, a man asked me if America had slums of its own. Minutes before, I had walked through a schoolhouse full of children eating lunch (likely the only meal they would have that day). It smelled like a farm – not in a good way – and as I looked around the room I realized why. The upper floor was a chicken coop; the children were eating in what was essentially a barn.

Edwin, Global Entrepreneur Academy Graduate

Stepping back into the light of the slum, I had to dodge the trickle of sewage running down the street. Everything around me was constructed of corrugated sheet metal. Surrounded by the sights, sounds, and smells of the place we were standing, I desperately wanted to tell him that America has no slums, that we have social services and housing, and at the very least, proper sanitation in what we call “areas of lower socio-economic status.”

Instead, I waffled. I said, “Oh, we have something like slums. We call them ghettos, and instead of expanding them outwards like a slum in the developing world, in America, our slums are in very tall buildings. We build vertically.”

He paused and chewed that over for a moment before answering, “That is very strange.” Then he led me down the street, saying, “Come, I want to show you my carpentry shop!” His name was Edwin, and every month he donated a small amount of his meager earnings to fund Tumaini Pamoja, a community-based organization that provides care and support to people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS.

Edwin was proud to do what he could to help those in his community, even if it meant sacrificing his hard-earned carpentry money. For Edwin, living in poverty was not a curse, it was an opportunity to change things for the better.  He saw his individual work as part of the bigger picture, and was eager to do what he could to help support those around him.

-  Director of Operations Tim Brauhn

Immaculate Mwangi

Initially Immaculate worked alone, but as demand for her baskets increased she was able to take on more women who found themselves in a similar position as her, seeking to avoid work in the sex industry and simultaneously develop a professional skill set. Today over 100 women work in numerous different co-ops through Mother’s Concern making juice, food items, hats, and of course, baskets. Women who join Mother’s Concern receive training in handcraft skills, as well as mentoring on how to sell their products local markets, providing a viable alternative to selling their bodies as a means of income.  Members contribute weekly to a fund which is available for local community-based organizations to borrow and repay from in order to start their own businesses, furthering the cycle of self-empowerment and enabling others to become financially independent.

The women in Mother’s Concern care not only for their families, but for each other as well. Older women in the group will “adopt” younger women, teaching them basket making skills and offering extra emotional support. The group thus provides both life skills as well as invaluable business skills that help women in Nairobi to be economically independent and self-empowered.

Immaculate sees herself as a “leader” and not just a “boss.” She believes in a work environment where workers share knowledge and empower each other for common growth.  Mother’s Concern continues to further this goal through the invaluable work they do and support they provide to the community.

In the thick of all this, she gathered what she could working at a nearby pub just to have a few coins to pay for my school fees. Sometimes she would do this at the expense of meals for me and my small brothers and sisters.

In 1999 I finished my Primary `O` level studies managing to get 370 points out of the possible 500 a performance that was very impressive especially to my mother who was working tirelessly to see me at least succeed in life. In a twist of events my mother was diagnosed with Tuberculosis immediately after I had been through with my primary studies, this send chilling to my nerves since I could easily tell that my dream had been shuttered, the dream of becoming a Professional Journalist in the world of film making.

Fortunately my uncle intervened in my situation and took me to a charity school (Mully Children’s Home) where I completed my secondary school studies and attained a C+. They sent me to a college (Smart Media Colleges) where I did a diploma in Journalism and attained the possible distinction grade with 86.2points. Besides that they also paid for me to do a diploma in Information Technology where I achieved a distinction grade.

I am privileged to say that The 1010 Project has become a major beacon of hope in my life and am sure that I will make it in life. It gives me a lot of pleasure to impact other children who are going through what I underwent and encourage them to hang on, for the future looks brighter.

My dream is to become a well-equipped champion of hope and an influential element in the fight against poverty in my community and the eradication of the itching problems in Kenya, Africa, and in the whole world at large. Thank you.

Local

1. Ten dedicated interns joined The 1010 Project in 2011, offering their many gifts and talents to the team. Students from the University of Denver, University of Colorado – Boulder, and Colorado Christian University provided over 600 hours of back-breaking (but fun and important) labor to the organization.
2. The 1010 Project received two foundation grants for a total of $12,500. 
3. We conducted a presentation at Standley Lake High School‘s PeaceJam event, which focused on global poverty, health, and what we can do to change things.
4. At The 1010 Project, we work hard, but our work can be fun too! On October 1 we were the featured non-profit at the Colorado Rapids (soccer) game. The Rapids beat FC Dallas 1-0 and we raised $760. A winning night all around!
5. With new executive leadership, we’ve spent 2011 developing new strategic and corporate partnerships. Stay tuned to next year for some big announcements!

Kenya

1. The 1010 Project will soon be a registered NGO in Kenya. This will open up new opportunities for the 1010 Network, which will manage this separate-but-united entity in Kenya.
2. Josephine Chavaseki, our Country Director, has completed her first full calendar year with The 1010 Project. She is a community leader, founder of Fair Oaks Academy, and a longtime friend of our organization. We were thrilled to add her to The 1010 Project family in September 2010. Since she joined us, she has overseen both sessions of the Global Entrepreneur Academy and has hired two interns to help her with the operations of the Kenya office.
3. A brand-new Kenyan Advisory Council is providing business knowledge and strategic planning to the 1010 Network. They will continue to steward the creation of The 1010 Project as an official Kenyan NGO.
4. Each of our partner organizations (all fifteen of them) has an endless supply of good news. In 2012, we’ll put more of those stories front-and-center on our website and printed materials so that you can get to know our partners even better.
5. A massive famine took hold in East Africa this year. The 1010 Project does not provide food aid, so when our partners had to close their schools for want of rice and beans, we couldn’t directly assist. But the 1010 Network in Kenya certainly could. Their combined resilience and resourcefulness helped stave off the worst of the famine. Read more about their response here.

Local

1. The 4th E-Race Poverty Triathlon/Duathlon (courtesy of Your Cause Sports) was held on September 3, 2011 and raised $6750 for our Kenyan loan fund. Team 1010 had over 25 runners, swimmers, cyclists, and walkers. Our Director of Operations, Tim Brauhn, and teammate, Jackie Holder, took 1st Place in the Duathlon Relay!
2. On November 4th, The 1010 Project sponsored the 4th annual Shop For A Cause Holiday Gift Market. This immensely successful market attracted more than 500 visitors who spent over $22,000. This money not only supports The 1010 Project but dozens of other local and international organizations as well.
3. In June 2011, Melissa Schaap became the Executive Director of The 1010 Project. Melissa had been a member of the Board of Directors from 2006 to 2011, and was actively involved in our events and work during that time. Meanwhile, Tim Brauhn, who has been with The 1010 Project in many capacities, was hired on as the Director of Operations. We were also excited to welcome two new board members this year: Mike Benaquis and Melia Syed. Mike is a corporate credit analyst, and was formerly our volunteer bookkeeper. Melia is a teacher in the Boulder Valley School District, and along with her husband and fellow Board member Andrew, helped found The 1010 Project.
4. Colorado Gives Day was Dec. 6, 2011, and raised $1,050 for The 1010 Project. This once a year statewide fundraising drive encourages the support of Colorado non-profits and raised over $12 million for Colorado non-profits, exceeding the goal of $8 million by over 40%! We appreciate all those who supported The 1010 Project on Colorado Gives Day!
5. Here at The 1010 Project, we are blessed to work with some truly amazing people. Our friends and supporters contribute their time, talent, and resources to make our programs and initiatives successful. Here is the story of one woman who uses her passion, baking, to support The 1010 Project and our partners in Kenya.

Kenya

1. The Global Entrepreneur Academy now has 22 graduates! The second GEA class graduated in June 2011 after more than 50 hours of leadership training. Executive Director Melissa Schaap was in Nairobi to present certificates of completion.
2. The 1010 Project understands the power of synergy, collaboration, strategic partnerships and building a network. Both in Denver and in Nairobi, our staff and partners have connected to additional business training opportunities through a 3to5 Club.
3. Redeemed Gospel Church in the Quarry slum commissioned a well that will provide 100,000 people in the community with clean water. The borehole was dug with the help of their sister church, and longtime friend of The 1010 Project, Northside Christian Church in Spring, Texas.
4. The leadership of The 1010 Project Network in Kenya (graduates of the GEA) have submitted over $83,000 in proposals to create or expand income-generating activities, renovate school buildings, and provide crucial health and education services to their communities.
5. Northside Christian Church, a long-time partner of The 1010 Project, sent eight students and two mentor-ministers on an Engaged Learning Experience in June. They witnessed firsthand the crushing power of poverty, but also met, became friends with, and learned from the people who are not content to let poverty crush them – our dynamic community leaders in Kenya.