PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Dago is an indigenously inspired and created voluntary community organization that cares for children affected by HIV/AIDS, located in Western Kenya in Nyanza Province, about 50km from the town of Kisii.  Dago Village is greatly and tragically affected by HIV/AIDS. The Dago Dala Hera Orphanage is home to orphans who have lost one or both parents and are considered vulnerable. As large families are the norm, when one parent dies, a single parent cannot meet the total needs of the family

 Dago Orphanage welcomes volunteers who want to be an integral part of children’s lives, bringing creative ideas to the organization and community, and     assisting in providing many types of operational services on a daily basis. Education on living with HIV/AIDS is an integral part of the program. Children who are found to be HIV+ are given the best nutritional, medical (including anti-retroviral therapy), psychological, academic, and spiritual care available. The orphanage also operates a daycare feeding program for primary school children during school days. This program began in 2005 and orphans two meals a day for the 39 weeks the children attend school.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES AT DAGO

Education/Children:

• Teach at the local primary school
• Provide one-on-one counseling to older children (qualified counselors only)
• Teach art and crafts
• Participate as a houseparent
• Work with the soccer teams
• Share your professional skills with the staff
• Provide education and consultation in journalism and public relations for the orphanage

Public Health:

 Participate in community home visits

• Provide public health education and awareness
• Outreach to vulnerable families in the community

Agriculture/Sustainable Farming:

• Work on organic sustainable farming and gardening projects 

ACCOMMODATIONS AT DAGO ORPHANAGE

Housing

Volunteers stay in specially designated volunteer accommodations. Volunteers sleep in one of eight double-occupancy rooms. There is a pit latrine and outdoor shower for volunteers.

Meals

The Odoyo family prepares and hosts meals for volunteers.

Drinking Water

Volunteers are provided with boiled and filtered water.

Electricity

There is solar power available.

Internet Access

Volunteers can access the internet in either Migori or Kisii, both of which are less than an hour away by public transportation.

Laundry

Volunteers have the option of laundering their own clothing or paying a fee to have it done for them. All volunteers are asked to launder their own undergarments.

INTERVIEW WITH DAGO ORPHANAGE PROGRAM DIRECTOR: PAMELA ODOYO

 Reflections on Pamela’s childhood and family.

I was born in September 1958; my exact birth date is unknown.  My father was the Chief of the village and was a polygamist. There were 16 total children in my family and two mothers.  We all lived together in our village. I was the fourth born in the family.

When I was in the seventh grade, my father died. We believe he died from malaria, but we do not know for sure.  When I was in Form II (10^th grade), I was forced to leave school because of the inability to pay the school fees.  I continued my education through home study and eventually got my high school diploma.  I finished high school in 1977.

I married Duncan Odoyo in 1977 and our first son, Edwin, was born the following year.  I am the proud mother of five boys, one girl and numerous other “adopted” children, children we have taken in our home over the years.

In addition to being a busy mother, I have worked as a community nursery teacher and an adult education teacher.  As an adult education teacher, I taught adult community members to read and write and helped them to learn English.  I have also been very active in church for many years.

The challenges Pamela faced getting an education.

Our family faced overwhelming challenges after my father passed away when I was in the seventh grade.  There were 16 total children and our father was our sole provider.  We did not have any extended family that could help us when my father passed.  Therefore, I had to leave school because of our inability to pay school fees.  It was a difficult challenge for me to continue my education while trying to help my family at home.  I am proud, however, that I was able to get my high school diploma even with these difficult challenges.

What inspired Pamela to do the work and how did she get started?

I started working as a nursery school teacher because of my love for children.  I also worked on church activities because of my faith and belief that community involvement is important.  Once I became involved, people seemed to like what I was doing and asked me to get more involved.  Eventually, I was involved in numerous community organizations, including becoming an officer or leader of the organizations.  I am active as the Secretary of the Women’s Society, Chair of Dago Dala Hera orphanage, an active member of a farmer’s development group and a women’s mentor program.  I like being able to contribute to community awareness and improvement.

What obstacles did Pamela face?

We face obstacles with lack of education and lack of funds.  Some members of the community can be ignorant about the value of education, particularly with older members of the community.  We also face obstacles regarding the ability to communicate effectively with community members.

What are your hopes for the future of your program? My hope is that we reach our goal for sustainability for the orphanage.  I also hope that we have the funds to build the boys dormitory, provide better education for our children, and ensure that no child misses school because of the inability to pay school fees.

How has the partnership with Village Volunteers affected Dago Orphanage’s work?

Our partnership with Village Volunteers has been a tremendous help in expanding our programs and improving our community.  The volunteers we have received through Village Volunteers have helped increase awareness of our work and improve the education for our children.  Specific programs, such as Kick It With Kenya, have had a overwhelmingly positive impact on our community.

How does your community benefit from having volunteers?

Volunteers that come to our village increase the awareness of our culture and also help us learn about different cultures from all over the world.  Village Volunteers has helped finance school sponsorships, books, backpacks for the kids, uniforms for the kids, clean water filters and HIV testing, just to name a few.  We also love it when volunteers come to our village to teach our children insight into other cultures.