Our focus areas
Our three focal areas fulfil seven of the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals which have been established by the United Nations.
Child and youth welfare by strengthening families
In 2008 we founded the Children’s home Miwani, where 10 girls orphaned by HIV/AIDS find a loving home. In 2012, our cooperation with USAID began and with it the support of 3,200 children through 60 Child and Youth Care workers. Since 2020, over 22,000 children are regularly visited and cared for by one of our 600 Child and Youth Care workers. The children are either affected by extreme poverty, suffer from a serious chronic disease (especially HIV) or/and have lost one or both parents.
Through the promotion of education, health and psychosocial support services, awareness raising, the protection of children’s rights as well as projects for economic strengthening and innovative agriculture, the children are supported holistically and the families are accompanied into independence and self-sufficiency in the long run.
As an economic strengthening initiative, we have been founding village savings and loaning clubs since 2012, which meanwhile have more than 2000 members who gained access to microcredits and the possibility to receive interest on their savings.
Gender equality
In the DREAMS project (Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored, and Safe women) we have trained and supported over 16,000 girls and young women in the areas of entrepreneurship and reproductive health between 2015 and 2018.
Since 2017, we have been working closely with the Austrian Development Agency to promote gender equality and counter gender-based violence through a wide range of interventions.
So far 24,500 people have been reached and the program was extended for another 3 years from September 2020-2023.
Through trainings, adolescents, men, women, village elders and police officers are informed about women’s rights and integrated into an intervention program. The training of paralegals enables us to accompany victims in the region through the stages of appeal, to support them professionally and thus help them achieve justice.
Health
In order to improve medical care, Make Me Smile has built a health center in the region, which is now run in cooperation with the government. Since 2019, up to 100 people are counselled and treated daily.
Since 2017 (and till 2023 ) we are implementing a program in cooperation with the Austrian Development Agency with a special focus on reproductive health, family planning, contraception, safe motherhood and HIV prevention.
Community Health Workers, teachers and students, Male Champions, Youth Advocates as well as health care professionals for youth friendly centres and hospitals are trained to educate people in their respective communities and induce necessary structural social changes.
In schools, we provide young people with a comprehensive understanding of reproductive health, contraception and HIV prevention at an early age through the training of health teachers and participatory educative theatre plays.
Two youth friendly centres were established by us to provide young people with anonymous and free access to contraceptives and counselling from trained nurses on reproductive health.
In political workshops, people are informed about their rights in order to articulate their demands in dialogues with political representatives.
Current projects
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Preventing violence against women
Women affected by violence are often left alone - we want to change that!
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DREAMS 2.0
My Body - My Decision - My Future
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Health Centre
The focus of the health centre is on reproductive health and mother-child treatment
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Small Happy Families
Equal rights and family planning create sustainable change.
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Vertical Gardens
Growing upwards together!
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Youth Friendly Centre
Our Youth Friendly Centre provides knowledge and opens access to reproductive health services for adolescents.
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Craft Centre
We are creating opportunities for young women
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Our "Under The Tree" Youthgroup
From reproductive health to Permaculture and reforestation projects
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Children Clubs
Psychosocial support for children in the remote areas of Kenya
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Radio shows
Women's rights and matters of reproductive health are staged in an exciting way and broadcasted on national radio programmes.
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Participatory Educative Theatre
A theatre group tours through schools and villages to introduce the themes of HIV, early pregnancy and women’s rights
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Shelter Renovation
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Village Savings and Loaning Clubs
"Village Savings and Loaning" is a savings club with microcredit distribution to strength the community an to help them to stand on their own feet.
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Women's rights and reproductive health
My Body - My Decision - My Future
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Mwendo: Child and youth welfare
We care for the future of over 22,000 children
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Safe Park
Our Safe Park is a safe place for vulnerable children, where they can finally feel like a child. The park offers children a protected environment with qualified and friendly staff, where time and space for playing and learning is provided.
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Give a smile - Free dental treatments
Making smiles possible.
Completed projects
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Adult Education
The programe "Adult Education" is a reaction against analphabetism and helps even older people to get the chance to stand on their own feet.
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Aidsfree
Support young mothers in raising their children. From pregnancy to the third year of life.
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MMS Greenhouse Miwani
Due our Greenhouse in Miwani we support self-perservation and we get fresh and substantial meals for the Lunch Programe in Miwani.
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Flood in Kisumu - Help, which arrives
Aid packages will be delivered during this weekend, but we have not yet reached our goal
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Nyaimbo - Adult Learning Centre
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DREAMS Project
(Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored, and Safe women) The DREAMS Project is dedicated to empowering girls and young women between 10 and 24 years.
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Lifebook for the Youth training
A training by “Lifebook for Youth” enables our Team to promote the self-confidence of children. Our team had a lot of fun during the training and is looking forward to sharing what they have learned with the children.
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Make Me Smile Kenya Free Medical Camp
MMS Kenya already organized three medical camps to provide free medical services.
