Stars of Peace

The Stars of Peace Youth Alliance

We met with a very excited Abdi Aziz earlier this week, as he was on his way to pick up the registration certificate for the Stars of Peace youth group -- now the Stars of Peace Youth Alliance. The group has formed a constitution and has expanded to include a diverse membership of young men and women from different ethnic and religious backgrounds. Along with participating in World Refugee Day held at the United Nations Headquarters in Nairobi on June 6th, the group has been invited to send delegates to the Global Youth Summit this October where they will participate in the World Youth Parliament.

"Exciting things are happening!" shared Abdi. "We have begun our alternative to violence project and together we are planting trees to help our environment." Within the Eastleigh Community Centre, the Stars of Peace have also joined our Iftin women in urban gardening with the addition of trees. We are very proud of these young men and women as they develop into great community leaders!

Laura Muema and Abdi Aziz

at the Eastleigh Community Centre

To learn more about the Stars of Peace Youth Alliance, friend them on Facebook or check out their websites at:

www.starsofpeaceyg.blogspot.com

www.starsofpeaceyg.spruz.com

Youth Stepping Forward

The bloom of the Jacaranda tree...

a sure sign of Autumn in Nairobi

Youth Empowerment -- Youth Stepping Forward!

This past week, we met with a group of emerging young leaders from within the Stars of Peace youth group at the Eastleigh Community Centre. On Thursday, they visited our home for a planning meeting as we work to develop the youth empowerment project within the Iftin program. The group will be working together to carry out a baseline survey within the community over the next few months, as we discern the issues and challenges common to Muslim youth within Eastleigh and identify opportunities for change.

We were very impressed by the energy and enthusiasm of these young men and women. Please pray for us as we seek to "win the community" and become a catalyst for change in a place where most young people are idle and have lost a greater sense of purpose and meaning in life.

The men serving the women -- a step forward in itself!

Isaak, Hussein, and Abdi Aziz

We are very blessed to have Isaak, a Somali Kenyan from Northeastern Province, joining our program in Eastleigh as part of his University attachment program. He will be volunteering with the youth and children's projects for the next three months.

Abdi Aziz had to give our kids trampoline a try

The girls having a great laugh at Abdi Aziz's antics