WISER

Johnson & Johnson will host their 2nd Annual WISER Gala Event on August 5, 2008 at the India Community Center in San Francisco, California. Co-Founder Dr. Sherryl Broverman will deliver remarks and host a silent auction to benefit WISER.  All are invited to attend. 

Location: 525 Los Coches St. Milpitas, California from 6:00pm - 10:00pm    

For ticket details contact hka2@Duke.edu.

This event is sponsored by Johnson & Johnson and is a fundraiser held on behalf of WISER.

Emily Matthews, current co-president of the WISER Duke Student Group, presented at the MIT Global Poverty Initiative Millennium Campus Conference on April 18-20 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The conference focused on student efforts to alleviate poverty and hosted other speakers such as Senator John Edwards, Administrator Henrietta Fore and Dr. Paul Farmer. Emily represented WISER in a panel discussion titled “Stories from the Field: Student Action in Alleviating Poverty.” She also presented at a poster session and led a workshop on “Starting Projects for Global Change.”

The Duke Global Health Institute co-sponsored with the Duke University School of Nursing the 1st Annual Lecture on Global Health by Paul Farmer, MD, PhD.

Dr. Paul Farmer, a Duke alumnus, co-founder of Partners in Health, and member of the WISER advisory board spoke on Monday, April 21st to the community in Page Auditorium.  

As a demonstration of its continued dedication to Kenya in the face of recent conflict, WISER led fundraising efforts to support those suffering from political violence in the country. WISER at Duke members sold water bottles reading “Duke loves Kenya” to raise money for the Makina Clinic in Nairobi.

Founded by Andrew Otieno and located in Kibera, East Africa’s largest slum, the clinic serves all members of the Kibera community, particularly those affected by violence following the December elections.

WISER also collected donations for the Young Women’s Leadership Institute through Violet Barasa, who is working to bring essential supplies to displaced people in refugee camps throughout Kenya.

Members of the Duke and Durham communities gathered last week to remember victims of the post-election violence in Kenya and pray for resolution.

Peter Nyangweso, a University of North Carolina graduate student from Kisii, Kenya was among those in attendance. He offered his thanks to the Duke WISER student group for organizing the vigil:

“…[W]ords alone cannot say enough how so very touched we are that you were able to put the Kenyan people in your prayers.

We try so hard to smile outwardly but inwardly we are so sad–all Kenyans are, many Ugandans, many Tanzanians, Rwandans, Burundians, Congolese, Southern Sudanese, Ethiopians and Somalis are so sad, worried and feel homeless and helpless because the only place they run to or could run to is threatened.

Your prayers and support mean so much, especially now. Please, if there is anything I can do to help with any of your events–let me know.” — Peter Nyangweso

The Duke WISER student group will hold a candlelight vigil in solidarity with Kenyans who have lost their lives and livelihoods during the recent ethnic conflict, and those who are striving toward peaceful resolution.

The vigil will be held at the Duke Chapel steps Feb. 7 from 7 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. Services will include prayer by the Dean of Duke Chapel, original poems from Kenyan schoolchildren, time for silent reflection and the voices of the Duke Pitchforks. All are welcome.

For more details about the vigil or information on current and upcoming fundraising efforts to support Kenyans displaced by recent events, please contact Emily Matthews at ejm14@duke.edu.

Halfway across the world from Muhuru Bay, Kenya, Girl Scouts in Proctor, Vt. are helping change the lives of others.

The fifth- and sixth-grade scouts from Proctor Elementary School recently raised a $75 donation for WISER by selling pencils at local African drumming program and pot luck supper. The pencils, which were sold for $1 each, will also be donated to WISER as supplies for the school.

Denis Odhiambo and Andy Cunningham visited Proctor Elementary School over the holiday break to receive a check from the troop.

While at the school, Denis also taught students Luo words for “thank you,” “good morning,” and “all’s well.”

Denis Odhiambo, Dr. Rose Odhiambo’s son, visited the Rutland Town School in Rutland, Vt. with WISER Co-Founder Andy Cunningham in January. Denis, who is from Nairobi, Kenya, shared his experience with students and led sixth, seventh and eighth graders in a Kiswahili song and dance.

Read Denis’ reflections on the afternoon below, and check out the Rutland Herald’s coverage of the event.

“Rutland Town School was fun through and through! The experience started off with Andy informing me of my impromptu invite by the school chorus the previous evening.

Five minutes later, the instructor was at the Cunningham’s door handing me the score of a Swahili-English piece the kids had just finished rehearsing, with the CD to boot. Before she left she dropped a hint that I’d be expected to, perhaps, teach a song.

The following day Andy and I showed up a little early and took a whirlwind tour of the school before we were ushered into the practice room. The kids quickly filed in. Soon a photographer from the Rutland Herald was introduced to us and it was up to me to provide the picture-perfect moment with the kids– Kenyan traditional dancing — which we all thoroughly enjoyed.

We afterwards took a video of the chorus performing the Swahili English piece- all of us perched precariously on top of our seats. I split the last 10-15 minutes between teaching them one upbeat Swahili song and singing at the instructor’s request.

An elated Andy then took to the stage and told the group of our involvement with Kenya, also shedding a little light on the current situation. Soon it was time for lunch break.”

– Denis Odhiambo