One of the things we as a staff and board have been discussing for a while now is how to better keep track of all of the community members in which we serve. Being able to communicate to the government based off of facts and proof of concept was really important to us.
With that said, historically, the community in which we serve was opposed to the idea. They have experienced time and time again of people, organizations and government coming in, recording information and leaving without a trace. Never communicating what information they were taking, and never using it as a tool to actually assist their village. It has been used against them, and for many it felt threatening.
After COVID hit and beginning our newest programs with the parents involved, we brought the idea back to the table. The idea that we together with what Dr. Tavis, on our board recommended, would compile a list of information on each student that felt beneficial, and helped us help them. It was a file that would be open records for families to get a copy of at any point for their own personal records. After much conversation, families got on board. And this past week, we finished files for every person enrolled in our weekly community program!
It may not seem like a big deal, but these are major victories for us! Another level of trust built, but also a tool that we get to share with you over time. A tool we get to use to actually show the government why sports, why nutrition, why education and why regular medical checks are important for these communities. A tool that can empower families to actually hold record of their children and their progress. A tool we can give to those who actually want true information, not falsified information on these villages.
We know this is just a seed. But it is a seed we know that will produce so much fruit.
Even Monkey got to be apart.