In mid-November the Faculty of Social Sciences (SOC) Executive Dean, Professor Glenn Salkeld, Associate Dean International, Professor Wilma Vialle, and Executive Manager, Katrina Gamble accompanied UOW’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Global Strategy) Professor Alex Frino to Kenya. During the visit, Professor Frino signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the University of Nairobi (UoN) which formalises the relationship between UOW and UoN. UoN is a key partner for the Faculty's annual Kenyan student immersion program where SOC students engage with UoN students to prepare and implement an action research project which investigates United Nation Sustainable Development Goals.
In addition, the team met with representatives of Mully Children's Family, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) established to house and educate street children and other vulnerable children in many parts of East Africa. They were able to visit their main site in Ndalani (north-east of Nairobi) where their impressive operation cares for more than 700 children who would otherwise struggle to survive. The Faculty's immersion students will visit Ndalani in February 2020 as part of the immersion program experiences.
They also had the opportunity to visit Aberdare Ranges Primary School and Miti Mingi Village. So They Can built the Aberdare Ranges Primary School to provide access to school for an internally displaced community who had prioritised the education of their children even above the desire for permanent housing. Miti Mingi, located near to the Aberdare Ranges School, is an impressive children’s home that assists vulnerable children to be housed in a safe and family-oriented environment. The children are placed into 'families' and significant efforts are employed to restore the children to their home environment so long as it is safe to do so.