What A Year!! StAY Alive Dinner & Liberty Awards Nite 2008

Every year closes with the annual dinner and the Liberty Awards and 2008 was no different.

Though the event began a tad late, there was no dumper to the activity that laid ahead. With a dome erected at the Church compound, several invited guests, including visitors from other youth groups, StAY Alive Pevu members and other supporters of StAY Alive were part of the event.

After having a lovely dinner, the speaker of the day Mr Wakubwa made a thought provoking presenation on Success Tips For Youth. If you missed this you may need to follow up on the presentation slides!

The moment of the night was when the top performers were recognised. A new category 'Group of The Year' . The awards were shared out thus:

Song Of The Year: All Around
Event Of The Year: StAY Klean & StAY Alive Roadshow
Group Of The Year: Yakobo
Official Of The Year: Barbra Maina
Chairmans Award: Titus Ng'ang'a
Rookie Of The Year Male: Robert Njoroge
Rookie Of The Year Female: Evelyn Muthoni
Most Valuable Member Female: Barbra Maina
Most Valuable Member Male: Dennis Wabukala

That was 2008! Looking forward to another year of growth in every aspect as is StAY Alives vision in 2009!!

Event Recap:: StAY Klean & StAY Alive Anti-Drugs Raodshow

One of the key pillars of StAY Alive's growth has been the tradition of benchmarking and surpassing targets. How better else to display this tradition than at the groups biggest event (by reach and budget) the anti-drugs roadshow.

Running under the KATAA Initiative, this years edition was not going to pull any stops! From the pre-event activities including the fundraising, hype, and other preparations, this was going to be one big event. And one big event it was.

Starting off from Kahawa West on to Githurai 44 transversing the estate into Githurai 45 moving on to Kasarani and on to Zimmerman... the message was pushed home in every manner possible!! From the state of the art truck (it was a sight to behold), the lovely team of counsellors and recovering addicts from Freedom From Addiction and Brightside Centre, the lovely Administration Police Band, Performing artists including YRC, Caro Nyce, StATIC and KTatu, to the the psyched membership that made sure all heard the message loud and clear, its was a tough fight against drugs.

Special mention to the Kenya Police and the Apex Security Company for providing enough security along the route.

In all it was a well executed event which continues to meet and surpass its objectives over and over. Kudos to the StAY Alive leadership, the KATAA Secretariat and the StAY Alive membership for a well co-ordinated event right from the planning stages to the execution!!

The bar has been raised!

Mihadarati ni Muhadhara KATAA Muhadhara

Under the K.A.T.A.A Initiative, the roadshow is the major event in StAY Alives anti-drugs program. As it has come to be known, the roadshow is an engaging and heated run through the estates in and around Kasarani.

The Roadshow emphases on reaching out with a message against drugs. In tow are live performances, skits and dance, brass band... rehabilitating drug addicts, counselors etc

This years roadshow is the seventh of its kind.

Time and Place
Date: Saturday, November 29, 2008
Time: 11:00am - 6:00pm
Location: Kasarani Division - Zimmerman, Githurai 44 / 45
Flag off: Kahawa West
Route: Kahawa West - Githurai 44/45 - Roysambu - Zimmerman.

THE K.A.T.A.A INITIATIVE
[StAYAlive’s Anti-Drug & Substance Abuse Program]

INTRODUCTION
St Andrews Youth [StAY] Alive Fellowship is the youth arm of the ACK St Andrew’s Church in Zimmerman Estate, Nairobi, StAY Alive Fellowship exists as an arm of the Church to proclaim the message of Christ through prayers, fellowship, mission and training enabling the youth to mature holistically to fight as good soldiers of Christ and thus attain the crown when Christ returns.

We realize that the above vision cannot be fulfilled without reaching out to the young people around us. Many social ills are continuing to affect the country’s young people and we therefore agree that we need to be an instrument of change to society. We have identified the areas which our young are being affected most and have taken up the challenge to change the society around us. This is being done through various programs which include:

1.K-A-T-A-A Initiative - Anti Drugs and Substance Abuse program
2.P2H (Penzi Halisi Husubiri,) Program – A true love waits program (Sexual purity).
3.StAY Alive PEVU —A mentorship program

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KATAA stands for Keepin’ Away Threatening Abuse and Addiction

It is quite evident that our society is no longer ‘Klean’ – free from drugs. The indicators in the community show a drug culture exhibited by:

- Alcoholism
- Rising drugs related immoralities and crime (Violent robberies, rape, murder,
suicide, corruption and sexual promiscuity)
- Indiscipline in schools
- Reported serious drug trafficking cases

We believe that the church today is called not only to preach the gospel but also be the “salt” and “light” of the world.
- Salt — Positively affect the society without ignoring any ‘kind’ of people.
- Light — Take a front line role in showing direction to the society and spearhead the fight against all immorality and ills in the society.
We believe that the moral decay In our society can be contained if we take a step towards eliminating it.
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MANTRA
StAY Klean & StAY Alive
Say NO to drugs - KATAA
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Main Goal and Objectives
The main goal of the Initiative is to assist in DEMAND REDUCTION. This is based on certain fundamental principals which include: -
•“Prevention is better than cure”: Providing information on drugs and drug abuse is
crucial to enable our youth make informed decisions.
• Showing the co-relation between drugs and HIV/AIDS
• Providing interventions to drug users and addicts by giving tit-bits on how to
kick the habit and/or referring them to places where they can get assistance.
• Pointing the way to the One who can “fill the void” which we seek to fill with
drugs. In this regard we seek to substitute the impact of drugs with Jesus Christ.

From the above goal and principles the following outcomes are expected:
• A reduction in the drug abuse menace in our society. Starting from our immediate
environs, to the entire city and hopefully the nation, We envisage a future
society that is drugs free.
• An enlightened community with respect to the dangers of being involved in drugs
either use or trafficking (drug abuse).
• A Help Centre for people already entangled in drugs and substance abuse
• A Resource and Co-ordination Base/Centre for Anti-Drugs Abuse Campaigners within
our immediate environment.
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The Strategic Approaches
StAY Alive implements this program through the use of the available resources.
- This Initiative is under the administration of a special secretariat appointed
from the StAY Alive Fellowship.
- Tap available talents, abilities and professional skills amongst its members and
the church at large (The secretariat has the full mandate to set up special task-
force sub committees and co-opt member from the church).
- Establish links with resourceful departments within the church i.e. The Counseling
Team, Community Aids Educators in St. Andrews (CAESA), Education Board and the
Medical Board.
Explore and utilize available avenues in the sensitization campaign
- StAY Klean and SLAY Alive Anti-drugs Roadshows.
- Seminars / workshops / Talk shop and fellowship.
- School programs
- Electronic and print media particularly Radio & TV Programs on local stations
and newspaper/magazine articles
- Use of other mass conscietization materials like posters, pamphlets, banners,
stickers, labels, badges, caps, T-shirts, signs.
- Theatric performance including e.g. songs, plays & Skits, poems, puppetry,
dances.

More Objectives:
To equip and prepare the KATAA Programme participants (especially the StAY Alive members) now and in future so that they can effectively reach out and basically reach out people on drugs.

Resource persons: Counsellor’s experience, people with knowledge of drugs and their effects drawn from handling of such patients.
Rehabilitated persons People who will help us stage a successful campaign in terms of follow up & Campaigners and sharing of personal experiences of such campaigns.

To equip the community i.e. spouses, guardians, siblings, peers on how to handle and cope with such affected individuals, addicts and susceptible parties.

To establish links with readily and locally available counselors and counseling organizations so that a follow up programme is pursued where a system with a person responsible for handling drugs issues is established.

For starters, an avenue for sourcing drugs related problems. Then the StAY Alive office and the KATAA Secretariat will channel the problems/ affected people to the local counselors who will do their part and in special cases, they will channel the clients to relevant counseling organizations/ hospitals.

‘Scary hallucinations forced me to sober up’ (Daily Nation 19/11/08)

A healthy looking Paul Ndung’u is now focused on what he can gain from remaining sober after a past severely damaged by his dependence on drink and drugs. Photo/CHRIS OMOLLO

By MILLICENT MWOLOLO Posted Tuesday, November 18 2008 at 15:44

“I lost my family because I loved alcohol and drugs more than I did my wife and kids. I cannot blame anyone but myself for that, but I am happy because now I am trying to fit back into society.

It is the biggest challenge any recovering addict can face, so I don’t really blame those sceptics who will forever view me as a drunkard – the life I led for so many years left my integrity completely in tatters.

But I no longer expect other people to understand me like I did back when I stole to get money to support my addiction. Instead, I am trying to understand them.

My long story goes back to 1983. As a Form Five student in Kiambu High School, I would be sent by other boys to buy alcohol and bhang (marijuana) for them.

Read more

Event Recap:: PhD 2008

It's not just the name, its real... Heaven did come down on us during the PhD (Pullin Heaven Down) Prais-athon 2008.

Themed 'Peace In My Heart - Peace In The World' everything from the decor, the music, the authenticity, the works ll blended into a warm heartfelt worship day. From the first service at 8AM to the third one that ended way past 1PM and onto the main event in the afternoon, heaven smiled on us.

During the morning sessions, joint thanks giving prayers were made for our beloved country Kenya amid sounds of 'Mungu Ibariki Afrika, Mungu ibariki na Kenya'.

The afternoon session was warm and inviting, the stage was set with lovely African decor complimented by the stacks of hay and the kanga uniforms. The music was across board, from Rose Muhando's Yesu Nakupenda, Kamau Karongo's Mungu U Mwema, Mbuvi's Nishike to the international medley that included All Around, Mourning Into Dancing, Jesus Has Conquered; to the ever green Shout to Lord done in swahili God's Spirit was in the house.

Hang on, three tracks off the upcoming CD (with a December release date) were dropped and were they not hot! Keep it here for the details.

We now looking forward to the Second Edition of PhD Overnite taking place this Friday Oct 31st from 9:30PM. See you then and keep it here for more updates.

Here are a few pics: for more join us on Face book.

PHD prais-athon 2008 edition

In conjunction with the St Andrews Praise Team and a host of accomplished instrumentalists and vocalists, StAY Alive holds a marathon of praise every October. phd [Pullin' Heaven Down] Prais-Athon is a live, inclusive praise and worship experience encouraging a personal encounter with God.

Themed 'Peace In My Heart - Peace In The World' in recognition of the place of peace and more in thanks giving for the continued deliverance of our Country from the violence that rocked it at the beginning of the year, the event will happen twice. Sunday 26th October 2008, the entire day from morning to evening will be a praise marathon!!! All services (8AM, 9:30AM & 11:00AM).The main event will be in the afternoon.

On Friday, 31st October 2008, the there will be an overnight marathon at 9:30pm till dawn.

The schedule is as follows;
Date: Sunday, October 26, 2008
Time: 2:30pm - 5:30pm
Location: ACK St Andrews Zimmerman
Street: Kamiti Road
City/Town: Nairobi, Kenya

Date: Friday, October 31, 2008
Start Time: 9:30pm
End Time: Saturday, November 1, 2008 at 6:00am
Location: ACK St Andrews Zimmerman
Street: Kamiti Road
City/Town: Nairobi, Kenya

Entry is absolutely free.

Saitoti orders closure of estate bars (Daily Nation Oct 15, 2008)

Internal Security minister George Saitoti has ordered the closure of bars and clubs operating in residential estates.

Premises that sell alcohol to minors and those that operate beyond authorised hours will also have their permits withdrawn.

Prof Saitoti said bars, especially in Nairobi estates, are a nuisance to residents and directed the Liquor Licensing Court, normally chaired by the Provincial Commissioner, to revoke their licences.

“The city is zoned into residential and business areas and no bars and night clubs are allowed in the former.

They are places of disturbance, they sell alcohol to minors and are also dens of criminals and prostitutes,” he said. Read more