Spider Development Network

wn- Ship, Bukhayo Central, East, North and Walatsi Locations. History/ Formation
The group was formed in Migori in the year 2002 as an Association that brought about students of Migori TTC from The Iteso and The Turkana speaking communities, by then it was called Iteso and Turkan Students Association, under the Patron- Ship of Mr. Silas Silver Dindi Onyango, who was a tutor from Nambale Division. The Association became a strong force in Migori TTC until the death of Mr. Silas Onyango in the year 2005 where the members decided to register the network with the Ministry of Gender, Sports, Culture & Social Services, in Busia District (Busia County) so that they can remain united ender a legal entity. Four months after the burial, the group was registered (October 3, 2005). In the year 2009, another movement by the name Tangakona College and University Students Association (TACUSA) was formed. The main aim of TACUSA was to bring up an avenue where college and university students can share issues at hand and look for suitable solutions to overcome the challenges. The group remained unregistered due to long and tiresome procedures in the Ministry of Social Services by then. In the 2010, TACUSA decided to join Spider Development Network for them to come up with a strong cause for the Community; they opted to retain the name Spider Development Network but come up with other objectives. Management/ Running of the group
The group has an Executive Committee that runs the day to day activities of the group, chaired by the Chairperson. There is a Secretariat that coordinates all the projects and donor funded activities, lead by the Coordinator, here we have a Deputy Coordinator, Treasurer and a Secretary. The Secretariat is independent and runs its activities without any influence from the Executive and sources for its own funds. Other affiliate groups like Tangakona Youth Bunge & Tangakona Bidii are independent though Spider Dev’t Network helps them in other issues like networking among others. All in all, the final say comes from members as they elect the Executive Committee members and oversee the recruitment of the Secretariat members. Vision, Mission and Objectives
Vision: To see a first class society where all people live above the poverty line and literacy levels are of a high standard. Mission: To have an adequate community where all members take part in development activities
Objectives
i. To provide a resource centre in the area
ii. To help vulnerable children get education
iii. To offer counseling in the area
iv. To help the youth in the locality be computer literate
v. To help eradicate opportunistic infections
vi. To help fight poverty
vii. To empower to community

Membership
Spider Development Network has 65 members across the District. The members are categorized as per how they implement a particular project within the community though some members double in projects implementation. We have 27 female and 38 male. Male: 38 Female: 27 Total: 65

Projects in the Network
1. Health Community Outreaches
Community Health Outreaches are done in the community to share with the community on health issues. The members are trained on Magnet Theater which is funded by PATH. Here, 15 youth (8 male & 7 female) participate in the project where APHIA PLUS Western provides transport for the youths. We share on HIV/ AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis though more emphasis is put on HIV/ AIDS and Malaria. Is a structured activity where we mobilize the audience, perform a play and then engage them in a sharing on a topic.

2. NMK Project
Njaa Marufuku Kenya is program in Ministry of Agriculture where youths are encouraged to take part in development activities. The youths rear local poultry for commercial purposes. Currently, we have four sites- Mildred Kavunja home in Okatekok, Benjamin Ong’aria & Fredrick Irari Homes in Tangakona and Godrick Opailo home in Nasira. The sites are individual where the member is helped to set up the site as he takes care of the project. The Ministry of Livestock trains the youths on how to rear the birds and give practical measures in case of outbreaks, we visit other farmers as in December last year (2012); we visited a farmer in Kisumu who is a successful farmer in local poultry.

3. Malaria Outreaches/ Condom Distribution
The group shares with the community on Malaria issues, we discus how to prevent malaria as the community tells us how best they think we can eradicate the malaria issue. This we use Behavior Change Community Approach, Learning Through Listening, a tool developed by PSI Kenya (Populations Services International- Kenya). In the same program, we distribute free government condoms from PSI across the district and also help the community have subsidized Mosquito Nets where the fee is very small.
4. Improved Rocket Stoves Construction
As a way of Improving Household Environment in Nambale District by reducing the preference of respiratory diseases and accidents, we construct improved rocket stoves in Nambale District. Currently we have done well in Nambale Township and Bukhayo Central Locations, we are moving to Bukhayo North, East and Walatsi Locations. 50 members are doing the project (30 male & 20 female).

5. Fish Pound Project
Seven Members (6 male & 1 female) are digging the pound ready to stock the fish by March 2013. The project is hosted by Mildred Kavunja- Okatekok Village.

6. HIV/ AIDS Sharing with Youths Out of School
30 youths (15 Male & 15 female) participate in the project where we share how to eradicate HIV/ AIDS. This project is funded by FASI (Family Support Institute).

7. Fight Against Computer Illiteracy Campaign (FACIC)
After seeing that very many youths and the community at large lacked computer skills, the group decided to come up with this project so that all youths and the community at large can understand how to operate computer and use them well. So far we have trained more than 50 youths with our own resources.