Family Roc Youth Group, popularly known as ‘FamRoc’, celebrated their 1st Anniversary on the 2nd of December, 2007. The group comprising of 25 young men and women marked the milestone with various sporting events for the community in Jericho Estate. Several other youth groups were invited to participate in a variety of games including cross country, a 7-aside mini football tournament, chess and scrabble as part of the celebrations to mark the founding of the youth group.
 
10 members of the group had undertaken the ReachUp! programme earlier this year and DOT officials were among the invited guests that included representatives of various organisations that have partnered with FamRoc.

The past one year has seen the group accomplish much in the areas of community development, environmental awareness, peer education in HIV/AIDS, and youth empowerment and employment. One of their major achievements has been to rehabilitate the grounds where the festivities were held. Before the FamRoc members mobilised themselves and other members of the community to undertake a clean-up drive, the field was an environmental and health hazard as well as an eyesore. The place was used to dump garbage and its proximity to the housing estate meant that the stench from the decomposing rubbish permeated into the homes of the residents of the estate. “FamRoc organised the clean-up and then arranged for a Nairobi City Council grader to level the land so that it was suitable for a playing field” explains Moses Oluchiri, the chairman of the group. And to ensure that the residents of the estate do not revert to the dumping of their garbage in the newly renamed FamRoc Grounds, the group also conducted environmental sensitizations activities. Now the community is rid of the stench and the other health hazards that plagued them. 

The group has also taken the beautification of their estate a step further and created part-time employment for 10 youths at the same time. The residents of each housing unit pay KES 500 to have the exterior of their homes painted. The youths employed by FamRoc to paint earn about KES 200 per day. We at DOT wish them all the best as they move forward into the future.