Today is Canadian Thanksgiving and it has been two months since my last trip to Kenya. I am so thankful that I get to go each year and I am thankful for Transformed International, the group that hosts us every year. The projects we have helped with are doing well and Veronica Home is almost completed.
It has been difficult for me returning home this time. Not sure why that is but I am always wishing I could be there. I always know that once I get back home I need to begin fundraising for the next trip. Fundraising is difficult yet we need the funds to do projects and we need to do fundraising to have the needed funds.
We will be at the Davedi Club in North Bay on November 6th & 7th to sell Kenyan crafts and at the Best Western Craft show on November 14th. This is one way we earn the necessary funds, and most of the crafts that are for sale are made by groups that we help support in Kenya. If you live in the North Bay area and are out and about on these days, do drop in and help support Hope2Kenya.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Referendum Day in Kenya
I have been following closely the voting in Kenya today for a new constitution. My friend Daniel Lipparelli, from Kitale, has been posting updates on his blog dlipparelli.blogspot.com and so far there does not appear to be any violence.
Kenya is 7 hours ahead of us and a while ago the YES votes were leading over the NO votes. If this continues it means that there will finally be a new constitution, which was promised after the violent elections in 2007.
In 1012 Kenya will have another National election and hope is there that after this constitutional vote, there will not be any violence during and after that election.
My hope is that everyone stays safe in Kenya over the next few days while all the counting takes place and that people accept whatever the vote dictates.
Kenya is 7 hours ahead of us and a while ago the YES votes were leading over the NO votes. If this continues it means that there will finally be a new constitution, which was promised after the violent elections in 2007.
In 1012 Kenya will have another National election and hope is there that after this constitutional vote, there will not be any violence during and after that election.
My hope is that everyone stays safe in Kenya over the next few days while all the counting takes place and that people accept whatever the vote dictates.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Dear Sandy and Kenya Youth Team,
My name is Sr. Mae Kierans and I am from North Bay. I was working in Kenya 2004-2008 with Sr. Carolyn Schan in Kibera and Ngong when I first met that amazing woman, Sandy Foster! One of my favourite activities in Kenya was to visit the staff and students at St. Aloysius School at least once a week. In the attached photo I am at the old school giving a class of St. Aloysius students pens donated so they can write their government exams.
I have returned to Canada to help my elderly father in St. John's for as long as he needs me but Sandy has continued to help as much as she can the people we were helping in Kibera and the Nairobi area, especially the children and their mothers. With so much to do, you wonder where to begin, but we just tried to help those we could see right in front of us.
When Sandy told me this morning that she brought you young people to Kenya I was thrilled! I am retired. There isn't much I can do now at my age to change global structures, so I help small groups and individuals in small ways. But you young people have the time and the vision to push for change in the social and political structures in the global community to eliminate the obvious injustices you have just witnessed. We have to start somewhere. If everyone on the planet lived the way we in North America live, we would need two more planet Earths. Won't happen. So we all need to make drastic changes in the way we in North America live ourselves.
Youth going to other parts of this small planet to see the true cost of our North American lifestyle will spread the word and will want to start to make changes so no one on our planet has too much and everyone has enough.
I love it when I hear young people have visited the people on this planet who live in the shadows. You have seen down and dirty what we all need to see. That was very courageous and generous of you! Congratulations to you and to Sandy and all the best!
Mae
We are back home
As I write this blog today I have had two ok nights sleep after a very long and tiring flight home. We were so fortunate since no one was sick on the way home and everyone got to go into Amsterdam Square in Holland to walk around and spend a couple of hours before our final flight to Toronto
I am very proud of the team this year. The youth group was amazing. They got along well with everyone on the team and they never complained. I think that each of us on the team was affected by what we did and saw at one time or another and each of us shed tears at one time or another. We each were affected in different ways. I am glad that we had a taxi when we went to visit the Maasai women or we might have lost Sally there. She was so inspired by the women that we met and their way of life. We had to keep checking Sarah's bag to see if she put a small child in to bring home. Children were attracted to her and she spent hours holding them. When Steven is Prime Minister of Canada and can exert any pressure on the Kenyan government I know that he will change their education system so that all children are given the right to a free education. Sandra will move children to be the best they can be and they will follow her like the pied piper and Laura will bring a sparkle and bright light to everyone she meets. Kids and adults alike will enjoy helping her accomplish whatever she chooses to do and I know she will succeed in whatever she does. Emily will make a difference in the lives of everyone that she comes in contact with and will make a difference in this world of ours for the better. Cathy will continue to teach everywhere she goes touching lives with her sincerity and humour and Caren will forever remember this experience and help as many children as she can both here and in Kenya to have a chance at a better life.
With a team like that it wasn't difficult to accomplish all that we did. My hope is to have a write up and pictures on our web site soon. Our friend, Daniel Lipparelli, already has some of the things we did with his group with photos so go to www.transformedinternational.org and go to blogs to see those.
I will continue to blog about our upcoming events and I think the youth on this trip somehow started a facebook page for Hope2Kenya, although I am not sure how to get on it.
I am very proud of the team this year. The youth group was amazing. They got along well with everyone on the team and they never complained. I think that each of us on the team was affected by what we did and saw at one time or another and each of us shed tears at one time or another. We each were affected in different ways. I am glad that we had a taxi when we went to visit the Maasai women or we might have lost Sally there. She was so inspired by the women that we met and their way of life. We had to keep checking Sarah's bag to see if she put a small child in to bring home. Children were attracted to her and she spent hours holding them. When Steven is Prime Minister of Canada and can exert any pressure on the Kenyan government I know that he will change their education system so that all children are given the right to a free education. Sandra will move children to be the best they can be and they will follow her like the pied piper and Laura will bring a sparkle and bright light to everyone she meets. Kids and adults alike will enjoy helping her accomplish whatever she chooses to do and I know she will succeed in whatever she does. Emily will make a difference in the lives of everyone that she comes in contact with and will make a difference in this world of ours for the better. Cathy will continue to teach everywhere she goes touching lives with her sincerity and humour and Caren will forever remember this experience and help as many children as she can both here and in Kenya to have a chance at a better life.
With a team like that it wasn't difficult to accomplish all that we did. My hope is to have a write up and pictures on our web site soon. Our friend, Daniel Lipparelli, already has some of the things we did with his group with photos so go to www.transformedinternational.org and go to blogs to see those.
I will continue to blog about our upcoming events and I think the youth on this trip somehow started a facebook page for Hope2Kenya, although I am not sure how to get on it.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Aloysius High School, Kibera
Hi everyone:
This is Sally. You will get another blog from one of the other team members about today as well, but I just had to write a little bit. We visited a secondary school today - almost all the students are HIV + and orphans, or someone in their family is HIV + and ill. But you sure wouldn't know it to see their smiles and their energy. The highlight for me was when the choirmaster started to speak with me about their choir. And then, the school secretary, Esther (with whom I spent some very interesting time !), organized the choir and next thing we knew we were listening to the most angelic voices singing the most beautiful songs. They have a sacred choir and a "fun" choir. They perform a cappella, but with pure heart and soul. Their rendition of The Lord's Prayer was stunning and very powerful. Their joy and excitement was contagious. It was easy to forget that these children are hungry and ill. Their school day goes from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Some of them walk 2 hours through the filth of the Kibera slum to attend school. They receive breakfast and lunch at school and usually those are the only meals they will have. They attend school from Monday to Saturday!
It was a fabulous way to end our time with "projects" in Kenya. Thanks to Sandy Foster for all her hard work in organizing this trip, supporting everyone through our personal ups and downs for the past few weeks and for allowing us all the privilege of seeing first hand where the hard fundraised dollars go and the good work that is being done here in Kenya. I will never forget the children, the folks here that toil year round for their well being and everyone back home in Canada who has taken these people into their hearts by supplying dollars that help feed, house, clothe and educate some amazing people.
Remember, we are all so lucky and blessed to be born in Canada. Be grateful for all that we have and share if you can. See you soon!!!
Sally
This is Sally. You will get another blog from one of the other team members about today as well, but I just had to write a little bit. We visited a secondary school today - almost all the students are HIV + and orphans, or someone in their family is HIV + and ill. But you sure wouldn't know it to see their smiles and their energy. The highlight for me was when the choirmaster started to speak with me about their choir. And then, the school secretary, Esther (with whom I spent some very interesting time !), organized the choir and next thing we knew we were listening to the most angelic voices singing the most beautiful songs. They have a sacred choir and a "fun" choir. They perform a cappella, but with pure heart and soul. Their rendition of The Lord's Prayer was stunning and very powerful. Their joy and excitement was contagious. It was easy to forget that these children are hungry and ill. Their school day goes from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Some of them walk 2 hours through the filth of the Kibera slum to attend school. They receive breakfast and lunch at school and usually those are the only meals they will have. They attend school from Monday to Saturday!
It was a fabulous way to end our time with "projects" in Kenya. Thanks to Sandy Foster for all her hard work in organizing this trip, supporting everyone through our personal ups and downs for the past few weeks and for allowing us all the privilege of seeing first hand where the hard fundraised dollars go and the good work that is being done here in Kenya. I will never forget the children, the folks here that toil year round for their well being and everyone back home in Canada who has taken these people into their hearts by supplying dollars that help feed, house, clothe and educate some amazing people.
Remember, we are all so lucky and blessed to be born in Canada. Be grateful for all that we have and share if you can. See you soon!!!
Sally
Day at the high school
Today was at last day visiting a project. We went to St Aloysius Secondary School. All the students in this school were either infected or afected by HIV aids. The school use it be located in the Kibira slum, which is were all of the students live. They recently built a new school for them at the edge of Kibira. Although the school may be farther now for some of them the new school is much nicer and way bigger. We had a chance to see the old high school on friday. I was very surprised to see how small it is, the old hall was no bigger then a small classroom. Not to mention they didn't have electricity. Also the environment was very dirty and noisy, making it very hard for them to learn. But now the new school is large and very clean. They now have electricity, most of the time. And can learn much better in a quiet classroom. Each class has around 35 students and for the majority of their subjects the girls and boys are in separate classes.
Each of the youth from our team were pared up with a student from the same grade level as us. I just finished grade 11 so I was put in a form 3 class (in Kenya they call their grades forms). The name of the student I was with was Kennedy, he was 18 years old. First we stayed in the class, with no teacher. I asked Kennedy why there wasn't a teacher, he told me that because exams had just ended they were waiting for them to be marked. So instead of the teachers being in class they were off marking exams, this gave us some time to explore. For a while we sat in the class while many of the students asked me questions about my school and I asked about theirs. They were very interested to find out that in Canada we don't have to pay for secondary education, while in Kenay you do. We discussed many topics like what we wanted to be when we grow up and how many brothers and sister we had. I was interested to learn that many of them could speak 4-5 languages. Kennedy could speak key swahili, english, french, his mother tongue, and another mother tongue from his area. He also told me that many of the students make up their own languge that others can't understand. Kind of like how some people I know can speak piglatten. Ancay ouyay peaksay iglattenpay?
Once we got tired of sittin in class my new friends decided to show me around. We started on the bottem floor and worked our way up the three floors. aside from the closed in classrooms the school it open because they don't need to keep out snow or any thing like that. They pointed out the sience labs and the computer labs ( I even got to poke my head into a computer lab with students that had graduated form 4 and were taking computer classes). they pointe out were the elevator would soon be and the main office.
Next they took me to the hall for some entertainment. Many students were in the hall aswell as most of the Hope 2 Kenya team. We got to see a girl recite a peom she learnt in french. A choir sang a few songs for us, I liked it very much. We as a team decided that it was our turn to entertain them, so we got up on stage and sang acouple songs. While we were in the hall I have Kennedy a small gift (a small football with Canada on it) and I gave some candy and pencils to some of his classmates. I was very pleased then he gave me a small card saying I was a wounderful person.
After the hall we went to the art room and watched the art club work on some peices. Alot of the art work was impressive! I could help but buy one to take home to Canada. My new classmates kindly escorted me to the front gates, where we said our goodbyes. I really injoyed my day and will not for get my new friends in Kenya
- Sarah
Each of the youth from our team were pared up with a student from the same grade level as us. I just finished grade 11 so I was put in a form 3 class (in Kenya they call their grades forms). The name of the student I was with was Kennedy, he was 18 years old. First we stayed in the class, with no teacher. I asked Kennedy why there wasn't a teacher, he told me that because exams had just ended they were waiting for them to be marked. So instead of the teachers being in class they were off marking exams, this gave us some time to explore. For a while we sat in the class while many of the students asked me questions about my school and I asked about theirs. They were very interested to find out that in Canada we don't have to pay for secondary education, while in Kenay you do. We discussed many topics like what we wanted to be when we grow up and how many brothers and sister we had. I was interested to learn that many of them could speak 4-5 languages. Kennedy could speak key swahili, english, french, his mother tongue, and another mother tongue from his area. He also told me that many of the students make up their own languge that others can't understand. Kind of like how some people I know can speak piglatten. Ancay ouyay peaksay iglattenpay?
Once we got tired of sittin in class my new friends decided to show me around. We started on the bottem floor and worked our way up the three floors. aside from the closed in classrooms the school it open because they don't need to keep out snow or any thing like that. They pointed out the sience labs and the computer labs ( I even got to poke my head into a computer lab with students that had graduated form 4 and were taking computer classes). they pointe out were the elevator would soon be and the main office.
Next they took me to the hall for some entertainment. Many students were in the hall aswell as most of the Hope 2 Kenya team. We got to see a girl recite a peom she learnt in french. A choir sang a few songs for us, I liked it very much. We as a team decided that it was our turn to entertain them, so we got up on stage and sang acouple songs. While we were in the hall I have Kennedy a small gift (a small football with Canada on it) and I gave some candy and pencils to some of his classmates. I was very pleased then he gave me a small card saying I was a wounderful person.
After the hall we went to the art room and watched the art club work on some peices. Alot of the art work was impressive! I could help but buy one to take home to Canada. My new classmates kindly escorted me to the front gates, where we said our goodbyes. I really injoyed my day and will not for get my new friends in Kenya
- Sarah
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Kissed by a Giraffe ;)
Thursday was a bit of a day off but it was definantly an exciting day for everyone. We started the day at The David Shedlrick Wildlife Trust Elephant Orphanage. We got to see about 20 orphaned elephants. It was super neat, as they talked about the orphanage and each of the elephants, the elephants were just wondering around sometimes getting close enough to the sides so we could touch them. The orphanage is only open one hour a day because they want to limit the human contact the elephants have so they can eventually release them back into the wild. It was pretty cool because on the way in we drove past a bunch baboons and wart hogs (they were like Pumbas).
After that we went to the Giraffe Centre. It was the coolest thing. We went up onto a platform where we were eye level with the giraffes. We got to feed them out of our hands, pet them and best of all kiss them. It was pretty frightening at first, to put food in your mouth and get a giraffe to eat it but after the first time everyone loved it and all kissed the giraffes several times. We also got to learn a bit about all the different kinds of giraffes. One time of giraffe grows to 6 meters tall.
Then we went to Matbronze. We were given a tour and got to see how they make each bronze thing. Sandy purchases necklaces from Matbronze and it was really interesting to see how they were made. It takes 6 weeks to make each item.
We went to a little shop called the Love Bird Curio Shop next. It was a very nice souvenir shop with many things that we hadn't seen anywhere else.
Unfortunately, Sally was still unwell on Thursday and was unable to join us. But today when she was feeling better Sally did get to go to the Elephant Orphanage and Giraffe Centre.
It was a really fun day and I am sure none of us will ever forget the day we kissed a giraffe.
Sandra :)
After that we went to the Giraffe Centre. It was the coolest thing. We went up onto a platform where we were eye level with the giraffes. We got to feed them out of our hands, pet them and best of all kiss them. It was pretty frightening at first, to put food in your mouth and get a giraffe to eat it but after the first time everyone loved it and all kissed the giraffes several times. We also got to learn a bit about all the different kinds of giraffes. One time of giraffe grows to 6 meters tall.
Then we went to Matbronze. We were given a tour and got to see how they make each bronze thing. Sandy purchases necklaces from Matbronze and it was really interesting to see how they were made. It takes 6 weeks to make each item.
We went to a little shop called the Love Bird Curio Shop next. It was a very nice souvenir shop with many things that we hadn't seen anywhere else.
Unfortunately, Sally was still unwell on Thursday and was unable to join us. But today when she was feeling better Sally did get to go to the Elephant Orphanage and Giraffe Centre.
It was a really fun day and I am sure none of us will ever forget the day we kissed a giraffe.
Sandra :)
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Nilifunzwa kiswahili kwenye chuo kikuu cha Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya
We have been a little behind on our blog entries, sorry to all. It has been a busy past couple of days. We will all be catching up over the next little while.
Yesterday we spent the day with Alister, Sande and the youth volunteers at Kibera Community Youth Programme. This is an outreach programme in Kibera slum that gives young people an opportunity to learn, be creative and connect with their wider community. They offer a number of programmes including nutrition, theatre, computers, solar energy, and a library, among others. These programmes offer learning opportunities for young people in their community beyond the classroom. We spent the day with many of the youth from KCYP learning about their centre and just hang out and playing games. We brought along Canada tees, board games, and soccer balls so after handing them out we all tried out some of the games. Scrabble was a big hit! Another outreach group of KCYP is a network of women who are all HIV positive. They are all single mothers with small businesses who come together to support one another. One great way they are contributing to one anothers businesses is the 'merry-go-round' method: once a week they each but 20 shillings into a pot and give that money to one of the women to help their business. Each week it rotates to a different member. I was so amazed by their creative and generous support of one another. It was an honour to meet these women.
Before lunch, Sande offered us a Kiswahili lesson. The lesson started alright until an argument broke out between Sande and Lillian (KCYP youth) regarding the meaning of the word 'Magharibi', even Zhebib came out of the kitchen shaking a rolling pin at Sande, we all had a good laugh! It was a pretty successful lesson which ended with the title of this post: I was taught Kiswahili at the University of Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya. Laura had a great opportunity to help with food preparation for the group. She went with two of the KCYP youth throughout the food market of Kibera to purchase cabbage, rice, pilau spice and beef. She learned how to cook the excellent cabbage we have been eating throughout the trip. It was delicious!
Our day was concluded with a performance from the theatre group. The group uses drama to address issues in the community such as domestic violence, sexual abuse, HIV/AIDS, and poverty. They present their plays to small groups in Kibera and then open up the space for discussion. Their goal is not to provide answers but to create awareness and to facilitate discussion in order to get people talking about important issues. We all enjoyed this performance and were very glad they could share their creativity with us. It was a great day. We have all made new friends at KCYP and are very glad to have spent a day in the life of a youth in Kibera slum.
Emily
Yesterday we spent the day with Alister, Sande and the youth volunteers at Kibera Community Youth Programme. This is an outreach programme in Kibera slum that gives young people an opportunity to learn, be creative and connect with their wider community. They offer a number of programmes including nutrition, theatre, computers, solar energy, and a library, among others. These programmes offer learning opportunities for young people in their community beyond the classroom. We spent the day with many of the youth from KCYP learning about their centre and just hang out and playing games. We brought along Canada tees, board games, and soccer balls so after handing them out we all tried out some of the games. Scrabble was a big hit! Another outreach group of KCYP is a network of women who are all HIV positive. They are all single mothers with small businesses who come together to support one another. One great way they are contributing to one anothers businesses is the 'merry-go-round' method: once a week they each but 20 shillings into a pot and give that money to one of the women to help their business. Each week it rotates to a different member. I was so amazed by their creative and generous support of one another. It was an honour to meet these women.
Before lunch, Sande offered us a Kiswahili lesson. The lesson started alright until an argument broke out between Sande and Lillian (KCYP youth) regarding the meaning of the word 'Magharibi', even Zhebib came out of the kitchen shaking a rolling pin at Sande, we all had a good laugh! It was a pretty successful lesson which ended with the title of this post: I was taught Kiswahili at the University of Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya. Laura had a great opportunity to help with food preparation for the group. She went with two of the KCYP youth throughout the food market of Kibera to purchase cabbage, rice, pilau spice and beef. She learned how to cook the excellent cabbage we have been eating throughout the trip. It was delicious!
Our day was concluded with a performance from the theatre group. The group uses drama to address issues in the community such as domestic violence, sexual abuse, HIV/AIDS, and poverty. They present their plays to small groups in Kibera and then open up the space for discussion. Their goal is not to provide answers but to create awareness and to facilitate discussion in order to get people talking about important issues. We all enjoyed this performance and were very glad they could share their creativity with us. It was a great day. We have all made new friends at KCYP and are very glad to have spent a day in the life of a youth in Kibera slum.
Emily
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Kenya - A Country of Disconnects
Jambo from Nairobi!
As I am sitting in the comfort of the Rosa Mystica Spiritual Centre, and beginning to write this 'blog', I struggle for words to describe what we have seen and where we have been today.
This morning we were met by a remarkable young man, Alastair, and his friend, Sande, to head into the slums of Kibera. We decided to go by city bus - not quite as luxurious as those of North Bay or Toronto - but we were very safe and the travel was cheaper by far than taking taxis. As we approached Kibera we could see the changes from the bustling city to estate homes then open areas and then, finally into the roads and narrow paths lined with corrugated tin or mud homes that are Kibera. Words cannot describe the desparate conditions for the people who live there. Kibera is a world unto its own and is a true example of the cycle of slum poverty. People are born, some attend schools, some leave Kibera during the day to work as casual labourers (housework, factories, building) but all return to the same life at night. Wages are so small for these people that the very little they have goes to food and for rent, hence they are never able to earn enough to leave the slum. The people who live in Kibera often came to Nairobi looking for work and finding none began their lives in this area. Many are born, schooled, live and die without ever leaving this area.
The pathways through which we walked were strewn with garbage, human waste, mud and often small running streams of filthy water. Despite all of this, however, we were greeted with smiles from both the children and often the adults (especially the mommas) whom we passed on the way. We went into a mud and tin home of a family where the women(all HIV affected) gather and bead and make purses that we will be bringing back with us to North Bay. As poor as these women are, they gave us each a gift to say thank you for the support and for the visit. A touching gesture indeed!
A high point to our Kibera trek was a visit to an orphanage school that was absolutely remarkable! We approached a wall of tin, ducked under dripping laundry, stepped over mud and all, stepped around a small cooking fire, pushed open a tin gate and stepped into a small yard with brightly painted classrooms and walls and 45 exhuberant children from 3 to 7 all who have been impacted by HIV/Aids. The teachers were excellent and the children very cute and well behaved. Each child received a new outfit, a pencil but the best of all was the little bottle of bubbles that each one got! We caused quite the stir as we sang some of our songs for the children - we are now the 'hope2kenya traveling song troupe' - and did a craft with each one that they can now take and share and play with at home. Of greater importance was the shopping that came after. We bought rice, maize flour, beans, sugar and porridge for the lunches for the children, and new workbooks, markers and other school supplies.
As we walked out of Kibera, we slowly exited the slums and returned past the estate homes and into the bustling city again, which brings me to this moment where I am sitting here in the comfort of the Rosa Mystica Spiritual Retreat Centre, trying to fit the pieces of Kenya together.
For Kenya is a puzzle, but the problem is that none of the pieces fit. Kenya is truly a country where everything seems disconnected - slums within reach of commercial centres, people moving but never seeming to get where they hope or want to go, a police force that in the rural areas stops cars and will not let them pass without taking some money from the drivers, and yet in the city of Nairobi, the police would never dare to do such a thing.
Our journey and our experiences continue but we are all well, safe and feeling pleased with what we are doing and the growth of the initiatives that are supported by Hope2Kenya.
More to come.
Cathy
As I am sitting in the comfort of the Rosa Mystica Spiritual Centre, and beginning to write this 'blog', I struggle for words to describe what we have seen and where we have been today.
This morning we were met by a remarkable young man, Alastair, and his friend, Sande, to head into the slums of Kibera. We decided to go by city bus - not quite as luxurious as those of North Bay or Toronto - but we were very safe and the travel was cheaper by far than taking taxis. As we approached Kibera we could see the changes from the bustling city to estate homes then open areas and then, finally into the roads and narrow paths lined with corrugated tin or mud homes that are Kibera. Words cannot describe the desparate conditions for the people who live there. Kibera is a world unto its own and is a true example of the cycle of slum poverty. People are born, some attend schools, some leave Kibera during the day to work as casual labourers (housework, factories, building) but all return to the same life at night. Wages are so small for these people that the very little they have goes to food and for rent, hence they are never able to earn enough to leave the slum. The people who live in Kibera often came to Nairobi looking for work and finding none began their lives in this area. Many are born, schooled, live and die without ever leaving this area.
The pathways through which we walked were strewn with garbage, human waste, mud and often small running streams of filthy water. Despite all of this, however, we were greeted with smiles from both the children and often the adults (especially the mommas) whom we passed on the way. We went into a mud and tin home of a family where the women(all HIV affected) gather and bead and make purses that we will be bringing back with us to North Bay. As poor as these women are, they gave us each a gift to say thank you for the support and for the visit. A touching gesture indeed!
A high point to our Kibera trek was a visit to an orphanage school that was absolutely remarkable! We approached a wall of tin, ducked under dripping laundry, stepped over mud and all, stepped around a small cooking fire, pushed open a tin gate and stepped into a small yard with brightly painted classrooms and walls and 45 exhuberant children from 3 to 7 all who have been impacted by HIV/Aids. The teachers were excellent and the children very cute and well behaved. Each child received a new outfit, a pencil but the best of all was the little bottle of bubbles that each one got! We caused quite the stir as we sang some of our songs for the children - we are now the 'hope2kenya traveling song troupe' - and did a craft with each one that they can now take and share and play with at home. Of greater importance was the shopping that came after. We bought rice, maize flour, beans, sugar and porridge for the lunches for the children, and new workbooks, markers and other school supplies.
As we walked out of Kibera, we slowly exited the slums and returned past the estate homes and into the bustling city again, which brings me to this moment where I am sitting here in the comfort of the Rosa Mystica Spiritual Retreat Centre, trying to fit the pieces of Kenya together.
For Kenya is a puzzle, but the problem is that none of the pieces fit. Kenya is truly a country where everything seems disconnected - slums within reach of commercial centres, people moving but never seeming to get where they hope or want to go, a police force that in the rural areas stops cars and will not let them pass without taking some money from the drivers, and yet in the city of Nairobi, the police would never dare to do such a thing.
Our journey and our experiences continue but we are all well, safe and feeling pleased with what we are doing and the growth of the initiatives that are supported by Hope2Kenya.
More to come.
Cathy
Nairobi Experiences
We have an exciting few days in Nairobi. The most exciting was visiting with the Maasai group that was started by Sister Carolyn, who began the group and helped them until her passing two years ago. We were able to see Raymond that young Maasai boy that she had been raising.
The team was very moved by the women and the wonderful beading that they do. The drive out was an experience in itself over more very bumpy roads but the view of the Ngong Hills was worth the experience. The women work out of a small plot of land that they have fenced off and have a few buildings on it where they do their work.
After that visit we were able to go to the Unique Eco centre where Kenyans are recycling old flip flops into the most amazing and useful products. We were able to visit the pile of "garbage" that they use and then the different workshops where the articles are made.
After this we went to the Kazuri bead factory. It was started by an English woman and upon her death another English couple took it over. They employ 340 people, mainly single moms, and all of the beads are hand made. The clay is found in Kenya and mashed into a workable form and then the woman hand roll the beads in different shapes. There are many different steps until it gets to the jewellery phase. They also make and hand paint pottery. It was an exciting experience to see so many women employed.
We visited the Hope Bright Future School in Soweto. This is the school where we feed the children 5 days a week, 52 weeks of the year. The team was a bit shocked by the abject poverty and the despair that permeates this slum. I think everyone has begun to realize just how fortunated we are to live in Canada.
The youth on the team have developed a great singing repetoire and it has been amazing to watch them perform their songs for the children and adults everywhere we go. This has never happened before and the Kenyans have always entertained us in the past and they are so appreciative of the youth performing for them. It certainly makes me proud every time they get up to sing!!!
One of our team members, Sally, has come down with a bit of a bug and stayed in bed today. Hopefully she will be up and around tomorrow when we go off to see the Elephant Sanctuary and the Giraffe Retreat Centre. It will be a fun day with no hard work involved.
This really is just a great team of people.
Sandy
The team was very moved by the women and the wonderful beading that they do. The drive out was an experience in itself over more very bumpy roads but the view of the Ngong Hills was worth the experience. The women work out of a small plot of land that they have fenced off and have a few buildings on it where they do their work.
After that visit we were able to go to the Unique Eco centre where Kenyans are recycling old flip flops into the most amazing and useful products. We were able to visit the pile of "garbage" that they use and then the different workshops where the articles are made.
After this we went to the Kazuri bead factory. It was started by an English woman and upon her death another English couple took it over. They employ 340 people, mainly single moms, and all of the beads are hand made. The clay is found in Kenya and mashed into a workable form and then the woman hand roll the beads in different shapes. There are many different steps until it gets to the jewellery phase. They also make and hand paint pottery. It was an exciting experience to see so many women employed.
We visited the Hope Bright Future School in Soweto. This is the school where we feed the children 5 days a week, 52 weeks of the year. The team was a bit shocked by the abject poverty and the despair that permeates this slum. I think everyone has begun to realize just how fortunated we are to live in Canada.
The youth on the team have developed a great singing repetoire and it has been amazing to watch them perform their songs for the children and adults everywhere we go. This has never happened before and the Kenyans have always entertained us in the past and they are so appreciative of the youth performing for them. It certainly makes me proud every time they get up to sing!!!
One of our team members, Sally, has come down with a bit of a bug and stayed in bed today. Hopefully she will be up and around tomorrow when we go off to see the Elephant Sanctuary and the Giraffe Retreat Centre. It will be a fun day with no hard work involved.
This really is just a great team of people.
Sandy
Monday, July 19, 2010
Goodbye Kitale, Hello Nairobi!
Today we travelled from Kitale to Nairobi. We awoke at 4:45 to a clear, black sky filled with beautiful stars. But, we were all pretty bleary eyed. Imagine our surprise and gratitude when we saw Danelle had prepared her homemade banana bread for us one more time before we left the TI Compound. MMMM - we took some pieces with us, loaded all the bags and ourselves into the three vans and were on the road to Eldoret Airport by 5:45 a.m.! We were all feeling sad to leave our new friends in Kitale, but, fortunately, tired enough that there weren't any tears.
The 75 km drive from Kitale to Eldoret takes almost 2 hours! This isn't because of traffic - particularly at that time of the morning! But, because of the condition of the road - particularly from Moi's Bridge to Eldoret. Other travellers BEWARE!!! Personally, I think Kenya could market this road as a tourist attraction because the adventure is quite remarkable. Several team members have pictures and videos but as we are in a convent in Nairobi right now, we can't download them.
The sunrise over the plains was stunning and, aside from one flat tire that was quickly repaired, we all arrived safely at the airport. We checked in without any problems and awaited our flight. The flight was beautiful as the plane flies quite low and it was a clear day. We watched as the squalor of Eldoret became a pastoral scene of farms and fields and beauty and then settled in for the 45 minute flight. We had a clear view of Mt. Kenya on the way as well as several volcanic craters in the plain. That was just awesome!
We were met at the airport by Steven in a beautiful, big green bus!!! We all cheered to know that we were not going to be stuffed into another old matatu! It was soon apparent that Nairobi is very different from Kitale. A major city with a population of approximately 4 to 5 million people. We arrived at Rosa Mystica, a convent in a multicultural district of the city. We now all have private rooms with private baths. And we are missing our roommates!!! The grounds at Rosa Mystica are lovely and the rooms are nice as well. It seems like such luxury after the compound at TI, but we are all missing the proximity and comraderie we experienced there.
We had lunch at a restaurant at the mall and then headed off to the Maasai Market to do a little shopping. We managed to get past the "agents" at the gate who want to do one's negotiating, and then enjoyed bartering with the vendors. Each of us found a special "treasure" or two for loved ones back home.
Then, it was back for supper and an early night. Tomorrow, we visit the Maasai women. Now that will be a wonderful day!
Sally
The 75 km drive from Kitale to Eldoret takes almost 2 hours! This isn't because of traffic - particularly at that time of the morning! But, because of the condition of the road - particularly from Moi's Bridge to Eldoret. Other travellers BEWARE!!! Personally, I think Kenya could market this road as a tourist attraction because the adventure is quite remarkable. Several team members have pictures and videos but as we are in a convent in Nairobi right now, we can't download them.
The sunrise over the plains was stunning and, aside from one flat tire that was quickly repaired, we all arrived safely at the airport. We checked in without any problems and awaited our flight. The flight was beautiful as the plane flies quite low and it was a clear day. We watched as the squalor of Eldoret became a pastoral scene of farms and fields and beauty and then settled in for the 45 minute flight. We had a clear view of Mt. Kenya on the way as well as several volcanic craters in the plain. That was just awesome!
We were met at the airport by Steven in a beautiful, big green bus!!! We all cheered to know that we were not going to be stuffed into another old matatu! It was soon apparent that Nairobi is very different from Kitale. A major city with a population of approximately 4 to 5 million people. We arrived at Rosa Mystica, a convent in a multicultural district of the city. We now all have private rooms with private baths. And we are missing our roommates!!! The grounds at Rosa Mystica are lovely and the rooms are nice as well. It seems like such luxury after the compound at TI, but we are all missing the proximity and comraderie we experienced there.
We had lunch at a restaurant at the mall and then headed off to the Maasai Market to do a little shopping. We managed to get past the "agents" at the gate who want to do one's negotiating, and then enjoyed bartering with the vendors. Each of us found a special "treasure" or two for loved ones back home.
Then, it was back for supper and an early night. Tomorrow, we visit the Maasai women. Now that will be a wonderful day!
Sally
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Last day in Kitale
Today was our day off. We started out the day by going to a 15km race of some Kenyan runners. It was so excited to see all these runners. They were so fast!
Then we had a bit of a break and made some good old Kraft Dinner.
Daniel then took us into town. We had talked a lot about what it is like in town but this was the first time we really got to see it. We had learned a lot about the street kids but actually seeing them was difficult.
We visited a wonderful man named Daniel Juma. He is dissabled and because of that he decided to take in orphanes. He now in his home has 21 orphanes and 7 of his own kids. He was an inspiring man and it was great to listen to his story and play with his fantastic children.
Overall it was a great day with many wonderful experiences. It was a bit sad to say good bye to all our new friends in Kitale but I am sure we will have many more fun experiences in Nairobi.
Then we had a bit of a break and made some good old Kraft Dinner.
Daniel then took us into town. We had talked a lot about what it is like in town but this was the first time we really got to see it. We had learned a lot about the street kids but actually seeing them was difficult.
We visited a wonderful man named Daniel Juma. He is dissabled and because of that he decided to take in orphanes. He now in his home has 21 orphanes and 7 of his own kids. He was an inspiring man and it was great to listen to his story and play with his fantastic children.
Overall it was a great day with many wonderful experiences. It was a bit sad to say good bye to all our new friends in Kitale but I am sure we will have many more fun experiences in Nairobi.
Friday, July 16, 2010
The Amazing Team
I am finally doing a blog after all the team has written about their expereiences. Today was an emotionally exhausting day for the entire team. It is always a day during my Kenyan trips that I most enjoy. Today was food distribution day in Malie Saba, a very poor village area and Shimo La Toya slum, a slum that is known for alcoholism, prostitution and extreme poverty.
There were two truck loads of corn and beans delivered to Malie Saba. When we arrived we were greeted by the widows and children singing for all of us and it was so incredible to hear their voices. The Hope2Kenya team responded by singing a couple of songs for the widows and children and that had never happened before. They were laughing and so appreciative of the team's efforts and I was so proud of them.
WE handed out the food and then went to see the sewing project that the women there have been working at. Their small business employs 7 women and they are self sufficient. They did ask for a new sewing machine that does embroidery and we will purchase that before we leave. They are an incredible group of 7 women who are now earning money for support their families.
When we arrived back at the compound we had some lunch and everyone was emotionally drained. We left for Shimo slum and some walked and some of the team rode in the back of the truck with the rest of the bags of corn and beans. Shimo is a much poorer place and we were greeted by singing again. The team again responded but this place is difficult to see. Some of the widows had been drinking and the many many children were small and not very clean. It was difficult for some team members to see and they were saddened by the plight of the children. After 6 trips to this country I often feel that the children are a disposable commodity.
Tomorrow is a more relaxing day. My running team that the McCallums and us sponsor are doing a 15 kilometer race and we will hand out rubber braclets from Canada to all the participants and Canada pins. Cathy and I have some monetary prizes for the first few runners. We will then hand out the running shoes that were donated by local North Bay runners and collected by Active Running and cleaned to look like new by the Thomsens company. It should be a fun day and the girls are all happy that they don't have to wear skirts.
This team is incredible. They work hard and have a lot of fun in the evenings. The team is realizing just how fortunate and blessed their lives are at home. They all love children and holding kids and playing with them has become something that we all do well. They have not refused to do anything and are willing to try everything including the interesting food that we have eaten.
I am truly priviledged to be leading this team.
There were two truck loads of corn and beans delivered to Malie Saba. When we arrived we were greeted by the widows and children singing for all of us and it was so incredible to hear their voices. The Hope2Kenya team responded by singing a couple of songs for the widows and children and that had never happened before. They were laughing and so appreciative of the team's efforts and I was so proud of them.
WE handed out the food and then went to see the sewing project that the women there have been working at. Their small business employs 7 women and they are self sufficient. They did ask for a new sewing machine that does embroidery and we will purchase that before we leave. They are an incredible group of 7 women who are now earning money for support their families.
When we arrived back at the compound we had some lunch and everyone was emotionally drained. We left for Shimo slum and some walked and some of the team rode in the back of the truck with the rest of the bags of corn and beans. Shimo is a much poorer place and we were greeted by singing again. The team again responded but this place is difficult to see. Some of the widows had been drinking and the many many children were small and not very clean. It was difficult for some team members to see and they were saddened by the plight of the children. After 6 trips to this country I often feel that the children are a disposable commodity.
Tomorrow is a more relaxing day. My running team that the McCallums and us sponsor are doing a 15 kilometer race and we will hand out rubber braclets from Canada to all the participants and Canada pins. Cathy and I have some monetary prizes for the first few runners. We will then hand out the running shoes that were donated by local North Bay runners and collected by Active Running and cleaned to look like new by the Thomsens company. It should be a fun day and the girls are all happy that they don't have to wear skirts.
This team is incredible. They work hard and have a lot of fun in the evenings. The team is realizing just how fortunate and blessed their lives are at home. They all love children and holding kids and playing with them has become something that we all do well. They have not refused to do anything and are willing to try everything including the interesting food that we have eaten.
I am truly priviledged to be leading this team.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Oh What A Day Thursday Was!
Everyone who knows me, knows that I am not techno savvy ... but I will do my best! We were up early and greeted with homermade pancakes to give us the strength we needed to face our morning's job - packing 40,000 pounds of food that will be distributed to over 300 families on Friday. Yes you are reading correctly - 40,000 pounds of maize and beans. Although hard work and extremely tiring, the morning was filled with wonderful moments. The girls from our street girls home, NEEMA, came with their teachers to work alongside us, and what fun it was! A young teenager whom I had met two years ago shared some of her story and her growth and success because of the teachers and support she receives at NEEMA, an original Hope2Kenya initiative! A second young lady spoke quietly to me as we filled our bags saying that she remembered when she first saw us two years ago when our team first came to her village, Kolongolo. This girl has now been living at NEEMA for one year. She is healthy, is working at a Grade 6 level, and even though she is learning to sew with our vocational teacher, she is more interested in agriculture and gardening. It was such a delight to see these girls who had been living in such horrible conditions doing so well and looking forward to learning more and to having a future. Other great moments were sitting and sharing lunch together in the back yard of our compound at TI and the rousing game of volleyball at the end!
The afternoon offered a new experience for all of us. We drove outside of Kitale to a baby home called In Step. This is an American NGO that takes in abandoned, not orphaned, babies and children. There are 81 children there and when I say abandoned that is exactly what I mean. The youngest baby there is one month old and was left literally at their doorstep.The home is clean and staffed by wonderful and caring women who diaper, feed, burp, hug, play and teach the children...and how many of us have complained and moaned about the challenges of raising a family of one, two or three!
The ride to this baby home was another example of driving on Kenyan roads. Overall the roads are filled with holes and bumps which make for some interesting moves by the drivers. A fifteen to twenty kilometer trip can take up to one and a half hours at times, but the drives through the countryside are well worth it. For all the poverty and dire conditions that we see on a daily basis, it is nice to be reminded of the incredible beauty of this country! With all of the rains Kenya has been having, the corn is high, the landscape is lush and green, and the flowers are brilliant. Kenya is truly a country of contrasts filled with many warm and caring people!
We are all fine. Our team is incredible and it is such fun sharing this experience this year with our exceptional youth group! The energy is infectious!
I have included some photos from the beginning of our day with our food packing, to our visit to the baby home and ending with a picture of a Kenyan landscape. When you look at the picture of the children at the baby home, I hope you share a smile as you see these cute children holding and treasuring their 'Izzy' dolls made by many of you at home who support again and again our Hope2Kenya dreams of bringing hope to the children of Kenya.
Enjoy!
Cathy
The afternoon offered a new experience for all of us. We drove outside of Kitale to a baby home called In Step. This is an American NGO that takes in abandoned, not orphaned, babies and children. There are 81 children there and when I say abandoned that is exactly what I mean. The youngest baby there is one month old and was left literally at their doorstep.The home is clean and staffed by wonderful and caring women who diaper, feed, burp, hug, play and teach the children...and how many of us have complained and moaned about the challenges of raising a family of one, two or three!
The ride to this baby home was another example of driving on Kenyan roads. Overall the roads are filled with holes and bumps which make for some interesting moves by the drivers. A fifteen to twenty kilometer trip can take up to one and a half hours at times, but the drives through the countryside are well worth it. For all the poverty and dire conditions that we see on a daily basis, it is nice to be reminded of the incredible beauty of this country! With all of the rains Kenya has been having, the corn is high, the landscape is lush and green, and the flowers are brilliant. Kenya is truly a country of contrasts filled with many warm and caring people!
We are all fine. Our team is incredible and it is such fun sharing this experience this year with our exceptional youth group! The energy is infectious!
I have included some photos from the beginning of our day with our food packing, to our visit to the baby home and ending with a picture of a Kenyan landscape. When you look at the picture of the children at the baby home, I hope you share a smile as you see these cute children holding and treasuring their 'Izzy' dolls made by many of you at home who support again and again our Hope2Kenya dreams of bringing hope to the children of Kenya.
Enjoy!
Cathy
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
A Day at Sirende School
On Tuesday we visited Sirende Elementary School. Cathy and Sally provided teacher training while the youth entertained the school children. We started with grades 1-4, which, in Canada might have been 100 students total. As we walked toward the field ready to sing our silly songs and play some games we saw nearly 500 students eagerly waiting to meet the Mazungas! We sang the moose song, Jesus Loves Me (we will rock you style), the penguin song, boogaloo and many others which they all enjoyed. We brought out the soccer balls and tried to divide into teams which turned into chaos but we all had a great time. The grade 5-7 classes joined us next, again around 500 students ran towards us! They had fun with our songs and games. The soccer was a bit more organized, although one of the soccer balls got stuck in a tree. So, naturally one of the students climbed the 50 foot high tree to get it! We took a video of him on the way down, we will post this soon if we can get it working, it was incredible!
Here you can see him just under the leaves:
Here are a few more pictures from the day.
Overall, the day went well. It was hopeful to hear the story of Sirende school. Sandy has been visiting the school for a while now and they have come a long way, adding new classrooms and more teachers to the school. Although the students have so little they gain so much from their education. I was so grateful to have spent time with these students and have been filled with the joy they shared with us.
Here you can see him just under the leaves:
Here are a few more pictures from the day.
Overall, the day went well. It was hopeful to hear the story of Sirende school. Sandy has been visiting the school for a while now and they have come a long way, adding new classrooms and more teachers to the school. Although the students have so little they gain so much from their education. I was so grateful to have spent time with these students and have been filled with the joy they shared with us.
Bumpy Roads
Goodevening all!!!!!
Its been a very eventfull day begining this morning when we struck out for Kaibero at around 9 this morning.We required more oil in our van and then we were off on the long and crater-filled roads you have ever seen.Do not ever complain about the infrastructure at home PLEASE!!!!!!After a few hours we reached the school and the hildren came out to greet us.They are so young and full of life!We provided teacher training and the youth played with the students and sang songs.Sandi and Caren went to see MAMA Sally in Juakali .She is a very enterprising lady who handles our micro-buisness plus trains young ladies in tailoring. Sandi went to see Mary ,just one of her sponsor childen.We left to make the long ride home and had our meeting.Dinner and lights out.
Its been a very eventfull day begining this morning when we struck out for Kaibero at around 9 this morning.We required more oil in our van and then we were off on the long and crater-filled roads you have ever seen.Do not ever complain about the infrastructure at home PLEASE!!!!!!After a few hours we reached the school and the hildren came out to greet us.They are so young and full of life!We provided teacher training and the youth played with the students and sang songs.Sandi and Caren went to see MAMA Sally in Juakali .She is a very enterprising lady who handles our micro-buisness plus trains young ladies in tailoring. Sandi went to see Mary ,just one of her sponsor childen.We left to make the long ride home and had our meeting.Dinner and lights out.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Visit to the school for the deaf and Neema House
Today was the earliest morning yet. We had to leave at 7:30 to drive for an hour and a half to reach our first destination, which was St.Anthonys school for the hearing impaired. I think it is needless to say that it was the quietest school I had ever been to.
First they showed us the dorms. The large rooms were crowded with bunk beds so close together you could barely walk between them. George (who was taking us around the school) told us that it was the parent’s job to buy the mattresses. He also said that some parents couldn't pay for the mattress so the children sleep on the bare wire. Next we were shown the vocational class rooms. The school only goes up to grade eight, so after that they work in these class rooms and learn things like wood work and sewing.
At the end of our visit at the school all the children assembled in the yard and we preformed a few sign songs for them. The kids were so thrilled to see that we had learned some sign for them. It was lots of fun and almost all of them joined in. After the songs we handed out suckers, I was surprised to see how well they all listened.
Around 11:40 (40 minutes after our planed leaving time) we left the school to head to our next destination, Neema house. Neema house is home to six girls, all of which were or would have become street girls. They were so happy to have us visit them. It surprised me to see how quickly they warmed up to us, in only minutes we were playing like old friends. We gave the girls all new out fits and they tried them on right away. It was a great day at Neema.
- posted by Sarah
First they showed us the dorms. The large rooms were crowded with bunk beds so close together you could barely walk between them. George (who was taking us around the school) told us that it was the parent’s job to buy the mattresses. He also said that some parents couldn't pay for the mattress so the children sleep on the bare wire. Next we were shown the vocational class rooms. The school only goes up to grade eight, so after that they work in these class rooms and learn things like wood work and sewing.
At the end of our visit at the school all the children assembled in the yard and we preformed a few sign songs for them. The kids were so thrilled to see that we had learned some sign for them. It was lots of fun and almost all of them joined in. After the songs we handed out suckers, I was surprised to see how well they all listened.
Around 11:40 (40 minutes after our planed leaving time) we left the school to head to our next destination, Neema house. Neema house is home to six girls, all of which were or would have become street girls. They were so happy to have us visit them. It surprised me to see how quickly they warmed up to us, in only minutes we were playing like old friends. We gave the girls all new out fits and they tried them on right away. It was a great day at Neema.
- posted by Sarah
Visit to the school for the deaf and Neema
Today was the earliest morning yet. We had to leave at 7:30 to drive for an hour and a half to reach our first destination, which was St.Anthonys school for the hearing impaired. I think it is needless to say that it was the quietest school I had ever been to.
First they showed us the dorms. The large rooms were crowded with bunk beds so close together you could barely walk between them. George (who was taking us around the school) told us that it was the parent’s job to buy the mattresses. He also said that some parents couldn't pay for the mattress so the children sleep on the bare wire. Next we were shown the vocational class rooms. The school only goes up to grade eight, so after that they work in these class rooms and learn things like wood work and sewing.
At the end of our visit at the school all the children assembled in the yard and we preformed a few sign songs for them. The kids were so thrilled to see that we had learned some sign for them. It was lots of fun and almost all of them joined in. After the songs we handed out suckers, I was surprised to see how well they all listened.
Around 11:40 (40 minutes after our planed leaving time) we left the school to head to our next destination, Neema house. Neema house is home to six girls, all of which were or would have become street girls. They were so happy to have us visit them. It surprised me to see how quickly they warmed up to us, in only minutes we were playing like old friends. We gave the girls all new out fits and they tried them on right away. It was a great day at Neema.
First they showed us the dorms. The large rooms were crowded with bunk beds so close together you could barely walk between them. George (who was taking us around the school) told us that it was the parent’s job to buy the mattresses. He also said that some parents couldn't pay for the mattress so the children sleep on the bare wire. Next we were shown the vocational class rooms. The school only goes up to grade eight, so after that they work in these class rooms and learn things like wood work and sewing.
At the end of our visit at the school all the children assembled in the yard and we preformed a few sign songs for them. The kids were so thrilled to see that we had learned some sign for them. It was lots of fun and almost all of them joined in. After the songs we handed out suckers, I was surprised to see how well they all listened.
Around 11:40 (40 minutes after our planed leaving time) we left the school to head to our next destination, Neema house. Neema house is home to six girls, all of which were or would have become street girls. They were so happy to have us visit them. It surprised me to see how quickly they warmed up to us, in only minutes we were playing like old friends. We gave the girls all new out fits and they tried them on right away. It was a great day at Neema.
Day 2 at Veronica House!!
On July 12, the team retuned to the Veronica Home for the second day in a row to finish painting and to play with the kids. Since I was sick the day before, and didn’t get to meet the children, it was interesting to see how easily they warmed up to me and instantly treated me as an old friend. Unlike the school in the Kolongola village, there were only 15 children which made it easier to get to know them and talk to them one-on-one. It also made it hard to forget them!
We started our day by catching three taxis to the orphanage where we were instantly greeted by hugs and smiles. The house mother, Virginia, looks after five of her own children and ten orphans all under one roof. The youngest is her own baby named Mary and the oldest is a fifteen year old girl named Susan. We quickly went to work inside the house; finishing painting some of the walls and all the trim around the windows. The paint fumes in the house were so strong we were happy to be done just in time for lunch.
Once we finished painting we headed outside where we were served a “delicious” lunch of mashed up potatoes and beans... When we were done the kids entertained us with songs and dance that brought us all up our chairs. In return, we sung them a few songs that we learned that weren’t quite as choreographed and rehearsed as theirs. After lunch, our team member Cathy planted a tree in honour of a young girl named Veronica who passed away last year. Veronica was an orphan who was HIV positive and had been sponsored Cathy and her husband Don. Even though not all the team members had met Veronica, the small ceremony was meaningful to everyone.
We finished our time off at the Veronica House by making arts and crafts with the kids, and distributing the gifts we brought them. They were so grateful to each receive a hand made quilt, donated by different members of the Near North Quilting Group, an Izzy Doll, and a colourful knitted tuque. Before we left we had some time to talk to the kids and share stories. It was really upsetting to know that three of the children were HIV positive, especially after spending the day together. Overall, we had a great day the Veronica House. It was awesome to have spent the day with such wonderful children!!
Posted by Laura :)
We started our day by catching three taxis to the orphanage where we were instantly greeted by hugs and smiles. The house mother, Virginia, looks after five of her own children and ten orphans all under one roof. The youngest is her own baby named Mary and the oldest is a fifteen year old girl named Susan. We quickly went to work inside the house; finishing painting some of the walls and all the trim around the windows. The paint fumes in the house were so strong we were happy to be done just in time for lunch.
Once we finished painting we headed outside where we were served a “delicious” lunch of mashed up potatoes and beans... When we were done the kids entertained us with songs and dance that brought us all up our chairs. In return, we sung them a few songs that we learned that weren’t quite as choreographed and rehearsed as theirs. After lunch, our team member Cathy planted a tree in honour of a young girl named Veronica who passed away last year. Veronica was an orphan who was HIV positive and had been sponsored Cathy and her husband Don. Even though not all the team members had met Veronica, the small ceremony was meaningful to everyone.
We finished our time off at the Veronica House by making arts and crafts with the kids, and distributing the gifts we brought them. They were so grateful to each receive a hand made quilt, donated by different members of the Near North Quilting Group, an Izzy Doll, and a colourful knitted tuque. Before we left we had some time to talk to the kids and share stories. It was really upsetting to know that three of the children were HIV positive, especially after spending the day together. Overall, we had a great day the Veronica House. It was awesome to have spent the day with such wonderful children!!
Posted by Laura :)
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Mud between our toes... and under our nails and on our clothes and in our hair...
~Written by Steven Hepburn, part of the Hope 2 Kenya Youth Team 2010.
On July 10th the team, minus Laura who was sick and had to stay at the compound, traveled to Veronica Home (A home for children who are HIV positive), our plan for the day was to mud the hut in the morning then paint the home in the afternoon. Our plans were switched around as soon as we got there, due to a lack of water to make the mud needed to construct the hut. Apparently their was a blockage some where in the water line, but the water was trickling out of the tap so the started collecting what they could and we began painting.
There were four rooms that needed to be painted: the main living room/hallway, a boy’s room, two girl’s rooms, and the house mother’s room. We got started right away painting the living room and hallway a flesh tone, the boys room a light green on the top half of the walls and a blue on the bottom, in the girls room we painted walls pink and purple. We didn’t finish the blue in the boys room as we had to let the green paint dry first, we couldn’t paint the house mothers room because it had only been primed that morning and needed to dry, the hallway needs a second coat, and we got all of the girls rooms done but one wall that had the furniture pushed up against it. But we are going to go back to finish the painting, and by the time we had done all of that painting the house aunt and mother had prepared a large-portioned lunch of beans, cabbage, and rice.
After we tried our best to eat everything on our plates, we started to begin mudding the hut. Cathy took the ceremonious first jump into the mud to squish it around and she made one mud ball and put it in place thus beginning our a long, hard job! But some how Cathy and Sandy escaped the work to go out and purchase furniture for the home. We all took turns either making mud balls in the pit or putting the mud in place on the huts wooden framing. Some of us were not so fond of the idea of getting in the mud pit to make the balls while the rest of us were very excited to get in the pit in our bare feet and squish the mud between our toes and attempt to make balls, when I asked somebody what the trick to making the balls was they said “be Kenyan”! Although we weren’t Kenyan we completed the hut in just over 2 hours, much to the surprise of our Kenyan taxi drivers.
We then played with the children from the home while waiting for our taxi’s to come and get us; we handed out suckers and bubbles to all of the children who had a blast with them! Although we all went back to the compound looking like oompa loompas, because we were all stained a wonderful shade of orange from the mud, this is definitely an experience we will all remember for a very long time!
And if you are interested in building your own mud hut here are some simple instructions:
1) Make mud and squish it between your toes.
2) Put mud in between sticks that are constructed to resemble a hut.
3) Keep piling mud between sticks until it looks like your finished.
4) Pray that the walls don’t fall down!
On July 10th the team, minus Laura who was sick and had to stay at the compound, traveled to Veronica Home (A home for children who are HIV positive), our plan for the day was to mud the hut in the morning then paint the home in the afternoon. Our plans were switched around as soon as we got there, due to a lack of water to make the mud needed to construct the hut. Apparently their was a blockage some where in the water line, but the water was trickling out of the tap so the started collecting what they could and we began painting.
There were four rooms that needed to be painted: the main living room/hallway, a boy’s room, two girl’s rooms, and the house mother’s room. We got started right away painting the living room and hallway a flesh tone, the boys room a light green on the top half of the walls and a blue on the bottom, in the girls room we painted walls pink and purple. We didn’t finish the blue in the boys room as we had to let the green paint dry first, we couldn’t paint the house mothers room because it had only been primed that morning and needed to dry, the hallway needs a second coat, and we got all of the girls rooms done but one wall that had the furniture pushed up against it. But we are going to go back to finish the painting, and by the time we had done all of that painting the house aunt and mother had prepared a large-portioned lunch of beans, cabbage, and rice.
After we tried our best to eat everything on our plates, we started to begin mudding the hut. Cathy took the ceremonious first jump into the mud to squish it around and she made one mud ball and put it in place thus beginning our a long, hard job! But some how Cathy and Sandy escaped the work to go out and purchase furniture for the home. We all took turns either making mud balls in the pit or putting the mud in place on the huts wooden framing. Some of us were not so fond of the idea of getting in the mud pit to make the balls while the rest of us were very excited to get in the pit in our bare feet and squish the mud between our toes and attempt to make balls, when I asked somebody what the trick to making the balls was they said “be Kenyan”! Although we weren’t Kenyan we completed the hut in just over 2 hours, much to the surprise of our Kenyan taxi drivers.
We then played with the children from the home while waiting for our taxi’s to come and get us; we handed out suckers and bubbles to all of the children who had a blast with them! Although we all went back to the compound looking like oompa loompas, because we were all stained a wonderful shade of orange from the mud, this is definitely an experience we will all remember for a very long time!
And if you are interested in building your own mud hut here are some simple instructions:
1) Make mud and squish it between your toes.
2) Put mud in between sticks that are constructed to resemble a hut.
3) Keep piling mud between sticks until it looks like your finished.
4) Pray that the walls don’t fall down!
Friday, July 9, 2010
Visit to Kolongolo Village
Our team has arrived safely in Africa and yesterday was our first day out in the projects. The drive from Kitale to the village is about 23 kilometres which would take about 20 minutes in Canada. In Africa, though, everything is different. Our little matatu truck made it through the most amazing terrain. The road is a dirt road (red dirt) with many ruts. It had rained through the night, so the road was slippery and sloshy. It was amazing to see how well the driver negotiated the obstacles.
There are African people everywhere - absolutely everywhere. In Canada, when you drive down the roads, there aren't any people, unless you are in a city where the people are on the sidewalks. Here, there are people walking on the road, sitting beside the road, in the fields, with donkeys, cows, goats everywhere. Many, many people - people everywhere. They watch us with curious eyes as we drive by. White people are a curiosity.
From time to time, we meet a police check on the road. Here, the police will expect a bribe in order to allow the vehicle to pass. The Kenyan government and many of the churches are corrupt. Corrupt is a word that has a new meaning to me. The corruption is total and permeates every single facet of life. The beautiful corn fields that are everywhere, are off limits to the average African. If they go in to pick the corn, they are arrested. The owners don't want the Africans eating the corn.
As we go through some villages, I look at the "buildings". In Canada, they wouldn't even be called buildings - most of them wouldn't even qualify as shacks! And yet, housed in these buildings are stores, markets, restaurants and all other types of businesses. I saw a motorcycle repair shop and a bicycle repair shop.
The geography of this region is beautiful. Corn fields for miles and then beautiful hills in the distance.
When we arrived at the village, we went to the school which was built totally with funds from the people of North Bay. It is a relatively big building in a nice field surrounded by cornfields. The children were wonderful. They performed a couple of songs for us. One of the songs was called The Butterfly and the other was called The Elephant. It was obvious that we were considered very special guests. I felt very humbled as I am just an ordinary person like them, but they treated us like kings and queens. After the performance - we split up into our work groups. Cathy and I did some teacher training with the three teachers. Mercy, 19, Sarah, 22 and Gladys 27. They were so appreciative of our ideas and the supplies we took to them that it tore at my heart. Our student team members played games with the children while we worked with the teachers. Caren and Sandy handed out new clothes to all of the children. They were very excited. We also gave them all suckers. It was difficult to talk to the children as we don't know any Swahili, but there was much love in the air, so the words didn't matter too much. The children sat on Laura, Stephen, Sandra, Sarah and Emily. They touched their hair and their skin and it was obvious that they were very curious.
We had lunch in Pastor Victor's mud hut. This was an experience in itself. We were served a feast of beef, rice, cabbage, chupatis, bottled water and fruit. The meal had been prepared by Caroline - a girl visiting from Uganda - over an open fire. When we arrived at the hut, one of the women washed our hands for us with a pitcher and a basin of warm water. I was reminded of the biblical scenes where it was common to wash your guests feet. Again, a most humbling experience.
The afternoon was spent painting the school and singing. We worked alongside some African men and sang as we painted and waited for the truck. When the truck arrived, we drove back to Kitale to a BBQ hosted by Transformed International. The guest list consisted of people from all over the world, many of whom live in Kitale permanently and work to help improve conditions for the African people. I met people from Sudan, England, Canada, United States, Holland, Israel, Uganda and Kenyan.
The members of our student team did the dishes. They are awesome!
All in all, it was a great first day to the projects. Now, it is time to get ready to go to Veronica House.
- written by Sally
There are African people everywhere - absolutely everywhere. In Canada, when you drive down the roads, there aren't any people, unless you are in a city where the people are on the sidewalks. Here, there are people walking on the road, sitting beside the road, in the fields, with donkeys, cows, goats everywhere. Many, many people - people everywhere. They watch us with curious eyes as we drive by. White people are a curiosity.
From time to time, we meet a police check on the road. Here, the police will expect a bribe in order to allow the vehicle to pass. The Kenyan government and many of the churches are corrupt. Corrupt is a word that has a new meaning to me. The corruption is total and permeates every single facet of life. The beautiful corn fields that are everywhere, are off limits to the average African. If they go in to pick the corn, they are arrested. The owners don't want the Africans eating the corn.
As we go through some villages, I look at the "buildings". In Canada, they wouldn't even be called buildings - most of them wouldn't even qualify as shacks! And yet, housed in these buildings are stores, markets, restaurants and all other types of businesses. I saw a motorcycle repair shop and a bicycle repair shop.
The geography of this region is beautiful. Corn fields for miles and then beautiful hills in the distance.
When we arrived at the village, we went to the school which was built totally with funds from the people of North Bay. It is a relatively big building in a nice field surrounded by cornfields. The children were wonderful. They performed a couple of songs for us. One of the songs was called The Butterfly and the other was called The Elephant. It was obvious that we were considered very special guests. I felt very humbled as I am just an ordinary person like them, but they treated us like kings and queens. After the performance - we split up into our work groups. Cathy and I did some teacher training with the three teachers. Mercy, 19, Sarah, 22 and Gladys 27. They were so appreciative of our ideas and the supplies we took to them that it tore at my heart. Our student team members played games with the children while we worked with the teachers. Caren and Sandy handed out new clothes to all of the children. They were very excited. We also gave them all suckers. It was difficult to talk to the children as we don't know any Swahili, but there was much love in the air, so the words didn't matter too much. The children sat on Laura, Stephen, Sandra, Sarah and Emily. They touched their hair and their skin and it was obvious that they were very curious.
We had lunch in Pastor Victor's mud hut. This was an experience in itself. We were served a feast of beef, rice, cabbage, chupatis, bottled water and fruit. The meal had been prepared by Caroline - a girl visiting from Uganda - over an open fire. When we arrived at the hut, one of the women washed our hands for us with a pitcher and a basin of warm water. I was reminded of the biblical scenes where it was common to wash your guests feet. Again, a most humbling experience.
The afternoon was spent painting the school and singing. We worked alongside some African men and sang as we painted and waited for the truck. When the truck arrived, we drove back to Kitale to a BBQ hosted by Transformed International. The guest list consisted of people from all over the world, many of whom live in Kitale permanently and work to help improve conditions for the African people. I met people from Sudan, England, Canada, United States, Holland, Israel, Uganda and Kenyan.
The members of our student team did the dishes. They are awesome!
All in all, it was a great first day to the projects. Now, it is time to get ready to go to Veronica House.
- written by Sally
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
We Leave Today
I woke up this morning early and realized that today we leave. I feel like I am going to my "other home." I always feel so comfortable when I am in Kenya and I am hopeful that our team feels good about being there as well. I pray for safety and ask folks to do the same for our team.
I am excited to meet with the folks of Transformed International (TI). This is the NGO that we work with in Kitale, Kenya. We stay on their compound and all of the projects that we do in that area go through this group. Daniel Lipparelli is a young American who started this NGO and he is about 30 but wise beyond his years. Sean and Meredith Steward are a young married couple from Ontario who work with Daniel and are amazing couple. Meredith wears her heart on her sleeve and any child who comes in contact with her loves her immediately and within seconds is snuggling on her lap. Anne is the Kenyan social worker employed by TI and she is a working dynamo. We are hoping to train a couple of young women as nurses to work in some of our projects and they would also report to TI I feel so blessed that we have such amazing people to work with when we are there
I am excited to meet with the folks of Transformed International (TI). This is the NGO that we work with in Kitale, Kenya. We stay on their compound and all of the projects that we do in that area go through this group. Daniel Lipparelli is a young American who started this NGO and he is about 30 but wise beyond his years. Sean and Meredith Steward are a young married couple from Ontario who work with Daniel and are amazing couple. Meredith wears her heart on her sleeve and any child who comes in contact with her loves her immediately and within seconds is snuggling on her lap. Anne is the Kenyan social worker employed by TI and she is a working dynamo. We are hoping to train a couple of young women as nurses to work in some of our projects and they would also report to TI I feel so blessed that we have such amazing people to work with when we are there
Friday, July 2, 2010
Few days to go
I am organized, finally for the next trip to Kenya. I have a few things left to do like getting medical packs strapped and handles added so we can carry them. We are carrying two medical packs which were generously donated by a North Bay couple. We will have to pay for the extra baggage but they are well worth taking since they contain medicines for children and will help the kids in our new orphanage.
I am hoping that the students will be blogging about their experiences so keep an eye on this site for all the latest about what we will be doing.
The people of North Bay and area have been so generous with their money, donations of supplies, knitting and sewing skills and I want to express a sincere thank you to everyone for all their help. The team goes over and does the work that needs to be done, but the entire community helps in so many different ways.
Thanks to evryone for all your help and generosity in bringing hope to the children of Kenya.
I am hoping that the students will be blogging about their experiences so keep an eye on this site for all the latest about what we will be doing.
The people of North Bay and area have been so generous with their money, donations of supplies, knitting and sewing skills and I want to express a sincere thank you to everyone for all their help. The team goes over and does the work that needs to be done, but the entire community helps in so many different ways.
Thanks to evryone for all your help and generosity in bringing hope to the children of Kenya.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Sandy's Triathlon
I have just completed my first triathlon to raise funds for Kenya. I raised $3245.00 and had a great time training and finishing the tri. I had to learn to really swim well. I had taken lessons 4 years ago but this past winter I worked hard so that I could complete the 1000 meters at the North Bay Tri. I trained hard on my bike, but I am not so big and strong, but managed to do the 32 kilometers in a good time for me. I was so excited when I finished the bike ride that I knew I could complete the 8.2 km run so I ran walked it and was grinning from ear to ear when I finished.\
This whole fundraising experience would not have been possible without the help of several people: my training partner Brenda Lalonde, my swimming buddies Brenda Walsh and Cathy Rennie, the person who always makes you feel like you can conquer anything Viola Burke and my husband Gerry who supports everything that I do.
The money raised will go a long way in helping the children in Kenya.
This whole fundraising experience would not have been possible without the help of several people: my training partner Brenda Lalonde, my swimming buddies Brenda Walsh and Cathy Rennie, the person who always makes you feel like you can conquer anything Viola Burke and my husband Gerry who supports everything that I do.
The money raised will go a long way in helping the children in Kenya.
Getting ready
Today team members were at my home and we packed our 18 bags. It was quite exciting to fit everything we want to take with us to Kenya into our large black hockey type bags. Our team is great and the youth going on this trip are incredible. Steven Hepburn just got back from being one of a few students selected from across Canada to be at the G8 and G20 summits. He had a great experience and I know that he added something by being there. He is an amazing young man and will be a great asset to our team. Sarah Schroeder, Sandra Brownlee and Laura Chute are quite remarkable young women who have contributed something to their community and school. Emily Duggan, in her Masters program at Emmanuelle College in Toronto, is our youth leader and is a young woman who has a level head on her shoulders and is a great role model for the youth that are on the trip.
I think they are excited about the trip and maybe a bit aprehensive since everything is unknown to them. I am sure they will all be great ambassadors for the Hope2Kenya team and for our town of North Bay.
I think they are excited about the trip and maybe a bit aprehensive since everything is unknown to them. I am sure they will all be great ambassadors for the Hope2Kenya team and for our town of North Bay.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Leaving in Two weeks
Out Hope2Kenya team is getting ready to leave on July 6th. Unfortunately we are now down to 9 members since Debbie Jones had to drop out due to an accident that she had. She was our teacher trainer and we will miss her.
Wonderful things have continued to happen for Hope2Kenya. Many people in our area have felt called to help in many different ways. A group from Living Fit in North Bay began making Tippi/Izzy dolls for us. These are hand knit tiny dolls that we can take with us to hand out to children. Most of the children in Kenya do not have toys and these will be wonderful for the kids to have. Several other women picked up the idea from their Living Fit friends and we are now taking over 200 dolls with us.
I spoke to a small knitting group and they and their friends have made over 40 sweaters for young children.
People have donated money and school supplies and medical supplies and the list goes on. I am so grateful for all of the individuals and groups who have contributed to us in some way.
FJ McElligott in Mattawa is one of the smallest high schools in the Near North District School Board with only 125 students. Under the direction of teacher Chris Davies this school raised $2120.00 for our team. This money will be used to help complete a school in Kolongolo Village.
Our Fashion show and luncheon held at the Ram's Head Restaurant in Callander yielded $700.00 for our fund and the whole luncheon was great fun. Joyce's Fashions and lia sophia jewellery came together to create a wonderful array of outfits.
Our plans are now in place for the work we will do in Kenya. The youth that are going are incredible young people and are excited about what they can contribute.
It will be interesting to see what the next few weeks brings before we go.
Monday, April 5, 2010
I want to catch people up on what has been going on with the team recently.
We held our Pasta dinner on February 20, 2010 with the help of team members and their families. We spent the day cooking and organizing and the dinner was a great succcess. We held a bake sale at the same time and had a table of Kenyan craft for sale as well. the students did the serving and clean up.
We served over 150 people and managed a tidy sum which will go towards helping to defray the cost of the student's trip.
In the photo the students were thanking evryone for coming.
On February 6th. Steven Hepburn and Sandy Foster took part in the International Food Fair held at Nipissing University. Sandy made Kenyan "doughnuts" that they sold and had a display of theHope2Kenya work that has been done. All the funds raised from this event were used by the University Students to support an African student who is attending the Univesity. It gave the Hope2Kenya team a chance to talk about what they will be doing in Kenya this July.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
upcoming Kenya trip
I have not blogged for several months. Our hope2kenya team was in Kenya last year from mid September to mid October doing 5 medical clinics. It was an eye opening experience for all 5 members of the team. To update yourself on the trip you can go to www.hope2kenya.org.
We are now preparing for another trip. This is the largest team I have taken and is consists of 10 people including 5 youth. This is the first time I have taken youth on a team and I am very excited about it. These kids are all amazing and come from different backgrounds and schools. the youngest is 16 and the oldest is 24. Our adult team has one returning member, Cathy McCallum, and this is her third trip with me. The other members are all newbies but are excited about the challenges that will face us.
Debbie Jones is from a small place called Verona, outside Kingston, Ont. She is a "master"teacher (my words) and will be doing teacher training at the schools that we help support. While she is doing this, with the help of Cathy, the rest of the team will be handling the classrooms. This will be exciting for everyone.
As of Friday of this week we should have purchased a piece of land with a building on it which will be the new orphanage for young children with HIV/AIDS. We are working along with Transformed International on this projects and our hope is to house 10 children. Once we can raise more funds we will do an expansion. Since the property is large, the hope is to build a home for our Neema Home, which houses our street girls program. We will be working on the building when we are there, and purchasing the furnishings and equipment for the orphanage.
The school we built at Kolongolo Village last year is finished and our job this year is to paint the interior of the school to make it a brigh and cheery place to be.
We are also hoping to send a container to Kenya with school furnishings and resources, wheelchairs, crutches, canes, board games, shoes, games and anything else that we think the people in our projects can use. If you have anything just give Sandy a call at 705-752-2156 to arrange pickup.
On February 20th we are having a Pasta dinner at Trinity United Church in North Bay beginning at 5:00 pm, to help raise funds to offset the students trip and on February 26th Trinity Arts is sponsoring the Tenor Jeff Wiseman in concert at the church at 7:30 pm. Hope2kenya will receive $6.00 from every ticket sold for the performance.
Since we are going in July (to accomodate the youth that are going) we have to work hard to raise funds for our projects in only 5 months. With the disaster in Haiti it will be an uphill battle but we always seem to manage.
Keep reading for upcoming blogs as we again approach another exciting adventure to bring help and hope to the orphans and widows in Kenya..
We are now preparing for another trip. This is the largest team I have taken and is consists of 10 people including 5 youth. This is the first time I have taken youth on a team and I am very excited about it. These kids are all amazing and come from different backgrounds and schools. the youngest is 16 and the oldest is 24. Our adult team has one returning member, Cathy McCallum, and this is her third trip with me. The other members are all newbies but are excited about the challenges that will face us.
Debbie Jones is from a small place called Verona, outside Kingston, Ont. She is a "master"teacher (my words) and will be doing teacher training at the schools that we help support. While she is doing this, with the help of Cathy, the rest of the team will be handling the classrooms. This will be exciting for everyone.
As of Friday of this week we should have purchased a piece of land with a building on it which will be the new orphanage for young children with HIV/AIDS. We are working along with Transformed International on this projects and our hope is to house 10 children. Once we can raise more funds we will do an expansion. Since the property is large, the hope is to build a home for our Neema Home, which houses our street girls program. We will be working on the building when we are there, and purchasing the furnishings and equipment for the orphanage.
The school we built at Kolongolo Village last year is finished and our job this year is to paint the interior of the school to make it a brigh and cheery place to be.
We are also hoping to send a container to Kenya with school furnishings and resources, wheelchairs, crutches, canes, board games, shoes, games and anything else that we think the people in our projects can use. If you have anything just give Sandy a call at 705-752-2156 to arrange pickup.
On February 20th we are having a Pasta dinner at Trinity United Church in North Bay beginning at 5:00 pm, to help raise funds to offset the students trip and on February 26th Trinity Arts is sponsoring the Tenor Jeff Wiseman in concert at the church at 7:30 pm. Hope2kenya will receive $6.00 from every ticket sold for the performance.
Since we are going in July (to accomodate the youth that are going) we have to work hard to raise funds for our projects in only 5 months. With the disaster in Haiti it will be an uphill battle but we always seem to manage.
Keep reading for upcoming blogs as we again approach another exciting adventure to bring help and hope to the orphans and widows in Kenya..
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