Jambo!
Late Spring- what an amazing time of year… here in Montana it’s a time of emerald green, blossoming flowers, and crazy weather. In Kenya it’s the end of the “big rains” and the beginning of the most prolific growing season. A time of new growth- which is exactly what has been happening with the girls in the Nakuru 3:16 program. It has been a very productive several months and, rather than try to re-tell the story myself, I’m going to let Regina tell it in her own (abridged) words below.
Before I do, here’s a quick update on fundraising: despite the economic crisis, we’re on target for fundraising in 2009- thank you so much for your generous support. We’re hoping to keep the momentum up so that we can invest in some of the projects that Regina has laid out below: primary school education, vocation training, nursery school, etc. We have also applied for a large grant to purchase a farm that will lead to sustainability and are looking for other grants that fit this project. Finally, we are also starting an outreach and feeding program for the girls and boys still living on the streets, some of whom are family members of the girls in the program. Things continue to move in very exciting and encouraging directions. As we move into these new endeavors, we’d ask that you please continue to support this project in any way you can.
Now, without further ado- from Regina:
PRIMARY SCHOOL
When school session resumed in January, five of our children joined Jamhuri primary school with the help of one of the members of the PCEA Kiamunyeki committee and also a teacher at the school, Mrs. Lucy Gathuri.
- Agnes Napeiyo – joined class 5
- Elizabeth Angule – class 6
- Daniel mbote – class 2
- Joseph Mwangi - class 1
- John Kamau – class 1
After several weeks Elizabeth Angule dropped out due to serious psychological and emotional problems. After consultation with the committee, we decided to get and place her under counseling. After two months, she finally opened up, that her aunt used to beat her badly and mistreat her. She was finally relieved by opening up. This was the beginning of a new Person in that she became obedient and can socialize freely with her peers. When the school opened in May, she went back and is doing great.
In February Margaret Njeri – joined class 7, and that week she joined the volley ball team and she is now the best player in the school. Recently she has had to cut down on the Extra curriculum until her grades improve.
At the end of the term, the school closed and the results were good but not satisfactory, they need lots of improvement.
At the beginning of the following term, Jane Moraa, a shy young girl with a magnificent smile (which you wont see till after establishing relationships)who we picked from the streets, joined class 3. She was very excited and kept admiring herself in the new school uniforms. Everyday she has to pass by my office and show me all her books and frankly, it’s impressive.
Mrs. Lucy Gathuri, has been providing all our children with every thing they need in school including; desks, chairs, some exercise books, most of the text books, etc. She is providing all the motherly love they need and counseling.
VOCATIONAL TRAINING
At the beginning of the year, with the girls, we did a SWOT Analysis of the projects and skills they would want. The results showed the following (according to most preferred to the least preferred);
- Vegetable Garden
- Liquid soap making
- Hair dressing and beauty therapy
- Poultry keeping
- Dress making
- Knitting
- Bead work
- Weaving
VEGETABLES
According to the resource availability, we started preparation of the land ready for planting, which had too many plastic bags, bottles and rocks, since it was the dumping area for the previous tenant and it was also virgin land (has never been planted before).It took two weeks to clear every thing up. We started digging up still removing plastic bags; it took 3 times of digging to make the land soft. We divided the land into pieces, we made a seed bed for kales (sukuma wiki) and then waited for the rains. When the rains came we started planting of amaranth and cowpeas, spinach, saghetti, managu, beet root, carrots, coriander, and later on we transplanted the kales. During all this time the girls were working so hard but constantly complaining of the manual work. When there was no rain the girls were forced to water the garden manually. Every girl has a piece of the garden.
Currently (after one month of planting), the girls are harvesting the amaranth and cowpeas and we do not have to buy them any more. In two weeks time the spinach will be ready for harvest. For the first time I saw genuine interest in the girls for the garden since they can taste the fruits of their hard work.
LIQUID SOAP MAKING
The girls had the chance of being taught and participate in the skill of making liquid soap, which is a one time class. It entailed knowing the ingredients, quantities and order of mixing. They also used the multi-purpose soap at the centre to wash the house, wash rooms, blankets and utensils.
HAIRDRESSING AND BEATY THERAPY
We were able to acquire few materials for the course to start them off. There were volunteers that had taken over teaching them but after a month the volunteers got busy and stopped coming regularly. In my opinion, most of the girls were totally excited and interested in this course. If we could get a permanent teacher and materials and equipment for them, it would go along way because this is a longer course than the hand skills (at least six months and they would be able to acquire a certificate).
POULTRY KEEPING
We started off with five indigenous chickens which were donated to us, two of them were already laying eggs, and we kept the eggs for production, after some weeks, seven chicks were hatched then tree died for remained. Currently we have nine chicken and 4 chicks from the second production. Only the children get to enjoy the eggs since they are not enough for everyone. We hope the project will expand slowly since the egg from the indigenous chicken is more nutritious and more marketable than the grade one.
TAILORING AND DRESSMAKING
Some girls had expressed interest in dress making but we did not have the equipments. Recently we acquired two sewing machines, one for embroidery and the other for normal sewing and also most of the sewing equipments were donated previously, so we bought just a few things. The girls were very eager to start. They began by being taught the parts of the machine, types of stitches, measurements. They all measured and cut skirts on brown papers and sewed them up. Some are now ready to move to an actual piece of cloth but some are finding it very difficult because of the mathematics involved. Today Susan Mueni hand sew a skirt for her daughter, it looks amazing.
KNITTING
After we acquired equipments such as crotchets, looming frames, and threads, the demo classes started immediately. Some girls took on the crotchets and some on the looming frames. After one week, the girls were able to come out with one woolen mat by themselves without the help of their tutor. The committee has provided us with enough looming frames for commercial production. We have already gotten some orders but we are yet to get the knitting threads.
BEAD WORK
The girls expressed interest in bead art and the ideas they have are fabulous if put into practice. Luckily we have a volunteer who is talented and earns a living from the same. She donated beads, thread, hooks, pendants, etc for demonstration purposes. They learnt the single line chains and they came up with beautiful ones. We have already sold some of them to our friends and families. They are yet to be taught more styles once we have more beads.
WEAVING
We have not yet touched on that part.
The following is a budget to boost the primary school children and the vocational training and the home at large;
SOCIAL ACTIVITIES
The children’s counseling class has been regular and frequent, the result are great especially in discipline.
On the other hand, the mothers are improving, day by day showing their baby steps progress though not so consistent. The counselors have been coming but inconsistently and irregularly. In my opinion, more positive results would be attained if we had a permanent professional counselor for the mothers.
Just before the schools were opened, I took the initiative of taking most of the children and some of the girls to a public swimming pool and play ground so that they can have fun and I can observe how they will interact with the other children. I chose one of the prestigious swimming places in Nakuru, and gathered swimming costumes, snacks and transport for them. Most of them have never been to places like those so that morning they were prepared earlier than usual and waiting. When I picked them they were too excited that I cannot put into words. When we got there they did not want to waist any time, they changed and got into the water. You could not even tell apart them and the other kids. Their behavior and manners were impeccable even better than the other kids. Can you believe we stayed there till evening and still they didn’t want to leave! Bottom line, they all had fun, fun fun!
SPIRITUAL ACTIVITIES
The morning and evening devotions are working out well, the bibles they were brought for are also contributing to the progress in their knowledge. Nowadays, the girls pray till I open my eyes and stare at them. I can’t believe just how much they have grown.
We have been visiting the Kiamunyeki Parish churches with Zablon and sometimes invitations for functions e.g. wedding at ACK church, fundraiser at PCEA Kiratina Church, etc. All those times the girls and children have been performing songs and memory verses. This time the congregations have treated us in a special way compared to the first time we were there. Stevenson Githii church composed and sang a song for us and recently they came and shot the video at 3:16 with the girls and children. This has been a wonderful experience for them that each Sunday, they ask if they are being taken to church. Most of the time the church sends an Evangelist at the centre on Sundays which is also great.
OTHERS
Renovations: It turned around the look of the home in general, it looks beautiful. Most importantly, we got an extra class with furniture, an equipped office/reception area, storage area for the food and utensils, security lighting system, etc”