Kenyan Help required : from possibly you?

[Poly Hive]

Dear Forum (Admin feel free to move this thread)

Julie and I arrived back in the UK from our honeymoon in Kenya on safari today.

We took with us some bits and bobs to donate to a school and whilst on the Masai Mara we asked our driver and spotter if there was a school near by that we could drop this stuff off to. Answer yes.

What was happening at the school is another story which I will blog over the next few days but the overall position is this.

The Masai people count their wealth in cows. Until about 8 weeks ago there was a three year drought. The school governor we talked to counted himself lucky to have two cows left from his 58. Many have lost all their stock.

Against this background of disaster the school functions bravely.

There are five classrooms with tin roofs and cement walls and floors. Most of the floors have holes in them. The windows are all broken, whether from games or the heat I cannot tell.

The class rooms have some desks but seemingly not enough to go round though it was hard to judge as they were outside for an event that was to happen that day. What was clear was that there were no teaching aids at all apart from a long chalk board which had no chalk to write on it.

Books are so precious that they are kept locked in the headmasters office.

The Head was sponsored by World Vision, and is now back in his own village in this position which was the ambition World Vision had. Sadly for what ever reason they have withdrawn from this part of Kenya or possibly from Kenya as a whole, we were unable to establish why.

Julie and I received a pack from the school governor which I will scan and put on my blog so if you are interested you can see the ambitions the school has and very laudable they are too.

Julie and I intend to at the very least put together a package of soft toys,chalk and footballs to send out as soon as. We have the headmasters contact info and will be in touch with him to ask him what his priorities are to enable him to motivate his kids and to enable his staff to teach more effectively.

If you would like to help us to help some who have really nothing then please get in touch.

Thanks

PH

 

[Heather]

And sponsor a child everyone , www.worldvision.org.uk/

i have a lad in Bolivia. Unless they have a birth certificate they cannot get health care nor schooling. It costs £5. but many dont have, as too expensive for them - so in this way we get to know a child, get reports, send gifts (pencils, games art books warm socks etc) and he writes a letter back. He goes to school. Better to light a candle than curse the dark

This is my 4th child ( eldest one must be 40 if he is still alive (African) - and it is a joy to give back a little when we have so much. Here, sadly, children think school is a chore- Africa- they are hungry for educaton as well as food.

I also have the Pearl of Africa Chilreds Choir to stay each year. last year, also had the farmer/beekeeper stay. He was devastated one morning as he heard that back home a cow had died in calf - so stopping every child in the orphanage getting it s quota- ONE cup of milk a week!!! Needless to say he got it replaced
But we have so much- and when you see close hand as did PH- then you realise what we waste and how we have to help in whatever way we can. Look past corrupt government and scams = the people at grass roots are great, polite, and a joy to know.

 

[hedgerow pete]

what are we talking about here shoe boxs in the post of money via bank accounts or is there some thing else i can do to help

 

[Poly Hive]

I am getting in touch with the head this week to ask what is needed first.

I am very wary of diving in and being all "helpful" in an inappropriate manner so am asking the guy in charge what he wants.

PH

 

[hedgerow pete]

I dont mind putting stationary in the post but i think the posty would prefere not to deliver bricks, lol

I mentioned shoe boxs because that is our way when we can afford to do it at christmas time

 

[grizzly]

Be very careful when sending anything to east africa by post, for years we have been sending cards, letters, parcels to family only to have most of it dissapear.

Good effort PH, im sure materials will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Poly Hive]

As mentioned, and I am dropping here now due to fatigue, I intend sending materials, and mainly materials requested by the Head and Board of the school. I say mainly as there is an obvious need to my western eyes for toys for the wee ones. Not to mention balls for the older ones.

PH (up 40 hrs)

 

[Heather]

When my pals go out to the orphanage in Uganda - they take discontinued school books- they have one between 20 now.
But the choir there come over to UK to raise money to keep the orphanage going for the next year.
There is a great problem with theft at airports, as has been said. If they know the day it is to arrive they are there to grab quickly before it is nabbed.
We dont know we are born over here- but still moan

 

[hedgerow pete]

very true point Heather,when I used to send stuff to Africa to a friend we used to send it to somewhere safe,at the time an office in Rusape in Zimbabwe.
They then they used to collect it once a month, nothing valuable just pens paper books etc.

We used to also send what were called school treat boxes,they contained stuff like boiled sweets and balloons,tennis balls and such like.
we tried to send bigger footballs but the cost of bike pumps and flattened balls were a little much.

The last time we went to see these friends I took one small hand luggage bag and when we got to the airport went shopping and brought loads of stuff for them to take with us,but as Heather said its trying to get the goods to the right people.