Wednesday, December 20, 2006

 

Great News and Photos from End of Term/Christmas Party!!

A new donor group has emerged from Italy this past couple of months and has helped the Happy Children's Centre tremendously with completing the second building and providing desks, shoes and uniforms for at least 200 of the kids. Malindi, the city where HCC is located, is a favorite place with Italians and many have second homes in the area, so this is not surprising. Rev. Zablon says there has been some language barriers, but they seem to be working out the challenges and the Italians are interested in helping to dig a well and bring electricity to the building site. The children are being moved to the site (perhaps it has already happened, I'm not quite sure about this) so that they don't have to walk so far in the rain to school and to keep down the cost of renting their previous residence. The completion of the second building makes this possible, although there are still the issue of toilets and water.

I continue to ask Zablon to consider the completion of the toilets and floors of the first building important priorities, but some of what happens next will depend on the Italian donors as well as our generous American donors. Jim may be going to Kenya in January, and if he does I hope to know more from him. Sophie has given us regular updates, but she has recently expanded her business and will be gone for a few weeks for the Christmas holidays. However, donations come in wonderful and unexpected places...an eight year old girl read about HCC AIDS orphans in an article about my work in Kenya and she decided to have a birthday party where people gave money to HCC instead of bringing her presents! I continue to sell cards of the orphans' artwork as well. Still, it is frustrating not to be closer to be able to see the children in person and to see the progress of the building site.

Below: Photos taken at the End of Year/Christmas Party which was sponsored by donors concerned that the children get more protien in their diet. (See the piles of food--each child got one egg.) The orphans had a wonderful party with goat, rice, eggs, bananas, juice, cookies and LOTS of fun! They put on dramatic skits, sang and each of the teachers received tea and sugar as a thank you present as well. A great time was had by all and they were deeply grateful for this party and the generosity of our American donors who made it possible!


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