The paperwork is done!

It's amazing how complicated sending money to a group in Africa can be. In order for those who donate to get charitable receipts we need to have a registered charity, The Alphonse Gerwing Foundation, and then a group that has the track record and Revenue Canada reporting ability, Rainbow of Hope, and then the group in Kenya has to have a bank account in a bank that can receive international money, Kenya Commercial Bank.

And all this has to be done by email which sounds fast but isn't when much of Kenya outside of Nairobi doesn't have service and they have to use USB satellite sticks and travel by matatu (small vans authorized to carry passengers) and bus to get anywhere like the bank or get together for a meeting.

It's phenomenal that it happens at all. Too bad the mail system can't be trusted. I mailed a camera more than 2 months ago - luckily not that expensive - but it's not arrived yet and I expect someone helped themselves to it!

Lets build a fence!

Through the wonders of Skype I (Jan Schmitz) was able to meet Simon and his son Francis today. I was so excited I could hardly think of anything to say! We talked a bit about computers and how lucky we were to be able to see each other and talk this way. Getting a laptop to Simon has opened up so many possibilities for communicating, not to mention how it can help with his work as a district school officer.  I think this is the first time I was so struck with how computers can make the previously impossible, now possible.

I talked to Simon a bit about the needs of the school. The first thing they want to do is build a fence around the school land. The children have been planting trees on the otherwise more barren land. However, their hard work has been deterred by the presence of unwanted visitors. Animals have been coming onto the land and destroying the new trees. This is something concrete we can do! We can raise the money they need to build that fence. Simon will be letting us know just how much that fence will cost. Together, we can make that fence possible!

 You will see the addresses you can send donations to on the right side of the blog. Large or small, any contribution is welcome. Join us and become a Friend of Kinyambu today!           

The wonders of Skype

This morning, 11am in Prince Albert, Philip and I talked to Simon and his family in Kinyambu via Skype. They were all there except for Joseph who had to go back to Nairobi to work. They were using the laptop with a rocket stick or internet stick that connects to a satellite from their shamba (farm) in rural Kinyambu. It was hard to see them because they don't have electricity there so they were using a flashlight to light their faces. What a juxtaposition! Computers, satellites and flashlights and no electricity! Black on black doesn't show up well either so mostly we could only see smiles and white shirts but it was fun to talk to everyone.

Kenyans seem to spend their Christmas and New Years visiting and spending time with family and eating, much like here. The new school year begins in early January so they will all be back into their work and studies around the same time most of us return to work and school too.

We welcome your contributions

Friends of Kinyambu is very much a group venture and we welcome your input. Please feel free to click on the "comment" below each blog and leave a note. I hope you will also click on the follow button and stay in touch with the blog. We will be bringing you more information about the needs of "our" school, and updates as to how our funds are making a difference. There will be pictures!

Here is a cute little video of the children singing For Connie and her son Philip when they visited the school:

The Wonders of Technology

When I was in Kenya 30 years ago I wrote paper and pen letters and postcards home and waited weeks for replies. A letter was a special occasion and a thrill. Now the thrills are more immediate - today Simon and his son Francis contacted us via Skype and we were able to talk and see each other in real time. It was a great surprise and nice that I was able to introduce my non-travelling husband to my distant friends.

We have become so accustomed to the technological wonders of our world that we forget what a short time ago it was that none of this was possible.