Going to Kinyambu in Feb. 2015

Going back to Kinyambu in mid February!  I'm excited to say that there are possibly 6 of us going and we're going to be working on various projects while we're there.  One will be to help finish the fence that we started several years ago.  We have the funding to complete it now and we will set up a work bee with parents, students and staff to get it done while we're there.

Another part of what we'll be doing is working to set up the library that was built last winter.  We want to set up a reading corner with comfortable seating for the children and a nice chair or two for adult readers.  It is also our hope to start some parent volunteer reading programs with the school.  We want to paint some nice murals on the walls and get brightly coloured pillows for the kids to sit on while they're listening to someone read. The library also needs shelving and tables so that will be part of what we hope to do if we have enough funding to accomplish that too.

Finally, we would like to help with some innovative agriculture programs there.   Schools often grow gardens and we'd like to help set one up at Kinyambu and will be looking at the possibility of a tank to catch water from the rains which only come a couple of times a year.  This could be dedicated to irrigating the garden plots and maybe also some trees that they are trying to grow as well.  Deforestation is a big problem in the whole area where the village of Kinyambu is located.

If we accomplish these things or at least give them all a good start we'll come home very satisfied.

Building a Library

This year we really have something to celebrate.  Over the past year a library building was completed at Kinyambu Primary School.  It’s a well built building with good doors and windows which will allow the school staff and students to enjoy books and reading for many years.  Another group donated funds to build a huge water tank so the school finally has the ability to store clean rain water instead of having the children walk for many kilometres for enough to drink.

Here is a picture of the students hauling water from that pool behind them to use in making cement.

The foundations were dug for the library last November.

Next, the stones were laid for the walls.

Then a roof was built on the library and you can see that it is right beside a classroom.

Here you can see the new library building and the water tank.

The library building still needs to be filled with books.  And the teachers still need supplies and teaching aids.  There are many things to be done.  So I am asking again for  your contributions to this village school project.  A group of us are going in February and we are going to work to help set up the library.  We’ll also work on helping them set up some garden projects and finish that fence that we started several years ago.

Our preference is that you send donations to the Alphonse Gerwing Foundation at the address on the right side of this blog.  You can also donate through the foundation website which you can access by putting The Alphonse Gerwing Foundation into your web browser.  There is a donate button on the top row and you can use credit cards or pay pal.  If you donate online you need to send an email to Ted letting him know that it’s for Friends of Kinyambu because there is no mechanism to do this otherwise.  His email is:  tedgerwing@sasktel.net

The foundation sends the funds to Rainbow of Hope which has the  mechanisms to send the money over to Kenya. (There’s a method to do this in accordance with Revenue Canada’s rules which is why we do it this way) If you are in contact with Rainbow of Hope you can donate that way too. Rainbow of Hope also has a website with donation options as well but you also need to tell them what it’s for by emailing George Bunz: 

rohfc@telus.net

Simon Reports

Feb. 27, 2014

Simon sent some photos a couple of days ago showing the inside and outside of the new library.  It looks like a wonderful building with good doors and windows to keep the materials inside in good condition.  Now all we need to do is fill it up!

He also said that letters are about to be sent to the students at Cardinal Leger School in Saskatoon to continue the sharing that is so important as part of these projects.  Having our children learn about the lives of children in Kenya and vice versa is very important to understanding the rest of the world.

It will be exciting to fill the library with books and materials to enhance the learning experiences of the children.

Almost Finished

January 23, 2014

I'm pleased to say that the library building is almost finished.  I don't have photos yet of the finished outside but I'll post them as soon as I can.  Simon has indicated that there are small finishing things to be done yet but then it will be complete.

Now, the work can begin on furnishing the inside with shelves and furniture with a reading area and display areas.

We also need to think of a name for the library.  I will throw this out to the Cardinal Leger School community since they have been the major fundraisers for this particular project.

If anyone is interested in going to Kenya in Feb. 2015 I hope to take some people  to see the project then.  A teacher/librarian would be a real asset if anyone wants to go - Kenyan schools don't often have libraries and they need some help with programming and set up.  If you are a teacher or can teach some skill we can arrange for you to do a workshop with teachers there to share some of your expertise too.

I'll be posting more on this as time goes on.

Kinyambu Visit 2013

Wow, it's been a year since I posted.  The first part of the year was quiet while a new head teacher settled in.  Then in fall things began to move.  I spent November in Kenya and Tanzania so I'm just back with lots of news and photos.

After much delay the library building has begun.  Cardinal Leger School parents, teachers and students can feel very proud of their accomplishment.  I've posted photos of the construction process.

After a week spent in western Kenya I met George Bunz, Henry Spenrath and Norm Duerr, the monitoring team from Rainbow of Hope in Nairobi on Nov. 13.  We spent time in Nairobi and then headed east to enjoy some time at Tsavo East and West game parks on the weekend and touring various schools.  Finally on Nov. 19 we were able to visit Kinyambu Primary school.  It was the end of the school year in Kenya and the students were writing exams and finalizing their year so visiting was more complex than usual.

In nearby Kibwezi we meet the District Educational Officer and picked up Mr.Mbithi, public works officer and a construction supervisor for the Ministry of Education and headed to the school. Piles of construction materials were on site, there was a deep trench for the foundation, and workers were tying rebar.  Walls are of stone and will be covered with a final layer of smooth stucco.  Simon sent photos as the walls rose up after we left.

After we looked at the library site we had a meeting with the parents and the head teacher along with some other teachers and Mr. Mbithi from the district office. We presented a suitcase full of gifts, pencils, markers, a laptop and balls among other things thanks to Cardinal Leger School parents and students.  

I took some time, with a translator, to tell them the story of how I came to Kinyambu and how the project began.  I reiterated that there would be money to finish the fence as soon as the library was done.  I also stressed the need for their volunteer labour and explained that the parents and children of Cardinal Leger school had put their volunteer labour into raising the money.  I read a bit of the letter that my niece Jenna wrote too so they could see the importance of the letters exchange.  The school, including the headmaster, agreed to continue the letter writing and the parents were supportive.  

There is no substitute for an on site visit.   If anyone is interested in going to Kenya and visiting the project just let me know.  You will be treated well and have a trip you won't forget!  I hope to encourage some teachers to visit within the next year or so so let me know.  You can do some teaching there, bring some Canadian school ideas to them and learn a lot.  We can also use some help from teacher librarians to set up the library and resource centre.