|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Go and Do Likewise Newsletter
Helping other to help others, it works!
August, 2010
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
Greetings!
I try not to inundate you with data but it is difficult. So much is happening and the effectiveness of local leadership continually exceeds our expectations. Today I want to report the completion of a project that has so much more than it appears, even though the physical product is so very important to the children and the adults around them, the community or cultural implications stand above all.
First a little back ground. During our visit in April we were taken to a public school. Because of new "redistricting" the village area public schools found they did not have a boarding primary school and so a Public School Principal approached the government for approval of his school even though it was not prepared. The approval was granted as due to the distances and many family situations it is necessary for some children to literally live at the school and each district must have a boarding primary school..
Not a dry eye when he finished his story  |
When we visited our collective hearts were broken. It is there we met a young man whose parents both are deceased from HIV-Aids. The tears were flowing abundantly as this boy and his smile and his hope touched each and everyone of us.
He told us of his own hope for his future and for the importance of this school for him. He lives there.
We were told of the desperate needs of this school and the inability of any meaningful changes coming from the Education office. We were shown the major priority of the school. and if broken hears can break again ours did that day. The poorly constructed latrine facilities and the shower area for the girls were tragic and in need of replacement. The school leaders had asked GAD Kenya for assistance because they had heard these people were local and might be able to help. So as we have found, the community embraces GAD Kenya as a ray of hope.
The boys latrine was boarded up  | Safety is a primary concern of the educators responsible for the welfare of the students at Matagoro Primary School. Poorly constructed with crumbling floors these structures were very dangerous. The girls shower, no privacy and just unhealthy  | There is no running water in the village so all the water must be brought up from the springs by buckets. It does just break your heart to watch their eyes and see them turn to the ground as if there was no use looking up. Almost as if there is no hope. Yet this is their life and place of education unless there is help. So GAD Kenya did just that, helped. New Girls showers and latrines
 | Boys Latrine, cement floors and block walls  | It is hard to gather my thoughts and realize that two years ago the people of Rionchogu were seen as the despised ones. Today they are the ones who come to help. They have reached beyond their own needs and opened their collective hearts to take what they receive and be a help to their neighbor. It is beyond my imagination about how this works out. There is for sure an authority beyond our human ability and understanding that opens the doors of possibility when people are willing to see and help the needs of their neighbor. So it is in Rionchogu and so it is with us. There is much to do and your help is needed. |
