“Maji”

15MayMay 19, 2020

Swahili for Water

“Maji” is Swahili for “water”. Here in the USA we are rarely without it. With it we steep our tea and brush our teeth, water the lawn and rinse off the dog, brew our coffee and wash the car, launder our clothes and cook our dinner. When we’re thirsty, we trust that a turn of the wrist will result in a drink of cool, clear water.

In many places in our world, “maji” does not magically appear. Not clean water at any rate. For years, the children at the Lord Ranjuera Primary School in Kampi Ya Moto, Kenya – many of them orphaned – had the daily task of walking a hot and dusty two-mile trek to a muddy river to collect water that was then used for drinking and cooking. The water was usually boiled before it was consumed, but the mere fact that the mortality rate in this area was 50% or higher leads me to believe that boiling alone didn’t remove the incidence of water borne illnesses.

Kampi Ya Moto

Kampi Ya Moto is an arid region of Kenya that literally translates to “Camp of Fire”. Many of EC’s supporters have walked with the children to the river in this area on visits to their school. In a word, it’s repulsive. The water is brown, and the shore is filled with mud-pocked holes made by the hooves of the cows and other animals that shared this watering hole with members of the village.

maji means water - a dirty river with a cow and a child both getting water — Sharing the river in Kampi Ya Moto

Partnering

During the summer of 2013, Orphan’s Promise of Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) partnered with Everyone’s Child to install a rain harvesting system for the school. The impact has been nothing short of revolutionary. Children and teachers no longer spend hours a day walking to and from the river to get water. Mary Cheshire, the Head Teacher at the school has reported that overall the children’s health has markedly improved. And their garden is amazing.

CBN Living Water Plaque in Kampi Ya Moto — CBN Living Water plaque in Kampi Ya Moto

Real Time

Not too long ago, on a beautiful sunny morning, I had just brewed my first cup of tea when my phone began to ding. Simon Wanjala, one of EC’s Kenyan staff members, was sending me photos and videos from the school in Kampi Ya Moto. It was mid-afternoon there. The children had finished their lunch and were gathering outside to play football (soccer). Some were bubbling with excitement at having their photo taken, others were more shy and reticent to be on camera, but all of them looked very healthy.

Getting maji or water from a tap — Getting water from the tap at the Lord Ranjuera Primary School in Kampi Ya Moto

This was happening in real-time, so I asked Simon to take pictures of the garden as well. What I saw was astonishing. The scraggly corn field I remembered from 2012 was replaced by a lush and abundantly green crop of corn that was beginning to reach the tops of the children’s heads. But even better than seeing all this new growth was the joy that I saw in the faces of the children. The daily struggle of getting water was removed, and they could just be children, learning and playing under the African sun.

Maji

EC is incredibly thankful for this gift of maji (water) from Orphan’s Promise. But our gratitude pales in comparison to the thankfulness of the children who use it every day of their lives. From all of them we say ASANTE SANA to all those who contributed to this project.

The mission of Everyone’s Child includes providing clean drinking water in each school we build. Please click here to learn more about supporting the programs of Everyone’s Child.

Exciting News

12MarMay 19, 2020

I have some very exciting news to share. Last month EC received a very generous grant from Christian Broadcasting Network! The grant is designated to help establish a struggling primary school in western Kenya.

The Miruya Primary School

As some of you already know, last summer EC’s Program Coordinator, William Aludo, discovered a school not far from his home where young children gathered each day, hoping to get an education. The only problem was that there were no teachers there to help them learn. The school building was solid, but it was unregistered as a public government school. Apparently the Kenyan government had run out of funding to register the school. As a result, they were not paying to send licensed teachers there to teach the children.

Each day between 50 and 100 students showed up and sat on the floor as there were not enough desks. They stayed simply because there was no where else for them to go. Parents from the area pooled their money to hire an untrained teacher to stay with their children, hoping that she could teach them some skills, and trusting that she would at least watch their children throughout the day. Unfortunately, because their resources were limited they were unable to pay her regularly, so sometimes she chose not to show up. The children continued to go to the school, mainly because they had no where else to go. Needless to say, it was distressing for parents to learn that their children were left on their own day after day.

The Promise of Assistance

The grant we have received from Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) will help put the Miruya Primary School on the map in western Kenya. Five teachers will be hired, desks and textbooks will be purchased, and a lunch program for orphaned and vulnerable students is being established. Best of all, plans are underway to dig a well on the school grounds! At our last staff meeting William reported that the promise of assistance has breathed new life into this area, and already new students are beginning to come to the school.

Children playing outside with their teacher at Miruya Primary School in Kenya — A circle game with students and their teacher at Miruya Primary School

Two Events

This past January two more important events for the Miruya Primary School happened. First, parents in the area held a successful fundraiser, raising enough to begin purchasing textbooks for their children. And secondly, William initiated a breakfast program of porridge for all the students, allowing everyone to focus on their studies instead of their empty stomachs. These events have given everyone a sense of ownership and pride in their school and their community. And now the additional promise of funding from CBN has made an impact that goes beyond many of these villagers greatest expectations.

CBN

CBN’s funding couldn’t have come at a better time for this small primary school. Beginning in April, desks and textbooks for teachers and students will be purchased. A much needed latrine will be dug, and a lunch program will be established soon afterward. The hope of a well with potable water is also in the works. None of this would be possible without the help of CBN’s Orphan’s Promise. This is a program that assists orphaned and at-risk children throughout the world, helping them to “thrive so that they can live full of hope and realize their God-given potential”. It goes without saying that we are extremely grateful for the opportunity to partner with CBN.

Exciting News

If you want to be a part of bringing exciting news to at-risk primary and secondary school students in Kenya and India, please click here. Please note that there are several ways to lend a hand. This link outlines other ways to contribute to Everyone’s Child.

As always, ASANTE SANA (Thank you very much) for being the best part of Everyone’s Child!

Water. Not enough, too much, then not enough again.

26JanMay 19, 2020

Collecting water from the river in Kampi

A dusty schoolyard shows in this child’s hair

Clean water at last!!

The tank & rain harvesting system

Water = Life ~ a garden begins.

Abundant smiles from kids in Kampi

The rain harvesting system

Water has been an issue in Kampi Ya Moto long before I knew this place existed. For years children in this area, many of them orphaned, have had the daily task of walking the hot and dusty two-mile trek to a river to collect water that was then used for drinking and cooking. I’ve been told that the water was usually boiled before it was consumed, but the mere fact that the mortality rate in this area was 50% or higher leads me to believe that boiling alone didn’t remove the incidence of water borne illnesses.

Kampi Ya Moto is an arid region of Kenya that literally translates to “Camp of Fire”. I used to walk to the river in this area with the children every time I visited their school. In a word, it’s repulsive. The water is brown, and the shore is filled with mud-pocked holes made by the hooves of the cows and other animals that share this water hole with members of the village.

For the past several years we have tried to have a borehole dug, but were met with obstacles at every turn. It’s been an uphill climb since we’ve started this process, from the purchasing of the land to the conducting of two geological studies (yes, that’s plural – the first one was lost along the way!), and ending with the unfortunate circumstance of hiring a company who claimed to be Living Waters International but made off with our hard won funds instead. In June 2013, Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) – our partners in this project, hired a company that drilled down 215 meters before experiencing “high borehole collapse”. At that point it was determined that the well was dry. After some research and deliberation a rain harvesting system was set up as an alternative, a spigot was installed outside the school and today the children are able to get clean drinking water whenever they are thirsty. This is a HUGE change for these kids, and the presence of the tank has revolutionized their school. During our visit last May I immediately noticed two big differences, first in the appearance of the children – they met us with smiles and waves, despite the relentless heat. The second thing I noticed was that there was a small garden started outside the school. This was a novelty, as prior to this time nothing planted there would have survived the trip up through the soil much less the searing temperatures at the surface.

By last May the 10,000-liter water tank had been in place for over a year, so the teachers and students had been through both the rainy and the dry seasons that dominate that region of Kenya. At that point in the year they hadn’t run out of water, but the previous year they had watched the tank overflow during the rainy season, only to be used up during the months of hot, dry days that followed. The frustration of having more than enough water for a few months and then not enough throughout the remainder of the year, meaning that children would once again have to make the trek to the river for muddy water helped us make the decision to install a second 10,000-liter tank this year. It’s a fairly straightforward process to purchase and install the tank, but one that requires funding, oversight and faith in the people in charge. This is just one of the major projects EC is embarking on in 2016. Stay tuned for more updates!