Kenyan education

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Really Good News

Really Good News

I have some really good news to share. This past fall Everyone’s Child held their Annual Appeal. Today I am excited to report that in a year of pandemic and anxiety we have raised almost $30,000! When you take into account that this has been an extremely challenging year across our country and around the world, I am very encouraged by this response.

EC’s Mission

EC’s Annual Appeal is conducted every year in an effort to fund our programs, including the Orphan Feeding Program, which provides a daily lunch to over 500 orphaned students in six Kenyan primary schools each day. Another program that requires ongoing funding is our Secondary School Student Sponsorship Program. Currently EC is supporting 13 orphaned secondary students in Kenya and four students in India, and we expect to add at least 10 more students to the roster this year. Many supporters made specific gifts to these programs, enabling us to continue offering nutritious meals and an education to students who otherwise would not be able to attend school. The Mentorship Program makes up EC’s third initiative to help orphans. William Aludo, EC’s Kenyan Program Coordinator heads this program, leading orphaned high school students through a year-long plan to equip them with skills they will need after graduating from school. This three pronged approach encompasses EC’s mission statement, to educate, care for and connect with vulnerable children in developing nations.

Really good news for this young Kenyan boy holding a bowl of steaming porridge
An orphaned student with his lunch in Kampi Ya Moto

Really Good News

The other really good news has to do with a small group of students from Harwood Union High School in northern central Vermont who spent the past several months raising funds to help their Kenyan peers attend school this year. In 2019, after learning that students in Kenya will be sent home if they can’t pay the $36 fee per term, they formed a group called “Harwood Students Making Change” and raised enough funds to help 12 orphaned high school students go to school in 2020. But they didn’t stop there. After finishing one fundraiser, Ari, Erin and Rachel visited local artisans, restaurateurs and purveyors in Vermont, asking for raffle donations. Their goal was to raise funds by selling tickets to classmates and teachers to continue helping Kenyan students go to school the following year. COVID-19 waylaid their plans, but they weren’t put off. Instead they switched gears to hold an online raffle last November, this time raising enough funds to send 15 orphaned secondary students to school in 2021.

The Harwood Students Making Change girls: Rachel, Tracy, Ari and Erin standing in front of a brick wall
Harwood Students Making Change: Rachel, EC Board member Tracy, Ari and Erin

A Win-Win

EC Board member Tracy Guion spearheaded the event, using the online raffle platform “RallyUp” to get the word out to supporters. Tickets were snapped up by friends and strangers alike, and by the end of the month they had reached and surpassed their goal, raising over $2,500 in one month! And what was more, twenty happy winners walked away with distinctive Vermont gifts. Among the prizes were a Keurig coffee maker, a one-of-a-kind Ziemke Glass Blowing Studio ornament, as well as gift certificates from shops and restaurants like The Warren Store, Red Hen Bakery, The Blue Stone and other places in and around the Mad River Valley. It was a win-win situation for sure.

An Unforgettable Moment

In 2019, Ari created a video to introduce themselves to their new African friends and let them know that they had raised funds for their schooling.  Tracy shared this video with the students in Kenya when she visited with them at the end of 2019. They were immensely grateful and equally amazed at the ingenuity of these three young women. An unforgettable response came from a Kenyan student named Gordon who said, “I would also like to raise funds and share it with other orphans so they can also go to school.” 

Harwood Students Making Change video

Messages of Mercy

The best part about all of this is obvious but still bears stating. This effort was put forth by three teenage girls who clearly want to make a difference in the world they live in. Tracy had introduced them to Everyone’s Child through Messages of Mercy, EC’s writing program between students from different cultures. This program was initiated to forge an understanding and create a sensitivity and awareness between students around the world. Ari, Erin and Rachel realized that they could have an impact in the lives of orphaned students who otherwise might not be able to finish high school due to an inability to pay their school fees. And despite the obstacles of distance, culture and even a global pandemic, they have found a way to make an education possible for students who don’t have the same opportunities as many American children.

Ruth and Tracy with 12 orphaned secondary students in Kenya
Ruth and Tracy with orphaned students from Bishop Donovan Secondary School in Kenya

From the bottom of our hearts

The EC Board of Directors and I want to thank everyone who gave to our Annual Appeal this year, and tell you from the bottom of our hearts that you are all making a huge difference by ensuring that children are fed, educated and connected, even if the hurdles standing in their way seem unsurmountable. Together we truly can help a generation through education.

Wishing you all a blessed year,

Ruth

Every Day

Every Day

“COVID-19 has done bad things – life has been hard. Since coronavirus started there is no money. People are died. People are loose their jobs. We are no going to school because of COVID-19. Many markets have been closed, but I hope COVID-19 will end. I will go back to school…I pray and I believe. Amen.” A Kenyan student writing to her American friend.

While those of us in the Northern Hemisphere are struggling with election fatigue and the onset of winter, our Kenyan friends are grateful not to be facing an election or cold weather. Both have particularly bad consequences in their country. But the trials they do face every day revolve around the same issue plaguing the rest of the world. Current cases of COVID-19 have risen well above 58,000, compelling President Uhuru Kenyatta to reinstate a nationwide 9 PM curfew. Schools that have been closed since mid-March partially re-opened in mid-October, but only for students in 4th grade, Standard 8 (8th grade), and Form 4 (high school seniors), all who are preparing to take national exams. Students in every other grade know they are missing out on their education, which many of them also know is their ticket to the future.

Online lessons

In October, the Kenyan government made online lessons available nationwide, but access to the internet is needed in order to watch them online. A tv screen is also helpful. Internet is widely available throughout Kenya, but tv screens require electricity, which for close to 73% of the population who live in rural areas, is a challenge to acquire.

Staying Connected

Earlier this summer, EC-supported students in western Kenya found an opportunity to study online after EC provided a 32-inch screen and satellite dish so they could watch lessons at a building on William Aludo’s property. On any given week, 16 or more children and young adults show up in small groups to watch lessons online. It’s been a blessing for them to be able to stay connected to their studies, and they are truly happy to be in a learning environment again. A primary student recently told Willam, “I wish my parents could allow me to come every day like I go to school.”

7 students watching lessons on a tv in Kenya. Every day students come to William's church to watch lessons on a 32 inch screen
Kenyan students in Rongo watching lessons online.

Staying connected to friends near and far has also been an important missing piece for these students. Over the last two months, William and Tracy Guion from the USA teamed up to ask young adults on both sides of the globe to write letters about how the pandemic has affected their every day lives. Kenyan students started by writing and then scanning their letters to students in Vermont. Their stories are poignant, as seen in the quote at the top of this blog and in Judith’s letter to Jonah below:

a letter from Judith in Kenya

Jonah and the others who have received letters have yet to write back to their Kenyan friends. But one thing is clear, this pandemic is affecting these Kenyan students as well as countless others in their country. Sharing their experiences is one way of coping.

Every Day

Everyone’s Child is trying to make a difference every day for students who have lost their parents and are now facing new challenges due to restrictions imposed from COVID-19. Your support will help us to continue providing them with food and hope during these uncertain times. Please consider giving today by visiting www.everyoneschild.net .

Thank you in advance for your help. Every gift counts.

Please keep yourself safe,

Ruth

P.S. For more information about students writing letters to Kenya, please visit the Messages of Mercy webpage.

The Promise of an Education

The Promise of an Education

For those of us living in the developed world, the promise of an education is something we own. We can bank on it. In fact, very few of us ever consider what it would be like not to have access to primary or secondary (high school) education.

The Promise of an education: young Kenyan girl on a swing
Faith on a swing

Opportunities to Learn

When I think about my years as an elementary school student, I remember jump rope games and skinned knees. I remember circling pictures in a row that matched pictures in the left column. Learning how to write my name in cursive was another milestone. My high school memories include learning about Argentina in a 9th grade Current Events class and the smell of formaldehyde in Biology. I remember parallelograms in Geometry and left hand turns in Driver’s Ed. There were so many opportunities to learn.

However, for many children and families living in Africa, the promise of an education is not guaranteed.

The Statistics

Last January, an article in the Africa Report stated: “[a]ccording to UNESCO, in sub-Saharan Africa one-fifth of children between six and 11 are out of school, one-third between 12 and 14, and 60% between 15 and 17. Though the reasons are various, ranging from conflict to corruption to lack of provision, poverty is now identified as an overwhelming factor.”

Today, free primary school education is legally guaranteed in 42 of 54 African nations*. Primary education was made free to all Kenyan students in 2003, and in 2017 the Kenyan government introduced free secondary education. A catalyst for free schooling in Kenya began with the dedication of organizations like EC who are committed to making education available to Kenyan children.

The Cost of an Education

For both primary and secondary school, Kenyan parents are still required to pay for school lunch programs and uniforms, a cost that puts a financial strain on many families. For children without parents, the promise of an education becomes even more elusive. Children who have been orphaned are usually taken care of by family members who often can’t afford additional costs. The hope they once had becomes uncertain, and their potential for a successful future is at risk.

The Promise of an education: Providing scholarships for students like this one sitting against a tire
Losing a parent causes many challenges for young students

Lunch programs typically cost $12 a month per student, and school uniforms cost about $60 annually. These amounts certainly seem affordable, especially for those who are used to paying high fees for children’s programs.  But for families who are subsisting on less than $25 per month, these costs can be prohibitive.  Sadly, Kenyan students who don’t have lunch money or a proper uniform are suspended from school. Furthermore, preschool in Kenya is not free, and many families wind up paying 20% of their annual income to cover this expense.

The Promise of An Education

In 2010, Everyone’s Child was established to provide an education for Kenyan children who had lost their parents. Since then, thousands of children have received an education, thanks to the generosity of donors who understand their plight. What this has done for them is immeasurable. It has given them a future full of hope.

Everyone's Child secondary sponsorship students
EC sponsored students from Bishop Donovan Secondary School

Today, over 600 orphaned and vulnerable children in Kenya are supported by EC.  These students range between the ages of 3 and 18. All are either orphaned or belong to families that are unable to afford school fees.  

Ways of Contributing

The good news is that we have found a way to help these students. EC’s sponsorship program pays school fees for orphaned and vulnerable secondary students based on donations we receive. The Orphan Feeding Program is sustained by people committed to making sure that orphaned primary students receive a daily meal while they are in school.

Many EC donors choose to give on an ongoing or monthly basis. A continuing contribution makes it possible for many children to enjoy their education without the stress of being sent home for lack of lunch money or improper attire.

If you would like to become a monthly supporter of EC, please click on this link and select the second “Donate” option. One time donations are also welcome and a vital part of maintaining EC’s sponsorship program.

The promise of an education: orphaned preschoolers in Kenya
Orphaned preschoolers at Lanet Umoja Preschool

Looking Ahead

As I look ahead to the rest of 2020, I am anticipating a year of fulfilled dreams and expectations for children who have lost hope.  I am also looking forward to working alongside people who have a heart for children who want to be educated but lack the resources for that opportunity.

Thank you so much for joining us in this effort of giving every child the promise of an education.   

Blessings,

Ruth

What you do to the least of them, you do to me. Matthew 25:40

*At the writing of this blog, I was unable to find statistics comparing African countries that do and don’t provide free secondary education.

Feeding the hungry

Feeding the hungry

A friend of mine has been feeding the hungry for more than a decade.  Dyan Walker, also called Sr. Kateri as she belongs to a Franciscan lay order, has indirectly and directly been providing meals for hungry children in Kenya for many years.

The Message

A couple of weeks ago I asked Sr. Kateri how she happened to get involved with feeding needy children.  She said that it all started in 2007 when she attended a church service where a missionary to Kenya was bringing a message about the work he was doing in that country.  She was deeply affected by his stories of children in an area called Kampi Ya Moto – a name which translates to “Camp of Fire”.  Needless to say, life was challenging in that region.  Kampi Ya Moto is located in sub-Saharan Africa where daily temperatures reach high into the 80’s and 90’s and rainfall is scarce during most of the year.  She learned that HIV/AIDS had claimed the lives of many adults in that area so most of the children were orphaned.  Education was considered a luxury.  A primary school was built in 2003, but prior to that there were no schools near their homes.  Their excitement at finally being able to learn was beyond measure.  However, in spite of their enthusiasm, they were fainting in class due to lack of food.

The Orphan Feeding Program

This missionary was reaching out to the church for help with an Orphan Feeding Program, allowing the children in Kampi Ya Moto to receive a daily meal.

Sr. Kateri was profoundly moved by his stories, so she began to pray for a way to help them.  As a recent widow, her budget was limited, but it occurred to her to put aside $10 a week for the orphans.  She began to do that, and continued to pray for their situation.

Then in May 2007, Sr. Kateri was gifted with the opportunity to travel to Kenya with a  group of missionaries.  The trip had a profound impact on her life.  She vividly remembers the sights and sounds, the incredible wildlife, and most of all, the children.

missionaries in Kenya sitting around a round table
Sr. Kateri, third from the left, with missionaries in Kenya

In her visit to Kampi Ya Moto she had a chance to serve lunch to the school children, an experience that is still fresh in her heart and mind.  She also remembered that “…there was a kitchen there but it was dilapidated and falling apart.”  She returned home and began to tell her friends, co-workers, and anyone else who would listen about these children and their needs.  Before long, there was an outpouring of donations for the Orphan Feeding Program, and the effort began to take on a life of its own.

feeding the hungry children in Kampi
Children in Kampi Ya Moto waiting for their daily meal

Feeding the Hungry

Sr. Kateri’s passion for alleviating the suffering of these orphans in Kenya began to affect people throughout the USA and Canada.  Funds continued to pour in, making it possible to address other needs as well.  The kitchen she had seen during her trip was in need of repairs, and two other schools in Nakuru were asking for help with feeding orphans in their schools.  Fr. Paul Stewart, her pastor of many years, told her: “The money you set aside also inspired others to give, so they were able to repair the kitchen and start the Orphan Feeding Program in two new locations.”  Her prayers and continued concern and care for the orphans also led her to join EC’s Board of Directors, a position she held for several years.

Sr. Kateri feeding the hungry children in Kenya
Sr. Kateri feeding the children in Kampi Ya Moto in 2007 – the kitchen is in the background

Kateri’s Kitchen

Today the kitchen in Kampi Ya Moto is once again in a state of disrepair.  Severe drought and extreme heat have taken their toll on this small tin, wattle and daub building.  This summer, EC is raising $2,100 in order to build a structure that will withstand the climate and provide nutritional meals to these school children.

Kitchen in Kampi Ya Moto for feeding the hungry
The kitchen in Kampi Ya Moto

Upon completion, EC will be dedicating the new kitchen to Sr. Kateri.  A plaque honoring her commitment to feed the children will be placed in this building, and in future kitchens also.  Her legacy of giving to the least of them will continue to impact children for years to come.

Feeding the hungry plaque
The plaque that will be placed in the new kitchen in Kampi Ya Moto

If you are in a position to contribute to Kateri’s Kitchen, please click here to help us continue with our goal of feeding the hungry.  Your gift will make a huge difference for the school children who rely on these meals to get them through the day.

As always, Asante Sana (Thank you very much) for your help!

Blessings,

Ruth

Educate, Connect and Care: EC’s Mission

Educate, Connect and Care: EC’s Mission

EC’s Mission

When EC was established in 2009, our goal was to educate where there were no schools, connect where there was isolation, and care where there was great need.   We took over an orphan feeding program that had been established through Kids in Kenya, an offshoot of CCO Ministries in Moretown, Vermont.   A writing program between Kenyan and American students was up and running.  Both of these efforts had a positive impact on students, but we wanted to do more.

In 2010, Juniper’s Fare, a church-run restaurant in Waterbury, Vermont began raising funds to pay the school fees of orphaned students attending Bishop Edward Donovan Secondary School (BEDSS) in Lanet Umoja, Kenya.  Prior to that, orphaned primary school graduates usually wound up staying home.  They worked in the garden or took care of cousins or siblings too young to go to school themselves.

In 2012, Everyone’s Child established a scholarship program to help the orphans attending BEDSS.   Since then, more than 35 orphaned students have received scholarships from EC.  At first we were thrilled just to be able to educate these children.  But after a few years it became clear that something was lacking.  Students were graduating, but only a few were able to attend college or university.  Most were left to find their way.  Some found jobs, usually involving menial labor.  Girls often got pregnant or in some cases were married.  The majority had received no training or preparation for life after secondary school.

classrooms at BEDSS
classrooms at BEDSS

A Mentorship Program

Last year EC ran a pilot mentorship program for the Form 3 and 4 (11th and 12th grade) scholarship students at BEDSS.  William Aludo met with these students once a month, and using a training manual called 27 Things You Must Do to Get and Keep Your Dream Job by Kenyan author Grace Wanjohi, he began preparing them for what to expect after graduation.  The book is chock full of inspirational quotes from historical figures like Thomas A. Edison: “We should remember that good fortune often happens when opportunity meets with preparation,” and Nelson Mandela: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”  Chapter headings such as “Pinpoint Your Unique Selling Point (USP)”, “Research the Potential Employer”, and “Be Sure to Write Thank You Notes” all help students to focus on how to go about achieving their goals.

Ruth with Grace Wanjohi, author of 27 Things You must Do to Get and Keep Your Dream Job
Ruth with Grace Wanjohi

The response has been tremendous.  Earlier this year James Maina, Head Teacher of BEDSS, told me that the students are very encouraged by this program.  William, a former pastor, also uses a curriculum he developed specifically for this program, introducing them to their Heavenly Father who cares deeply for them.   The encouragement is important for these orphans as they don’t often receive support from family members.  William and Simon Wanjala, a graduate of the EC scholarship program, not only educate these students about what to expect, but they also tell them that they matter, that they can make it, and that God is on their side.  In addition, they listen to these students, which is just as, if not more important than the dissemination of knowledge.

Simon Wanjala and William Aludo - dressed to educate!
Simon Wanjala and William Aludo

Educate, then Graduate

This December, eight students receiving scholarships will graduate from BEDSS.  They will be the first group of students who have been a part of the EC Mentorship Program for two years.  Next year a new group of students will join the class, and plans are currently underway for introducing the program in new areas of Kenya.

How You Can Help

Real life can be scary.  Our goal with this mentoring program is to educate by addressing fears and preparing for the future.  Our hope for these students is that they will be able to apply what they have learned in these mentoring sessions, from matching their passion with their ability and understanding what their strengths are to knowing how to dress for an interview.  All of this takes time, effort, and funds.  Please click here if you would like to join us in our endeavor to support orphaned students with their high school education.

As always, thank you for your support.  You are the reason we can successfully do what we want to do most in life.

EC Scholarship Students
EC Scholarship Students

“Success consists of doing the common things of life uncommonly well.”  Unknown

Problem vs. Opportunity

Problem vs. Opportunity

The Problem

This year, for the first time in EC’s history we are stepping outside of Nakuru to offer support to secondary students in a different region of this beautiful country.   To say that we’re excited is an understatement.  Last year, William Aludo, EC’s Program Coordinator, or “boots on the ground” as we like to call him, identified several orphaned secondary students struggling to pay their annual school fees in his hometown of Rongo, Migori County.  Finding out that there are students who can’t afford to go to school in your hometown may seem like a problem, but to us it presents an opportunity.

The Opportunity

Synthia Achar and John Odhiambo are two such students.  Both are in Form 2 (sophomore year), and have one living parent.  Both have five siblings between the ages of 1 – 18 living at home, making the idea of saving $250 a year for school fees almost prohibitive.

Synthia Achar

Synthia Achar

Synthia’s mom is a peasant farmer; she has been paying some of her daughter’s fees in kind by taking maize to the school which is then converted into a cash equivalent.

John Odhiambo

John Odhimabo

John’s mother is unwell and unable to earn anything towards his education.  His grandmother has been leasing portions of her piece of land to help pay for some fees.

In both cases it hasn’t been enough.  Synthia and John still have outstanding fees from 2016 and are in danger of losing the chance to remain in school.  These are very real problems that present us with a very real opportunity to respond.

The Solution

Everyone’s Child was established to help disadvantaged children receive an education.  If they are unable to go to school, we raise funds to pay school fees, and provide them with a mentoring program to teach them life skills.  If they are excited to be in school but are fainting in class due to poor nutrition, we provide lunch.  If their only drinking water comes from a muddy river, we partner with organizations to bring in fresh, potable water for the school.  All of these components add up to a sustainable model for receiving an education.

None of this would be possible without the help of the generous people who give annually and monthly to Everyone’s Child.  It’s as simple as that.  Since 1997, people have been making a difference in the lives of hundreds of orphaned and vulnerable children in Kenya through Everyone’s Child.  Plain and simple, we couldn’t do it without you.  If you want to learn how you can become a part of the solution, email us at [email protected] or visit www.everyoneschild.net.  

Thank you.