Over the last two weeks I've spent a lot of time with the amazing, energetic, and inspiring, Zipporah Sangiluh. Zip has been leading our effort to collect stories from community members about organizations working in their communities. Zip's own project on GlobalGiving is the Mzesa school, located in Soweto, one of Nairobi's slums.
The school is very basic and suffers from the poor drainage that plagues the neighborhood. The kids are truly the poorest of the poor. Many have been rescued from the dump, and more than half are HIV+. Mzesa is providing a lifeline to these kids, most of whom would otherwise be on the streets all day.
At Mzesa, they get love, ARVs, education, and a shot at a bright future. Kids who get through Mzesa's primary school program perform very well in the secondary schools, proving that even in really rough conditions, with the right management, love, and attention, kids are tough and can succeed.
These kids can thank the Sangiluh family for its generosity in establishing, running, and maintaining this school. Without them, 300+ kids would be back on the street.
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Wednesday the 31st March 2010 was one of the best days in the history of Mzesa Day Care Centre! It was a day no one expected the Area Councilor to come and crown the "end term". Being a Patron to the Centre, he made an imprompto apearance with boxes of biscruites, bottles of juice and sweets. This has never happened at this centre and all children closed this term with joy! When all children left together with the Area Councilor, all teachers were talking to each other with joy and thanking God for the event.
Even though these children have closed for holidays, we have others who come back for their lunch and their ARVs during the holidays. We have others whose uniforms were torn and we hope that with the help of "GOOD HEARTED FRIENDS', we shall be able to buy them uniforms when we open for the second term in the month of May 2010. These wonderful ANGELS OF GOD needs food when the Centre opens. They need books, pencils, any other reading materials and shoes. Most of these children depends on your contribution dear! Our Centre intercessors pray for you... whatever you give is a blessing to these children! When they pray, they pray for you and God in heaven will richly bless you. All our thanks goes to all those who have send us their donations and please bear in mind that, ALTHOUGH YOU THINK WE DO NOT KNOW YOU, GOD KNOWS YOU AND WHATEVER YOU ARE DOING FOR THESE CHILDREN IS BEING SEEN BY GOD!! Thank you brother, thank you sister!!
Zipporah Sangiluh
This world can be very a bitter place to live in!! Just before the School closed for Christmas, we were visited by well-wishers who gave writing books, pencils, chalks, reading books and rubbers to the school. Since we do not have a proper Library, we kept the stuff on the shelves in our old iron-sheet library. We then concentrated on giving exams to the kids in order to grade them for the year 2010 classes.
On the 25th December (the Christmas day) we have very very heavy rains which pulls down electricity poles and trees which were planted next to the school. All these fell on the roof of the school, destroying 4 classes together with the library!! When we woke up in the morning, we found that all our books, pencils, chalks, etc are socked in water. This gave us a very hard time to carry these books out and open them wide in the sun in the hope that they will dry. We did not have any break for Christmas. We worked throughout to end of January 2010, trying to dry these books; some of which are completely destroyed; in which case, we are out again to look for more books so that we can equip our library again. I WISH SOMEONE WOULD COME FOR MZESA DAY CARE’S HELP AND BUILD A LIBRARY. We are desperately appealing for a sympathizer who can help please so that we don’t loose books again, please.
We thank God for all donors who contributed their funds through global Giving. We have managed to buy 100 pieces of uniforms for kids who did not have uniform at all. We have also managed to buy 7 sacks of maize, 4 sacks of beans, rice, cooking oil, firewood, and other utilities for the beginning of this term. You will also realize that this country is hit by shortage of drugs. We do not have enough drugs in our hospitals, dispensaries and clinic; and as 85% of these kids are HIV positive, we have had very rough time. We go from hospital to hospital, pharmacy to pharmacy, looking for their drugs which is now expensive. During this period, we have lost 2 children (aged 3 and 5 years), who have succumb to the illness. I AM SO TOUCHED. But we thank all donors and Global Giving to have come out to extend their hands towards Mzesa Day Care Centre; which has helped a lot during this term as we have a good stock of ARVs to take us to April 2010. May God richly bless you! When we opened the School on the 10th of January 2010, we have had a bigger number of children coming from dumpsites than expected. We have had our social workers going through various dumpsite a lot since the Government increased the demolition of shanty kiosks and encroachments. Street families are now running away from their encroachments, leaving their children to take care of themselves at a very tender age of 4 years, 5 years, etc. This action by the Government has increased helpless children and in turn has increased the number of Mzesa Day Care Centre from 360 kids to 492 kids. We have taken in kids which are ailing from multrition , malaria, Tuberculoses and HIV; but with regular clinic visits, we have seen some gaining their weight, some can now have a smile on their faces, others who were negative in their actions are now acting positively!. AND WE GIVE THANKS AND GLORY TO GOD AND DONORS WHO ARE MAKING THIS TO HAPPEN. Recently we had a visit by our area councilor from the Government who, after going round the classes and compound commented that “FOR SURE FOOD, MEDICINES AND CLOTHES ARE VERY ESSENTIAL. NOW THESE CHILDREN LOOKS MORE HUMAN BEINGS THAN BEFORE” This comment gave us encouragement and made us feel the importance of us being their for these children. Some of these children have never seen their parents, as such, they need parental love, (which we graciously give).
Some of these kids run away from their uncles and aunties because of food, (which we provide), some of these children don’t have clothes when they join the School, (We try as much as possible to provide them with clothes).
On 21st February, 2010, we welcomed a volunteer (who happens to be an aunty to one of the kids). She came and begged to help us with dish washing job (in exchange with food)!! This means that the aunty and the kid she are taking are of eating their lunch at the School; and that this lunch is as well as their super!!!. (LIFE IS VERY CHALLENGING MY FRIENDS! WE HAVE TO BE KIND AND GIVERS IN ORDER THAT PEOPLE LIKE THESE ONES CAN LIVE). We have asked this lady to stay at School and work as long as she can.
With increased number of kids coming in for enrollment, we held a Management Meeting where we resolved to look for 2 more teachers; but the problem which faces us is where we can get their wages! But because God is the Provider, we believe that He will send us a donor, a granter, a Missionary, a good friend ………. Who will help us in this situation.
God bless you……………… wherever you are……………and whenever you take your lunch, super, snacks, drinks, ……….. please remember that these children needs you! Thanks and God bless you so mightily. Zipporah A Sangiluh
