Finished at last!!!
At the beginning of August 2018, we started the construction of a modern dining and multipurpose hall. Because of the limited resources, the construction went much more slowly than expected. But when it was completed in late March 2019, it was a great relief for our parents, who had been having to prepare the meals and then carry the big and heavy pots about a hundred yards to our makeshift dining room. Now we have not only built a hygienic dining room directly attached to our kitchen but it also serves as a beautiful, sturdily built multi-purpose hall with a stage. A well-known French artist, Patrick Moya, painted a very beautiful mural that now hangs on the wall behind the stage. Volunteers plan to paint pictures and write sayings on the walls this year when we visit Nakuru once again in November 2019. There will be a huge and joyful opening celebration during our visit.
This dining/multi-purpose hall means so much to so many people - but of course mainly the children. They are now enjoying their meals in a clean and beautiful atmosphere - just as it should always be. The stage gives them the opportunity to show what they've learned in a happy way - and also gives us a chance to have volunteer performers come to entertain them.
Now we just need to have the dining hall furniture built. The furniture that is now being used is from another room - and the tables are far too wide so that the room cannot accommodate many children at once for a meal. We still need your kind donations for tables and benches.
Thank you so much for all of your wonderful support - Asante Sana!
Links:
It is our longest going construction project so far.
Construction of the dining / multi-purpose hall began in March 2018 - and if we are very lucky, it will be completed in March 2019. Months of construction pause went by because of lack of finances. But as soon as money flowed in - the construction company put on their caps and hard hats and got right back to work again. The last phase were the walls and to put in the window frames and bars. Looks admittedly a bit jail-like - but considering the soccer field close by - those bars are very, very necessary!
Now the flooring, the ceiling and the walls and the doors need to be finished and the walkway around the front and side needs to be laid - to keep the dust and mud out of the building. It's a lot of hard work - but the building is sturdy and will last a long, long time.
But we don't have a lot of time to get the rest of the construction financed and the furniture built if we want the children to be eating in this lovely and hygienic hall in March!
We would be so thankful for every donation possible - large or small - they all make a difference!
Asante sana - thank you so much!
Links:
Giving Tuesday! What a perfect day to donate towards getting the dining hall at the Live and Learn in Kenya Education Center finished. The dining hall has been under construction for months now - but sad to say - we have had to stop construction several times for lack of funds. We did manage to get the roof up last week. But we've had to stop construction again. It would be such a blessing to have it funded and constructed by the end of December!
The children are on school break now. They come to the Live and Learn in Kenya Education Center in Nakuru 5 days a week during the 10-week break. They receive their meals in a very shabby and unhygienic make-shift dining hall (actually nothing more than a big shack with holes for windows and door - which is so far away from the kitchen that the poor mamas who cook the meals have to schlepp the heavy pots of food over nearly the entire plot. Not an easy job for these women who volunteer their time and energy as part of the Live and Learn in Kenya community.
The school year begins on January 5, 2019. It would be so utterly awesome to open the doors of the newly finished dining hall to them - where they can sit down to a warm meal in a clean and friendly atmosphere. We can get it built in time if you can get it funded :)
Happy Giving Tuesday - Asante sana - thank you so much for your kind support!
AMAZING is the only way to describe how quickly and efficiently the dining hall is being built. We were hoping that it could have been completed by the end of October so that we would be able to help serve the first meals there during our annual visit, but it wasn't meant to be. From lack of funding and not wanting to go into debt, we have decided on a construction pause until some funds have accumulated. Sometimes you just have to wait for the best things in life...
Most importantly, the foundation has been completed and once the roof is up the rest will go quickly. Our goal now is to have it finished latest by January 2, 2019 when the new school year begins in Kenya. Where there's a will there's a way - and we certainly have the will!
We would like to thank you for your kind donations. Even the smallest donation is a step towards completion.
Asante sana - thank you so much!
The ground has been broken by the Live and Learn in Kenya School children. What a joy this celebration was. For the first time, the children were allowed to break the ground and sing out their joy and appreciation. Of course the entire Live and Learn in Kenya staff were present, along with the builder and architect - who also took the shovel into their hands to help break the ground.
Now all we have to do is raise the funds! The construction company has generously agreed to allow us to pay as we go. In other words, they will build with the funds available and stop when we've run out. So we will have to do our level best to keep the funds coming in so that there won't be long construction pauses necessary.
Does anyone have any great fundraising ideas? I'd love to hear them.
Here's to the new construction phase of the Live and Learn in Kenya Education Center in Nakuru, Kenya - where our children are coming from one of the poorest slums in Nakuru - but KNOW that "Education is the Key to the Future"!
Asante sana - Thank you for your kind support.
Links:
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can recieve an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
