Jambo, Greetings,
Last Weekend Springs of Hope Foundation traveled to the border district of Mogotio, Baringo County to distribute food hampers to the elderly and vulnerable within two communities. Joining us for the distribution were Ivy, one of our volunteers who comes to our center every Tuesday afternoon to teach our students a course in business and financial management, and Elizabeth, a recent graduate of our 12-month tailoring course who is being mentored to become an assistant to our administration manager and our teacher Martha. Our first stop was at a center known as Barina, which is an internally displaced person center. We found the group anxiously waiting for us. We distributed food hampers and washable sanitary pads to the women and teen girls. One elderly lady said there are families that have slept hungry for days and are very grateful that they will have something on their table that evening and for weeks to come. We then drove another 10 km to the second village known as Sawaiti, where we distributed the remaining food hampers to the anxiously waiting crowd. They came out in numbers and although we had prepared 90 hampers for this village, some still missed out. They were very grateful for our visit and thanked and prayed for the hands contributing to the food and sanitary pads. The fact that whatever food is available in the market has doubled in price, combined with the lack of fieldwork over the past 4 years due to drought has made it difficult for many of our food hamper recipients to be able to purchase food.
Families were tending to their plots as we drove past small family farms on our way to Baringo County, which, after 4 years of drought and failed crops is a very good sign. With the rains at hand, they have started planting beans and maize. Unfortunately, the maize won’t be ready to harvest until September, which will still cause an interim shortage of two of Kenya’s most vital food sources, maize (corn) and beans. We’re praying that the rain will continue.
I wish you could experience the great joy your kindness brings to our elderly and very needy food hamper recipients in person. These are the forgotten villages that larger aid organizations are not able to reach.
Asante Sana,
Thank you,
Warmest blessings,
Jennifer, Antoinette, Martha, and our team of great volunteers at
www.springsofhopefoundation.org
PS. If you’ve ever thought about volunteering in Kenya, spending time visiting our breathtaking game parks, and participating in some of our projects, if you would like more information please email me at jenniferhughes@springsofhopefoundation.org.
Links:
Jambo,
It was a day full of joy and jubilation as our girls here at Springs of Hope Foundation’s Kijiji Mission Project in Nakuru, Kenya were graduating, marking the completion of their one-year training course.
The day started with the hall decorations and their work e.g., dresses, shirts, blouses, beadwork, and table runners were displayed outside the hall for the parents to view as the new group and the graduating girls wore their own self-made attire. They graced us with songs and dances from their different cultures. The occasion was graced by parents who traveled from many regions, including the parents of the students from Maasai Mara who were adorned in their stunning full Maasai attire. The parents appreciated the project for the lasting transformation in their daughters’ lives. They leave us with a trade and many life skills that will empower their lives forever. They presented a Maasai blanket to our center’s landlord Retired Col. Raymond and lassos to Pastor Susan for the excellent work of offering spiritual and counseling sessions to our girls every Wednesday, Teacher Martha for her tireless devotion to training the girls in making the latest designs, and lastly but not least, myself, Antoinette, the Administration Manager for my total devotion to the smooth running of the project and motherly love to our girls. Certificates were issued, and we crowned the occasions with the cake cutting, followed by the photo session.
We all wish our mum Jennifer Hughes and all our donors a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
Asante Sana,
Antoinette Hoareau
Project Administration Manager
Links:
As part of Springs of Hope Foundation's weekly food distribution program, last week we visited two of our favorite project partners, Malaika Initiative for People with Disabilities (Daycare center) which provides free therapy to children suffering from physical and mental disabilities due to cerebral palsy, meningitis and other birth defects. We are able to provide much-needed food hampers to the mothers, who find it very difficult to juggle earning a modest income as a daily house cleaner or field work and caring for the daily needs of their disabled child. Having a safe, reliable project such as Malaika Initiative is a true godsend to these over-extended mothers. At the request of the project manager, Lydia, our head teacher, Martha designed and taught our students how to sew reusable, washable diapers. Our reusable diapers have become a godsend to mothers as disposable diapers are an expense that is simply out of reach. On this trip, they also requested adult-sized diapers and plastic bibs. We also distributed our washable sanitary pad kits to the mothers and older girls. The donations will go a long way to help Malaika mothers as inflation has made providing one meal a day for their families very, very difficult.
The second group of (PWD) People Living with Disabilities that we have visited on a regular basis since the beginning of the Covid pandemic is at Shabaab Hall in a slum area of Nakuru. At the beginning of the pandemic, we distributed food hampers and facemasks. As we have come to learn of the many struggles this often shunned and ignored section of society has to cope with daily we have included washable diapers for children and adults living with disabilities and washable sanitary kits for teenage girls and adults. Most of the parents of children with disabilities are casual laborers as they cannot hold full-time jobs due to the nature of their child’s disability. Due to their situation, most struggle to afford one decent meal a day. They also have to struggle to buy disposable diapers and medicine for their children. They are always extremely grateful to receive our food hampers along with the washable diapers and washable sanitary pad kits that will ease their struggle to keep their children dry and clean instead of having to use old rags. As for adults and the elderly living with disabilities, they have always had to rely on the kindness of family and neighbors. The Covid 19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on this sector of the community. Our day ended with joy in our hearts knowing that we had made life a little more bearable and touched so many hearts.
Accompanying us were two of our August graduates Regina and Susan who worked to stitch the washable diapers and pads while earning enough money to purchase their own sewing machines. They are now financially able to start their own business.
During the week we were contacted by two new community groups, consisting of the elderly and disabled who need assistance with food hampers. The need is great and, despite the doubling of the cost of basics like beans and maize over the past 8 months, we always feel blessed that, with your support, we are able to say yes to the increasing number of requests.
Warmest blessings,
Antoinette Hoareau
Links:
The final week leading up to graduation is always an exciting time for our staff and students.
The students are tested on their ability to operate and troubleshoot repairs on an industrial knitting machine, enabling them to work at any manufacturing facility.
They are tested on the industrial sewing machines they will be using if they decide to stay in Nakuru or move to another large city and work at a manufacturing facility.
There is a practical test on how to design their own fashion, create a pattern, and produce the final item while working on a manually operated trundle sewing machine, as some of the students will be returning to their rural areas where electricity may not be available.
Your continued support of this program has helped so many young women escape the cycle of poverty over the past five years.
Every woman who is able to lift herself out of poverty through education and vocational skills is able to raise and educate her younger siblings and children, thus breaking the poverty cycle forever.
Asante Sana
Links:
For over two years now I have had to attend our graduations virtually. I've always said what a blessing our dedicated team in Kenya has been during these very trying times.
I would like to introduce Antoinette, one of the newest members of our team along with Julia, (her name has been for her privacy), one of our recent graduates.
Please read Antoinette's full account of Julia's accomplishments despite the many, many challenges Julia has overcome in her young life. I hope Julia's success will bring you some happiness and joy during these very troubling times.
Warmest regards,
Jennifer Hughes-Bystrom
Founder/CEO
Springs of Hope Foundation
Hello Everyone,
My name is Antoinette. I joined the team at Kijiji Mission in Feb 2021, and I must say that I love being involved in this very special project and watching our girls blossom into competent, confident young women during the time they are with us. As a mother of adult sons, I must confess that I do become very attached to our beautiful girls. One of the greatest joys for me in my position as administrative manager is following up on the success of our graduates.
Meet Julia, one of our recent graduates. Julia's young life has been very challenging, to say the least, with very little hope for her future until she was admitted into Kijiji Missions' one-year program. With the disruption of Covid Julia actually stayed with us for 18 months. Julia was born HIV Positive, is deaf, and mute. Her mother was a victim of the traditional custom of marrying off very young girls at age 12 or 13 yrs too much older men in exchange for a dowry of a dozen or so cattle. Julia's mother died in childbirth, leaving her to be raised by an elderly father and extended family. Her father is now in his 80s, is in poor health, and is in no position to assist her. In fact, his solution for Julia's future after graduation was to arrange a marriage to a much older man, repeating the cycle of abuse.
Julia's greatest strength is being able to sew pre-cut items with speed and accurate attention to detail. After graduation, she was offered a job and accommodation at a project we are closely associated with, Daraja 360.
As we all went our separate ways after graduation in December to enjoy a well-earned Christmas break, the first since the beginning of Covid, we were quite nervous and worried that Julia would not be permitted to report to her new job in January. Much to everyone's relief, Julia reported to her new employer, has settled in very well, and is already earning bonuses on her production.
We are all so very thankful to you for your support. Without you, girls like Julia would not have the future that women all over the world deserve.
Asante Sana.
Warmest blessings,
Antoinette Hoareau
Project Administration Manager
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Through sponsorship, you can change the destiny of a girl like Julia by providing her with the skill needed to become a well-trained young woman. Our program not only teaches tailoring. We incorporate beginning computer training, bookkeeping, business, and money management, along with healthy lifestyle skills, opening the door to education so that she may realize her full potential and fulfill her dreams.
This is the first graduation in two years that we have been able to share and celebrate the girl's achievements with their family and friends.
Julia's cousin was able to be with her on her special day.
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 will get an e-mail when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports via e-mail without donating.
We'll only email you new reports and updates about this project.
Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.
Start a Fundraiser
Make a monthly donation & get 
