Help Orphans & Needy Children in Kenya

February is almost at an end and the pace of happenings at the Home shows no sign of slowing down. There is always the urgency to keep ahead of the game in trying to meet the needs of the Children despite the circumstances.

One of our Committee members, Tim, is quite a talented artist and he has produced miniature figurines that are for sale in the shop. There is a complete band ready and available.

There is the constant need to reduce expenses wherever possible without compromising on the quality of care that the Children receive. Electricity is one area that is a constant battle. A sponsor from Germany has very kindly donated an array of Solar Panels which are now used to charge large deep cycle batteries from which the security lights, all the lights in the main house and some of the wall sockets are connected to.

The furniture workshop showroom and finishing project is now under way. As one of the very important income generating projects, the woodwork shop will now have its’ own separate location where the finished goods will be put on display. This will hopefully increase the visibility of the products that are being produced and it is our hope that this will translate directly into increased orders. Thank you to those generous donors who have made this possible.

The rescue centre aspect of the Home continues to rise in importance. Aviguel is one of the children who was brought to the Home after she and three other children were rescued from their traffickers by the police. It turned out that she had been starved and had been mistreated and had broken bones in both her legs and her pelvis was fractured. She is making a remarkable recovery and she should soon be able to start the process of moving around independently as children her age should.

It is the smiling faces of the Children and the ‘ordinary’ problems that the young adults face that are victories in the work that the Team at the Home does. Much of this is due to the support that we receive from you that makes it possible for the Home to create the environment for lives to be lived as normal as possible.

Thank you.

This quarter, a case came up that underscored the importance of the Home’s role as a rescue centre. Baby John, who was 2 days old, was brought in by the Children’s Department as his 16 year old mother was considering giving him up for adoption. She is the victim of a rape by a 55 year old man who is close to her family and because of the close relationship efforts have been made by some family members to not have her press charges against him and also give up the baby for adoption.

 A few days after he arrived at the Home, Baby John developed a severe chest infection that necessitated immediate hospitalization. He did not respond very well to the treatment and his health continued to deteriorate. The paediatrician eventually asked if the Mother could be brought to the Hospital so she could shed some light on what happened when the baby was born.

Through this very brief encounter, the Mother began to develop a bondwith her baby. With the information she was able to provide, the correct treatment was given, and within a week he was discharged from hospital. After a couple of weeks at the Home during which his course of medication was completed, in consultation with the social worker from the Kiota Rescue Centre, the Children’s Department and the police, Baby John was formally reunited with his Mother.

They are now in a Home in Ruiru, a small town on the outskirts of Nairobi, that caters for young mothers, where she will stay until the trial is complete.

Revenue generating activities are the lifeblood of the Home. The workshop has recently finished some fairly sizeable furniture orders for educational institutions in Kwale County. The local County Executives have pledged to support the workshop in awarding them orders for school desks and chairs.

To meet the requirements, a review of the furniture workshop’s operations has resulted in the need to change the set up of the facilities that we have. The building that used to house the broiler project will now be converted to a finishing room and a show room for the finished furniture. We will need to raise funds to carry out the renovations. This has quite suddenly jumped up in priority as the long term income generation will be directly impacted by the proposed changes.

With the long school holidays having started, careful thought has been given as to how to occupy the active minds of these youngsters and keep them focused on learning activities that are fun and rewarding.

Each child has been given a small section of shamba (the Swahili word for garden) for them to prepare, plant and tend to their choice of crops that will eventually end up on the dinner table! They have taken to the task with great enthusiasm and it will be a joy to see (and taste) the products of their handiwork.

Some have also begun to attend Tae Kwando lessons. We are sure they will learn the discipline associated with this fine martial art.

Sadly little Yusuf, who featured in one of our past newsletters with a rubix cube, broke his femur while playing with his age mates. He is now in Msambweni Hospital on traction for the next 4 weeks! All the staff are working hard to try and make this long stay as comfortable and bearable as possible for the active little chap.

It is almost the end of another year and it is time to wish all our friends and supporters our Warmest Wishes for a Happy Christmas and our prayers for a Peaceful and Prosperous New Year.

DCV Support Team

Links:

• Diani Children's Village