By Rita Fowler | Founding trustee
We have some fantastic news. Our rented school is full to bursting, 175 children, in fact we have had to temporarily disband the computer suite to use as a classroom but that is not the fantastic news. We really need to build our own school but although we had the money to build two classrooms we could not start without money for the foundations. We were beginning to think that it was not going to happen. So, no-one can imagine our delight when a private donor gave us the money we needed. This means that we can start the foundations in March 2014. We are now working hard to raise the money for another two classrooms to complete a secure four classroom block with toilets so hopefully when I write the next update there will be a photograph of construction taking place.
We were out in Kenya in November and hope to go back next month. I can't wait to see how Hope our profoundly deaf student is doing. We had been told that because she had been without any hearing for so long that it was unlikely that she would be able to make sense of what she heard. I can't tell you how fantastic it felt when last November I walked into the room and Hope called out 'Rita'. Her mother is brilliant and is working in school as a teaching assistant with her own child but without pay. Hope is such a lucky girl to have a mother like Joyce.
Then we have Stella. Stella is hard of hearing but she copes. Sort of. Our classrooms are small and Kenyan teachers have loud voices but it didn't stop her being on the periphery of everything that happens. Then Siemens donated hearing aids to a small number of deaf children in Mombasa and because we were in the loop through Hope's audiologist we were able to access some for Stella. I'm really excited at the thought of seeing her.
We take so much for granted in the UK. If you can't hear you get hearing aids and if you can't see you get glasses. No-one in Mgongeni wears glasses. Incredibly we had only just noticed. (Probably explains all the road traffic accidents). Then when I was there last time I saw a child reading with her nose almost on the page. A UK donor has given us the money for Triza's specs and also some for Said and we are hoping to be able to offer them to others who have a problem. I couldn't bear to be without my specs but I guess if it is see or eat you have no choice.
Such an exciting time for our community. I can't wait to see the start of our new building.
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