Tis The Season

Hello everyone,

I hope you are all having a wonderful Christmas season so far.

Personally I am trying to keep everything very low key this year. I have only just put up the Christmas decorations last night. I've decorated my mantle and put a wreath up in my living room window as well as some red jingle bells on my entry door.

I've opted to use a miniature tree with lights and red baubles on my table top rather than put up a large tree this year.   But first I have to finish altering some nightgowns for my mother for Christmas presents as I use the dining room table for sewing. I should finish sewing on Monday.  Then I will decorate my miniature white tree. Right now I'm using up every corner of my floor space in the front rooms for my arts and crafts supplies and other necessary furnishings so I don't have a space to put up my larger tree.  I don't mind not having a larger tree to decorate because I find it a tad too much work for me.  Especially since December is always a very busy month and I'm not even  home on Christmas Day on any year.

In this season where "tis the season to be jolly", we celebrate friends and family and often that means giving them gifts that they've either requested or we think they will like or appreciate.  It makes most of us feel good to give a gift from out hearts to those we love. Truth be told, many people receiving the gifts do not really need them but it has become a tradition to give gifts at this time of year. I'm all for the giving of material gifts to loved ones so long as it is within reason and one doesn't rack up a lot of debt to do it.

I would much rather give practical helps and gifts to those I know truly need it and to many I do not know, especially the widows and the orphans.  This year I am wondering if any of you would like to give a gift to those you do not know? People who live on the other side of the world in a small town called Mauche in the East African country of Kenya.

This is a sad tale of a young woman, now a widow and single mother whose husband succumbed to the ravages of HIV last week.

Besides leaving his wife, he left behind three children behind ages 1 1/2 years old, 6 years and 8 years old.  They have nothing. No home, no money, no way to get food.

It is a case of the father and the mother having to live separately for some time due to the need to find any work they could find. After a long separation the man went elsewhere for what he might ordinarily get from his wife.  He suffered the consequence, got ill and died.

He died a bitter man and it is a real shame that he was unable to get the right help or he might still be alive today.

My friends and I have been trying to determine how we can help the destitute family left behind.  I don't have a lot to really help them in the best way possible.  But we have come up with a plan and if I can get the help of a few of my readers, it would go a long way toward putting this family on it's feet to becoming self-sufficient.

Like many people in Kenya the mother has family land. Currently she lives in rented housing located about 10 km from her land.  She won't be able to pay the rent when next it comes due.

We plan to buy materials (materials required are wood, nails, iron sheets and labour) to build a tin shack on her property.  We also hope to provide some funds to buy seeds and fertilizer, possibly a chicken and a rooster so that baby chicks can be produced, raised and sold for income.  We cannot afford a cow for this family and especially the children to have milk.

My friend was thinking to borrow a cow but that isn't likely realistic since most people in the village also need the milk from any cows they might own (many people do not own a cow because they are expensive).  But it would be good to buy a diary goat or two to provide the milk and goats are much cheaper (about $100 Canadian or $70 US).  It is also necessary to buy wood and wire to make a chicken coop for the chicken and rooster and seeds for the garden. They also need some food to eat until the seeds can take root and produce a harvest and two of the children need to go to school.

Right now it is raining.  A lot. 

These ladies in the photo are the neighbours. The houses in the background are a better grade of housing than what we can afford to build.  It would take 4 times the funds I've sent for such a house.  We simply cannot afford that and need to get this family into temporary housing as soon as possible.

My friend has to travel from a village several hours away to help this woman and to oversee the plans to help her so the funds I send are properly expended and workers do not take advantage of her.  He can't stay more than a night each time.  There is no bus or transport to this area and the cost of return travel is very expensive on a boda boda taxi (motorcycle taxi) at 3000 shillings ($42 Canadian or $30 US). It will take 2, ideally 3 trips, to oversee the work and buy whatever needs to be purchased.

The motorbike cyclist had a very difficult time to get back up the hill and return home.

Neighbours condoling over tea.

Just think of trying to keep warm with no real sweaters or blankets. There is no indoor heating in such homes.

In order to make a simple drink of tea you must make a fire in a pit like the one in the photo below. It is a lengthy process.

 

I  will end the pictures and story here. 

I would not ask for your help if I could do it all on my own.

But I fall short of being able to get this family on their feet by myself.

Any amount you can offer would be a huge help!

Only you know what you can do.  If you can do something,

kindly let me know or simply send a donation 

to kerichojoy[at]gmail[dot]com

If you have any questions, you can write me at the same address or

you can complete the contact form to the right of my blog post and I will respond as soon as possible.

Thanks so much.

♥♥♥

Merry Christmas.

Jiko Stove Project - Phase 2, Final Installment

The second phase of the Jiko Stove Project in Rift Valley Kenya is nearing completion.  We are making stoves in the villages of Chepkurbet, Anamoi, Kapcheptoror (5 miles from Kericho Town) and Kimilot which is inside the tea estate about 20 miles from Kericho Town.

As I mentioned in  my last post here, we have not had to supervise Emily and Regina who are making the stoves.  Yet these two women have gone beyond the call of duty, making beautiful stoves and even teaching the other women how to take care of their jikos.

Now the rest of these  photos below will show you the latter phases of the work.  Some of the pictures were taken at night so they are a bit dark but they will more than give you an idea about how well this project has gone.

This is a new stove that is in the process of curing (drying and being readied for baking).

Another angle of the stove.

The majority of stoves were made in Chepkurbet for the village women there and last time I checked in, Emily and Regina were on their third day of stove making for the widows in Anamoi. The balance of stoves will be made in the other villages and altogether this part of the project will see 35 stoves completed. In the first phase of the project which occurred about one and a half years ago, we were able to make 11 jiko stoves.  If you like, you can read more about that here.

A small child who will benefit from the reduced smoke emissions of this stove.

All the children in this household who will benefit from reduced smoke and reduced labour to collect firewood.

We are now able to get to more women and families with the jiko stoves. Not all of the women recipients of the stove are widows. Some of them have husbands. The thing they all have in common is that they need a new stove to help them with the environmental and health risks associated with the three stone fires they had been using. Read more about that here. For humble villagers like these to put in such a stove would be quite costly and also viewed as a luxury item.  While it might be financially doable for some it is likely at the expense or risk of not providing food and education for the children and other family members. Food is a necessity for people who often only get one meal a day and education would be considered far more valuable than a jiko stove.

Here is the mother. Just think how much better her daily cooking experience will be. Thank you God!

A fire is lit.

Another family benefits from the jiko.

A mother and her child with the new jiko.

This is an older type of jiko stove that at least one village woman had. You can see that it is an improvement over a stone fire but it is not energy efficient. Smoke and heat still escapes from the top. In a new jiko model the smoke is funnelled to the outside of the home and the stove would need less wood to keep a fire going due to energy efficiency.

I want to say one thing about the husbands also. Generally in Kenya, the men do not associate themselves so much with the concerns of the kitchen or the hardships of cooking. These areas of home life fall under the responsibility of women.  Consequently, I was very happy to hear how as a result of this project, some of the husbands are actively engaged and supportive of these new stoves and that they value them as an advantage for their wives and their households. You will see one of the husbands posing in the photos. You can see he is smiling and proud to have a new jiko stove.

One husband who so appreciates the stove for his family.

This concludes my series on Phase 2 of the Jiko Stove Project. Phase 3 will happen when I get to Kenya. You can read about that in the weeks to come.

Simple Joy Saturday ~ July 24, 2010

Giving so children can live.  This is my simple joy. Not just on Saturday but anytime I can and as often as I can. The needs are so great.  Join me  as you are led to help these and other dear ones in Kenya.

In everything I have pointed out to you [by example] that, by working diligently in this manner, we ought to assist the weak, being mindful of the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said, It is more blessed (makes one happier and more to be envied) to give than to receive.

Acts 20: 35

Come join in at Simple Joy Saturday hosted by the wonderful Jan in Australia.