Kisima Child Care Academy - School and Orphanage: May 2009

Sponsor a Child

Kisima’s director reports that once the children know they have a sponsor they hold their heads higher, have a spring in their step, and show a renewed dedication to their schoolwork. Sponsor a child for $300 per year. Younger students require two sponsors for full support while older students need at least three. The cost of books and exams during their last two years is quite high. Sponsor a teacher for $400 per year. Each teacher needs four sponsors for full support. When you choose or are assigned a child it would be great to write a letter to introduce yourself and include a photo. The kids LOVE to receive photos. Please do not send packages because they may not arrive. The address to send letters and photos is Kisima Academy, P.O. Box 74, Postal Code 50211, Naitiri, Kenya.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Hail damage

Martin writes that the maize crop sustained substantial damage during a recent hailstorm but that it was recovering slowly. Hopefully the harvest will still be a good one. In much better news, a wonderful friend from Kokomo wired money to install a water tank, rent two acres of land to plant, and finish the shelter for Barb the cow. Martin will have enough money left over to start the foundation for another classroom. Progress!

Monday, May 4, 2009

Maize is growing well

Martin reports that the maize is growing well and that they are finished weeding. Also:

"I assigned some people to dig a latrine and they are through. The soil from the latrine has been transferred to in between a mud classroom and a cow shade. I have made in a such way that it appears like a hill, I have planted grass on it and I hope the children will enjoy relaxing there.

Garden - we need to restrict our cow to a certain position. If we can have a wire mesh of about 28 meters long it will be very useful. From there I suggest we plant sukuma wiki, cabbages, carrots and tomatoes on our Garden."

It's so nice that the children will be having vegetables in their diet.
In more good news, the Social Concerns committee at church voted to donate $1000 from our recent garage sale to Kisima. Martin and the children will be very grateful.

Introduction

Kisima Academy was started by Martin Simiyu, an extraordinary man who has really responded to God’s call to serve. In 2006 he, his wife, and their three children moved to a rural area in western Kenya to start a school for orphans. In March 2008 Kisima consisted of three mud classrooms and the children sat on the dirt floor for their lessons. They walked a mile for water.

Seven years later with the help of friends, Christ our Savior Lutheran Church in Loudon, Tennessee, and John Calvin Presbyterian Church in Annandale, Virginia, there are ten brick classrooms, two hand-dug wells, cows, chickens, tilapia fish ponds, and most important, food for the children. Boys' and girls' dorms were built in 2011 thanks to the generosity of the Nancy Bryant-Jerry Taylor Foundation. Martin farms four acres of maize and beans and each class has a garden to grow vegetables.

Much progress has been made but there are still many needs to be met, among them more land and simple housing for the teachers who live onsite.

Donations go to For the Kids International, Inc., 7201 Countrywood Ct., Springfield, VA 22151. Please be sure to specify that it is to go to Kisima Academy. When you send a donation to Kisima, 100% goes to the school. No money is used for administration.

Bonnie Lefbom
Gerda Fink
Denise Patton
Nancy Bryant
John Ndiritu

Kisima Child Care Academy - School and Orphanage

Sponsor a Child

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Hail damage

Monday, May 4, 2009

Maize is growing well

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