Kisima Child Care Academy - School and Orphanage: July 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.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Construction

Hopefully Martin will be able to finish the third classroom with the last money that was sent. Good progress but still a long way to go!

Construction materials being unloaded...

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Kisima growing

There are more children at Kisima--now 101, most of whom are still sleeping in three rented rooms. A dormitory seems a long way in the future. A more immediate need is for an additional latrine. Currently there is only one, with a boys' side and a girls' side but Martin has started construction on a second one. Real bathrooms are badly needed as well.

Otherwise the children are well and happy and the garden and crops are growing well. This week a wire transfer of funds will be sent including money from our church (Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church in Loudon TN) garage sale as well as donations from several church members, some of my wonderful friends, and a local doctor who grew up in Kenya. In addition to feeding the children hopefully significant progress can be made on the new classroom. Another exciting prospect is the possibility of starting a small tilapia farming program. More on that later.

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

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Construction

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Kisima growing

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