Alexis the cow, new mattresses, etc.

The new classroom and storeroom were finished with donated bricks.

Children are overjoyed to get mattresses.

Alexis the cow joins Barb the cow--and soon there will be a third. The children are very excited at the prospect of a calf. Martin will buy the chickens as soon as he has built some pens. The children and staff are all grateful for the alternative gifts of food, school supplies, teacher support, and bricks in addition to the chickens and cow. Thank you to everyone who contributed!

Christmas at Kisima

Here is Martin's report of Christmas at Kisima:

"Our Christmas was very nice as we had a humble time with the children; we took the morning breakfast of different taste that is millet porridge with milk and some sugar added in it. We had the several plays, showing the birth of Jesus Christ. The sermon was given by Teacher Margaret. We had a pleasure to visit our fish ponds, whereby the children were so excited to see the fish feeding and hiding when they see any movement of a human body. After some time we went back to our school, where we had lunch that is ugali served with a piece of meat and kales (sukuma wiki). After lunch we had enough moment for story telling up to 4pm when the children went to the field to play. They had to take shower then after they took their super Rice and cabbages."

Normally wire transfers go to Kisima in March, July, and November. However, Kisima was blessed with enough money from the Alternative Gift campaign and several significant donations to warrant an additional transfer. Martin will be able to finish the much-needed fourth classroom as well as buy another cow, chickens, more mattresses, food, school supplies... What a difference all this will make to the lives of the children!

Alternative Gift Campaign yields results

I hadn't heard from Martin for two weeks and was becoming concerned. It turns out that there had been a public transport strike that had prevented him from going the 17 miles to Kitale to use the Internet cafe. However, all is well there. He is very happy that the alternative gift campaign yielded a month's food for 10 children, school supplies for five children, 15 months of support for a teacher, 11 mattresses, a year's rental of one acre of land, 2400 bricks, 20% of a cow, and a LOT of chickens. Also, some "whatever is needed" money. Thank you to everyone who participated and especially to Denise who came up with the idea and did most of the work.
Several other donations will allow Martin to finish the fourth classroom, secure more land rental and buy fertilizer, and buy the other 80% of the cow (thanks, Alexis!).