Kisima Child Care Academy - School and Orphanage: June 2010

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, June 19, 2010

Sponsors anyone?

There are still only 11 sponsors which leaves a lot of children and teachers in need. Can you help by sponsoring a child for $20/month or a teacher for $25? Click on the link at the right for photos of the children. Your tax deductible check may be sent to Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church, 260 Wade Rd. W., Loudon TN 37774. Remember that 100% of donations goes directly to Kisima--there are no administrative costs. Please email me at gerdafink@gmail.com with questions. Thank you.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Fish!

Exciting news about the tilapia project--Martin made the first big harvest. There was enough not only for the children to eat but to sell about $190 worth--enough to buy two more beds. Here the preschool class is eating ugali with the fish. Ugali is maize flour and water cooked down to a consistency like stiff mashed potatoes.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Some good news and some bad news

I was getting worried because I hadn't heard from Martin for 10 days. It turns out that his older son was in the hospital for a week with malaria. His younger son was ill also but they believe it was typhoid. What a worry for Martin and Margaret. Martin's mother sold a heifer to pay the hospital bill. Thankfully both boys are now recovering.
In better news Martin was able to acquire the acre of land adjoining the school thanks to Shiloh Methodist Church. Kisima really needed the additional land to build more classrooms and a dormitory and for the cows and goats to graze.
Speaking of goats one of them delivered twin kids last week. Martin said that he would like to acquire more goats because they reproduce twice per year and and they require less care than cows. A Christ Our Savior member donated the money for another goat bringing the goat count to six.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

The first bed!

The children were very excited by the delivery of a bunk bed. Hopefully many more will follow if funds are available. Currently the children all sleep on the dirt floor.

Smiling faces

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Thanks to Shiloh

Many, many thanks to Shiloh United Methodist Church in Kokomo, Indiana, and to Bill Kring for sending the funds to purchase the acre of land adjacent to the school. This will ensure that Kisima has room to grow. The money they sent will also enable Martin to lease the fields where the maize is grown for five more years and to purchase two more cows, more mattresses, and a month's worth of food. Kisima is indeed blessed to have such wonderful friends.

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