Kisima Child Care Academy - School and Orphanage: June 2013

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.

Monday, June 24, 2013

JCPC visit

The group from John Calvin Presbyterian Church just finished a very successful and productive visit at Kisima. Looking forward to hearing details from them when they return.

Monday, June 10, 2013

Our own foundation!

We’re very happy to announce that we've formed a nonprofit organization to handle the contributions for Kisima Academy. Bright Star Foundation very kindly took us under their wing but it’s now time to go on our own. The name of the new organization is For the Kids International, Inc. and the website is www.forthekidsintl.org. Your donations can now go to the address above. As before be assured that 100% of your contributions will go directly to benefit the children of Kisima.

Friday, June 7, 2013

More solar; roof water catchment

The children are very happy about two wonderful improvements: solar lighting was expanded to the dining hall and two more classrooms and a roof water catchment system was installed. You can see the huge water tank at the back left. The hand dug well became inadequate to supply the needs of the increased number of children. Both these improvements were largely a result of a grant from the Rotary Club of Vienna, Virginia. Huge thanks to them!

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