Kisima Child Care Academy - School and Orphanage: February 2015

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.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Under a mango tree

I like this photo of Class 8 studying under a mango tree.

Friday, February 13, 2015

Graduates heading to secondary schools

Most of the secondary school admission letters have arrived for Kisima's first graduates. The schools have always based their admissions on the national exams that Class 8 students take in November. This year the government changed the procedure but the top 10% of students nationally score above 360; at Kisima 42% scored above 360--a testament to good leadership, hard-working kids and dedicated teachers! So far the kids are going to 12 different schools--what a logistics challenge to get 20 kids equipped and delivered to so many different places! The orphans had sponsors at Kisima who are continuing to sponsor them through secondary school.

Friday, February 6, 2015

New mosquito nets and a new well

There are new mosquito nets...

and a new well. Having enough water has been a problem at Kisima. The first hand-dug well was adequate when there were only about 100 students but there are now 298 students plus the staff. A 100-liter water catchment tank was added some time ago that helped but of course not during dry periods. One of the next projects is to pipe water to the kitchen and showers. Currently water has to be carried.

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