Kisima Child Care Academy - School and Orphanage: March 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.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Good news and bad news

Very sad news. Martin wrote today that Emmanuel Nyongesa, the little boy who was abandoned at Kisima in the middle of the night, has died. I'm grateful that he was well taken care of and happy for the last few months of his short life.
In very good news, two friends of Barb's donated a goat each. They will be named Cindy and Jeannette after their donors. Wonderful friends!

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Two weeks to go!

We're making final preparations and getting very excited about our trip. Just a little over two weeks to go! We're looking forward to being able to assess Kisima's needs and work with Martin to make plans for the future. We will be taking lots and lots of photos including one of each child with the aim of getting sponsors.
Great news--Kisima will have two more cows and money toward food and land thanks to Shiloh United Methodist's Endowment Fund. Many, many thanks to them. Likewise many, many thanks to Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church for their donation. Kisima has indeed been blessed.

Friday, March 12, 2010

Rotary grant

The Rotary Club of Vienna, Virginia, gave Kisima a $1000 grant for building supplies or farming equipment. Many, many thanks to them. On the left is Dr. Joe Pace, who submitted the application, and on the right is Jim Marshall, President of the club.

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