Team Tumaini 2006


Marilyn Picard, Jennifer Valenti, Ross Brewer, Viola Burke and Sandy Foster

Kaibeiyo Orphanage & School outside Eldoret, Kenya.

Sandy went to this orphanage on her first trip in 2005 and was very moved by

what they were doing and wanted to go back and help with a smaller team.

School Buildings

People in North Bay, Ontario made 1200 lined pencil cases out of denim and put

school supplies inside.  Children in the city and in Kingston Ontario sponsored the

pencil cases for two dollars a piece.  They wrote notes to the Kenyan children

and these were placed in each pencil case. For most of the children at this

school these were the first “new” school supplies they had ever received.

We were able to go shopping with a list from the teachers and principal

of the small school on the orphanage grounds.  We purchased school

supplies and text books that the school could not afford to buy.

Ross Brewer, our only male team member, spent his time at Kaibeiyo

building desks, repairing and putting in water lines from the well to

make water accessible, and repairing the well sites to make them safer

for the children.  He also did many other repairs around the orphanage.

Many of the children at the orphanage received new uniforms.  Children

need a uniform to go to school and several had outgrown theirs. 

A milk cow was purchased to provide milk for all the orphans.  The cow

has since had a calf and there has been enough milk for all the children

each day plus the excess is sold for funds for the orphanage.

KITALI AREA

Sirende School

A public elementary and high school that has over 1000 children.

We had 60 new desks made for the students in the high school.

A classroom for the primary students needed repairs.

The teachers each received a bag with school supplies for their personal use.

All the children in the school received pencil cases.

  Many of the older children replied to the notes written in their pencil cases. 

They were all thrilled!

KIBERA SLUMS, NAIROBI

This is just a small part of Kibera.  It is the largest slum in all of Africa

and over 1 million people live in shacks in this area.  The high school

we help is the blue building at the very top of the picture.

The team with Sister Luciana outside St Aloysius Gonzaga High School.
School supplies were purchased for the students and teachers.  If you

educate a child then you educate a nation.  Education is the key

to improving the lives of Kenya’s children.

This is part of a group of 26 HIV/AIDS widows that between them support 90 children.  Sister Luciana, a Kenyan nun, and Sister Mae, a Sister from the St Josephs order in North Bay, formed the women into a co-operative called the "Action Speaks Widows Group".  Here they are doing bead work.  When we left we gave the Sisters money to purchase a candle making machine and money for the women to begin their own primary school for their younger children. They could not afford to send their children to schools in Kibera.

CHARLES AND ESTHER MULLY ORPHANAGE FOR HIV/AIDS ORPHANS

We had the opportunity to visit the original orphanage set up by Charles Mully and his family.  In 1989 Charles sold everything he had and began to take street children in. 

The orphanage became too small and he has since built larger orphanages in Ndalani

and Yatta outside of Nairobi. They have helped over 1500 children. Charles felt that

this original orphanage could be renovated for HIV/AIDS orphans and could house

a home and school.  Sandy was very moved by what she saw and decided that this

would be a funded project in the following year. To read more about Charles

and his family go to www.mullychildrensfamily.org.
 

This is why the buildings need to be replaced. The new orphanage

will house between 40 and 70 children.