17/02: Newsletter February 2010
Category: News Letter
Posted by: anne
It’s that exciting time of year again when Janet, myself and a volunteer are off to see our Bumala Trust family in Kenya, we will be away for 3 weeks, returning hopefully to warmer weather here and with much positive news from our time in Bumala
My arm is now recovering from all the injections I have had to have, and I just need to purchase my malarone tablets. (so expensive) but I do not want to catch Malaria. The little blighters do like my skin! even though I cover myself with repellent and herbal remedies,
The temperature in Bumala will be around the 70-80’s and the rainy season is due to start shortly. (must remember to pack my raincoat) No time to sunbathe though as it will be all go from start to finish, but oh so rewarding.
We have nearly finished packing our extra allowance of 13 suitcases, bless you British Airways, wish they could provide us with free fares as well, but we are grateful that they are allowing us extra baggage, we certainly need it, every suitcase is bulging with much needed items such as blankets, bedding, clothes, books, toiletries etc.
Think of us while we get all that through to the check- in desk, we should have very strong arms by the end of it. Thank goodness we are being met at Nairobi airport. The cases then are taken along a very bumpy road to their destination in Bumala, hopefully all in one piece.
After a short but welcome sleep in Nairobi, we get to go on a small plane to Kisumu and then after shopping in Kisumu which is very exhausting and so noisy (the only MOT they have must be to make sure the horn works!)They certainly don’t worry what side of the road they are driving, you just have to get out of the way .we then have a long drive along a very pot holed (looks like the surface of the moon with so many graters) main road to our final destination in Bumala. By then we all look as if we have been through a hedge backwards and need a good nights sleep ( we’ll be lucky) ready to face all the neighbours and people who want to meet us.
Some very positive things have occurred over the last few months, and I can not wait to see all the projects we started, and the new projects that are underway.
I am especially looking forward to seeing the children ,widows and our workers again who do such a fantastic job in caring for our children and widows needs, as well as looking after all the projects.
I have purchased a new video camera so that I can take some footage of the projects and children which can be put onto our web site for you all to see. I am also taking extra memory cards, as last year I managed to take about 600 pictures and wished I had taken another memory card as there is so much I want to see and do.
Project updates
• Widows Home. - The charity built a new home for a very needy widow, her dwelling was collapsing and she was cooking, eating and sleeping in this home with the nine grandchildren she cares for. Her new dwelling has just been completed and she is very happy now.
• The Bee Project. - Last month 9 kilos of honey was harvested from 7 bee hives, which is fantastic. I am looking forward to tasting this honey (unfortunately due to immigration laws we are not allowed to bring any honey back with us) This honey will be given mainly to the children to supplement their food , we aim to purchase more hives while we are their, as there is a great demand for it and we should be able to sell some from the next harvest as well as providing for our families
• Water Project. - This is so exciting Peter Weyama has had the tank installed to store the water and the pump will also be installed when we arrive, we have electricity in the homestead now, which will pump the water to the local area, and Tree nursery.
Once the government put in a transformer at the Bumala Secondary School, which should be within the next few months, this water can then be pumped to the schools in the area and hopefully, beyond.
• Schools. - We will be visiting the local schools in the area particularly Bukhakhala, Masabula Primary schools and Bumala Secondary.
We need to report back on the progress of the classrooms that Decoy and Kingskerswell School are building at the primary schools, these should be near completion. I hope we can also visit some of the boarding schools that a few of our older children go to.
• Banana Plantation. - This is the only project that we are having problems with, a very virulent virus has destroyed a lot of the crops. But we are fortunate that the local ministry of Agriculture are stepping in to help us, they are going to provide us with new disease free varieties and will also support us for 3 years to establish more varieties of fruit and vegetables, at their expense, which is fantastic news for us
• Safe House. - Plans have been drawn up to provide a safe house for our most needy children, these children do not a permanent place, they sleep and eat where they can, we aim to build six two bedroom homes, within the safety of the compound, where they will be cared for by the Bumala Trust family. There are many children in the same predicament , but as our Motto says “We can’t change the world but we can change someone’s world “
• Widows. - We will be meeting the widows to see how they have been progressing. In 2008 the Trust ploughed, tilled, fertilised their land, and provided them with seeds to grow their own food, we also supported them in other projects such as pigs and sewing machines etc. With our guidance and help they were beginning to help themselves and other widows to become more self-sufficient, some of the more able widows’ work in our Tree nursery, giving them an income.
• Goats. - We are also eager to start this project and will be looking into the building of the Goat houses, and purchasing good stock
• The Children - Hopefully we can spend time with the children, although some of our older boys and girls will be away at boarding school while we are there. We have a lot of gifts from their sponsors to give them as well as school equipment, clothes etc. Janet and I will be purchasing new school shoes from the proceeds of the shoe drive we did last year, and we will also endeavour to get as much information as we can about each of our children, their living conditions and school reports, so we can report this back to the sponsors. Our HIV children are given the special care, food and medication they need, by our wonderful carer Esnas.
Two of our boys are living with Peter in his home and three children live with Esnas, these children have no families so once our safe house is built they will be staying there.
I shall be composing a diary of my time in Bumala on my return, I will share this adventure with you on our web site. I expect to shed many tears but also much laughter.
Thank you all for supporting our charity, we are very grateful for all the help we receive, to achieve what we can to help these wonderful people get dignity and hope back into their lives.
With much blessing
Anne Jenkins
My arm is now recovering from all the injections I have had to have, and I just need to purchase my malarone tablets. (so expensive) but I do not want to catch Malaria. The little blighters do like my skin! even though I cover myself with repellent and herbal remedies,
The temperature in Bumala will be around the 70-80’s and the rainy season is due to start shortly. (must remember to pack my raincoat) No time to sunbathe though as it will be all go from start to finish, but oh so rewarding.
We have nearly finished packing our extra allowance of 13 suitcases, bless you British Airways, wish they could provide us with free fares as well, but we are grateful that they are allowing us extra baggage, we certainly need it, every suitcase is bulging with much needed items such as blankets, bedding, clothes, books, toiletries etc.
Think of us while we get all that through to the check- in desk, we should have very strong arms by the end of it. Thank goodness we are being met at Nairobi airport. The cases then are taken along a very bumpy road to their destination in Bumala, hopefully all in one piece.
After a short but welcome sleep in Nairobi, we get to go on a small plane to Kisumu and then after shopping in Kisumu which is very exhausting and so noisy (the only MOT they have must be to make sure the horn works!)They certainly don’t worry what side of the road they are driving, you just have to get out of the way .we then have a long drive along a very pot holed (looks like the surface of the moon with so many graters) main road to our final destination in Bumala. By then we all look as if we have been through a hedge backwards and need a good nights sleep ( we’ll be lucky) ready to face all the neighbours and people who want to meet us.
Some very positive things have occurred over the last few months, and I can not wait to see all the projects we started, and the new projects that are underway.
I am especially looking forward to seeing the children ,widows and our workers again who do such a fantastic job in caring for our children and widows needs, as well as looking after all the projects.
I have purchased a new video camera so that I can take some footage of the projects and children which can be put onto our web site for you all to see. I am also taking extra memory cards, as last year I managed to take about 600 pictures and wished I had taken another memory card as there is so much I want to see and do.
Project updates
• Widows Home. - The charity built a new home for a very needy widow, her dwelling was collapsing and she was cooking, eating and sleeping in this home with the nine grandchildren she cares for. Her new dwelling has just been completed and she is very happy now.
• The Bee Project. - Last month 9 kilos of honey was harvested from 7 bee hives, which is fantastic. I am looking forward to tasting this honey (unfortunately due to immigration laws we are not allowed to bring any honey back with us) This honey will be given mainly to the children to supplement their food , we aim to purchase more hives while we are their, as there is a great demand for it and we should be able to sell some from the next harvest as well as providing for our families
• Water Project. - This is so exciting Peter Weyama has had the tank installed to store the water and the pump will also be installed when we arrive, we have electricity in the homestead now, which will pump the water to the local area, and Tree nursery.
Once the government put in a transformer at the Bumala Secondary School, which should be within the next few months, this water can then be pumped to the schools in the area and hopefully, beyond.
• Schools. - We will be visiting the local schools in the area particularly Bukhakhala, Masabula Primary schools and Bumala Secondary.
We need to report back on the progress of the classrooms that Decoy and Kingskerswell School are building at the primary schools, these should be near completion. I hope we can also visit some of the boarding schools that a few of our older children go to.
• Banana Plantation. - This is the only project that we are having problems with, a very virulent virus has destroyed a lot of the crops. But we are fortunate that the local ministry of Agriculture are stepping in to help us, they are going to provide us with new disease free varieties and will also support us for 3 years to establish more varieties of fruit and vegetables, at their expense, which is fantastic news for us
• Safe House. - Plans have been drawn up to provide a safe house for our most needy children, these children do not a permanent place, they sleep and eat where they can, we aim to build six two bedroom homes, within the safety of the compound, where they will be cared for by the Bumala Trust family. There are many children in the same predicament , but as our Motto says “We can’t change the world but we can change someone’s world “
• Widows. - We will be meeting the widows to see how they have been progressing. In 2008 the Trust ploughed, tilled, fertilised their land, and provided them with seeds to grow their own food, we also supported them in other projects such as pigs and sewing machines etc. With our guidance and help they were beginning to help themselves and other widows to become more self-sufficient, some of the more able widows’ work in our Tree nursery, giving them an income.
• Goats. - We are also eager to start this project and will be looking into the building of the Goat houses, and purchasing good stock
• The Children - Hopefully we can spend time with the children, although some of our older boys and girls will be away at boarding school while we are there. We have a lot of gifts from their sponsors to give them as well as school equipment, clothes etc. Janet and I will be purchasing new school shoes from the proceeds of the shoe drive we did last year, and we will also endeavour to get as much information as we can about each of our children, their living conditions and school reports, so we can report this back to the sponsors. Our HIV children are given the special care, food and medication they need, by our wonderful carer Esnas.
Two of our boys are living with Peter in his home and three children live with Esnas, these children have no families so once our safe house is built they will be staying there.
I shall be composing a diary of my time in Bumala on my return, I will share this adventure with you on our web site. I expect to shed many tears but also much laughter.
Thank you all for supporting our charity, we are very grateful for all the help we receive, to achieve what we can to help these wonderful people get dignity and hope back into their lives.
With much blessing
Anne Jenkins
