Tragedy Comes to Tenderfeet

Tragedy has come to Tenderfeet. Unfortunately, what has happened is not unusual in the horrible conditions of the slums.

One of the parents of a student has died. Jeffson Ochoki (see picture to the right) is a 5 year old student at Tenderfeet, whose two older brothers had also attended the school. Mama Margaret has known and cared about this family for many years. Both parents were HIV positive. Their father's health has prevented him from working for some time now, and he has basically withdrawn from life, spending most of the time in bed, silently shutting out the world.

Their mother, Jane, had done everything possible to pick up the slack. She worked tirelessly as she struggled to earn enough to pay for rent and groceries. On a good month, she could earn $50-$70 by washing other peoples' clothes in a small washtub and doing other odd jobs she was able to find. With this income, the family might just get by, as long as there were no surprises or emergencies.

Unfortunately, the weather in Nairobi has been cold and damp for months (at almost 6000 ft elevation it often gets quite chilly). This, on top of her HIV, having her hands always in the cold water of washtubs as well as the unsanitary conditions of Kibera, probably led to Jane developing a case of pneumonia.

Because her family didn't have the $30 on hand that it would take to go to the doctor or get medication, her condition got worse and she died in her bed this week. Usually, when a parent or guardian gets sick, Mama Margaret and the Tenderfeet team (together with Lahash donors) spring into action and make sure the parent or guardian receives proper medical attention. Jacklyn Otieno (who is now much-improved, see picture to the right) is a single mother whose life was recently saved this way. Shadrack's life was also saved through his brain surgery.

Time and time again, Tenderfeet has come to the rescue of the desperately ill. Sadly, Margaret was away on school business while school was out on break, and didn't hear about what happened until she got back and it was too late. Our hearts are broken by this cruel and needless loss of life. Now the four children are essentially orphans, since their father is physically and mentally unable to take care of them.

When you think that $30 probably could have saved Jane, it becomes clear how important every donation is. Many donors are already making a huge difference for these children and their community. For more information about getting involved, please email dmitchell@lahash.net.

Tenderfeet News

School is out in the month of August in Kenya, and this includes Tenderfeet. But still much is going on. A potential new site has been identified for the school in a much better area of Kibera.

Partial progress was made this past week on a land survey. In Kenya, an official survey is a multi-step process. First, the existence of the plot area itself must be checked in person and the records are then put together.

The next step is to measure the edges of the plot itself and where it lies on the map. This is supposed to take place tomorrow (August 20). Lahash treasurer Leisha Adams and her father Sam visited last week and met the landowner, Margaret Wambui (see picture to the right, where they enjoy a meal at Mama Margaret's house). When the survey is finished, we should have a good idea of how much money must be raised to purchase the plot.

In other news, Shadrack is responding well to being taken off his medication. As mentioned before, following his surgery in March, has has been kept on medication to keep his body stable while it recovers. According to the doctors, everything looks good so far. What a long and difficult journey it's been, but what a blessing to see how well he is doing now!

Unfortunately, things have not gone as well for Jacklyn Otieno lately. Recall that Jacklyn's son Collins (pictured below right) attends Tenderfeet, and Jacklyn has received assistance while she struggles with her health problems. After seeing her health improve for a few months, she had a bad fall which has severely injured her legs. She was able to get X-rays which showed no bones were broken. However, the pain has been so bad, she has not even been able to walk. There is a chance it was a muscle or ligament tear.

Yesterday, Frank Atieli and Mama Margaret's husband Daniel took Jacklyn groceries and pain medication prescribed by the doctor (Mama Margaret is visiting a cousin out of town). When they arrived, the situation was quite serious. The family (Jacklyn and her two children) had run out of money and had not been getting enough to eat.

Collins was in tears because of his hunger and concern for his mother. Thanks to Lahash donors, the family received a real boost and is now eating better, and Jacklyn will get continued medical help. Please pray for this family that they will overcome the severe hardships they have been facing.