Boaz Goes Home

Yesterday, Boaz was released from the hospital following his successful eye muscle surgery. Below is a picture of him on the taxi ride home. He thinks it's wonderful this amazing change has taken place.

Notice in the picture the spots of lights appear on the same location of each cornea (pediatricians often do the "corneal light reflex test" during well-child checkups). That's a good sign the eyes are properly aligned.


There's still quite a bit of redness from the surgery, but the doctor says it will go away in a few days.

A study of people with strabismus (permanently-crossed eyes) found that 85% report that it causes problems with their work, school and sports. 70% said it had a negative effect on their self-image. So this surgery will be a blessing to Boaz the rest of his life.

For comparison, here's the first picture I saw of Boaz, taken by the Lahash team during their January 2007 visit.


Thanks again to all of the donors and friends for making this possible. It was a team effort. What a great Christmas present and way to share God's love.

Boaz has the Surgery

Good news! Boaz had his eye surgery today and according to early reports from the nurse, everything is going well so far. Boaz left his room at 3:00 PM Nairobi time, and was returned at 5:00 PM. He was bandaged and sleeping when he came back. Mama Margaret took this picture after his return.


She wasn't able to talk to the doctor because he had moved on to work on the next patient, but the nurse said it was a success. Tomorrow, Margaret will get a full report and if everything goes well, Boaz should check out of the hospital on Wednesday. Thank you for your prayers and support.

Update on Boaz

Boaz Osiebe is the 5 year old Tenderfeet student who has permanently crossed eyes (Strabismus).

Now an operation has been made possible through the fundraising efforts of Kathy Switzer in Canada as well as big help from Cornerstone UMC Vacation Bible School kids in Houston, Texas.

The eye muscle surgery was originally supposed to take place in August, but was delayed due to schedule conflicts on the part of the doctor.

At long last, Boaz was admitted to the Eye Unit of Kikuyu Hospital today. His operation is scheduled for tomorrow. As I'm sure you can understand, he's a little bit nervous and a little bit excited at the same time.

Please keep Boaz in your prayers.

Meet Two Kibera Boys

I'd like to share the stories of two Tenderfeet kids, one a current student and the other a former student who has moved on to the next stage of his education.

Phelix Ondiek (see picture right) is a four year old boy that attends Tenderfeet in Kibera. His family fled and relocated to Riruta after the riots in January, but his mother could not make enough to support the family in the new location. After a few months, they returned to Kibera even though it is not as safe for the family. Phelix's father passed away in 2004 from HIV/AIDS. The mother is HIV positive. Phelix is frequently sick and possibly HIV positive as well, but has not yet been tested. The mother is the sole bread winner in the household from her vegetable vendor business in Kibera.

Phelix has two brothers and two sisters. He is known for cracking jokes and loves singing. He receives assistance through the sponsorship of the Brown Family and the Urban Outreach organization.


Wickliff Wesonga (photo left) was admitted in Tenderfeet in 2001. After completing several years of school at Tendefeet, he was ready for the next level, joining Ayany Primary. He is now twelve years old in class six.

Mama Margaret wishes she could continue the education of children like Wickliff because it's a struggle at Ayany. Classes are overcrowded and school fees are extremely difficult for his family to pay (although Ayany is officially "free", in fact there are many hidden fees). Unfortunately, Tenderfeet doesn't have the staff or facilities to educate older children like Wickliff.

Wickliff is an AIDS orphan, and was born HIV positive, but -- thank heaven -- is able to obtain life saving ARV drugs. He lives with his uncle who is also HIV positive, and has three brothers and two sisters. He loves playing soccer and reading storybooks. Wickliff depends on good samaritans to help with life expenses, and recently has received assistance from the Tenderfeet Orphans Fund.

These two boys have already faced more challenges than many of us see in a lifetime. Thankfully, they are now getting some help which gives them hope for the future.

Emergency and Orphans Funds

Gillian Adhiambo is a young student at Tenderfeet in Kibera. In June, a container of boiling liquid was accidentally spilled on her leg. The burn was severe.



Thanks to the Tenderfeet emergency fund, Mama Margaret was able to get quality medical treatment for the leg. Dressings were applied and tended over a period of many weeks.

The burn has healed up now, though the scars remain. The emergency fund has come to the rescue of many Tenderfeet children. Donations to the Ten for Tenderfeet program allow the emergency fund to exist.

We've also recently set up an orphan's fund to help some of the school's neediest children. Orphans often live with relatives or good samaritans who have difficulty absorbing the extra expense that comes with the orphan child.

Three such children are Fredrick Muchangi (10 yrs), Yvonne Lituiza (5 yrs), and Dickson Mberia (4 yrs). These children were orphans who lived with a good samaritan unable to care for them anymore. They are currently staying with Mama Margaret.


Thanks to a kind sponsor, as well as the orphans fund, we can afford to come to the rescue of children like these and several others who attend school but need extra help outside of the school.

Especially now that food prices are higher than ever, the orphans fund can ensure that a sweet orphan girl like Esther Ngina (see picture) doesn't suffer because of going without meals.


Esther, who lives with an Aunt that struggles to eke out a living, sometimes came to school crying because she was so hungry. Now we are able to help her to get the food she needs. Cornerstone Methodist Church had a generous love offering in September to boost the orphans fund.

May Tenderfeet Updates

We have been blessed to have the former Tenderfeet students sponsored in a school called Perijang. A Perijang teacher is using the old Tenderfeet building to continue the education of these vulnerable children (please see picture). Although the school fees at Perijang are only about $5 per month, it is still too much for these children's families, so scholarships are being covered through the generosity of Tenderfeet friends in California and Rhode Island.

Meanwhile, the children in Kibera who were sponsored previously are still being helped through the sponsorship program. For example, the families of Winslet Auma, Collins Onyango, and Brian Ochoki are receiving assistance in the form of food, rent, and clothing. We still have many especially needy children in need of a sponsor. To find out more, please click here.

An important development in one child's life involves the treatment of an eye problem that Boaz Osiebe has faced for a long time. Last month, Mama Margaret took Boaz to the eye clinic where the doctor identified two different problems.


The first is the left eye being severely crossed (strabismus), which is less urgent and we intend to get treated in due time. The other problem is a complication in his unaffected right eye that could cause blindness if not addressed. Over the past several weeks, he's been taken in once per week for treatment and evaluation.

Please pray for Boaz, that the treatment will be successful and his eyesight won't be damaged. If you would like to assist with the medical costs, we would be deeply grateful. Please click here to make a donation to help out (type "Boaz" in the Donation Destination area).

Kenya Emergency Fund in Action

After several attempts over a slow network, Margaret was able to send some pictures of the Lahash relief effort.

These show the emergency fund donations put into action helping children that have suffered during the turmoil. Thank you so much to all the emergency fund donors! May God bless you for your generosity.

Above photo: staple foods like corn meal (for Ugali), rice, and beans can be stretched a long way for families low on supplies.

Above photo: the Tenderfeet team bundles up bags for each needy family.

Here Tenderfeet children like Moses Mirigi (red sweater center) and Faith Wambui (blue dress left) receive the supplies at the Jamuhuri showgrounds, where the food is distributed.

February Kenya Updates

Update (Feb. 19, 8:00 PM Central time USA):

After much deliberation and weighing of options, we have decided to change the focus of Tenderfeet to the Riruta area. This is the safer area that the school has been relocated to after Mama Margaret had to flee Kibera. As mentioned before, Riruta is about 5 miles from Kibera. It is still quite a poor area, but not on the massive scale of Kibera.

Therefore, starting immediately, Margaret will begin working in the community to find needy children who have no opportunity to go to school. The new building is slightly smaller, so we will have about 50 kids for 2008.

One of the big concerns was the 60 or so students we are unfortunately having to leave behind in Kibera. Since January marks the beginning of the new school year, there were about 20 of the previous 60 students that have now moved on to the next level of school.

So that leaves 40 of the 60 that would be attending Tenderfeet if it was still in Kibera. Of these remaining 40, Margaret has identified about 20 who are extremely poor and vulnerable and would not be able to afford school. The other 20 are in a slightly better position and will have other options.

For the month of February, we have paid for the transportation of many of these 20 (see picture below), but it is too expensive long-term.


Therefore, going forward in the months of March and beyond, for the 20 most vulnerable, we will offer scholarships so they can attend a school in Kibera. It's much, much cheaper than busing them to the new school site. In fact, a good school has opened in a church near the old Tenderfeet site. The school charges school fees of 200 Kenyan shillings per month (about $3), plus 100 shillings for the child to be in the feeding program.

Sadly, this is too much for these very poor children, so for these kids, we will pay their fees at least through the remainder of 2008 (10 months - 2 vacation months). After 2008, some will go on to the next level, and the remainder we will deal with on a case-by-case basis.

So in the next two weeks, we are focused on the children that are riding the bus to the school as well as finding deserving children from the Riruta area to attend the school from March onward.

Update (Feb. 14, 9:00 AM Central time USA):

We received updates and photos of the relief effort in action. Please see this post for more details.

Update (Feb. 7, 9:00 PM Central time USA):

Today Mama Margaret signed a lease agreement with the landlord for a new school building (see pictures, top is Margaret in the front, bottom is Margaret's sister Mary arranging desks). The building is nicer (brick vs. iron sheet) than the previous school building in Kibera. Unfortunately, though, it is no longer easily accessible for the children. The new location is in Riruta, near the area where Margaret has relocated for safety. Riruta is west of Kibera, near Dagoretti.


Earlier this week, the items in the school were transported by Frank out of Kibera on hand carts (similar to this photo). This was done in response to threats that the school would be burned by a gang of thugs.

Everything in the school -- desks, supplies, cupboards, and so on -- was moved except for a few desks that were in bad shape anyway. Moving the items with handcarts was dangerous, tense, and exhausting. Margaret paid for a security escort, but it was still a scary experience. Handcarts were used because trucks refused to enter Kibera for fear of being burned, as several had been in the last month.

The handcarts were pulled 15 minutes away to the Jamuhuri Showgrounds, a safe area being used for refugees and a transportation hub. When all the items were moved, the items could then be loaded onto a truck which took them 3-4 miles to Riruta and the new school building.

Today, the leader of the Luo thugs called Margaret and threatened to cut her head off if she came into Kibera again since she is a Kikuyu. The same group looted a school near Tenderfeet operated by a Kikuyu under the auspices of the Methodist Church.

Now Margaret is investigating options for transporting the children from Kibera to Riruta, such as renting a school bus. In the meantime, school will have to be suspended.

Update (Feb. 3, 9:00 PM Central time USA):

At Tenderfeet, school has been open and closed, open and closed in reaction to events in the country.

For instance, two members of parliament from the opposition party were killed last week, causing flare-ups of violence. In response, the school closed. During pockets of calm, the school has been open.

Now a gang of thugs is threatening to burn the school down. Mama Margaret is responding with a plan to relocate the items within the school to a safer area. We are hoping to have this complete in the next few days.

In the midst of all this horrible news, there are a few bright spots. For example, even as the threats were made to burn the school, Margaret was en route to taking Shadrack to a special boarding school in northern Nairobi called The Treeside School.

Treeside is aimed at educating children like Shadrack who have special challenges. Due to setbacks caused by his brain abscess, doctors have recommended Shadrack go to a school like Treeside to help him make the best progress with respect to his developmental needs. The school is a bit expensive, but thanks to the wonderful Christian youth group "Corby's Castle", the fees can be paid. Please see the photo of Shadrack in his new school uniform.

In Eldoret, Lahash is seeking to assist the the clients remaining in the Munyaka area as well as some that have relocated, including Lucy and Emily in Nyahururu.

Please note: previous updates can be found here and here.

Kenya Post-Election Updates

Please Note: newer updates can be found here.

Update (Jan. 28, 10:00 PM Central time USA): The situation in Kibera continues to be up and down. Hostility towards Kikuyus is a big problem for Mama Margaret. Violence flares up in different parts of Kenya each day. To get some sense of the havoc, you may be interested in a collection of images a blogger has collected the past month. Most are quite graphic and difficult to take, so please be warned, but they do serve to demonstrate the severity of the situation. Please click here to visit the blog.

Gangs of Luos have come by the school a few times and demanded to see the headteacher. Fortunately, Mama Margaret was away on business each time. Teacher Karen, a Luo, has tried to get the thugs to leave the school alone by claiming to be the school director, but they seem to know or suspect that the school is run by a Kikuyu.

During the past week, Margaret has stayed home a few of the days when it was too dangerous, as well as traveling to the hospital and a potential school on behalf of Shadrack. However, Karen and Tenderfeet's new teacher, Lydia, have been doing a great job keeping the school running in Margaret's absence. Lydia taught at Tenderfeet a few years back, and was glad to return this year. Today, 29 students attended. The picture was taken last week during a peaceful day at school

Meanwhile, Frank has been assisting the families in the community with funds made possible through the Kenya Emergency packs. Some of the Kikuyu families are facing a difficult decision whether to return to Kibera or relocate. Unfortunately, relocation means possibly higher rent and educational costs. Currently, most of them are staying at the Jamhuri showgrounds. These include the families of Esther Nyambura, Alex Nduati, Boaz Osebe, Collins Mutunga, Moses Mirigi, and Faith Kaluki.

Update (Jan. 19, 10:00 PM Central time USA): The demonstrations Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday caused more violence and turmoil, though not to the extent of those immediately following the elections.

In Eldoret, the situation is very difficult for the minority Kikuyu families in the slum of Munyaka. They are a target for tribal hostility and violence from thugs in surrounding Nandi communities.

Lahash is coordinating the relocation of 22 children (some of whom are pictured below). Two children were relocated this past week. Most of them are quite young, and will be accompanied by guardians. During the past few weeks, these children have missed meals and slept outside. Their families are now seeking to transport the children to more peaceful areas of Kenya, where they will stay with relatives and family friends.

It will be a great blessing for the children to be in safer situations, where food and security are assured. This relocation effort would be impossible without the generous donations to the Emergency Fund. Our deepest thanks to the wonderful donors!



In Nairobi, Mama Margaret has relocated to Riruta, an area that's a 30 minute walk from Tenderfeet. She will ride the bus in every day to teach at the school, but because there is so much animosity towards Margaret's Kikuyu tribe in Luo-dominated Kibera, it's not wise for her to live in the community any more.

The school was closed Wednesday-Friday since it was not safe in Kibera due to the violence associated with election demonstrations. Several people were killed in Kibera, including some shot by police. Nevertheless, Raila Odinga has announced that he will not call for further demonstrations for the time being, so Kibera is expected to be more stable in the coming week. Mama Margaret is planning to open the school on Monday, though she says no vehicles will risk passing through the area. Therefore, she will walk to school until the buses start running again.

Update (Jan. 15, 12:00 PM Central time USA): Tenderfeet opened for the new year yesterday, with eight children showing up. The enrollment should be 60 children when things return to normal, and Mama Margaret expects all the children to eventually return as time goes on.

There was a half-day of school today as Parliament met for the first day under the current administration. Demonstrations are supposed to start tomorrow (not Tuesday, as mentioned in the previous update).

School will be closed the rest of the week because it's expected to be potentially dangerous in Kibera. Mama Margaret (a Kikuyu) tells me that leaflets had been spread through Kibera promising that all Kikuyus would be killed. So tribal tensions remain high despite the relative calm of the last week. Many diplomats and foreign dignataries are pressuring the Kenyan leaders to reconcile, so let us hope and pray that progress will be made.

Update (Jan. 12, 10:00 PM Central time USA): School is still on track to start Monday at Tenderfeet. Because of planned demonstrations Tuesday, the school will be opened only in the morning on Tuesday. We are hoping and praying that these demonstrations won't lead to more waves of violence.

Mama Margaret reports that they have managed to contact more and more of the families of Tenderfeet students. So far, all are OK, though many are facing challenges getting back on their feet. Thanks to donors who have been making a difference through emergency packs, a great deal of suffering has been avoided.

Lucy and her family have relocated from Eldoret to Nyahururu. They have been scrambling to find a school for her as well as her younger sister Shiro. Because of Lucy's medical situation, extra challenges are involved. I was relieved to hear her father tell me today that they believe they have found a school with teachers that understand her special needs because Lucy was in tears at the thought of leaving the Eldo-Excel school which had been so supportive and positive.

Some sad news is that Mama Edna's home in Ilula (near Eldoret) was burned down. I visited this little house in the country and from trees in their orchard we picked fruit for needy children. Edna and her husband had clearly put years of effort into fixing up their small farm. After tirelessly serving the community all this time, she is now left homeless. Her family will have to start over, like so many victims of this terrible period.

Update (Jan. 9, 4:00 PM Central time USA): Tensions remain high, but peace has returned for the most part to Kibera and Eldoret. Now the focus has shifted to dealing with the aftermath of the elections.

Mama Margaret is gearing up for school to start next Monday. She will pick up another wire transfer tomorrow, including funds for the school and funds donated as Emergency Packs. For instance, three of the families that lost their homes will receive rent assistance in getting started in new residences. The rent will be $15 per month, which is a lot for a family that has lost everything.

In Eldoret, the minority Kikuyu people in the slum of Munyaka continue to evacuate the area when possible, relocating to safer areas in other parts of the country. Thousands of those unable or unwilling to relocate are remaining in secure areas near churches and the police department.

Update (Jan. 7, 3:00 PM Central time USA): Great news for peace: the planned demonstrations have been called off by the opposition leadership. Negotiations are taking place and perhaps there is hope for a lasting solution.

Mama Margaret said she plans to open the school next Monday, January 14. When I asked her "is this too soon?" she laughed and said it is too late. I asked her which students would be able to show up and would it be safe for her.

Margaret said she doesn't know which would be able to make it, but she wants the school to be available to those that can. She also said she thinks it will be safe because most of the students are Luo.

I received a heartbreaking email from Jane Waithaka today, who is the director of Lucy's school in Munyaka (outside of Eldoret). She reports on the struggles of the children and innocent people in the slums during this time of unrest and the dangers she herself has faced trying to flee tribal violence.

Jane is safe for the time being in her parent's home in the countryside, but asks for our prayers and support for the children of the slums who are now suffering without food or shelter. The picture below is Jane (in the denim jacket) holding an orphaned child in a church compound in Munyaka.


Update (Jan. 6, 4:00 PM Central time USA): The situation in Eldoret and Nairobi has remained calm for the time being, though more demonstrations are planned for next week. There has been little progress on reconciliation. We are hoping that we are seeing the last of the violence, and not the calm before another storm.

Nick in Eldoret, and Frank and Mama Margaret in Kibera have all found new homes. It is no longer safe for Nick or Margaret to remain in their old homes because of the tribal tensions and possibility of violence, and Frank's place was burned down. Frank has lost pretty much everything he owned, including the new eyeglasses he had recently been fitted with.

All three are relocating to more secure areas that are nearby where they used to live, but much safer.

Many families are now homeless and with very limited access to food and supplies. The U.N. is attempting to provide relief, but it's hit-or-miss for any given family whether they will receive help.

Two wire transfers were picked up yesterday, one by Mama Margaret in Kibera, and one by Nick in Eldoret. The emergency packs have been distributed and are an answered prayer to many desperate people who are now able to eat. Thank you so much for the generous donations. It's not to late to make a difference -- in fact, in many ways the hard part is just beginning for some that have lost everything. Please click here to provide an emergency pack to a family in need.

Update (Jan. 5, 10:00 AM Pacific time USA): We were able to get some initial donations into the hands of Margaret and Nick to help the community. The UN estimates that hundreds of thousands need food at this time with 10,000 camped around the Catholic Church in Eldoret alone.
Margaret sent some photos of Kibera after the riots. She reports gratitude that she, her family, and all of the teachers are safe. Three families whose children attend Tenderfeet had their homes burned down.
The looted housing finance office opposite the the African Inland Church.

The burned out Luthern church in Olympic.

Displaced families in Kianda village.

Container looted and burned on the road.

Update (Jan. 4, 11:30 AM Central time USA): In Nairobi, tensions remain extremely high, though there were no large outbreaks of violence.

Putting herself at personal risk, Mama Margaret was able to evacuate home and school items though it was very difficult. There were no trucks available, so she had to hire carts to move everything. It was an exhausting and nerve-wracking day.

In Eldoret, there is also relative calm, though tensions are high there as well. Nick was unable to pick up the wire transfer sent for helping families in Eldoret. Unfortunately, the only bank that handles MoneyGram transfers is closed indefinitely. We will retry the transfer again through WesternUnion and he should be able to get it tomorrow. He reports that many families have gone days without food.

Our deepest thanks to the donors who have sponsored emergency packs. Your assistance will mean families in desperate situations have food to eat and supplies to live on. If you are interested in making a difference, please click here.

Please note: you can find previous updates here.