Christmas Construction Updates

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Merry Christmas from Tenderfeet!

Construction on the Tenderfeet school foundation continues, slowly but surely. Please see photos below. Notice the beautiful red soil in the photos. One of the main reasons this land was chosen over many others is because of the soil quality.

Red soil is the ideal soil for construction, it doesn't shift or settle like clay soil, which is a nightmare to construct on and can wreck foundations in the long term. You can also see the new Tenderfeet water tank, which is absolutely necessary due to water shortages and problems in Nairobi.

Deepest thanks go to the Collette Foundation as always. They have been working with Tenderfeet for years to realize this dream, and have been the sponsor of both the land and building. None of this would be possible without their commitment to the vision of Tenderfeet having a permanent home.

This photo shows the truck that visits to supply water.


Here is Margaret with the piles of large stones used for walls.

Building materials with the caretaker building in the background.


The foundation for the school rooms. There will initially be three classrooms, an office, a kitchen, and a storeroom.

The new water tank.

Tenderfeet Profiles: Collins Onyongo

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Collins Onyongo is seven years old and in first grade. He is a quiet student and works hard in school. His father died of AIDS several years ago, and his mother discovered that she also is HIV positive, though she didn't want to admit it for a long time. Many HIV victims deny it at first because they are ashamed and will be treated badly by some in the community.

Collins has an older sister named Arian who also went to Tenderfeet, but she is older now and has started High School this year, thanks to a sponsor. It's very rare for kids from Kibera to go to High School, and Collins hopes to go as well.

Collins mother has been very sick in the past. She is very smart and hard working, but because of her illness, she lost her job selling lottery tickets. At one point in 2007, the family was locked out of their own home because they could not pay rent. They also had no food. Then the Tenderfeet teachers found out and started helping. The rent was paid, food was purchased, and Collins' mom was taken to the doctor. Things are much better for the family now.

In the past, Collins was also sick frequently. He was tested for HIV, and we found out he is HIV positive and has the disease. Thanks to the ARV drugs he is now taking, he is feeling strong like any healthy boy. Even though Collins has HIV, he is treated just like any other student at Tenderfeet, a place where he is loved and knows he belongs to a special family.
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Fundraiser for Tenderfeet Graduates

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This year, five children will "graduate" from Tenderfeet. The school teaches children up through 2nd grade, so students going into 3rd grade will move on to the next level.

The five children are pictured right. From left to right they are Sharon Kwamboka, Ian Aloo, Sofia Kemunto, Brian Mungai, and Brian Nyaanga. All have been at Tenderfeet for 5 years.

The new school year starts in January. For these five kids, it is a huge step and normally one that is devastating for slum families.

Primary school is supposed to be free in Kenya, but when you add up all the hidden fees, cost of uniform, PE kit, books, and school supplies, the minimum to start school is about $90 US. That's 3 months earnings for most of these families.

What typically happens is that the child's extended family collects contributions and fundraises in the community, but has to make harsh sacrifices in the process and still may not be able to raise enough.

The stress and pressure can be almost too much for families to bear. This is especially tough during Christmas time when families are already short on money due to the fact they are expected to visit relatives in the countryside.

Even if enough is raised, there are lots of associated expenses in the first term and children are sent home in many cases. It often happens that such children get behind over time and never catch up fully.

I hope I've managed to convey the immense difficulties facing these young children. That is why a fundraiser was organized at ION Geophysical in Houston, Texas.

ION has been a great friend to Tenderfeet over the years -- many employees are sponsors, and fundraisers have been held to assist with important Tenderfeet needs.

The theme was "A Holiday of Giving," in line with the Thanksgiving holiday in the US. It is a time when Americans reflect on and give thanks for the blessings they have, as well as remember and reach out to those who are less fortunate.

The fundraising team printed photos of each of the five children, as well as the school expenses they each faced ($5 for a math text book, $15 for school shoes, etc.). These photos and cards were attached to a "leaf" and many leaves were assembled in a colorful display (see photos).

ION employees who came through the break rooms on one of several floors could pick out a leaf and sponsor that child's particular need (for example, new shoes for Sharon).

The response was wonderful and enough money was raised not just to cover the minimum needs but also to purchase a second uniform for each child. In addition, a surplus amount will be used to assist new students arriving at Tenderfeet.

Now the Tenderfeet graduates will be off to school next month with big smiles on their faces. They will be ready for a strong start now that they will be fully equipped for school, thanks to the kindhearted and generous employees of ION.

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Two Members of the Tenderfeet Family Pass Away

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We've had some very sad news recently at Tenderfeet. Two dear members of the Tenderfeet family have succumbed to HIV/AIDS.

Susan Wanjiku was the house helper for Mama Margaret. At any given time, there may be 10 children staying at the small house Margaret lives in, which means there is so much cooking, cleaning, and washing that needs to be done.

Susan was a sweet and quiet woman in her thirties. She had acquired HIV through her husband who passed away.

I stayed in Margaret's house for two weeks this year, and was fortunate enough to spend time with Susan during that time. I always enjoyed her smile and kind spirit. I think she got a chuckle or two out of my strange American ways of doing things. The world needs more gentle souls like Susan's.

The other member of the Tenderfeet family that was recently lost was a young boy named Clinton Rwoti. He's the boy in the front row of the photo, he has the red jacket and is on the left.

Clinton became a Tenderfeet student in 2006. The photo of him was taken in January of 2007. When I visited in September of 2007, he was already missing a lot of school because of his health.

Whereas a lot of young people that are HIV positive respond to the ARV drugs, Clinton unfortunately was often struggling with his condition.

His family fled Kibera during the 2008 post-election riots and settled in a rural community.

When his health recently became much worse, he was taken to Kenyatta National Hospital, but they could not save him. He passed away in the hospital.

Margaret was informed through a friend after Clinton's untimely death, and didn't know until it was too late he was in the hospital. She was heartbroken to see such a precious young person taken by this horrible disease.

Almost every child of Tenderfeet has been affected by HIV/AIDS in one way or another, many lost one or both parents to the disease, and some are even infected themselves. Our hope is that through education and love we can fight the disease on behalf of wonderful people like Susan and Clinton, so that the next generations will not know the suffering and tragedy that this generation has faced.
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Tenderfeet Profiles: Sharon Kwamboka

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Sharon Kwamboka was born May 9, 2002. She is in 2nd grade at Tenderfeet, and one of the top students at the school. Her mother and father both have passed away from AIDS, and Sharon lives with her grandparents.

The three youngest siblings of Sharon's mother also reside in the family's one-room shack -- for a total of six living in the tiny home. There is no indoor plumbing or bathroom, instead the family shares an unsanitary pit latrine with hundreds of other nearby residents. Please click here for a photo album of Sharon and family.

Sharon's grandfather is very ill, so her grandmother must earn a living for the whole family washing clothes whenever she can find work. This hardworking grandmother is lucky if she can earn more than $30 in a month.

The family was really struggling in the past few years, especially with the monthly rent of $15. It looked like the family would be thrown out by the landlord because they were so far behind in paying rent, but in late 2008, a sponsor was found for Sharon.

With the monthly donations from Sharon's sponsor, the family began to slowly catch up on rent, as well as receiving assistance with food and clothing. Sharon's sponsor lives in Canada, but despite the vast distance between them, has already made a huge impact on improving Sharon's life. She now has a chance to have a hopeful future, one free of the crushing burdens of poverty.
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Construction Update

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Thanks to the generous support of the Collette Foundation, Tenderfeet has purchased land and is now in the process of constructing a school building.

It took several frustrating months to get all the permits and approvals from the Nairobi City Council, Road Commission, and so on, but at long last we have started the first steps of construction.

Before building the actual school rooms, a semi-permanent iron sheet shed had to be erected (see photo right). Materials will be stored here, and a security guard will use it as a base of operations to ensure none of the construction items are stolen. High-grade iron sheet was used so that it can't be broken into.

The next steps involve laying the foundation, putting up the walls, columns, roof, plastering, etc. There will be 3 fairly large classrooms, a storeroom, kitchen, and school office when everything is complete.

This school facility is the realization of a dream that began many years ago, and will be a fulfilling and wonderful sanctuary to children growing up in the harsh and unsanitary slums.

It will provide peace of mind to a school that has been kicked out of every facility it has ever called home because of landlords who are either dishonest, find the children a bother, or decide they can imitate Tenderfeet for their own benefit. In fact, just recently, we were notified that we will be kicked out of the church we are using in Riruta because the church wants to start another project.
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Tenderfeet Profiles: Moses Murigi

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Moses Murigi is a 5 year old orphan boy who grew up in Kibera, the largest slum in Africa. His mother and father died when he was little. Moses has an older brother named Brown and an older sister named Faith. Brown and Faith both went to a school for needy children called Tenderfeet. Almost all schools in Kenya cost money that Moses' family could not afford, but Tenderfeet is free.

When he became old enough to start at Tenderfeet in January 2007, he started going, too. Moses, together with siblings and cousins, all lived in a tiny shack and were raised by their Grandmother. He grew up in a home without running water, a bathroom, trash pickup, electricity, or any of the conveniences that most of us are used to.

In January of 2008, riots broke out all across Kenya, especially in Kibera where Moses lived. All of the people from the Kikuyu group became targets for the angry rioters, which sadly included Moses and his family. The little shack he lived in was burned down, along with everything he owned. His family barely escaped alive, and lived outside for many days in a camp for families like his.

With the help of Tenderfeet, Moses and his family got food supplies. The Tenderfeet team helped Moses' family find a safe place to live, and now they live in a new area called Riruta where Moses still goes to school at Tenderfeet. He is learning the important basics like reading, writing, and math which will be the key to him doing well in the next levels of his learning.

In Kenya, life is very hard for orphans like Moses. Most are not able to go to school and will grow up without the education that is needed to escape a life of poverty. Because of generous Tenderfeet donors in Australia, England, Canada, America, and many other countries, Moses has a great chance at a brighter future.
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Lucy is Going Home

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Lucy's hospital bill was paid. Huge thanks to Dan Holcomb for his hectic scrambling to get the wire transfer done, despite the fact he was leaving the next day to go to Uganda.

Now Lucy is feeling much better and her leg wound has been taken care of. She will go home first thing Friday morning. So once she fully recovers from the operation she had this past Monday, she should be OK for the long term.

Her hospital bill was paid by sponsors in Texas, an amount her family could never afford. Children in Kenya die every day because they can't pay for medical care, so we are deeply thankful that loving friends from far away have come to Lucy's rescue.

At right is a photo of Lucy taken by Mama Margaret last Saturday when Lucy was still dealing with the allergic reaction.

Lucy Updates

UPDATE WEDNESDAY, 9:00 PM KENYA TIME

Lucy should be discharged from the hospital on Thursday. She has recovered enough to go home, and if everything goes according to plan, she will be in Nyahururu by tomorrow night.

UPDATE TUESDAY, 5:00 PM KENYA TIME

I spoke with Lucy and her dad today. She was very tired but doing better. The swelling and rash have gotten much better.

The hospital won't tell them how much the bill is or when she is supposed to be discharged. So we're playing the waiting game right now. Hopefully, tomorrow, we'll know more.

Overall, it's very good news that she has responded to the excellent hospital care.

UPDATE MONDAY, 9:00 PM KENYA TIME

Lucy underwent surgery on her leg today. The doctors removed bad tissue (I think that means damaged and/or infected) and sealed the sore (I'm not sure how they sealed it).

She is recovering and we're hoping this will fix the problem once and for all. Thank you for your prayers and concern.

We're supposed to find out the hospital bill tomorrow. If you would like to assist, please contact me at dmitchell@lahash.net.

UPDATE SUNDAY, 9:00 PM KENYA TIME

I sent an SMS to Mama Margaret to ask if she had any updates on Lucy. Here is her reply:

Maybe tomorrow in the afternoon I have the information on Lucy. Please be patient, all will be fine but even if Lucy is smiling her health is not good. We continue praying for God to heal her.

UPDATE SATURDAY, 6:00 PM KENYA TIME

Today Mama Margaret traveled to Kijabe (about 2 or 3 hours by bus) to visit Lucy and Lucy's mom. Lucy's dad has returned to Nyahururu to take care of Lucy's younger sister Shiro.

Lucy's mom is staying in the room with Lucy, but didn't even have any money to buy meals for herself. Margaret took some money to help Lucy's mom be able to buy some meals in the hospital cafeteria.

Margaret stayed a few hours and said Lucy was still not fully recovered from the allergic reaction (rash and swelling). Lucy was not feeling very well, but in Margaret's words "could still afford a smile". I spoke briefly with Lucy and managed to get her to chuckle a little bit at some of my small jokes.

The main problem now is the deep sore on the back of her leg that won't heal. It needs to be operated on again, probably Monday. It's badly infected and the tissue has never healed back after the permanent stitches were removed last year. The doctors will go in and clean and hopefully can put in some stitches or a similar solution that will allow it to finally heal.

The reason it got so infected is probably because she was on break last month and was more idle and sitting down than she is during school, allowing the bacteria to really make headway.

Margaret said when Lucy arrived in Kijabe, things were very desperate and if it had been much longer it may have been too late for Lucy. The sad thing is if she had been properly diagnosed in Nyahururu, it would not have gotten so bad, but the hospital in Nyahururu misdiagnosed the problem and gave Lucy de-worming medication instead of recognizing the real issue.

UPDATE FRIDAY, 6:00 PM KENYA TIME

Lucy is still suffering from a rash and is very swollen, but they have given her medicine to neutralize the allergic reaction to the other medicine.

Her wound (the same one from 2007 that has never healed properly) was cleaned, treated and dressed today. The infection has gotten into the bloodstream so they are treating her for septicemia (blood poisoning). This is also related to her kidney problem, because the kidneys were not properly filtering impurities.

Lucy is very uncomfortable because of the rash and swelling but is not in extreme pain. She is terribly upset, however, about missing school which shows what kind of special girl she is.

Margaret is going to try to visit tomorrow and get a full assessment of the situation, including how long Lucy will need to remain in the hospital. Fortunately, thanks to her sponsors, she has NHIF, which is a Kenyan insurance that helps cover room and board.

However, the hospital will not release her until the full bill is paid, and the expenses are adding up with tests, procedures, and medication. If you would like to assist in her costs, please contact me at dmitchell@lahash.net.

UPDATE THURSDAY, 9:45 PM KENYA TIME

I received the following set of text messages from Lucy's dad (pictured right with Lucy in 2007). More updates will be provided as they become available tomorrow.

We went there and she was given various tests, even a kidney X-Ray. The results showed the kidney is OK, but one is smaller. About the swelling, they said it is an allergy to the medicine because she has taken for a long time.

Now she has been admitted because of the wound. It will be operated on tomorrow. We hope God will be the great doctor.

Please Pray for Lucy

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Lucy Thama recently turned 13 years old. She is in 6th grade and has had a very difficult life.

She was born a conjoined ("Siamese") twin, but the other twin was never living. They were separated at 9 months by a kindhearted surgeon who did the procedure for free. When she was 4 years old, she lost the feeling and use of her legs and since then has been paralyzed from the waist down.

In 2007, she almost died from a terrible infection on her leg, the sore was so big and deep it almost went to the bone. She received a skin graft at Kijabe hospital and recovered over a period of months (read about it here). Soon thereafter, she and her family was almost killed during the post-election riots (the story is here).

After the riots, her family relocated in the peaceful area of Nyahururu and thanks to her sponsors, she has been attending a wonderful school and has done great the past 18 months. Please see photo of Lucy with some of her textbooks, taken in January 2009.

Recently, she has fallen quite ill, and now the situation is very serious. One doctor said her kidneys may have failed, and another said it was a reaction to medicine she was taking. She will travel to Kijabe hospital (about 3 hours away), leaving at 2:00 AM this morning, to arrive at 5:00 AM. Her parents are at the end of their rope, and they can't stand to see Lucy suffer.

Please pray for Lucy and her family. You will never meet a more sweet, fun, and lively girl. She is bright and happy, and it is heartbreaking to see her going through so much pain. Please stay tuned for updates soon.

High Schoolers with Big Hearts

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Students at Busselton Senior High School in Busselton, Western Australia wanted to make a difference. They heard about the vulnerable children of the Kenyan slums and decided to get involved through assisting the Tenderfeet school.
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These clever High Schoolers came up with a fun way to help. At their school, students are required to wear a uniform, but they decided to break the rules (with permission, of course).

In cooperation with the High School administration, a "uniform free day" was organized. The idea is that students would get fined on purpose by wearing regular clothes rather than their uniform, and the administration would use the fine money to go to charity.

It's not often High School students get to break the rules with the blessing of adults! As a result, over $300 US was raised, 100% of which will be used to improve the lives of Tenderfeet kids.

Below is a picture of the students who participated, along with longtime Tenderfeet friend, Craig Garratt, who helped organize the event. Thanks to Craig and the kindhearted Busselton students who made this happen!


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Records and Receipts

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Tenderfeet works very hard to be a project of the highest integrity. One key is in maintaining transparent records and keeping all receipts.

Please see the scanned set of receipts (from this past December) for various items used for the childrens' food program. Note that the amounts are in Kenyan Shillings -- approximately 70 per US dollar.

Tenderfeet also employs an independent accountant named Jared Ombasa Mogere who double checks and audits all receipts, including those for food, the sponsorship program, and special fundraisers.

He also follows through to the extent of checking if Tenderfeet is getting a good price for various items and checking with sponsored families to see that they received all that they were supposed to.

In addition, every 3 months, Tenderfeet must send detailed records from the previous quarter in report form to Lahash. Also, photocopies of all receipts (like those pictured) are mailed from Kenya to the US. These records and receipts are examined carefully to ensure full accountability.

Finally, Tenderfeet is a registered Community Based Organization (CBO) in Kenya. This means that a rigid set of requirements must be met, including an oversight board and following strict policies. Pictured here are the chairperson and secretary of the Tenderfeet Board, which is composed of community leaders who are experienced in education and service.

Many projects in developing nations such as Kenya suffer from some degree of corruption, which can hurt everyone, from the donors to the children who should be served. Most of these projects are not registered CBO charities like Tenderfeet, nor do these corrupt projects include the oversight and accountability measures Tenderfeet uses. The way to fight and eliminate corruption is to use safeguards like those used at Tenderfeet.

Tenderfeet goes the extra mile to achieve the highest levels of integrity, to guarantee that it is a project that honors God and serves its children fully.
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Mosquito Nets for the Kids

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Cornerstone Methodist Church in Houston has come through again. This time help was needed in the fight against Malaria, an excruciating and potentially deadly disease that is hardest on children.

During the past few months, Mama Margaret said that almost every child in Tenderfeet had missed school at one point or another due to Malaria.

The best way to combat Malaria is by sleeping under a mosquito net at night.

Although a treated net costs only $10, it's money the families can't spare when compared to food or rent.

Moreover, food, water, and charcoal prices have continued to climb. For example, a bag of charcoal in January was around 800 shillings ($12), but now has risen to as high as 1500 shillings ($21). One bag lasts about two weeks. When a family lives on $30-$40 per month, it becomes almost impossible to pay for anything but the essentials, even a mosquito net.

So a Vacation Bible School fundraiser was held at Cornerstone to help the children be able to have the safety and protection of mosquito nets. Over $600 was raised by the VBS kids, which was enough for every Tenderfeet child to get a mosquito net. The first photo shows some of the Kibera kids with the nets, and below shows the Riruta students with the nets (in front of the new school location).

Since the nets were distributed last week, not a single child of Tenderfeet has gotten Malaria. Thank you so much Cornerstone!
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Twitter for Tenderfeet

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I usually speak with Mama Margaret about 30 minutes per week, and there are often numerous interesting little updates, but they are often not included in blog posts even though I would love to share them. For example:

• In Slum Survivors,there was a struggling mother, Carol Warimu. Mama Margaret is tracking her down & a donor has provided assistance for Carol
• Because the weather has been very cold lately, many Tenderfeet kids have gotten sick lately & been treated,including Shadrack,Shiro,& Samwel

These small updates are ideal for Twitter, and a Tenderfeet account has been set up:

http://twitter.com/Tenderfeet

The goal is to have several Twitter updates per week, and for instance, the two updates above have already been turned into "tweets". So follow Tenderfeet on Twitter and get a behind the scenes look at what's happening!
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July Updates

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It's been hectic the last few weeks at Tenderfeet.

In Kibera, Teacher Karen is on leave after having a baby girl. This means the school is getting by with volunteers (teachers in training), but the drawback is they are not always as reliable or hardworking as a wonderful teacher like Karen. Last week, the volunteer didn't show up for school one day, which makes it hard on the staff.

Good news in Kibera is that children like Wickliff and Arian are getting some help. Wickliff and 3 other children have been sharing a bed with no mattress, instead using empty sacks for padding. He also had no boots to wear in the muddy conditions, so a special donation was used to purchase a mattress for Wickliff (see right) and a pair of boots (called "gumboots" in Kenya).

Another child that received assistance was Arian Ogo, who was having trouble seeing the chalkboard in school. Thanks to a special donation, she is going to be able to get glasses.

In Riruta, the school was kicked out of their previous location (where it's been located since February 2008) by the Ministry of Education. A policy exists that school classrooms cannot be located in a residential compound. The idea behind the policy is to prevent young children from accidentally wandering into the wrong door and end up in a potentially dangerous person's room instead of class. Since the Riruta school was in a residential compound, Tenderfeet was given notice that it had to leave by the end of June.

Now the school has moved to a church. The rent is more expensive, and it will be a challenge to cover this in the budget -- as well as all the school expenses, which have been going up this year. So we are more grateful than ever for our friends and sponsors throughout the world who keep the school running strong.

Day of the African Child

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Edwin Angote, the Lahash Representative for East Africa, has written a terrific article about the big event last week called "Day of the African Child". Below is a picture of the kids from Tenderfeet that attended. Please click here to read Edwin's article.

Fundraisers Making a Difference

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This is an article about two fundraisers for Tenderfeet that really have made a difference for the kids.

The first one was the Christmas fundraiser for school uniforms. As mentioned in other posts, school uniforms are not optional in Kenya. They are required of all schools.

Since Tenderfeet kids are very needy, the uniform requirement has been relaxed, but at the risk that the Education Ministry would shut down the school. In addition, Tenderfeet kids were often embarrassed because they had to wear tattered and ill-fitting uniforms, or no uniforms at all.

Thanks to the generosity of Christmas donors, as well as a fundraiser by fifth graders at Cornerstone Church in Houston, enough money was raised to purchase uniforms for every Tenderfeet child. In addition, shoes were donated by a kindhearted visitor named Nish.

It took several months to get all the uniforms hand-made, which involved purchasing material all the way back in January (during my visit). Mama Margaret chose the most economical approach to every step, while ensuring that good-quality uniforms were the result. The first slide show captures the steps involved.



The second fundraiser was by the youth group Corby's Castle, who held a flag-football fundraiser to enable the school to have new desks. The old desks were falling apart, and some children had no desks at all, which meant using their laps instead. The following slide show illustrates the huge improvement the new desks provide.

Slum Survivors Documentary

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The United Nations has a news agency called IRIN focusing on humanitarian issues. IRIN has produced a remarkably insightful documentary on Kibera. The video reveals the good, bad, and ugly about Kibera by profiling various residents of the slum.

I hope that if you are interested in Tenderfeet, you will watch the whole 40-minute video, it really is an absolute must in fully understanding the challenges of the school.

In the film, you will hear references to the Kenyan currency of shillings. Note that 100 shillings is about $1.30.

You will see a mother named Carol who washes clothes for a living. In fact, just like Carol, most of the Tenderfeet guardians also wash clothes to earn what little they have. Almost all the guardians are widows or their husbands have abandoned the family.

The going rate for washing clothes in Kibera is 200 shillings -- it is hard work that can take hours. One is considered lucky if one can find 2 or 3 jobs washing clothes in a week and substantial time is spent going door to door asking for work. Doing the math, this shows that the typical earnings are around $30 per month.

Salaried permanent jobs are almost unheard of for slum residents. They are highly sought after, but finding these kind of jobs is virtually impossible.

Keep in mind that the average rent in Kibera is $10 to $15 per month, and school fees can be $5 or more per child per month. This leaves very little for food, clothing, or medical care. Tenderfeet fills the gap for these families, providing free education, a feeding program, and allowing mothers to search for work without leaving children at home unattended.

The issues dealt with in the documentary are handled in an honest and unflinching way. Please be warned that many of the topics are difficult to cope with and may be hard to watch.

IRIN - Slum Survivors

If there are any problems watching the dailymotion version embedded above, you can watch it in five parts through Youtube:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
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Cheryl's Visit To Kibera, Part 3

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Here is the third and final write-up from a kind and generous visitor, retired nurse Cheryl Fyfe. Cheryl tells us about her visit to the new land for the school. To see the first part of her account, please click here. Part two is here.

The land for the school was purchased through the wonderful support of the Collette Foundation. We are hoping to have a school building constructed and school bus purchased by the fall of this year.

Cheryl donated funds to purchase and transport trees and bushes for the land. Please see photo right. Here is what she wrote:


A wonderful ray of sunlight, a beautiful project going on, Tenderfeet. Right now the school is in the middle of Kibera under horrendous conditions but wonderful news for these beautiful children, a new school is in process.

Land has been bought and paid for on the outskirts of Nairobi. It is in a relatively rural area and has about 1 acre. The area is lovely, fresh air, birds singing flowers growing and this will all be novel for these slum children. There will be a school built and hopefully funds to buy a bus to bring these children out to the school. It will be a huge difference for these kids.

Edwin picked me up by taxi and we met a pickup truck, that was filled up with trees and hedge growth. We started out I swear no springs, as I felt every bump. The further out of the city I went my spirits rose and rose (I guess I am really a country girl at heart). But in each breath of fresh air I rejoiced for the children. There are open fields to look at, trees on one side of the property. It has a wire fence erected already for the safety of children. It is a place of beauty and peacefulness.

We unloaded the truck in an assembly line. It took us nearly 1/2 hr to unload everything. We started planting the hedge. An old man, Margaret's brother, was also helping. Old? It turns out he is 42!! They had a great time trying to guess my age and would not believe me when I told them I was nearly 62. sad comment was in Kenya if you live past age of 35 you are considered lucky!

We had great fun planting the trees I had bought. We had to wait for Margaret to see where she wanted the fruit trees planted. I was wearing my sandals and since it had rained last night the mud was tremendous - my sandals weighed at least 5 lbs. each they were that caked with mud.

Tenderfeet holds a very special place in my heart and yet I think Uganda holds my heart. I planted my own tree an Umbrella tree so I can sit under the shade when I come back and watch the children eat the fruit from the trees we planted, what a glorious thought.

After the tree planting morning we went back to Margaret's house, she shares with her children, her brother and his two children and has taken in orphans besides. It is a modest house but is filled with love and hope. A palace could not have been better. Margaret cooked a most marvelous Kenyan meal with Motoke, chicken spinach and so many other vegetables it was a feast fit for a king, and to think that those who have so little but share so much with such graciousness it was heart touching.

The best of all she had a little cat, missing my cats so much it was a pleasure petting a cat again. We had a wonderful afternoon with Edwin and his lovely wife Christine and Margaret and the children. Going back to guest house I felt a renewed sense of hope and will go back with renewed energy to raise funds for this wonderful project.
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Cheryl's Visit To Kibera, Part 2

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Below is the second write-up from a wonderful recent visitor, retired nurse Cheryl Fyfe. To see the first part of her account, please click here.

Note that below Cheryl describes visiting some homes in Kibera. These included the homes of Wickliff Wesonga and Phelix Ondiek, pictured to the right (Wickliff is the older boy shown first).

To read more about these boys, please click here and here.

Here is what Cheryl wrote:

KIBERA--

Until you have seen, smelt and touched Kibera no one especially in the Western World can comprehend what real poverty is all about. And yet Kibera has a life all of its own, you can feel a sense of community even in deplorable conditions. It makes me wonder how we would react in the same setting. I don't know if I can describe this place, you turn down a little alley with tin shacks and you are walking on muddy mounds of garbage. Most people do not have toilets so they defacate in paper bags and throw them into streets where you walk. It rained just before our second trip so everything was slippery with mud and slime.

I was completely and absolutely physically emotionally spiritually exhausted. I feel like screaming "Why do people have to live like this? Shouldn't we care enough to help them? These are good people. No one should have to live in these conditions." I was walking through mounds and mounds of garbage, slipping and nearly stumbling and so ashamed of myself a western person looking at these conditions and feeling so overwhelmed, is there anything at all one person can do? How can we understand this place until we experience it? Inside the tin shacks the floors were made of dirt and because of the rain they were completely muddy one tiny little room and yet every place I visited was welcoming and I was made to feel at home.

These are courageous wonderful people whom I greatly admire. When I was feeling overwhelmed I thought perhaps if I can help one school and affect some children's lives maybe that will be enough. The visit to the school again was unbelievable and to see the shining bright faces of these children from the slums was inspiring. The children and teachers were off that day for holidays and yet most of them came in for the visit.

I had brought a toy for each child and pencil from Canada with our Maple leaf on it, the disbelief on receiving gifts truly touched my heart. For some of these children it may be the only toy they will ever see.

They sang to me songs of welcome, recited verses from the Bible, without forgetting anything. Remember these are children 3-5 years old, remarkable children. Their teachers truly amazing, to be admired working with these conditions and giving such love and hope to these children it makes one feel humbled. Tenderfeet School is an oasis of hope in a bleak world and my heart goes out to Margaret and the teachers.

Cheryl's Visit To Kibera, Part 1

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I wanted to share some insights about Tenderfeet from a recent visitor.

The visitor is Cheryl Fyfe (pictured right with Mama Margaret), a retired nurse from Canada who has been traveling to Ugandan and Sudanese orphanages as a volunteer the past 8 years. Here is an article about Cheryl and the work she does. She also has written about her experiences here.

She has seen a great deal of poverty up close. Cheryl recently visited Tenderfeet and wrote three accounts about her experience. Below is the first one, reprinted with Cheryl's permission.


Kibera - What can I say. It is a different world. I don't think you could ever prepare yourself for it. But it is a place I knew I had to see, I really need to understand Africa the good and the bad. Kibera is one of the largest slums areas in Africa. It is a frightening area, an area simmering with hatred and despair, a place of dark ugliness an area.

Tensions are boiling just under the surface ready to explode at any time. But it is also a place that houses some of the most courageous people I have ever met and a beacon of light shines through the darkness of despair, a school called Tenderfeet. This is my goal to see this school.

Edwin had come to pick me up at Mayfield, the place I am staying we walked to catch a local bus, crowded mini van, as we left our area we passed a massive beautiful Baptist Church whose congregation numbers in the thousands. Getting aboard the bus is an experience, shoved like sardines in this van, when someone needs to get off the conductor who hangs out the door pounds on the van, why couldn't he just tell the driver to stop? Because the radio is blasting so loud no one could hear anything! The area was becoming poorer and poorer, shacks of corrugated steel,piles of garbage strewn about and soon we were in the middle of Kibera.

Edwin is a tall strong young African man who was my guide, he is associated with an organization in USA called Lahash, and he is a godsend I thanked my lucky stars I had him to help me. He instructed me to stay very close to him which believe me I was more than willing to do. My feminist attitudes flew out the window- and I was so thankful he was there with me. We went down this rutted little alley into a courtyard full of garbage. We picked our way through the garbage and came to another gate of tin and knocked. We entered another area with tin shacks and I could not believe it I was at the school called Tenderfeet. A school in the middle of the slums run by a remarkable woman called Margaret.

I have never admired someone so much as I do her. She leaves the security of her home and travels to Kibera to teach the children of the slums. No charge, the school is free to the children, children with HIV are welcomed and treated the same as other children. In Nairobi there are still very great tribal tensions, and since the elections they have spilled over into violence. Margaret was telling me that just a short time ago just in the street outside of the school 8 people were killed. In the past Margaret has had to move school three times, due to violence. Not too long ago school was attacked and ransacked everything destroyed, desks smashed papers destroyed for what? Because she is from a different tribe.

Another time a gang of thugs brought kerosene ready to burn the school down she was inside, not knowing if she was about to be burned alive. She prayed and one of the thugs realized she had taught him as a child and she and school were spared. This remarkable woman was still there the next day to help with the children. Now this is courage! As she was telling me her story we could hear a lot of screaming and shouting, the noise was getting closer and closer, Edwin told me to stay exactly where I was, I certainly did as I was told. Edwin came back and said there was demonstrations in the street and it would not be safe on the streets. We sat huddled in the school and we were speaking in whispers not to advertise the fact there was a white person among them. We smelt smoke and watched as a cloud of black smoke very close by billowed up into the air. They were burning tires. After an eternity it seemed the commotion drifted away then frighteningly they would be back and it seemed they were right outside the school. After about an hour or so the rabble drifted away and Edwin went outside again to see if it was safe to walk.

We would not be visiting any other place today, as Edwin said it was too volatile. We started walking rather quickly trying to make our way to a main street where we would catch transportation. We walked past railroad tracks that had been destroyed by the crowds, it was an area strewn with garbage. We walked past a group of 5 young guys, who started shouting Edwin told me to walk ahead of him and to stay close, it was rather nerve wracking- Luckily they did not follow us for long. We then went through a huge market bustling with life, the people still looked sullen and I moved along as quickly as I could. The noise of the rioting crowds had quieted down. We finally reached the area to catch the van I breathed a sigh of relief.

I was sitting in the middle of three seats with Edwin beside me and another young man on the other side. The young man began to crowd me a bit, then all of a sudden Edwin leaned over me yelled at the guy and grabbed his arm and started wrestling with him I was confused. What on earth was Edwin doing he grabbed the guys coat and searched the pockets, by this time the guy was screaming at Edwin and fighting back- he escaped into the streets and Edwin grabbed my purse and showed me how the guy was unzippering my purse, using his coat as a shield. Even Edwin was a bit shaken he kept saying "That was close".

This is Nairobi -- I am sure some are saying are you crazy to be doing this? My answer I may be but it is something I have to do for I have met remarkable courageous people working in desperate conditions and remember this is their everyday life. I need to understand their life. I will go back Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday if conditions settle down a bit. Now I have a greater understanding of the area and certainly understand the need for help needed for this school.

Happy Birthday, Mama Margaret!

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Mama Margaret turns 45 today. It's very rare to celebrate birthdays in Kenya, and Margaret has never had a birthday party in her life. Today there will be a little get-together to mark the occasion.

She is pictured to the right with Boaz before his surgery.

One of the Tenderfeet donors gave a present to Margaret in the form of funds to go to the dentist and get her bad cavity filled!

Here is a small timeline of Margaret's life, challenges, and accomplishments. Some of the dates are approximate, I will try to verify them and correct if necessary.

1964: Margaret is born in a small town in the Central Province
1982: graduates from High School and moves to Nairobi
1986: marries Daniel Nyabuto, first child Sandra is born
1980's: gets training in electrical repair and certification for paralegal and child advocacy
1989: moves to Kibera
1991: starts teaching at a school in Kibera
1990's: gets training and certification in teaching
2000: opens Tenderfeet in a church in Kibera
2005: main donor (brother in law) for school is killed in auto accident in November
2005: first visit from Lahash in December
2006: school kicked out by unscrupulous landlords twice (May and Dec)
2006: Shadrack starts attending Tenderfeet and shows serious brain problems
2007: school kicked out again in March, current Kibera facility is constructed from iron sheet and plywood in April
2007: Shadrack has brain surgery in March
2007: Margaret's father is killed by thugs in December
2007: national elections on December 27
2008: post-election riots begin in January, lasting weeks. Margaret life is threatened and relocates to Riruta, school almost burned down 3 times
2008: Boaz has eye surgery in December
2009: land for school is purchased in April
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Updates from Edwin

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Edwin has two great updates on the Lahash blog. The first is an update on Kibera and a wonderful visitor from Canada named Cheryl. Read it here.

The second update is about planting trees and shrubs on the new land, thanks to Cheryl. Please check it out here.

In other news, Wickliff will have the growth on his tongue surgically removed on Thursday. Please pray for his quick recovery.

Also, I usually ask for prayers for the Tenderfeet kids, but I would also ask for prayers for our sponsors and donors. Many of them have been contacting me lately with news of tough setbacks due to the economic downturn. Most are able to continue their sponsorship, but it is a real challenge for them.

Without our donors as a key part of the Tenderfeet team, there would be no Tenderfeet. Let's hope things turn around quickly for these kindhearted and generous angels of mercy. And of course, we are always in need of additional sponsors to keep the school going strong!

Creative Fundraising

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Craig Garratt is a great friend of Tenderfeet from Australia who is always looking for ways to help the school. He visited Tenderfeet back in October of last year and has been working hard to raise funds and awareness.

For instance, Craig's graphic design company Gumption features news and information about Tenderfeet on the website and in company emails. He also is working with a local High School in the area to educate young people about the struggles of children living in poverty.

But perhaps his most innovative idea to date is to use sand sculptures to help Tenderfeet. It turns out Craig and friends are terrific sand sculptors and at a recent event his team was paid to create one of their masterpieces. They decided to donate the proceeds to Tenderfeet as well as tell the story of Tenderfeet to folks who came by to enjoy the sculpture. Here is a page about their experience.


Craig shows that fundraising doesn't have to be a horrible experience, you can have fun and make a difference at the same time. Would you like to do a creative fundraiser? Please let me know by emailing me at dmitchell@lahash.net and I would be glad to provide ideas, photos, video or any other materials that might help.

Craig writes about the day:

"We built a Marsupial Lion – an animal that used to live around our way until about 15,000 years ago. We have built it pretty close to life size too! The ‘rules’ of the art form are that you can only use the sand where you are, and water at hand (ie the ocean or river front you are on).


The whole team at work got involved and another local graphic designer and good friend joined us. We had six people building and pounding the pile of sand, and Stuart, Warren and myself carved it. Kate ran around spraying it with water all day so it didn’t dry out as we carved and Ally, Stuarts wife, went into a wonderful spiel about Tenderfeet to anybody that stopped and had a look.

Her throat was dry at the end as at one point we had nearly 30 people crowded around watching. During the day hundreds saw it under construction. Kids especially loved it, and many got right into it, giving us some serious advice on how to do it properly so it wouldn’t collapse (there are many budding engineers under 10 around here!!). We started at 6 am and finished up around 1:30 pm – everyone had a blast doing it."

Wickliff Goes to the Doctor

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Wickliff Wesonga is a 12 year old orphan who attended Tenderfeet when he was younger. Mama Margaret was concerned about a strange growth on his tongue, which started small and kept getting bigger and bigger.

Using some special donations, he was first taken to Kenyatta National Hospital on March 11th. Children are usually taken to local clinics for most medical concerns, but in this case he was taken to the National Hospital because of the unusual problem.

Let me describe in a bit of detail how things went to give you some idea of the challenges of helping needy children with medical issues.

Once he checked in with the first doctor, the doctor told Margaret she would have to retrieve his complete medical records from the clinic he would normally attend. This was required because Wickliff is HIV positive and had Tuberculosis when he was younger. So a trip was made to the other clinic, the records were fetched, Wickliff was taken back to the hospital again (see photo). At that point, they decided to schedule a biopsy.

The biopsy took place last week and we should get the results next week. We are praying that it is something easily treatable.

Altogether, this will have taken at least four trips (with public transportation) to the doctor and one to the clinic, each with long waits involved, plus about $100 in funds. As you can see, it takes a lot of time, energy and resources to help orphans like Wickliff. Stay tuned for updates on the biopsy results.

I visited Wickliff and his home in January. Wickliff lives with an aunt who is taking care of a large extended family. The living conditions, especially when it rains, are horrible. Wickliff is a bright and responsible young man who needs help to make sure he gets nutritious food (important for children like Wickliff who are HIV positive), and improved bedding, clothes, and help with school fees. If you would like to sponsor Wickliff, please contact me at dmitchell@lahash.net

Below is a video of Wickliff (wearing a pink shirt) leading Mama Margaret to his home in Kibera. Notice Margaret bringing up the need that Wickliff has for a sponsor.



During our visit to Wickliff's home, the coach of the soccer club Wickliff belongs to came by with a soccer ball. The coach was telling me what a good player Wickliff is and wanted us to see how well Wickliff could handle the ball. I took a video clip of Wickliff juggling the ball.

Mercy Update

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Mercy Wanjiru is a 15 year old girl who grew up in Kibera. Please see photo to the right. Her family had to flee for their lives during the riots and they lost everything. Now they live in Riruta.

We are really in need of a sponsor for Mercy. If you want to help this hard-working and responsible young woman to have a chance at a brighter future, please contact me at dmitchell@lahash.net

Mercy's father has serious health problems, and right now is almost paralyzed from a stroke. He's only recently regained the ability to speak. Her mother is only able to work odd jobs for very little money.

Mercy's parents are of the Gorino faith, a Christian denomination that believes men and women should keep their heads covered and does not sanction family planning. There are 8 children in the family. Mercy has 3 older sisters, none of whom has gotten past 8th grade.

When I visited Mercy in January, school had not yet started. She was supposed to begin the 8th grade at a public school in Riruta. The public school is supposedly free, but in fact charges many backdoor and hidden fees. We knew in January her family had not paid these fees, but did not expect the school to refuse to allow Mercy to rejoin when school began.

When I checked back with Mama Margaret in February, she told me that Mercy was not allowed to go back to school until she paid all the fees (less than $50, but way more than her family could afford). She also told me that Mercy's family was on the verge of being kicked out of their tiny home in the slums because they were behind on their rent (about $25 per month). Keep in mind there are 5 children (the 3 oldest have moved away) and 2 adults living in a tiny residence of iron sheet, that becomes hot as an oven during the day and can get quite cold at night. Here's a video of the approach to Mercy's home (Mercy is walking on the right):



Without intervention, Mercy's education was over and done with, completing only up to the seventh grade level. Even if she did return, the education she would receive was very low quality, especially a girl like Mercy who was way behind to begin with.

Why was she behind? Because she didn't receive the preparation a school like Tenderfeet provides. When she began public schools in Kibera in first grade, she could barely understand what the teacher was telling her (and the other 90 students in the class).

Mercy was expected to know basic English, the alphabet, basic arithmetic, and have a foundation of simple reading and writing. She had none of that because her family was too poor to send her to pre-primary. In primary school, there was no individual attention, and so she was confused from day one.

She never caught up and was forced to miss school for long periods of time because her family got behind on the fees. Here is Margaret at Mercy's home explaining "free" education in Kenya.



If Mercy missed the introduction of a topic, it was never reviewed or explained to her. So she attended school for 7 years like that, never comfortable with what she was learning because she had so many gaps. If she had attended Tenderfeet, which didn't yet exist when she was young, she would have been ready and could have even excelled.

So when it looked like Mercy's education was at an end in February, it was just another sad chapter in a tragic and pathetic experience. We decided to intervene and try to turn things around for this mature young person. She was evaluated by Bensesa primary school, a school that Tenderfeet partners with for children that have moved to the next level beyond Tenderfeet. The results confirmed our fears -- she was assessed to be at a 4th grade level.

We have decided to enroll her at Bensesa at the 8th grade level, but supplement her learning with large amounts of personal tutoring. Because she has a great attitude and work ethic, we expect her to make a lot of progress. Already, Mama Margaret is encouraged to see Mercy smiling and is so happy to have this opportunity. Mercy has explained the difference between the public school and Bensesa, and it is like night and day.

Margaret's niece Faith (an orphan who began living with Margaret last year) was very much like Mercy and received the same kind of catch-up tutoring. Faith was able to progress enough that she qualified for high school, and that is what we are hoping will happen for Mercy as well.

If you would like to partner with us to help Mercy, please become a sponsor and change this girl's future forever in a very positive way. We need about $40 per month -- which is very reasonable in Kenya considering the tutoring and education she is getting -- to pay for all of her educational expenses. If we could find two sponsors willing to donate $20 per month each, that would be great, too!

The email address again is dmitchell@lahash.net
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Special Children in Kenya

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Shadrack is a sweet young orphan boy who had a life-threatening brain abscess. Because of friends who joined together to raise the funds, he was able to have brain surgery in 2007.
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He has made great progress from the time before he had the surgery. But he has been diagnosed with mild retardation as a result of the effects of the abscess. His biggest challenge is short-term memory.

Shadrack is now at a special school for mentally challenged children in north Nairobi called Treeside. We are blessed to have a terrific sponsor for Shadrack -- a Houston youth group called Corby's Castle.

I was able to visit Treeside in January and saw what a wonderful environment it is for special kids. Mama Margaret had been telling me for a long time what a great job they were doing for Shadrack and how it is an excellent environment for kids like Shadrack. When I saw for myself, it was clear why she was so enthusiastic about it.

The teachers at Treeside know how to deal with children who are eager to learn but need extra patience and love. Whereas a regular school would scold Shadrack for forgetting, Treeside understands his situation and can work to improve his retention.

Here is a picture of Shadrack with some of his school friends.

Treeside is a government school, which means it gets funding from the Kenyan government. Unfortunately, the amount per student is woefully inadequate. To make up the difference, Treeside has to charge school fees to feed, educate, and board the students -- adding up to several hundred dollars per year. As you can imagine, these expenses are too costly for most poor families. Yet the school does its best to make sure as many children can attend as possible, and tries to work with families that struggle to pay.

The director of the school is also named Margaret. She is standing at left with some of the students


Yesterday, I spoke with Jennifer Cheserek, who is a blind woman that receives assistance through our sponsorship program. Jennifer has a 26 year old daughter named Sarah that is mentally retarded and has been since birth.

Jennifer was telling me the struggles her family went through trying to find a good place like Treeside for Sarah. Once, long ago when Sarah was young, the family managed to borrow and save 10,000 shillings so that Sarah could go to a special school in Eldoret. But the school was not patient like Treeside, and after about a month, said that Sarah could not continue because she needed too much extra attention. Imagine, a brand new student and they gave up on her just like that!

Sadly, like the vast majority of children with special needs in Kenya, Sarah never attended another school and missed out on learning the life skills that only can be taught by an educator with the specialized training needed.

That is why we are so thankful for Treeside, and how they are helping children become more independent and grow up to have a fulfilling adulthood as well as contribute to society. If you are interested in learning more about Treeside, please email me at dmitchell@lahash.net.

Here's Mama Margaret in one of the dormatories with a Treeside student.