New Blog Location

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Now that Tenderfeet has a new website design, we're enjoying the opportunity to integrate the blog with the website itself. By the way, even though it has a new design, the Tenderfeet website is still at the same web address: www.TenderfeetKids.org

As a result, all the new articles will be posted on the new blog location. No further articles will be posted here on the blogspot website. Please check the new blog and keep up with all the Tenderfeet happenings!

The blog address is: www.TenderfeetKids.org/blog

Scenes from the New School

We recently received a new batch of pictures of the kids at the new Tenderfeet school. Since it opened in June, the teachers and children have been blessed by the spacious classrooms and outside area.

Please check out the gallery below.

Thanks to Edwin for taking the photos.

Kids give the "thumbs up" in front of the new school



Teacher Lydiah leads the class

Kids wait for their assignments

Lunchtime at Tenderfeet

Never before have the kids had such outside space for activities

Physical education is an important part of the curriculum

Mama Margaret shares her passion for kids with visitors

A New Website for Tenderfeet

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Tenderfeet has launched a brand new website. It brings together our blog, has some great photos of the kids, information on the school, and lots of other interesting info.

Bright and colorful, we think it will help people understand our mission and see what good things can be done when we all work together for the kids. Get as many people as you can to visit and learn about life in Kibera – and sign up for our newsletter too. Visit the new Tenderfeet website here.

Note: it's the same web address as always: www.TenderfeetKids.org

I want to give a huge and special thanks to the team that put together the website -- Craig Garratt, Dan Binks, and Scott Sansoni. These three wonderful and creative Australian Tenderfeet friends really came through for Tenderfeet.

They worked countless hours, generously shared their own resources, and most of all, demonstrated a genuine loving heart for the needy children of Tenderfeet.

Such a high-quality website would cost an arm and a leg if it was put together by a typical web design firm, but we are so fortunate that the Tenderfeet web team donated their amazing talents free of charge. This means that we can focus all donations on helping those sweet kids that need help the most.

On behalf of Mama Margaret, the Tenderfeet Foundation board, and most of all, the Tenderfeet kids, I want to say a huge thanks to the web team!

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Organizational Announcement and the Tenderfeet Foundation

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Tenderfeet has enjoyed a great relationship with Lahash International which started in 2005. Through the advocacy and hard work of Lahash, Tenderfeet has gone from being on the brink of closing, to enjoying a wonderful facility to serve the children of the slums.

It's been a challenging journey, but God has been faithful and shown His wisdom throughout. All the while, the Lahash leadership and finance team has shown the love of God through their efforts and steadfastness.

Since 2006, most of the coordination and fundraising has taken place from Houston, Texas while the financial database and wire transfers have been handled from Portland, Oregon.

Starting in October 2009, discussions began on spinning off the Tenderfeet portion of Lahash as a separate organization to be headquartered in Houston. In other words, all activities related to Tenderfeet would take place exclusively in Houston and handled by the new organization, rather than being spread out over two cities through Lahash.

The goal is to increase the organizational efficiency so that both donors and the Tenderfeet project itself can be served in the best way possible.

This organizational change is mutually agreed upon and there are nothing but positive feelings shared by all. Mama Margaret fully supports this change.

Spinning off the new organization has been a time-consuming process, because it includes applying for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, setting up online donation, as well as coordinating the many steps of a transition plan. Now that process is complete.

This new organization is called the "Tenderfeet Foundation" and has achieved 501(c)(3) status.

The Tenderfeet Foundation will be responsible for the fundraising and partnership with Tenderfeet. It provides a mechanism through which donors can be enabled to assist in Tenderfeet's mission to serve the needy in the slums of Kenya. In terms of the sponsorship programs, the children being assisted, and the operations of the school -- nothing is changing whatsoever.

For any current Lahash donor that wants to continue helping the school, contributions can be made through the Tenderfeet Foundation at this link: Tenderfeet donation. The Tenderfeet Foundation will be using the same online system (Groundspring/Network for Good) that has been used by Lahash.

To cancel your Tenderfeet sponsorship through Lahash, please log into the account page and cancel your recurring Lahash donations. Of course, if you are sponsoring Tenderfeet as well as other Lahash projects, please only cancel those contributions going to Tenderfeet. Starting in September, any donations made through Lahash will be assumed to be for Lahash programs only and will not be forwarded to Tenderfeet.

If you would like to discuss these changes on the phone, please call me at the number 713-584-3975, or you can email me at dmitchell@lahash.net. My new email address is dax@tenderfeetkids.org and you can reach me that way as well.

I'm glad to answer any questions or discuss any concerns.
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Linet's Funeral

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Linet Atieno, the mother of Tenderfeet students Shally and Emmaculate, was laid to rest after her tragic death.

Below are two photos of Linet's casket outside of her small one-room residence in the Kibera slums. According to Luo custom, the body was made available for viewing for neighbors and loved ones, who could come by and pay respects to the deceased and survivors. Linet's body was covered by a veil. Well-wishers could contribute to the funeral costs.

A significant portion of the burial expenses were paid for by Tenderfeet donors, which provides a huge relief to the family. It allows Linet's children to be spared unnecessary hardship, and we are deeply grateful to those who contributed.

The body was transported to the Nyanza Province near Lake Victoria that night. Once all the family had arrived the next day, the funeral and burial ceremonies took place in Linet's tribal homeland.

Below is the Aunt of Linet who will become the guardian of the two girls. She is also the guardian of Tenderfeet graduate Wickliff Wesonga. Emmaculate is on the left and Shally is on the right.


Here is a photo of Mama Margaret and Teacher Karen with the two girls. Teacher Elizabeth (not shown) traveled with the family to the Nyanza Province for the funeral. She had to convince the girls' relatives that the girls should return to Nairobi. Some of their father's family wanted to relocate the girls to live in the countryside where the poverty level was very high and opportunity for education was not present. Fortunately, Elizabeth was able to reason with the family in order to find the situation best for the girls.

AIDS Tragedy Comes to Tenderfeet Again

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The photo to the right shows Linet Atieno, a 24 year old widow and mother of two young girls. She is sitting next to Mama Margaret in her small one-room house in the Kibera slum.

The two girls, Shally (4) and Emmaculate (6), attend Tenderfeet. The picture of Linet was taken recently by our friend Craig Garratt who visited her home while meeting some of the families of Tenderfeet.

Linet passed away this week from pneumonia, her tragic death directly related to her HIV positive condition. It's a familiar and heart-breaking story, one that tragically happens over and over again.

In fact, Linet was an orphan herself. Her parents both were lost to AIDS, leaving her and her siblings to live with relatives. Her brother Wickliff, 10 years younger than Linet, was a student at Tenderfeet and has been mentioned in previous articles.

While still a teenager, Linet got married. A few years after Shally was born, Linet's husband became ill and passed away from AIDS. He never told her about his condition, so when Linet found out she was HIV positive, it was a total surprise. Linet struggled to make a living doing whatever odd jobs she could find.

She depended on ARV drugs to keep her healthy enough to continue working, but a recent cold and rainy spell hit Nairobi. Apparently, when she got sick with pneumonia, it came on fast and she didn't take action in time.

If the Tenderfeet team would have known, they might could have saved Linet. It breaks my heart to say that she suffered and passed away in silence.

Linet belongs to the Luo tribe, who have very strict customs about burial. Luos believe that those who have died must be transported to their homeland near Lake Victoria for burial.

This means in practical terms that the family must fundraise to afford the hundreds of dollars for the transportation and burial of the body. It will be a severe strain on an already terribly stressed family. If you would like to help, please click here and enter "Linet" in the Donation Destination.

Any assistance would be a huge blessing to the girls.

Below is a photo of the two girls left behind, Shally is on the left and Emmaculate ("Emma") on the right. It was taken about one year ago during the "Day of the African Child" event.

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May School Updates

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The second term of school started today. We are just about ready to move in to the new school building. Lahash representative Edwin Angote took a series of photographs of the new building.

All that remains is to plaster and paint the walls, install the glass in the windows, and finish some of the floors. Of course, there will also need to be some cleanup of the construction materials, but that won't take long.

Tenderfeet's wonderful partner, the Collette Foundation, has remained steadfast in providing the funding for the construction all the way to the finish line.

In Riruta, the church where Tenderfeet has been located has agreed to let the children remain for a few more days until the building is complete.

In Kibera, the government has promised to demolish the buildings along the railroad tracks -- including Tenderfeet. However, the actions have been delayed because they are expecting a huge backlash, including riots and looting. So we will try to keep the Kibera school going at least for the next few weeks as the story of the railroad tracks unfolds.

Stay tuned for more updates soon.

Esther's New Family

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Esther Ngina is a 6 year-old orphan girl who has had many challenges in her life.

As you can see from the photo, she's just a little one, but she has a lot of heart for such a small person.

Her story unfolds as a series of heartbreaking events, much like a Charles Dickens novel.

Her mother and father had separated when she was an infant and she remained with her mother.

Sadly, Esther's mother passed away when she was a toddler, and she was taken to live with her father.

Esther's father was not a responsible parent and ended up abandoning Esther and she was taken by relatives to live with her grandmother.

In 2007, when Esther was only 4 years old, her grandmother passed away. At that point, she went to stay with a single Aunt who already had two children of her own.

The Aunt was very harsh and unkind with Esther and gave her many unreasonable chores and responsibilities. When I visited last year, I spent some time at Esther's one-room shack and saw as she bravely handled a lot of the household duties that could have been more fairly shared amongst other members of the family.

She had no toys or dolls, but when she played, she would play with a piece of broken mirror or empty matchbox.

Mama Margaret reported that during this time, Esther often came to school hungry and in tears because of missed meals. We were soon fortunate to find a sponsor for Esther, which helped a lot with the physical struggles she was having -- now she could get the meals she needed.

Unfortunately, the emotional and spiritual challenges remained, because of the harsh environment she endured as long as Esther continued living with her Aunt. After trying to improve the situation for some time, Margaret convinced the family to allow Esther to live with another set of relatives, an Aunt and Uncle nearby.

Although it was a slight improvement, the Uncle was an alcoholic and eventually the Aunt left him, taking her two young children as well as running off with Esther's school uniform and few belongings. This left Esther living alone with an alcoholic who was out late every night, by herself without any security. During this time, she fell victim to chiggers, ringworms, and lice.

Margaret had tried all along to work with Esther's family for her wellbeing, but it became clear she had to intervene. Working with the community child protection office, Margaret was able to find a new home for Esther, living with Margaret's brother Bernard and his family. All her problems with ringworms and other issues have been treated and fixed.

Though he struggles financially -- through no fault of his own -- Bernard is a hard-working and responsible person, with a wonderful wife and young son that is Esther's age and they have become like brother and sister. Esther now has the family she has always deserved.

Thanks to the child sponsorship program, Tenderfeet has been able to assist with Esther's living expenses and transportation to school. Below is Esther in the black shirt, with her new family.

Bushrangers To The Rescue

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The students of Busselton Senior High School in Australia have been wonderful friends to Tenderfeet. Last August they did a fundraiser that was a tremendous help to the Tenderfeet kids.

Busselton High has a group of students with special challenges. This group has its classes on the school campus, which enables these kids to be an important part of the school community.

Many of these special students belong to an extra-curricular activity group called the Geographe Bushrangers (see photo right). It is similar to a Scouts organization. Bushrangers, like Scouts, participate in activities in nature, camping, and hiking.

Craig Garratt, one of Tenderfeet's great friends in Australia, gave a talk at Busselton High on what life was like in Kibera. When the Bushrangers heard about Tenderfeet, they rallied to the cause.

About the same time, the Bushrangers were planning to undertake a walk along a well-known outdoor trail, the Cape to Cape track which stretches from Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin and is about 135 kms long.

The Bushrangers decided to use this opportunity to help Tenderfeet, and planned a mammoth fundraising effort entirely on their own. In particular, they headed out on the Cape to Cape Trail and covered 50 kms (31 mi) over three days after getting sponsorship for the walk. Please see photos below for a few snapshots of their hike.


The funds they raised have helped tremendously both with the Tenderfeet school as well as the special situation of Shadrack's medical assistance.

Isn't it amazing to see true heroes like the Bushrangers come to the aid of orphans and needy children?
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Shadrack Updates

UPDATE:WEDNESDAY MARCH 10
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Wonderful news! Shadrack is now speaking and able to swallow a bit as well.

Margaret even quizzed him a little and his memory is strong. Thank you for your continued prayers and concern.

UPDATE: SATURDAY FEB 27

Yesterday, Shadrack was at long last discharged from the hospital. He still has a tough road ahead as he recovers from his stroke-like symptoms.

Shadrack has difficulty getting around, and cannot speak or swallow. However, the doctors feel that he no longer needs to be in the hospital, because the abscess drainage issue has been addressed with the two brain surgeries.

A wheelchair was purchased and Shaddy will receive home nursing assistance for the next three months. Over that time, the home nurse will help with the feeding and Shadrack is expected to continue his recovery.

Thank you for your prayers, concern, and financial assistance. His life has literally been saved because of such wonderful friends and the contributions to his medical care. Additional donations will help with the ongoing care for Shadrack.

Below is a picture of Shadrack in the hospital wheelchair, and his new wheelchair is to the left. Mama Margaret and his grandmother are standing behind.


Below is Shadrack with a welcome smile and his grandmother in the vehicle.



UPDATE: TUESDAY FEB 23

Today Mama Odoyo visited Shadrack, he is making a bit of progress every day. They have started him on a program of physical therapy, and he was trying his best to do activities like squeeze a ball in his hand.

Shadrack is supposed to be released from the hospital soon. Even though he has not recovered fully, they believe he is ready to transition to home care.

His symptoms resemble those of a stroke victim and hopefully, in time, he'll be as good as new.

We also got the medical bill summary. After 5 weeks in the hospital, plus an MRI and two brain surgeries, the bill has gotten quite big.

Right now, we have an $800 deficit just to cover the existing bill. Follow-up care, including medicine and doctor's visits, is expected to reach an estimated $1000 in the next month or so.

If you would like to contribute, any amount would help tremendously. To make a donation, please click here. You can fill out the form (with your donation amount) as you see below:



UPDATE: SUNDAY FEB 20

Mama Margaret writes:

"Today I visited Shaddy and we put him on a wheel chair and took some pictures which I have attached.

Though he can't communicate he can hear and smile. He's still being fed through nose. I told him to smile while I took the pictures and he tried so there is hope he will be well."

Shadrack will have a CT scan early next week to see if the blood clot in his brain has dissolved.

UPDATE: WEDNESDAY FEB 17

No major change today, Shadrack is still in the hospital.

Mama Margaret visited today and said Shadrack is still being fed through a nose tube and cannot speak.

She was heartened that when she sang him some of his favorite songs, he smiled and his face brightened.

Thank you for your continued prayers and concern.

UPDATE: SUNDAY FEB 14

Mama Margaret visited today and said Shadrack is the same as on Friday. They are encouraged because he is out of the coma and hoping for more improvement.

He will continue taking blood thinners for several more days to ensure that the clot is completely dissolved.

UPDATE: FRIDAY FEB 12

The first good news in a while -- Shadrack woke up today and was able to move around a little.

Although he wasn't able to speak, he could hear and seemed to understand what he was being told. When Mama Margaret asked him how he was doing, he reached out his arms and showed he understood.

Margaret could not track down any doctors, but the nurses are assuring Margaret that we need to be patient, and that they are expecting him to recover fully.

Thank you for your continued concern and prayers for Shadrack. Please continue to pray for his progress, and also for his grandmother who has been with him for almost a month in the hospital.

UPDATE: THURSDAY FEB 11

Shadrack is still in a coma. There was concern about bleeding from the nose. If I understand correctly, they have started to attack the blood clot with medication.

Mama Margaret keeps saying the doctors want us to be patient. We all feel helpless, but Margaret says all we can do is keep praying and have him in our thoughts and hearts.

The above right picture was taken last year at the Treeside school with some of his friends.


UPDATE: TUESDAY FEB 9

The situation remains very critical.

Shadrack is still in a coma being fed through the nostrils.

The MRI scan shows that there is a blood clot in the brain. The doctors are planning to try to remove it through medication. If it doesn't work, they will perform another surgery.

UPDATE: MONDAY FEB 8

The situation has remained very serious, with Shadrack still unresponsive today. The doctors decided to transport him by ambulance to a major Nairobi hospital so that an MRI scan could be done.

The hope is the scan will reveal why the recovery is not going as smoothly as expected.

The results should be back in the next day or two, and at that point we should hopefully know more.

Right now all we can do is wait and pray.

UPDATE: SATURDAY FEB 6

Mama Odoyo visited Shadrack today. He's still non-responsive. They tried to feed him through a tube in his nose, but were unsuccessful.

Margaret was explaining more to me today regarding the purpose of the surgically-implanted tube.

It goes inside his body from Shadrack's brain to stomach, and is supposed to stay in long-term, maybe for the rest of his life. That will ensure that the fluid will never build up again. She said that the doctor's have done this procedure numerous times successfully.

Now it's just a matter of waiting and praying for his recovery.

UPDATE: FRIDAY FEB 5

The doctors were able to regulate Shadrack's temperature as the week progressed.

They also started having Shadrack do some walking around and stretching to counter the problems with being in a bed for two weeks.

The plan was to have a new tube inserted yesterday going from Shadrack's brain to stomach. I received the following update from Mama Margaret through text message. I tried to call a bit later but couldn't get through because of network problems.

Mama Margaret says: "I am on my way back from Kijabe. They fixed the tube yesterday evening. Ever since, he can't communicate, see, swallow, or move any part of the body. He is on a drip. The doctor said we will observe him for three days and he will be OK. But my heart is broken when watching Shaddy laying helpless and unconscious. I can't stop shedding tears."

Let's hope that Shadrack recovers as the doctors have indicated. Thank you for your prayers for Shadrack and those helping him.

UPDATE: MONDAY FEB 1

Because his temperature was too high and the doctors couldn't get it down, the surgery planned for today was postponed.

Hopefully, they can control it better tomorrow and finish the procedure.

UPDATE: SUNDAY JAN 31

Shadrack is getting stronger and is continuing in his recovery. He's now been in the hospital for two weeks.

Tomorrow, he will be in the operating room while they connect the tube from his brain to his stomach to help more with the drainage.

We still don't know for sure when he will be released. Thank you for the prayers and concern for Shadrack.


UPDATE: THURSDAY JAN 28

Mama Margaret visited Shadrack today. He has been moved to another ward, which is a sign of progress.

He is weak and cannot sit up for long, but overall feels OK. The tests came back and everything is as the doctors hoped.

Now they are going to have the tube run from his brain to (get ready) his stomach, where the drainage will take place though his digestive system. It sounds like nothing I've heard of before, but apparently this is something they do in the later stages of this kind of situation.

Shadrack's grandmother is still with him and doing well. Mama Margaret says she prays and reads the Bible throughout the day and is a pillar of strength despite her own poor health.

Shadrack is expected to be in the hospital for approximately another week, though a lot of things can change. The doctors want to stabilize his temperature and complete the drainage before he will be released.

UPDATE: WEDNESDAY JAN 27

Shadrack is still in the hospital. The doctors got a sample of fluid from his brain and have sent it off for tests. We are expecting the tests to come back today or tomorrow.

He is feeling well, though he has setbacks like stomach problems or his temperature fluctuates. Depending on the tests and whether he becomes more stabilized with the setbacks, he will hopefully be released before too long.

Mama Margaret has been in Kisii the past several days for a funeral. She will be visiting Shadrack tomorrow.

UPDATE: FRIDAY JAN 22

Good news, Shadrack is making progress. Although the tube has not yet been removed, the fluid is now draining clear. This is showing the doctors that the bacteria is out of the brain.

Also, Shadrack was able to stand up and even walk a little. While he was in the hospital in Kisumu, he couldn't even stand.

We don't know yet when he will be released, but hopefully we will know in the next few days. Please find a picture of Shadrack, right, with Tenderfeet's social worker, Dorothy Odoyo.


UPDATE: TUESDAY JAN 19

Here are some pictures taken of Shadrack. The first one, you can see clearly the drainage tube and some of the fluid that has been drained.

Below is Mama Margaret with Shadrack

This is Shadrack's grandmother


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UPDATE: MONDAY JAN 18

Mama Margaret and Mama Odoyo (Tenderfeet's new social worker) traveled to Kijabe today. It's about 2 hours each way. Margaret wanted to send photos but the network is too slow.

Shadrack is doing well, all things considered. The drainage tube is still inserted, so far 1 liter (34 oz) of fluid has been drained. The fluid has a lot of bacteria and is blood-tainted. The tube may be removed in the next day or two.

The doctors believe Shadrack may have fallen or had an accidental bump to the back of the head -- accompanied by an infection -- that triggered this abscess. Whereas the first one in 2007 was on the left side of his head, this one is on the right. The doctors believe he will not need further surgery in the future.

They believe all these problems can be traced to meningitis that Shadrack had as a baby.

Shaddy can speak and knows Mama Margaret, but can't remember many other things. She asked, "do you remember Ezra?" Shadrack said, "I don't know who Ezra is." Ezra is Mama Margaret's youngest child, and has been Shadrack's playmate for the past 3 years. It is possible that his memory will return over time, though.

We don't know how long he will be in the hospital, but the nurses and doctors are very kind and friendly. Shadrack's grandmother is staying with him in the hospital, though she herself is not in great health. Mama Odoyo made the grandmother a nice yummy meal, and Mama Margaret left some money to buy food.

They discussed how Shadrack's aunt abandoned him in 2007, and the grandmother was ashamed of her family for what happened and said if her own health had not been so poor, she would have gladly taken Shadrack in.

Tomorrow, Margaret's 18-year old daughter Winnie will go with Teacher Karen to visit Shadrack. Hopefully, we will have some good news tomorrow and photos will be coming as well. Thank you for your continued prayers.


UPDATE: SATURDAY JAN 16

Shadrack left last night from Kisumu by ambulance. He arrived early in the morning at Kijabe and had the brain surgery today at 11:00 AM Kenya time (9 hours ahead of central time). Big thanks go to Dan for getting the wire done on such short notice.

Margaret visited at Kijabe and they had inserted a tube into Shaddy's brain to continue the drainage. His grandmother (I didn't know she was living) will be staying in the hospital with him.

He was awake and talking to Margaret, though he was still pretty confused overall. Margaret couldn't talk to the doctors today, and the nurses weren't able to give her a lot of information. I asked a ton of questions, but mostly we won't know much until the doctors talk to Margaret.

All things considered, I think we are fortunate but now it is day by day. Thank you so much for your prayers and concern for Shadrack.
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Shadrack's Emergency Situation

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Shadrack Otieno (see photo, taken a few weeks ago) is a very special and beloved boy in the Tenderfeet family.

He is having a medical crisis right now, requiring brain surgery. You can read the full story below.

If you want to help, please donate at this link. Please make sure to type "Shadrack" in the "Donation Destination" box. All funds received will go exclusively to Shadrack's medical needs.

To see how to fill out the donation options, please scroll down for a screenshot.

Shadrack is an orphan who first came to Tenderfeet in 2006. At that time, he suffered terribly from seizures, headaches, and nosebleeds.

He was diagnosed with a brain abscess in late 2006. In March 2007, thanks to some amazing friends, he had a life-saving surgery.

Sadly, he was abandoned by his guardian while he was in the hospital. Mama Margaret became his legal guardian and he has been cared for by her ever since. He recovered completely from the surgery and has been doing great for the past three years.

His ongoing medical care and educational expenses have been sponsored by a wonderful youth group, Corby's Castle.

Over the past six months, some of Shadrack's relatives have reached out and wanted to have him come visit. These aren't the same relatives that abandoned him, and so Margaret arranged for Shadrack's Aunt Ruth (photo above, on the right) to come pick him up in Nairobi and escort him back to the Kisumu area over the Christmas holiday.

When Shadrack got to his family's home, he became very ill. Initially, it was believed he was suffering from Malaria. But his condition worsened, and he has had severe headaches and now cannot walk. He is now in critical condition.

A CT scan was done and another abscess was detected. The doctors are recommending he have another surgery to treat the problem. He will be transported by ambulance to Kijabe hospital, near Nairobi. Kijabe is a top-notch and highly respected hospital that has provided great treatment for Lucy.

The surgery and related medical costs are expected to be approximately $3500, which is roughly the same cost as the first surgery. For a brain surgery, at least by American standards, it's relatively inexpensive.

However, it is still a tremendous amount of money for a small project like Tenderfeet. Any assistance you can provide will be deeply appreciated.

To help save Shadrack, please click here or on the image below. You can donate any amount, but $50 is shown in the image just as an example. Thank you for your prayers and concern.


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First Week of School

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This past week may be the most hectic week of the entire year at Tenderfeet. The school year begins for Kenyans in January, and that makes for a busy schedule helping children in transition.

Tenderfeet is assisting four new girls in their secondary education. They are Nancy Moraa (pictured right, she is the youngest sister of Sharon Kwamboka's deceased mother), Mercy Wanjiru, Lucy Wanjiku (middle daughter of Regina Wanja from Eldoret), and Carol Ndirangu (former Tenderfeet student).

Nancy and Mercy will probably go to a boarding school in Nyahururu. Carol is starting her second year of high school, but we only recently started the sponsorship (last year, her education was interrupted because she could not pay). We are still trying to decide on the best course of action for Lucy, but she is likely to go to vocational school.

Mama Margaret has also been assisting with some other children in other parts of Kenya. She has been coordinating the payment of school fees for a boy named Dennis in Mombasa, as well as two children named Ann and Peter who have relocated from Eldoret. We also have three current high school students that are being assisted, Arian Ogo, Kevin Ochoki, and Emily Nyabura.

Meanwhile, there are new children being admitted to Tenderfeet. We will be admitting 20 new children to have 80 in all. The government educational officers have threatened to close the school if Tenderfeet doesn't have at least 40 at each of the two school locations.

There were 65 previously, but now 5 have gone on to the next level, meaning 20 have to be added. Mama Margaret has already interviewed a few families, and will continue the work next week. It's difficult because there are so many children out there in need of education, but at the same time, it's important to find ones that are the most deserving.

Finally, the 5 Tenderfeet graduates are in the process of enrolling. Brian Mungai, who lives in Riruta, is going to Bensesa school. The four other children are on the waiting list to got to Olympic Primary in Kibera, but Olympic is only admitting 20 new students and there are 107 in the queue. If they can't be admitted there, Mama Margaret will try to get them in at Soweto Academy.

This was all made more challenging because one of our wonderful Tenderfeet staff members, Mercy, has left Tenderfeet to start her own project. This left us short-handed, but we are fortunate to have a recent addition to the staff, Carol Warimu.
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