OUR TOILETS HAVE COLLAPSED !

This is the last email from Emily.  Can you help us with raising funds to build new ones?

“Am back in Mombasa. It was fun with Peter Ross at home (story below). We covered all the chapters you recommended and i hope you smile when you see me. The children are doing well and so good in their classes, i know they will make you proud and at the same time emotional as some eat first and the rest follow due to lack of utencils. And also the sleeping situation is quite sad. This was all covered in the film. I received 39,000ksh from Ben and paid 36,000ksh for a new inverter (destroyed by lightning). And now power is back. Syl also gave Pete -£100 to purchase bible story books and he gave me the balance. Pete also donated 10,000ksh for food, i really appreciated cause all the money i had i used to build a temporary toilet for the kids. When i arrived at home, i learnt that the toilet had collapsed due to landslide caused by heavy rains. I have attached some photos of the toilet. Pete is a very good boy. He has promiced to stay in touch with you. I resume work tomorrow.

Last week Peter Ross from the UK visited Ket Wangi. Peter is a documentary / photojournalism photography student who was looking for a charity that he could visit to do some photography for his final portfolio. He wanted to add value to his work and was touched by Ket Wangi’s story. He also said he could provide any images that he took for use on our website and even said that he had the ability to record high quality video and could make a short documentary video to help with fundraising. We snapped his hands. Peter has given permission to publish his email to Emily soon after leaving last Saturday.

“I’m currently at Nairobi airport waiting for my flight back to London so I thought I would send you a quick e-mail. I had some amazing views over Lake Victoria and the sunset as the plane took off. I just wanted to say thanks to you and Linda and everyone at Ket Wangi for making me feel so welcome. I really felt at home there. I love your ability to make a joke and laugh at everything in life despite everything you have to do and think about. I will have so many great memories and stories to tell! I really had an incredible time. You have created such a special place. I became very attached to the children and it was difficult to say goodbye to them. I will think about them every day! Please say goodbye for me to the ones that weren’t there today. I hope they enjoyed their fish this evening and I’m sure I will get to see them all again at some point.  I think we made some good video recordings so hopefully I can make something that will help with your fundraising! I will be in touch with Ben and Annie and Syl soon to tell them about my experience. I hope you have a safe trip back to Mombassa and I will be in touch again soon. Take care Pete”

Peter  has been in touch with us in the UK already. Here is what he said.

“I just thought I would let you know I got back from Kenya ok. I had a great time at Ket Wangi and they all made me feel so welcome. Emily is an incredible character and I really became attached to the children, it was difficult to say goodbye when I left. There were lots of challenges in terms of the video but hopefully I have taken enough footage to put something together which I will start in a few weeks after my course finishes. I just thought I would send you a couple of photo’s.  Firstly the mattresses that the children are sleeping on – they are really falling apart and some are in bits. I think they could do with some new ones quite urgently.   Also I’m assuming Emily told you about the toilet block that collapsed in the rain? It is now just a pile of rubble. While I was there they were able to build some temporary toilets at the bottom of the garden but this is really just a tin shack with holes in the ground.I will be back in touch soon but let me know if you have any questions about my trip in the meantime.”

There is never a dull moment at Ket Wangi.  Hope you can spare a little money so that the children get some decent toilets and mattresses again soon. Thank you most kindly.

RIP Lilian

KETWANGI ORPHANAGE AND SCHOOL//REPORT-FIRST TERM 2012/JANUARY –APRIL 2012.  Written by the administrator & Accountant Mr Naphtaly Olang

Before I start this report, I am sorry to let you know that one of our girls, Lilian who just turned 13 years old died on the 14/4/2012. she was born with sickle cell anaemia and we did what we could but now she is gone. May she rest in Peace. She is the girl who you can see leading the singing in the Y-TUBE of Ketwangi welcoming visitors, My wish is –we should get a school van at the orphanage which can transport the children to the hospital on emergencies. if  we had one this girl could be fighting for her life in the hospital.

I thank the Almighty God for keeping us well for the whole of 1^st Term. This term was a very tough Term for us at Ketwangi as it is always with the new year. We started off with new teachers and the Public health officer was demanding so many requirements for the orphanage and school to renew the work permits. The School Inspector gave us requirements to meet if not the school have to be closed. Without you, we could have not met all these requirements, we painted, we made some general repairs and the children were found to be smart in their school uniforms.

With your help we participated in 5 Provincial School activities and Ket Wangi learning Center participated in Singing-which they were number 4 of 45 schools; Junior football-they were number 22 out of 45 schools; Junior quiz-they were number 4 out 45 schools; Poems-they were number 2 out of 45 schools.

BRAINS WORTH TEST-Ket Wangi class 2 pupil Yvonne was number  ONE in the categorized class 45 schools. Ket Wangi was awarded a trophy by the Inter-sport management committee. Ket Wangi is now categorized as one of the best orphanages with  a vision of equality and changing the life of a motherless child to a warm and welcoming environment. The children are progressing so well academically and I wish that we could get all the required Education Facilities. Today we are qualified to receive donated items from overseas countries without paying duty. We are soon receiving a certificate for the duty free on our donated items and you will see it in the web.

1^st Term was challenging but I am happy to tell you that the Almighty God was with us. We received a visitor by the name Philip Pittsman from North America, he donated food for the children and brought with him arts items for the children, we appreciate him so much. Towards the end of the term we received a visitor from NewZealand who was in the orphanage for 2 days/she was moved so much by how the kids sleep/and she has promised to help. She is called Renee Hollis, she donated food for the children and brought with her clothes and crayon pencils. We appreciate them so much I am thanking you for donating to us and still wish you donate regularly to uplift the leaving standard of these children. My thank you is to all our donors and I wish you abundant of blessings from the Almighty God. I thank Annie for her efforts of making sure we are found in the web, I also thank Benjamin Paul Ashton and his friends who  are working so hard to make fundraising easy for Ket Wangi in the Uk and by creating awareness around. Not to be forgotten is the mother of Ket Wangi Emily who is doing all she can to make sure that the children and the staff leave in a warm homely environment with transperancy in all aspects. Renee  Hollis saw her as the 2^ND mother Teresa, Let us pray for her to leave longer and let us help her take care of her children. Ket Wangi is a warm and a happy home because of her Leader-ship. As you always know that the power of employees is a pay after 30 days. I am praying that you make efforts by donating so that we may pay our employees. Arise and Shine- this is our Motto. The School is now closed until 7/5/2012.Thank you so much and may the Almighty God grant you Peace.

Thank you

At the start of this new year, we would like to thank all the people who have been so generous these last 2 months. Thank you all for supporting our children. In particular Ben and his friends who made a calendar to sell. They raised nearly £1000 for Ketwangi. This was on top of all the great benefits they brought to us in the summer on their trip through Africa. Thank you to Dorit, another visitor for inspiring some of their friends to also donate and to Lisa, Syl, Richard for contributing generously again. We can honestly say that without you all, we would not have made it over Christmas. Then, just recently we were thrilled to hear about the cake sale organised by five 1st grade girls in Los Angeles. They raised £100. Well done girls. Our administrator has written a report that we hope will make you all feel proud to have put your trust into us and show your love for our (your) children. And for you, reading this, we truly hope that you will find Ketwangi worthy of your help. Thank you from the bottom of my heart and Happy New Year. Emily

Arise and Shine

Hello and Welcome. We are the children of KetWangi and we want to tell you how much a difference you have made to our lives these past 12 months. You have brought us more comfort, we have had better dinners (although lately we seemed to be back to square one or is it just the cook?) but most of all you have brought us hope and confidence because we now know that out there, there are many people who care for us. This summer we had a lot of fun too with Ben, Toby and all of you who came and built a new classroom, chicken pen, who took us on trips. But the best was beating them at football or tickling their hair (so much of it!). We love you all and think of you often. We hope that many more of you will be kind as we know that recently our mamas have been worrying again that not enough money is coming to us. So we wanted to ask you again to help us grow up and study so that we can one day help others too. We are the children of Ketwangi and we will rise and shine because of you. Merry Christmas to you and God bless.

Please remember Ketwangi again

This time last year, it looked as though I would not be able to carry on supporting so many children on the few hand outs of the locals and my own donations from a nurse salary. But you responded very generously after reading this message. At least myself and my devoted staff could suddenly hope for brighter days. And the children? Well they got overexcited like most kids at Christmas; only it was not at the thought of toys, but simply food. Then, throughout the year we saw spontaneous gestures of kindness and we now have better facilities thanks to many of you. We have solar powered electricity, a chicken coop and now a small separate classroom, not to forget mattresses, mosquito nets, tables and chairs and much more. The children are doing well at school. But while the children are enjoying some more comforts, I am still struggling to find the money to feed them a good diet each day, more and more they are back to just one meal a day. We desperately need more regular donations. At this time of year, where so many of you get that warm feeling of generosity, please remember Ketwangi again. And if you have just discovered us, please read the good words of those who have visited and become part of our extended family. Thank you and God bless you.