Dear Friends:
It is so long since I have written to you, I feel I should apologize. It is not that anything has been amiss; things have just been really busy!
I returned from Kenya last week after a very busy three-month stay. Again KCF hosted three different groups of volunteers. Mary Ann Lundmark was joined by her husband, Luke, and a few friends: Ben and Susan Law, Judy Addington and Nancy Smith. This was Mary Ann’s third trip so she was excited to share the experience especially with her husband. Apparently he liked it so well he is talking about a return trip in two years!
In February, Buffy Marie Collison, who had been with us in 2007, returned with her son, Donovan, and his wife, Alyssa, as well as her daughter, Stephanie, and friend, Holly Hares.
March saw another group from Colorado known on safaris as the “Ladies from Denver”. Elaine Nee (who does not know a stranger), Kate Cunningham, Di Nestel and Kim Vance joined Sarah Lewis who was with KCF for her second trip. I think it is safe to say that all had a wonderful time, learned a lot and are really happy they were able to experience what KCF has to offer in Kenya.
As for the work, you can see from the second picture that we are
still involved with St. Secilia’s in Kibera. The political unrest in Jan
2008 drove a good many families away from Kibera and so the
enrollment at the school was cut nearly in half. Over the past two years a number of students have returned and, of course, new students enrolled, but still the numbers are not quite what they were before the elections.
There has also been a new government regulation regarding structures along the Nairobi River and its tributaries. There is to be no building within 30 meters of the banks of the river or stream. That means that St. Secilia will need to relocate within the ear future. It was to have happened last year, but somehow Angeline managed to buy a bit of time. Her plans are up in the air. We shall see how things turn out before the end of this year.
 The primary focus of our efforts has been the farm and work in the local Masai community. We have been driving out to the farm in the morning from where the volunteers have walked or been driven to the small primary school located a few kilometers from the farm. Once there, they taught or played outdoor games with the students. Whether they walked or rode, it was an always an adventure. I have no idea how we ever managed without the truck purchased for us by St. John’s Episcopal Church in Midland, MI. It has become an indispensable item for our work. Pic of truck
The farm, itself, is flourishing. The trees are now about three years old. They are healthy and growing nicely. The vegetables we planted last fall grew like weeds so the produce was abundant. However, we miscalculated the desire of the local community to buy our produce. We sold enough to recoup our costs, but they were not the hot item we thought they would be. Apparently Masais still love their traditional diet.
We will continue to grow the vegetables because we hope to begin raising some pigs within the next few months. The market for pigs is huge. Once we have the pig house (??) built, we will keep nine sows. By the end of the year we plan to have a contract with Farmer’s Choice, the primary meat distributor, for so many pigs per month. Whatever vegetables we are not able to sell will not go to waste.
In addition to the pigs, we have already erected and are operating
 the first of several green houses we will one day have. We are working with a company that erects the structures, plants the tomatoes, onions or whatever and then buys the produce from us. This is of great benefit to us as we are really too small to be spending our time marketing the produce to the local stores. Pics of greenhouse
As you know, we already have about eighty head of sheep as well as an orchard. We intend to add about one thousand chickens after we get the pigs established. It is our intention that the farm become self-sustaining within the year. First harvest of the trees is still on track for sometime in 2012.
Again, none of this would be possible without your help. Thank you to each one of you who has supported our work over the years. We are more than grateful. Please continue to help so that we can do the work we all think is important in this world torn with so much poverty and strife.
Warm regards,
Joanne
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