----------- KCF Newsletter November 2006 ----------
Dear Friends:
 As so many of you know, this is the season when I come to you asking for school fees money and sponsorship money and in a few weeks, money in general. It is that time of year when we want to make sure we have enough money to fund the various programs we have going in Kenya.
For those of you who may not know, in 1999 when KCF celebrated its Five Year Anniversary, we wanted to do something special. We ordered 131 piggy banks each of which could hold $75 in quarters. This was perfect! Our school fees program in Kenya needed to raise money in multiples of $75 because the fee structure was as follows:
Pre-school $75 for one year
Primary school $150 for one year
Secondary school $300 for one year
That was the origin of our annual BRING HOME THE BACON event! At the same time KCF inaugurated an individual sponsor program. Since 1999 we have spent $174,113 in both programs for some of Kenya’s most disadvantaged kids. Over the years more than one-hundred children have passed through these programs.
 Coincidental to our Five Year Anniversary, Geil Browning and her family came to Kenya as part of our volunteer
program. Geil has been a KCF Board member since 1994. When her work schedule eased a bit, she decided it was time to visit our projects in Kenya to see how she could get more personally involved. Geil took an immediate interest in our school in Kawangware. In 2000 Geil recruited seventeen volunteers to travel to Kenya along with her husband and son. This group painted the newly constructed classrooms.
But that was not enough. When Geil learned that KCF agreed to sponsor 23 children through eight years of education at the Kawangware school, she stepped up and said that she personally would like to raise that money. Total cost per year has run about $5000. Through one means and another, Geil has raised that money. Congratulations Geil!! And THANK YOU.
Geil’s willingness to help with these particular fees meant that we could continue to use the piggy bank money for other needy children. So many of you have contributed to this cause! None more than Ginny and Rick Bailey. When they visited Kenya in 2003 they were so taken with the need for education (being educators themselves) they came home and asked to direct our piggy bank program. Ginny and Rick have personally handed out at least 150 piggy banks in the past three years as they have gone here and there about the state talking about KCF and the great need in Kenya. Annually those with banks get a reminder from Ginny to send in their $75. This has been time-consuming and tedious at times and we are grateful for the tremendous effort they have put into managing this program. THANK YOU to you both!!!
 This entire school fees experience has been heartwarming in so many ways. Knowing we can give a child a shot at life because we educate him or her is an awesome thought. But it is heart warming here in the US as well. Earlier in the year when I returned from Kenya, I found a note from eight-year old Billy along with a check for $75. I wrote to Billy to commend him and thank him for his donation. He wrote again to clarify that he had not done this alone. With his Mom’s permission, I would like to quote from Billy’s note:
Dear Mrs. LeClair,
I did not rase all the money. It was the hole family. The pigy bank is in our kitchen by the phone. We put money in it wunce we get our alouince. This is a picture of Tessa and me counting the money. and we’re filling it agin. . . . from Billy
Billy is eight-years old. He cannot do what Geil or Ginny and Rick are doing, but his contribution is like the widow’s mite. He does what he can and because of him this world is a better place! Who knows what Billy will do when he is an adult with more resources. CONGRATULATIONS to you Billy and to Tessa and your family!
Before I close I would also like to mention that many, many people have agreed to sponsor individual students. Those of you who might be interested in helping, please contact KCF and we will be happy to help you get started.
Together we are all making a huge difference in Kenya in our school fees program alone. KCF is so grateful to each of you ho have chosen to help in this way. Thank you so much.
Warm regards to each of you,
Joanne
KCF Newsletter -- October 2006
Dear Friends:
Fall has arrived and I have not yet taken time to bring you up to date on activities over the summer. Let me begin with my recent trip to Kenya. It was a short trip – shorter than usual anyway, because KCF hosted only one group of volunteers.
Susan Escher returned for her third trip with KCF bringing her two children, Andrew and Taylor. Susan and her family hail from Lee’s Summit, MO. They have been active with KCF for a number of years. Some years ago, when we were desperate to get the cow sheds built, this family contributed nearly all the money needed. Today, Susan is at it again, raising money to furnish the new teen housing at Meru Children’s Home.
The other thee volunteers were Irene McKenna and her daughter, Kristen. The
Eschers and McKennas have been friend for quite some time and thought a trip to Kenya would be a good experience for all of them.
When Sarah Lewis heard that we could accommodate one more person in the group, she jumped at the chance. Traveling to Africa had been a life-long dream for Sarah and she was most excited to have this opportunity.
All six had a great time working at Nyumbani, going on safari to the coast and Samburu Game Park as well as visiting Meru Children’s Home with a night at the Mount Kenya Safari Club thrown in for good measure.
But of course, the best part of the trip was the time spent with the kids. Taylor and Kristen both seem to have found some little friends.
I suppose the major accomplishment this summer was the completion of the new housing for the teens at Meru Children’s Home. Raising the money for this project had been really difficult and took us a long time. It is beautiful complex of three buildings – two for sleeping and a third for a kitchen/dining hall, lounge and library. We are happy to present them to the teens and hope they will enjoy them.
On another note, KCF held its annual reception in September. It was a wonderful event with about eighty patrons in attendance. We had intended to have a speaker from Kenya, but at the last minute Prof. Nthamburi received a government appointment which meant he was unable to get away. However, Rick Bailey stepped in and presented a marvelous DVD he has created giving an overview of the work of KCF. We were all impressed with his product and I know I will use it often.
While all this was going on, negotiations were going on in Kenya for KCF to purchase thirty-one acres of land on which to establish a tree farm. This is a story in itself and I will devote one entire newsletter to it sometime in the near future.
In the meantime, I would like to thank each of you for your support. We are doing really good things in Kenya none of which could be done without you. Please continue your support and we will do our best to keep you informed.
Warm regards,
Joanne
KCF Newsletter -- July 2006
My Dear Friends:
I am sure that you have heard me mention now and then that KCF has been working in Kenya to develop various businesses the profits from which can be used to sustain the Children’s Home we have built at Meru.
Currently there are thirty two children in residence at the Home, but with the new hostels being finished any minute now, an additional twenty children will be invited to move from the streets into the Home. I will write more about this in the fall when I return from Kenya.
 Today I would like to tell you more about one business we have been developing for the past few years. That is our dairy project!
Actually, this project was not our brain-child but was started by an American Methodist missionary in Meru who happened to be an agriculturalist as well. Don Cobb had developed a small intensive farming/zero-grazing project not far from the home. He thought this was a project that could easily be managed by the home and so he donated the first cow.
When KCF decided to do the dairy project, I mentioned it to Kemper and Jody Will who, along with some friends, offered to buy another cow. The cow was purchased and named Buzz (after the other donor). In time, Buzz delivered a heifer which was duly named Jody J. Since that time Buzz has delivered again and this calf was named by the children.
A few years ago, Ann Fort and a few members of Hope United Methodist Church held a little party at Christmas time in order to raise more money to buy more cows. They raised nearly $5000 which allowed KCF to buy four new cows.
While we were looking for the cows, we decided the facilities we had for our now growing herd were too small. When I mentioned this to Susan Escher of Lee’s Summit, MO she wrote a check for $10,000 and said: “Get started building the new one!” So, the Kenyan architect did a little homework and quickly had the designs. Soon after construction was underway, we realized we were going to need another $5000. Back to Susan I went and with a great smile on her face, she wrote another check. Today we have this beautiful facility for the cows.
In 2005, when I took a group of volunteers from Idaho to Meru, Suzanne Root, Linda Miller and Anne Williams stepped right up to say that they also wanted to buy cows. So, two more cows were purchased.
In the meantime, the older cows were producing calves, not all heifers, unfortunately, but enough that our little herd now numbers sixteen, the maximum number we can care for. Stanley and Solomon, the two herdsmen who care for the cows are very happy with their work and are so proud of the cows. They are high quality Holstein/Frisians which are typically high producers. For good measure we have a couple of Jerseys as well.
The milk from these cows is used first for the children in the home. The remainder is sold to local schools and colleges. And there is a steady stream of individuals. It is always fun when I am at the home to see the neighbor kids come with their containers to buy fresh milk.
As for me, this city girl has learned a lot!!! Visiting Meru and the cows has become a highlight of each trip to Kenya. I had no idea one could become so attached to cows! It is a wonderful project, a model in the area actually, that is not only a good teaching facility for the children, but also a revenue producer for the Home.
So, that is but one business KCF has developed at the Home. We have also installed a small Posho Mill which is simply a place where the locals can come to have their grains milled into flour. This is not a huge money-maker, but it pays for itself and offers a good service to the community.
In another issue before the end of the year, I will tell you about our latest venture – the best of all – our eucalyptus tree farm.
Again, I wish to thank each of your for your help. KCF is small, but we have done good things. None of this could have been done without you. We hope you are learning from these newsletters that we have been good stewards of your money. Please continue to help; there is a lot yet to be done.
Warm regards,
Joanne
KCF Newsletter -- June 2006
Dear Friends:
This edition of the newsletter will be a bit different from others we have written recently, but I think it is one you may enjoy.
Many of you have traveled to Kenya with KCF and during your stay have had an opportunity to meet Mr. Protus Lumiti, the General Manager of Nyumbani Children’s Home. Protus has been working at the home since before KCF got involved in 1996. Each of us who knows Protus has been impressed with his quiet, selfless dedication to the children and the Home. He has been an inspiration to many and always when I return to the US, one of the first questions I hear is: How is Protus? He has touched our hearts very deeply.
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In 2000, when a particular group was visiting Kenya, I mentioned that Protus would dearly love to go on for an MA/PhD so that he could broaden his sphere of influence not only within Kenya, but internationally as well. Eight people stepped up immediately and offered to pay for that education. This year, Protus will complete his Masters and begin his Doctorate. Protus is immensely grateful to each of his sponsors who has faithfully contributed each year so that he could do his studies without worry for money. And yes, he has worked much more than full-time at the home while taking his studies. Thank God he is also gifted intellectually!
Earlier this year, Protus was awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship from Rotary International in UK. I have quoted below the speech made by the Rotary representative when giving the award to Protus in Nairobi. It is a wonderful tribute and I thought you should all have an opportunity to enjoy it.
If any of you would like to send Protus your own notes of congratulations, please feel free to do so at Protus@Nyumbani.org I am sure he would be happy to hear from you.
If any of you would care to contribute toward his educational expenses, you may do that as well. Just send a check to KCF with a notation that it is for Protus, and we will see that he gets it.
Thank you again for all the support over the years. We are truly grateful to each of you that KCF is able to do such good work in Kenya. Without your verbal, emotional and financial commitment, we could not do any of the good we are doing.
Warmest regards,
Joanne
Protus Lumiti - Paul Harris Fellow, Rotary International
 Rotary International, now about to celebrate its 101 SI birthday, has a fine tradition of working for communities, both locally and internationally. The organization, backed by its motto, Service Above Self, now has more than a million members worldwide, and is represented in almost 200 countries by more than 30,000 Rotary Clubs.
There can be no doubt that Rotary's founder, Paul Harris, was a visionary and that his vision has inspired several generations of Rotarians by his example. In 1946, the Rotary Foundation instituted the Paul Harris Fellowship in his memory, to mark what he had achieved towards fostering world peace through a greater understanding between different people's.
In some countries, such as USA and Japan, it has now become commonplace for Rotarians to make a sizable charitable donation to the Rotary Foundation in return for which they acquire a Paul Harris Fellowship. However, we in the UK, still hold fast to the original intention behind the Fellowship. Namely, to award a Fellowship only in recognition of an individual's commitment to helping people in less fortunate circumstances to have the chance of a better life. In the entire 84 year history of the Rotary Club of Reading we have until now only awarded four people with a Paul Harris Fellowship. It is the highest possible award we can make and is thus a true accolade, and a testimonial to excellence.
Occasionally in life one unexpectedly comes across someone who you immediately recognize as being special; someone who you know exemplifies the Rotary motto, Service Above Self, someone who goes that extra mile for humanity - not just once but by instinct and by inner direction. A year ago, on our first visit to Kenya, we met such a person and that young man has now become a firm friend of your visitors from UK.
On our return home, and after the report we made of our visit here, the Rotary Club of Reading begun linking the name of Protus Lumiti to that of Paul Harris. The Club unanimously and enthusiastically agreed that we would invite Protus to do us the honour of accepting a Paul Harris Fellowship as a personal tribute to the unstinting and tireless work he does for the children and young people of Nyumbani.
Protus, as a Paul Harris Fellow, you will join a select band of men and women, such as Dwight D Eisenhower, Pope John Paul II, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and Dr Jonas Salk, the inventor of polio vaccine. It would make us proud to think you may accept this Citation and the Regalia of the Fellowship
Charles P Butler
14th February 2006
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KCF Newsletter -- April 2006
Dear Friends:
I have just returned from Kenya and before time gets away from me, I thought it would be nice to let you know how the third group of volunteers made out in Kenya. Rick and Ginny Bailey (the two in red) had traveled to Kenya with KCF in 2004, liked their trip so well they decided to put a group together to return in March 2006. Without much trouble they were able to recruit (from left to right) Mary Ann Vickery-Lundmark, Priscilla and Ken Stenman, Anne Williams, Mary Lloyd and Larry Jamison.
Anne Williams had been to Kenya in February 2005 when she was part of the group from Idaho. After that trip, Anne joined with Linda Miller (also from Idaho) to buy a cow for our dairy project. Last year we purchased Laura, a young pregnant heifer, who gave birth to Angel sometime in February 2006. Laura was named for Linda’s daughter and Angel for Anne’s. When Anne visited Meru Children’s Home in March, she was delighted to find Angel to be a very healthy and friendly calf.
The dairy project is doing well. We are now at a capacity sixteen cows. Future deliveries of heifers will mean that we can sell the low producers and keep the ones that are producing lots of milk. A special thank you to each of you who either built the facility or bought cows! This is one project that is contributing toward the self-sustainability of the Home and we are really quite proud of it.
 The work schedule during the March trip was quite the adventure. Rick and Ginny have been elementary school teachers who are currently mentoring teachers-in-training. During their previous visit, they met Angeline Okumo, the head mistress of St. Secilia’s Academy, a primary school situated on the edge of Kibera slum. Angeline is herself, a teacher. She once owned a number of rooms in Kibera which she rented out. However, about ten years ago, she realized that so many of the children were running about freely during the day instead of going to school. So, she decided to open her own school. As renters vacated her rooms, she turned one after another into classrooms. Today she has a bustling primary school with some 350-400 students.
After their trip in 2004, Rick and Ginny asked if it were possible for them to do
some teaching at St. Secilia’s. I had no idea; no one has ever asked me that before. So, I had coffee with Angeline, put the proposal to her and she immediate agreed. Rick and Ginny put it to their group and plans were drawn.
Knowing they were going into a school that had next to nothing by way of school supplies, the group approached their friends, church members and church committees. The hope was that they could raise $500 to buy supplies once they got to Kenya (much easier than hauling them half way around the world!). Incredibly they raised more than $5000! After consultation with Angeline, the group purchased three computers, two sewing machines, 450 textbooks and a smattering of school supplies for the school. (With the remainder, they bought a generator for the dairy project in Meru and gave the rest to KCF for school fees.)
 The group went into the school for ninety minutes on four different mornings. They spent the evenings drawing up their lesson plans and went in each day prepared to read stories, sing songs, do rudimentary art projects, teach simple math principles – or in the case of Ken and Larry, do advanced math problems with the top six students in the school. Now, I have seen our volunteers come away from a job well done feeling exhilarated and satisfied, but never like this. After the first session, everyone seemed to forget they were in the worst slum in all of Africa. Instead I heard only about how bright and eager and studious the children were. And the teachers! They seemed to enjoy the sessions as much as the kids. It was wonderful.
On the final day of classes, the children decided to present a program to our folks. For two hours they were entertained with singing and dancing and other performances. I think this was, perhaps, the best volunteer opportunity KCF has offered. And all because Rick asked if it were possible!
When not teaching at Kibera, we also managed to get some work done at Nyumbani and in their outreach, Lea Toto, programs. As usual, there is always a lot of painting and remodeling to be done, so we pitched in where we could.
All in all, it was a very good trip! Everyone benefited – the kids, the volunteers, KCF. It was all good. Again, I would like to thank each of you for your support. We are doing very good things in Kenya which would not be possible without you.
Warm regards,
Joanne
KCF Newsletter -- February 2006
My Dear Friends:
 I am currently in Kenya with four volunteers from Colorado. This is the second group to join me in 2006 and, as usual, having them has been great fun.
In January Jody and Kemper Will (Denver) made their third trip with KCF. Helen Burns (Atlanta) had been here in 2001; and Tom Will (Miami) was here for the first time.
All four worked at Nyumbani building a pharmacy. Those who have been here know that most work is done by hand so the women felt they had definitely chosen the better part when they went off to paint the new computer room and left the hand-sawing, hammering and drilling to the men. But the guys were up to it and by the end of the trip, they had all the shelves constructed and in place.
Nicholas and Mollie Lee, Sheryl Bain and Warren Taylor (all from Boulder) arrived in early February and were able to go right up and get the entire place painted. Apparently there was a bit of sanding to be done, and it never occurred to anyone that Nicholas was probably not the person for the job until he got his shirt caught in the belt sander. No harm done! The room was painted within a week so all ended well.
Both groups took time for a side trip to Meru to see the Home KCF has built for some of the underprivileged children in the area. Two cottages were completed in 2001 and now house thirty-two children. However, the adolescents have outgrown those quarters and have been in need of something more suitable for their age. Construction on housing for them was begun in September 2005 and should be finished in mid-April. They are eagerly counting the days until they can move into their new home.
 Of course, no trip is complete without some time to do a few touristy things. One of the
highlights is the Giraffe Center where one can hand-feed the Rothschild giraffes. Mollie doesn’t look too tentative and the giraffe seems happy enough.
But the highlight of any trip is the time spent with the children, whether at Nyumbani or away. Joseph required a little help with his Kiswahili homework and so I was pressed into action (hope you are duly impressed!!). Nicholas is preparing to take his group into Splash! the local swimming pool/park! The kids had a great time and we loved playing around with them.
We are always impressed by how sweet the Kenyan people can be. There is a lot of poverty and suffering throughout the country, but somehow they manage to make the best of it and generally have a ready smile and kind word. We often see it in the faces of the children who are uncomplicated and straightforward.
So far it has been a wonderful trip. Next month, we will host eight volunteers hailing from Colorado, Florida and Texas. Will let you know more about them in the next edition! Yes, I am determined to write more often – short, but sweet updates about all that is happening here in Kenya as well as in the US.
Again, none of this could happen without you. Please continue your interest and support. There is still a lot to do and we need each one of you.
Warmest regards to each of you.
Joanne
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