News from Kenya - #11

Journal Entry 11-Day 21,22

Sunday April 18, 2010 1:15 PM

I just came back from Mass at St. Joseph’s Church. It is within walking distance so Paul came and we walked over together. The Mass was in English and it was nice to be able to understand everything. The singing is always so good and a group of children stand in the center aisle and do some worship dancing that is very tastefully performed.

I am now waiting for Rom to come and we are supposed to go to Impala Park, a nearby nature preserve with a variety of animals including monkeys, Cheetah, and of course Impalas.

Friday I went with Rom to the Kibuye market to meet with Connie his wife. She is the head of the Osiepe Woman’s group that helps run and organize the new tailoring training program that FIOH-USA sponsored. Osiepe and the Supper Thirty women’s groups wrote a very detailed proposal last year describing their plan for the program. We were able to wire them $2,500 due to profits following our Harambee event. That was about half of their request but as much as we could manage.

The program is going along quite well to date. They have completed the training of about 8 people and they are working in the area. Their training is completely practical – not theory or how to fit clothes. They learn how to make school uniforms, and petticoats (slips). The training takes between 3 weeks and three months depending on their previous experience with sewing. They rent a stall in Kibuye market and purchased 4 new sewing machines. If they have more students they also use Connie’s stall with 4 more machines. Once the students become somewhat proficient they are paid for what they sew. They get paid 3 KS/per slip, 5 KS for a blouse or shirt, 7 for shorts and 10 for a girl’s uniform. They can make up to 20-40 pieces/day depending on their ability.

There are four sewing teachers in the group: Rosemary Akinyi Awili, Connie Aoko Wandera, Lucy Akinyi Ochieng and Nora Odima. They each get 2000KS/month for their teaching.

The uniforms sell for different prices depending on the size. On average a primary uniform sells for about $6.00 and the Secondary uniforms are about $25.00. That includes the basic uniform plus a sweater and a tie for the boys.

I spent a considerable length of time finding out about the cost of material, thread, buttons, zippers, needles, lining and waistband material. It was quite an education. I also tried operating one of the foot-operated machines. Of course I was awkward with it but I could feel how smooth and efficient it could be, even for a novice like me. Connie explained that at first they have the students practice on paper- sewing a straight seam. When they seem OK they progress them to “the real thing” There was one student present while I was there. She is a young deaf woman who lost her hearing about age 5. She was sewing slips and doing a nice job. They do not charge the students anything for the training. We arranged to have Cecilia Nyambura, a young mother of two from Kaloleni, to come to the school for training. They presently have about 5-6 students. They have to pay 90 KS/week for renting the stall at the market. (About $1.20). Most of the students are from within the Osiepe and Supper thirty women’s groups but they accept people from outside the two groups as well. Their main ongoing expense is purchasing the material. A roll of 50 meters is about $100 dollars and they have to have the material in all the colors of the uniforms in the area. That is mainly two shades of blue, green and maroon. Their peak times for selling the uniforms is just before each new term opens, i.e. January, May, and September.

After talking to Connie we went to visit her shop. A woman Connie knew walked by with a basket of pears on her head. She came in and sat down and peeled pears for each of us. They were good.

It rained off and on while we were in the stalls so the ground was very muddy when we were ready to leave. Connie took me to another friend that sells material. We picked out a Katanga for Mary Ellen and I bought a piece of material that will be made into a top.

Rom and I took a matatu back to the flat. That was my first matatu ride this trip. We got back to the flat about 5.30 PM and Rom and I talked a while and then he left for home. Paul came in a few minutes later and we visited.

Pamela arrived about 8.30PM with Mamma Julianna and some food that Julie cooked. After eating I gave Mamma another Reiki treatment and massage, got washed up. Pamela and I then shared quite a while about the problems of Kenya. I went to bed about midnight.

Saturday was a busy day talking to students. Four of them came to the flat to meet with me.

First was Clare Ajwang who just graduated from high school. Adair Kearney sponsored her. The scored a C- on her KCSE test. That will qualify her to attend college or University but not to get any type of scholarship. She hopes to study business. I explained that we would probably be able to continue sponsoring her but at the same amount of $350.00/year. She is investigating different colleges with programs that she could attend within that price range. She was very well spoken and seemed genuinely appreciative of the assistance we have given her. She agreed to assist FIOH-K during this interim year. She and Rom talked about different ways she could help. I really hope the graduating Secondary students will help out. It is too much for Rom and Paul to do alone. Robert has not been active recently because he has been very busy with his church programs.

Next was Jane Olao. My sister Terri and her husband Mike sponsor her. She is a very nice young lady. She is in her last year of high school in a girl’s boarding school. Their day starts at 3:30 AM and goes until 10PM. Almost all of that time is classes or private study time. She is not doing very well in school and part of the problem is that she has very poor eyesight. Tomorrow we are going to try to get her glasses. She already had her eyes examined and was told her vision was poor and she needed glasses but she had no way of affording them. Paul also needs glasses, so we will try to help both of them. Jane also would benefit from some workbooks for school. They share textbooks and 5 share one book.

Nelson Otieno was the next student I interviewed. He is blind and has been sponsored since 2001 at St Oda’s school for the blind. His present sponsor is Bob Barbara who is also blind. Nelson is now in grade 7 and is doing very well in school. I have seen him every time I’ve come to Kenya but this is the first time his English was well enough to really talk with him. He is a nice young boy and works very hard. He would like to be a teacher when he “grows up”. We bought him new shoes and a backpack. He needs a new white cane as his broke. The closest place they sell them is Nairobi. We will try to get him one. Nelson’s mother always comes with him to the flat. She is a widow and tries her best to raise him and his older brother. She was asking if I had found a sponsor for his brother. His name is Geofry Bahati and he is 19 in form 2 at Joel Omino Secondary Day School. I had to tell her that we have had very few new sponsors recently. I knew she was disappointed.

My last conversation was with Kevin Oluoch. He is in is final year of Secondary school and is sponsored by Sandy Warner. She is the treasurer of FIOH-USA.

Kevin is a slightly above average student. He goes to a boarding school. His home life is very hard. There are 11 people living in his small house. He and his brothers usually sleep at a neighbor’s house, as there is not room enough in his. We bought Kevin a pair of new school shoes as his were much too small.

I finished the talks with the students around 6 PM. I finished putting their photos onto my computer and completed my notes on each one. Then I watched TV for a bit until Pamela came back with Mamma and also brought chapati and fish for my supper around 8 PM. I am getting better at eating the fish. It is served whole with all the bones and skin. It looks awful to me but it tastes good. The way they eat it is to pick all the meat off one side with your fingers and then turn it over to finish it. To prepare it they usually boil it and then grill it.

Pamela and I talked about our student program for a long time. I went to bed about 1 AM.

That brings me up to today Sunday. It is now 8 PM and I had a wonderful time with Rom and Paul walking around Impala Park. Pamela is supposed to be bringing food but I ate some peanut butter to “hold me over”

End of Journal Entry 11