Need For Land

Last Sunday, Chris, Cyprian and I went to look at some land about 50 minutes away from Nairobi in a town called Ruai. The first piece of land we saw was quite small. The second plot was an acre and seemed great if it had been another half acre or acre. There was a well for water and two toilets already on the property. The last plot of land we saw was the biggest and the nicest. They are selling 4 acres which can be divided if needed so there is plenty of space to build a school, accommodation for the children (there are 47 at the moment but we want to have enough to be able to care for up to 150) and staff, a kitchen area and a small office. The price of the land is 4.1 million shillings ($55,400) but when the man selling the land found out that we were going to be building an orphanage he lowered the price to 3.6 million shillings ($48,650). It is a lot of money but if we were able to raise funds for the land this would help push the process of becoming registered and securing a future for the children we have in our care now. It would not be possible to buy a plot of land this nice close to Nairobi (1 acre can go for over 1 million shillings). If we were able to buy the land the children would have clean air to breathe instead of the dusty smoke filled air of the slum they have become accustomed to. They would have a chance to run around and not be confined to the cement walls they are now growing up in. They will have a chance to grow their own food and be able to sell it to the local community in order to sustain themselves. Seeing what these children's futures can be like has made this cause that much greater. Imagine growing up not knowing anything except sewage filled streets, black smoke exhaust coming out of the buses and mataus roaring down the road, people shouting and yelling selling things, wild dogs roaming the streets, goats, sheep, and chickens drinking the trickle of black disease infested water, the smell and smoke of burning trash, and the bitter smell that fills your nostrils of rotting garbage and feces. Now imagine not having to worry about where fresh water will come from, eating fresh vegetables everyday, breathing clean unpolluted air, not having to worry about contracting a disease or fleas from wild animals, and no rotting blackened sewage that fills the streets. Which one would you prefer to live in?

This exact land we are not going to be able to afford to buy at this moment in time but we are continually looking. We still need to find a plot and build on in within the next 6 months. If we can't, we are not sure what is going to happen to the future of The Robert Henry Academy. We will not have a space to place more than the 50 people which includes the staff who care for the children and the children themselves.

Cyprian, Chris, and I in Ruai after looking at the land

Please pass this along to everyone and hopefully together we can make a brighter future for this generation of wonderful, innocent children. You may not directly be able to help but someone you know may know someone else who can help. Thank you to everyone who has helped out and continues to help. You are much appreciated.

Whirlwind last few weeks

Millions of dollars are generated each year in Kenya with the tourism industry. The lush, sprawling plains of the Masai Mara attract visitors for safaris, the ancient Swahili coastal towns bring people to the beaches and the crystal clear water of the Indian Ocean. Many people go to these places and then leaving saying they "have been to Africa". While this is true, many people don't the opportunity to see the "real" Africa. They see the Africa that the children who live in the slums only see pictures of. The only wildlife these children have seen is the chickens and goats running across the garbage filled streets to avoid being hit by the buses and vans that are barley held together. I have been lucky enough to have had the chance three times now to experience what the people who live here experience. It amazes me upon entering the slums how many young children are running around, some who don't have shoes on, without any supervision. Children as young as five are instructed to look out and carry their even younger siblings. As awful and depressing the slums are at first glance, once you able to look past all of that you realize they are beautiful in their own way. Most people are hard at work either building, transporting goods, selling food and clothes, or trying to get you to take a ride on a bus. All of this under the cloudless sky (at the moment) with the hot sun glaring down on them.
The past few weeks have been filled with trying to figure out how to become a registered NGO so that it would be easier to start bringing over volunteers, looking into buying land for the Robert Henry Academy, finding out how to go about registering as a children's home and what standards need to be met, and finding someone to do the profiles for the children. We have been trying to raise money from back home and a few weeks ago Chris was able to raise £900 in support of shaving his head after 7 years without a hair cut and 5 years with dreads. There is a picture below of him and I after it was all done.

We found out a few weeks ago that one of the boys at Cheryl's who is 12 has cancer. He has started chemo treatment and the tumor on this head seems to be going down but we don't want to start celebrating yet. He goes for treatment on Monday and stays over night and then comes back to the home during the day on Tuesday. He is exhausted most of the time so if he goes to school it is usually just for the morning classes.

Peter a few weeks ago (above); Peter after starting chemo. He has put on weight because of all the water he has been forced to drink. Right now he has an infection and a high fever so he has been in the hospital for the last 4 days and will probably stay there for a few more.

I had the chance to meet some friends that know my cousin from going to the same church in Florida. They were working with World Hope assisting with the medical clinics. I had the chance to see where they were working and where the organization has built up the surrounding community. They have basketball and soccer for children and whoever else wants to join and a huge hall for their church services. Across the road they have built a school for nursery up to class 8 and are in the process of building classrooms for high school. It is inspiring to see what they have done with the area in just a few years time.

World Hope, in the background past the soccer fields, is the primary school and the high school.

Chris and I took 3 of the older boys from Robert Henry and another boy we know who is studying here from Ethiopia to see Invictus at the cinema on Sunday. We bought popcorn and sodas to make it a real cinema experience for them. Since they are the oldest of the home they often do not enjoy the things that the younger children do so much. They really enjoyed the movie and enjoyed being treated like grow-ups. I asked one of the boys, George, if he had ever been to the cinema and he said no. Back home it would be crazy to think that a 17 year old boy has never been to the cinema, but here there are grandparents who have never seen a movie. It felt good for Chris and I to be able to do something for just for them.

This weekend one of the kids from Cheryl's, who I have known since 2007, has asked me to come to his house to see where he lives in Kibera.

Children who live in the surrounding houses

Bathrooms for the people to live in the area to useClinton, Freddy, and I in the alleyway leading to their homes.

The next few weeks are going to be very crucial in deciding what will happen with the future of The Robert Henry Academy is we can find land to build and have a permanent home for these children.

Visuals

Chris and I after he had his head shaved. 7 years of dreads gone in less than 10 minutes










Chris Cyprian and I on Christmas
















Joseph and I before New Years

Chris and I before New Years