Humbled by Helping

I'm sitting in the Bangkok Airport on my way back to New Zealand trying to process 2 months worth of life changing experiences... and not doing a good job (ha ha).

Here's what I know:

1. I know is that the funds we have distributed from Eat So They Can 2007 and Kilimanjaro 2008 have gone a long, long, long way towards saving children's lives in Kenya. Thank you a million times over donors for those funds. I was blessed to have been the messenger that got to work on distributing the money these last two months.

2. I know that we still have so much work to be done and funds that need to be raised. With the Global Food Crisis worsening Eat So They Can 2008 has never been more important! Kids in Uganda, Kenya, South Africa and Ethiopia need your help.

3. The Kenyan, Ugandan and Rwandan people I met humbled me with their strength, courage, tenacity, compassion and work ethic. I have never met anyone who works as hard as our partner on the ground- Irene. I'm a hard worker... but Irene taught me what it means to be tireless, and selfless.

Overall I feel like this trip has broken me into a thousand little pieces and as the pieces come back together they no longer fit together perfectly.... which is good. It's good to find that an experience has changed your life so much you can't remember what you were like before it happened.

As soon as I get over the dreaded jet lag I'll pop on again to update you all.

It's been a privilege and honor to keep you all updated on how your donations have changed lives.

Photos: Irene, The Tireless!

Kids in Rwanda and our new partner's school.

Uganda and Rwanda

Just three days ago I returned to Nairobi after a visit to Uganda and Rwanda and it was pretty cool to visit our GVN/GVN Foundation programs there.

Irene and I took a plane to Kampala, Uganda after we said goodbye and thank you to Nyawira.

We arrived to a hot and balmy Kampala at night (much different than the winter of Nairobi). Entebbe Airport is right on the shores of Lake Victoria. The night was clear, the air was clean and we were so excited to have a few days away from the hustle and bustle of Nairobi.

Angelo Kabunga is the headmaster of our GVN Foundation sponsored school in the village of Buloba, just outside of Kampala. He picked us up, dropped us off at our accommodation, where we enjoyed hearty bowls of Spaghetti before heading to bed.

The next morning he took us to the school. This was a fairly emotional experience for me. I’ve been working with Angelo on raising money, constructing and getting the kids of this school sponsored for over 3 years now. When I was in Uganda last (3 years ago) the ‘school’ was nothing more than a dream, all we had was a large plot of untamed land. I was blown away when we arrived to a big beautiful school for 37 orphans.

The kids are happy, healthy and well educated. Angelo has done an amazing job of building a school, equipping it with great teachers, and, most of all, giving 37 kids a chance at a brighter future.

The school needs more funds so they can expand and accept additional kids. There is room to house and teach 100 kids... all they are lacking are the funds for expansion. Angelo and I discussed buying a cow, starting a bead project and expanding the already impressive garden as a means of raising money to bring more kids to the school. We went through his accounts and I was impressed with the way he was managing funds. Upon my return to New Zealand I'll continue to work with interested donors on raising more money for this GVN Foundation school. It has the potential to be a model school, one that produces some of Uganda's finest leaders.

The next day we spent with Leslie our GVN Partner. We visited a children's program in the village of Mukono. These kids were in primary 1,2 and 3. The accommodation they have is too small and the landlord is threatening to kick them out of their rented facilities (he isn't fond of children). We went down the street to visit land that Betty, the Director of the Children's Program, was interested in purchasing.


After visiting the land we were pleasantly surprised to find the kids had prepared a series of traditional Ugandan dances for us! After we said our goodbye's we went out to the Ugandan countryside to visit the Hope for Uganda School. This school is run by an extremely well educated Ugandan by the name of Valence - I was so impressed with his vision. He lost his father when he was young and before his mother passed she made him promise that he would go to college. Through sheer determination Valence made it to college, the only one in his village to receive a higher education, and vowed to return to his village to help kids from his village achieve their own dreams. He has sure done a great job. He bought land (with the help of donors) and is running a school for 300 kids. He needs to finish the construction on the school (currently the school consists of wood sheds) and to build a community center. This center will be a meeting place for different women's groups interested in starting small businesses.

We hope to invest in the GVN Foundation school and the Hope for Uganda School with future Eat So They Can funds.



After visiting with Valence we had dinner with our partner Leslie, and went home to pack for an early day the next morning.



While flying into Rwanda I was struck by how beautiful it is! After I met our contact there, Dr. Immaculee I was also struck by the beauty, inside and out, of the Rwandese people. Dr. Immaculee is a Medical Doctor- she runs clinics in Kigali and a large non-profit organization committed to assisting kids, those living with HIV/AIDS, victims of gender based violence and providing counseling to individuals affected by the genocide. One million people were killed during the Rwanda Genocide... this is 1 out of every 7 people.... everyone was affected in one way or another and many people are still living with the trauma of that catastrophe.

Dr. Immaculee and her staff took us to visit 6 projects during our one day in Rwanda. We saw two schools, an HIV/AIDS support group, a clinic, an orphanage, and a vocational training school. I was overwhelmed by the kindness of the people, the efficient and professional way things are run and the tremendous need in these programs. Rwanda needs GVN volunteers, the kids are living in a different kind of poverty than what I have experienced in other parts of East Africa. These kids are starving....for food and love. Most of the kids I had worked with in Kenya had a little of both... but most of the kids in Rwanda don't have any of either.

The next day Irene and I met with a group of young woman from Yale and Brown who have started an amazing organization called 'Gardens for Health.' Emily Morell and Emma Clippinger started this organization after being interns for the Clinton Foundation in Kigali. During that time they noticed individuals with HIV/AIDS could not take their Anti-Retro viral Medication due to lack of food and good nutrition. To address this problem they developed a partnership with the Rwanda Network for People Living with AIDS. Since then they have established four women run garden cooperatives. Women, and their families, who are affected by HIV/AIDS now have the food/nutritional support necessary to take their medicine! Julie Carney is on the ground for the next year running this program and GVN/GVN Foundation hope to partner with these ladies in the year to come.

After that meeting, we had an early morning, Dr. Immaculee came to the hotel to discuss setting up a possible GVN volunteer partnership and, in years to come, the possibility of providing her organization with funds from Eat So They Can to build a series of group homes for orphans. She, and I, are extremely excited about the partnership possibilities.

I left Rwanda feeling humbled by the strength of the Rwandese people. They have emerged from a very dark period of their history to rebuild their country and they are doing an amazing job. Kigali is safe, the infrastructure is amazing and non-profits like Dr. Immaculee's are flourishing.


When I return to GVN we will work on getting a program going in Kigali... volunteers interested in going to Rwanda stay tuned!


Quote of the Day: " I used to sniff glue, I used to steal... but since I found this orphanage and got some counseling I've stopped." Jacob- A 13 year old at an orphanage in Kigali

Pictures: The Springs of Hope School in Uganda.

A student/orphan at the school- Robert!

A group of orphans at the vocational training school in Rwanda.

Developing a Camp for Healing

“We are now living, not just surviving.” Irene

Irene said this to me the other day when we had the good fortune of relaxing for an afternoon while in Rwanda. But what struck me about this quote was the fact most of the 1000s of kids I’ve meant would say the opposite. Most of the kids we have met are surviving, not living.

We want to change that.

My primary job while in Africa has been to identify how to address the basic needs of children (food, medical care, education and housing) while also developing means of providing for their long term basic needs (making our projects sustainable etc). But we want to go beyond that.

Most of these kids have been severely traumatized. They have seen a parent die, seen a brother or sister resort to prostitution or drugs, and/or starved themselves. That kind of emotional pain does not heal up as soon as you are able to meet a child’s health, food, medical and housing needs. That kind of pain lingers and prevents a child from growing into a successful, joyful adult. And therefore prevents a society and country from raising itself out of poverty.

So GVN Foundation wants to help address the emotional needs of these kids after their basic needs have been met.

It is for that reason we flew Nyawira up from S. Africa. Nyawira is an amazing woman. She was born in America, grew up in the Bronx but spent her summers in Kenya with her Kenyan mother. Through her education at Ithica College and George Washington University she has remained focused on helping kids. She recently married a South African man and moved to South Africa. She is GVN’s partner in S. Africa and remains committed to assisting the youth of South Africa by sourcing volunteers in key projects throughout the country.

She is also gifted at working with kids who have suffered severe traumas. It is for that reason we flew her up to Kenya to help me develop a ‘mini’ leadership/healing camp to run with kids in some of our projects here.

Nyawira and I worked last weekend on developing a series of workshops modeled after a leadership camp in the States called ‘Anytown.’ This camp is a camp Nyawira and I have both worked at and is a camp that completely changes kids. It’s a difficult camp to describe except that through a series of workshops, over a week, the kids leave the camp transformed- with a new, hopeful perspective on their future.

We took basic tenants of that camp and made a ‘mini’ version that we ran with 2 groups of kids. The first group was in a school in Kibera, the major slum of Nairobi. The second group was at one of the best orphanages/homes I’ve ever seen, Shelter Children’s Home in Masaai-Land.

We worked with the two groups on gender issues, stereotypes (how they hurt), tribalism and had long chats about the life struggles each of these kids have had to face.

At the end of the day all the facilitators (Nyawira, myself, Irene and 3 wonderful GVN volunteers- Liz, Stuart and Robbie) left feeling good about the groundwork we had laid for a leadership/healing camp for African Youth. The kids had taught us:

What stereotypes hurt them
What issues they faced on a day to day basis
What their hopes were for the future

These kids are the same as the American youth we had worked with in their hopes and dreams – they want families, they want to have important jobs and they want to be prosperous. The difference lies in their struggles. Most American youth haven’t lost a parent due to a debilitating disease, most American youth haven’t been sick for months on end with malaria or typhoid and most American youth haven’t lost a brother or sister to drugs or prostitution. These are the issues they face and these are the issues we want the camp to help them overcome!

Nyawira has returned to South Africa and I return to New Zealand soon, but we are both taking valuable lessons back with us. We will use those lessons to design a camp for African Youth that will help give kids the hope they need to start living.

Photos: Top to Bottom. The kids we worked with in Kibera.

A child at Shelter Children's Home explaining their 'River of Live to us.' We asked the kids to create a visual representation (a river) of the high and low points of their lives.

Day 5,6,7 and 8

Well Folks this is it, Jeanne left a few days ago and I have been too busy to blog about the last few days of the ESTC trip until now. So here goes:

Day 5
Cheryl Children's Home and Ngando Preparatory School in Dagoretti Corner

After we picked up Jeanne at her hotel we traveled to the slum area of Dagoretti Corner to visit with Samuel. Samuel is one of my favorite people. He has been looking after Cheryl Children's Home (an orphanage and school for youngesters) for 16 years! I can't imagine living each day hoping and praying food, and school fee funds would show up. But that is how Samuel lives- pole pole (slowly slowly in Swahili) and one day at a time.

The orphanage/school has over 235 kids in school or in residence. With the help of GVN Foundation and other nonprofits Cheryl's is improving. Currently they are working on re-building the tin/plywood buildings of the school/orphanage into proper buildings. This is primarily because they had a rat and snake problem. Samuel explained it was very important that the buildings be redone because children were being bitten by snakes:

"We want the kids to be able to walk around and not be hurt." Samuel

Can you imagine going to sleep at night or waking in the morning and praying you aren't bitten by a rat or a snake? I can't. In the years to come GVN Foundation will allocate funds to Cheryl's to help them to continue to re-build the dorms, and kitchen. We also want the kids to be able to walk around and not be hurt.

After we visited the school and dorms we were thanked profusely by Samuel for the food we brought. I know I've said this before but you can actually see a weight lift off of the orphanage/school directors when we bring food or supplies... it is an amazing gift to be able to lighten the load of a man like Samuel.

From Cheryl's we went to Ngando Prep School and visited with the kids in this school. Luckily these kids have enough food, but sadly, they don't have adequate school supplies. Things like chalk, paper, pens and pencils are scarce. From the Kilimanjaro/Eat So They Can Funds we provided children with stationary and were thanked repeatedly by hundreds of kids who had prepared dances for us. Sign up to host a dinner today and you will receive a DVD that features the songs and dances these children had prepared for us in thanks for our donation of stationary.


Note to Donors: Today your funds provided hundreds of kids with food and school supplies.

Day 6
I scheduled a free day for Jeanne- a day to decompress and maybe see a few sites in Nairobi. Sara, our GVN Representative took Jeanne to the elephant orphanage in town. Afterwards Irene and I picked her up and brought her back to Irene's house. Tuesday's are my favorite day here. The housekeeper comes (with her adorable son Eric, who is my good friend and who is 2 years old) and she makes us chapatti and lentils! Jeanne enjoyed a glass of wine as she told us about the elephants she visited and the matatu (local 'taxi's') she had ridden in.

We dropped her off full and happy.

Day 7
Masaai Land

Oloshobar School and Ilnaroge School

Today, we took the long, dusty trail out to Masaai Land with 20 desks. At Olo-shobar the kids swarmed the desks. They scrambled over them, under them and around them. So excited to have new, good desks to sit on. The orphanage director explained they could now sit 3 to a desk instead of 4, which is a huge help in the classrooms.

Afterwards we went to Ilnaroge School and delivered the last 10 desks. The headmaster thanked us again profusely. We then talked about providing them with barb wire for a fence. Apparently since they have no fence donkeys, giraffes, antelop, and cows fill the school on the weekends....I told them we would help them build a fence. It is not good to share classroom space with a giraffe (however cool that sounds).

Note to Donors: Today we delived 20 big desks to lots of deserving Masaai kids.


Day 8
El Shaddai Orphanage- Kiambu

Today was the most touching day of my 7 weeks in Kenya. Irene and I have visited lots of schools and orphanages. Some more needy than other, El Shaddai is one of the poorest and the orphanage directors (a couple) are the most sincere people I have ever met.

After a hectic morning we got into Irene's car to go to the orphanage in convoy. We had one van full of food, with 12 mattresses piled on top. Another large truck, that carried all 10, 3 level beds followed as we headed out. As we pulled into the orphanage Aerosmith's 'Dude look like a lady' was blaring. Now every time I hear that song I will think of delivering food, beds, mattresses and blankets to 115 kids in Kenya... and I will remember the faces of the 2 orphanage directors. Beatrice, of the big heart, snatched Jeanne and I into a hug that lasted for the better part of 5 minutes and while I was taping Stephen he started to cry (which, of course, meant I started to cry).

After a long discussion about future needs for this orphanage (we have to get the kids and the staff out of this place and into better accommodation) we went to visit with the little kids who weren't in school. Jeanne had brought over 100 beanie babies and proceeded to hand them out. These kids have nothing but each other, and the clothes on their backs. They looked at these beautiful little beannie babies like they were aliens at first.... but they were soon cradling them, playing with them and comparing them... they had never been given anything like this.

After a few more tears and goodbye's to Beatrice and Steven we went home to clean up. We took Jeanne out to dinner to celebrate an amazing week and our first successful Eat So They Can fundraiser.

Thank you Jeanne for your patience, for taking 2 weeks to come to Kenya and your committment to helping these kids. We have all been changed by this experience!

Note to Donors- Today your funds provided food for 115 kids, 30 beds, mattresses and blankets. Now, almost, all the kids have their own beds!!!!

I'm off to meet another Nyawira (literally- that is her name). She is one of our South African Partner's and is flying into Nairobi to help me develop a leadership/confidence building camp for Kenyan Youth. After we have addressed the 'basic needs' of these kids, and worked with the schools/orphanages on creating sustainability, we would like to wrap each of our kids with the confidence and hope they need to make the transition into successful adulthood. Nyawira, Irene and I are going to work on creating this camp over the weekend.

I'll let you know how it goes soon!


Quote of the Day: "The just needed food and hope." GVN Volunteer at El Shaddai Charlotte

Photos: Top to Bottom:

Samual and Irene standing by the food we brought at Cheryl Children's Home.

Kids happy about the desks we brough to Olo-oshobar School

The van of food with 12 mattresses on the top as we caravan to El Shaddai Orphanage

The food's arrival to El Shaddai. They had had no food for awhile.

Jeanne's Final Word

My week here has been amazing. I've learned so much about the importance of nonprofit organizations and what they do. I really had no idea how important they are in the lives of so many people. If you've ever considered volunteering, do it! These kids are great. They get their basic needs met, but there are so many of them, and so few adults. Believe me, when you walk into a room and are greeted by a chorus of How are you?, to be followed by a swarm of hugs and kisses, your heart will melt. For me, the biggest thing I will take away from here is a lifelong commitment to stay involved. I've met many people this week who have chosen to step up and help those less fortunate. They are selfless people and they inspire me. I've no words to express my gratitude to GVN for this opportunity. Courtney and Irene have been fantastic host. They are nyawira, hard working women. Asante Sana, thank you very much, to you both. Please sign up for a fundraiser. You will be making a difference in the lives of so many.

Picture: Two beautiful kids at Mama Tunza's Orphanage in Kibera.

Jeanne's Word

Today I'd like to dedicate my thoughts to the orphanage directors. They are unsung heros. I've been so touched by their dedication to the children. I don't think any of them have had a peaceful night's sleep in a long time. Everyone of them has thanked us over and over for the help GVN has provided. Samuel, from Cheryl's home has a budget posted on the wall. He pointed out that every time he recieves a donation he can take a little off the total needed. He asked us to tell our friends that nothing is taken for granted and that everything is greatly appreciated. You can see in their faces how grateful they are. Every little bit helps.

- Jeanne Sweetman
Eat So They Can Winner

Picture: Orphanage Director Samuel of Cheryl Children's Home

Day 3 and 4

Day 3, and 4

Eat So They Can Winners Trip

Day 3
Today Jeanne and I went to Ngong road to pick up 3 2 level beds and heaps and heaps of food (over $1,500 USD worth) for two orphanages: Shelter Children's and Nangolie Children's Home.

It was a bit of a process figuring out how to pack a van full of maize, lentils, beans, beds, cooking fat, rice, sugar and mattresses... but in the end the men helping us figured out it would be most equitable to make two trips, instead of stuffing everything into one.

In the late afternoon we arrived at Nangolie Children's Home and delivered the food, the beds and Jeanne passed out stickers for the kids. The orphanage Director, a beautiful woman named Agnes, couldn't join us as her daughter in law was giving birth- which (of course!) was no problem at all as we were happy to look around the orphanage and visit with the kids ourselves.

After a late lunch of mukimo (veggies, mashed potatoes and maize) and choma (bbq-ued meat) we traveled to Shelter Children's home and dropped off $1000 USD worth of food.

Mary Wambui runs Shelter Children's Home. This orphanage is a 'model' orphanage. The kids are happy, healthy, educated and on track to becoming successful adults. Their farm has grown to 8 acres in the past 3 years and they cook using bio fuel from the cows they have on the farm.

Unfortunately, due to the political instability and the global food crisis, even this superb orphanage is struggling to feed its children. Due to inflation Mary is also struggling to pay for her kids school fees. The 'bill collectors' at the schools are starting to call her everyday and are threatening to stop feeding her kids lunch. She is sending budgets to me today and GVN Foundation, has committed to keeping her kids in school this term. This is thanks to the Eat So They Can donors and the Kilimanjaro trekkers- Thank you.

After visiting the farm, the kids and an amazing GVN volunteer, we headed to a grocery store in Karen where other GVN volunteers were selling necklaces. These volunteers (who had been selling necklaces and bracelets for 10 hours) started a bead project for their orphanage- Sons of Mansensa.

By the time we saw them (and bought some of their beautiful necklaces) it was late. We had dinner with them and promised to see them the next day.

Note to Donors: Today your funds fed over 170 children, provided beds for children at Nangolie Children's Home (so they no longer have to share a bed) and will provide an education to about 100 children from Shelter.

Day 4
This afternoon Jeanne, Irene, Sara (our GVN representative) and I went to Sons of Mansensa. Sara had organized pizza, and juice from a local pizzeria. We took the pizza to the 27 kids and had a 'proper' pizza party.

The kids at this orphanage are amazing. You can see the difference between them and some of the kids at the larger/poorer orphanages. The basic needs of these kids are met and they get heaps of the love. They are a joy to be around. They run, jump, scream, play, cuddle and skip everywhere... they are the way kids are 'supposed' to be. They mall you when you walk in and just want play or just be hugged.

Kids in the some of our other orphanages stare at you vacantly....they are cold and scared to get too close. Their lives, their poverty have started to break them... I am here to distribute funds (my job is to raise and distribute money for GVN Foundation) but I have to point out how VITAL volunteers are in these places. Just by hugging, or holding the hand of a child you are giving them love and allowing them to develop properly. They need more volunteers at these orphanages in Kenya- I would just like to take a moment to encourage you to consider a volunteer placement here.

After the party I spoke to Joseph and Beatrice, the orphanage directors about investing further in their bead program. We want to fund this project as a means of creating sustainability for Sons of Mansensa orphanage.

Note to Donor: Today your funds fed 27 lovely kids and will provide funding for the development of their bead project (helping to ensure sustainability for this orphanage).

On a personal note after the pizza party Irene got a call from Agnes (the orphanage director for Nangolie Children's Center). She told Irene that her daughter in-law had a healthy baby girl and that they named her Courtney....I was stunned and am still struggling to find words to describe how much this means to me. Apparently in Kenyan culture this means I am the child's God Mother ...

I told Irene that this is my job and that Agnes didn't need to name a child after me. Irene responded that Agnes was so very very thankful for the food and beds we brought she wanted to thank me.

Therefore, I want to point out to you donors that it is because of your hard work that Agnes felt so touched by your generosity that she named her granddaughter to honour your contribution.

Later that evening I met Irene's mother. I helped Margaret (Irene's sister) make dinner and Irene's mother said that my name should be 'Nyawira.' Nyawira means hard working in their tribal language (Kikuyu). I told her that was an honor and thank you.

So my English name has been given to a gorgeous Kenyan girl and I've been re-named Nyawira. Pretty cool.

Quote of the Day: "I used to bring a cloth with me wherever I went. So that if anyone gave me food I could strap it to my back and bring it back to my kids." Mary Wambui, of Shelter Children's Home, explaining how she used to get food to the kids in her orphanage.

Pictures: Bed and food drop at Nangolie Children's Center in Masaai Land

Mary Wambui- Orphanage Director at Shelter Children's Home in Masaai Land

Brother Joseph, Director of Sons of Manasseh Children's Home, and Jeanne after our pizza party

The Real 'Jungle Book'

Day 1 and 2

Eat So They Can Winner's Trip to Nairobi

Every few days I will have Jeanne write about her experience (as she has done below) and I will also highlight those schools/orphanages we have visited and will continue to support through Eat So They Can (that way you all know where your donated funds are going from this year's event and who we want to support in the future).

Day One:
We visited the second largest slum in the world: Kibera. We are actively supporting two orphanages/schools there: Mama Tunza and Siloam. I say schools/orphanages because they are schools by day and after night falls many of the children sleep there at night - simply because they have no where else to go.

We distributed food to each place. The food we distributed will feed nearly 700 children. The kids danced and smiled when they saw the food arrive. Mama Tunza, a woman I admire and respect, hugged us and thanked us repeatedly for the support we have been able to provide because of donors like yourself (future Eat So They Can participants please note you will receive a DVD to play at your dinner that features Mama Tunza's heartfelt thank you).

The food we purchased will help feed the 230 kids in her care.

While we were visiting she then pointed out one child who was recently brought to the orphanage. In the hundreds of kids crowding around us she explained this child, his name is Johnny Kitheri, had been carried off twice by a monkey from the forest. Of the hundreds of kids in the orphanage one particular monkey had chosen this one particular child and tried to take him into the forest twice. He was saved by his fellow classmates who pelted the monkey with rocks until he ran off. Jeanne and I stared at each other in shock...

After further discussion we learned that Johnny and his sibling had been found in the forest before they were taken to Mama Tunza's. Therefore, we believe that this monkey had been looking after these children before they were put in the orphanage....Unfortunately this is not unheard of here. Every year or two the press releases stories of children being looked after by animals in the 'bush.'

After meeting Mama Tunza and hearing the real life 'Jungle Book' story of Johnny we went to Siloam School. Over 300 kids go to this school and many sleep there (in the dorms above) at night. One of the children, Charles, there recently had surgery on his leg. His left knee needed to be reset due to a deformity. We had a quick chat with him in which we learned he needed to go to the hospital to have the cast removed. We worked with Irene on ensuring that he received the proper medical care he needs to recover.

Note to Donors: Your funds fed over 500 kids and helped a child receive medical care that saved his life (and this is only the first day!).

Day Two:
Yesterday we took the long trek out to St. Mary's Boy's School in Nyeri (to the North of Nairobi). This school was started by an American Pastor nearly 40 years ago and is a shining example of what hard work and dedication can accomplish. This school is 12th in the nation, the 700 plus boy's there are disciplined, hard working and committed to becoming successful adults.

After the truck arrived with 15 new desks Headmaster Peter Kombe took Jeanne and I around the school. We visited the boy's dorm that is in desperate need of repair. They have had to shut the lights off in the dorm because the roof leaks and it is no longer safe to have electricity in the dorm.

We also visited the food storage room for the school and learned that the ventilation is extremely poor. This means that the children responsible for grinding the maize into Ugali Flour are breathing in dust constantly. Additionally, the lack of ventilation means that moisture creeps into the food, causing it to mold and become un-edible.

We spoke with him about how GVN Foundation would like to assist him by funding the fixing of the roof of the boys dorm and re-doing the food storage area. The kids in that school shouldn't be sleeping in a room that 'rains' or eating moldy food.

We handed over about 45,000 Kenyan Shilling's for him to purchase food, shook hands and then went home.

Note to Donors: Your funds today helped to provide the school with 15 desks, to feed over 700 boys and will (in the coming months) mean children will have a roof over their heads, electricity at night and safe food to eat.

That's all for now folks. More updates to come.

Best

Court

Pictures: Top to Bottom. Jeanne with a class at Siloam Children's Home.

Young Men at Siloam carrying the food we brought them to the kitchen.

St. Mary's School in Nyeria

Jeanne's First Few Days

First Few Days: Thurs. 5th- Today was a day I will always remember. We spent the day in Kibera, a slum on the outskirts of Nairobi. It is a place you would have to see to believe. So many people living in extreme poverty! On the bright side, the kids we visited appeared happy and healthy. Thanks to many good hearted people, they are thriving in spite of their own personal misfortunes. On Friday we delivered desk and food to a lovely school in Nyeri, St. Mary's school for boys. The headmaster is a charming man with a clear vision for his students. He is doing the best he can with the resources he has, but again, the need is great. I am seeing first hand what a difference the funds raised from Eat So They Can, and the Kilimanjaro climb are making. It is so rewarding.

- Jeanne Sweetman
Eat So They Can Winner

Picture: Jeanne, Brother Kombe and a student at the school looking at the lack of ventilation in the food storage shed for St. Mary's Boys School in Nyeri.

Bags of Maize

Everywhere we go people keep telling Irene (our partner) and I that we look like, 'bags of maize.' Apparently, in Kenya this is a common way of describing people who look completely and totally exhausted. After 12 hours of comparing and purchasing food for kids yesterday I am sure that we did resemble bags of maize.

Speaking of maize we bought some yesterday. Actually we bought a lot yesterday- 16 bags worth. We also bought 11 bags of beans, 25 boxes of cooking fat, 16 bags of rice, 11 bags of sugar, 7 bags of lentils, 9 bags of wheat flour, 4 boxes of soap, 3 boxes of tissue paper, 2 boxes of sanitary napkins, 2 bags of porridge flour, and 6 bags of Ugali flour. After comparing 3 different shops worth of these goods we found the best deal for each of the items listed above.

It was an amazing experience for me. I'm used to grocery stores:where all the products are displayed perfectly, on perfectly lined aisles.

In Nairobi, when you need to buy food in bulk for thousands of kids, you don't go to a neat and tidy grocery store. You go to an area of Nairobi with numerous grains and bulk product shops. In each shop bags and bags of grains are piled to the ceiling. Everyone is trying to get in to inspect the products or talk to the shop owner. There is yelling, hissing, and laughing and the air smells like sweat and that musky, almost stale smell of uncooked grain.

You walk in, and stumble on spilled beans, and chat with the store director. He uses a long blade to stab a bag that somehow gathers up its contents, he then uses it to fill your hand with beans or maize for you to inspect. He then explains where is it is from or its quality ("This rice from Pakistan... its OK. But this rice from Vietnam... it is much better!").

You stand and chat for awhile, then you move on to the next store to compare prices. In the front of one of the stores there was a bag of maize open. I couldn't resist dipping my hand in and just feeling the grainy maize on my hands. For a moment I was one of my favorite characters in a movie- Amelie Poulain (if you haven't seen Amelie you really should). Anyway...

After the food shopping we walked up the street to a blanket shop. The blankets were going to cost us about 375 shillings each ( around 6 USD) but Irene got them to drop the price. This is the discussion she had with the shop keeper (please keep in mind that Irene talks with her hands, always, and her voice raises when she finds she needs to emphasize a particular point):

Irene: "You know it is July here! The kids are cold! We are going to get thick blankets to keep kids warm- YES! you will drop the price."

Shop keeper: " Ummmm..... Madam we can't..."

Irene: " Yes! Yes you will, we will buy them at 350 ksh and they will be the thick ones."

Shop Keeper (retreats a step): "Ummm...."

Needless to say we bought 36 thick blankets at 350 shillings.

After about 8 hours of negotiating the food and blankets above we traveled to check on the desks and beds one more time. They are all done and beautiful.....36 beds and 35 desks lay piled in front of the store when we arrived. We paid the final deposit amount and located 36 mattresses.

After 12 hours we both stumbled home, ate smoky lentils and warm chapati and retreated to our rooms to crawl into bed exhausted.

After 12 hours of sleep I still feel like I resemble a bag of maize but am excited to go greet Jeanne. She arrived this morning and is resting up for our fist big day. Tomorrow we are going to get right into it by going to Kibera. Kibera is the second largest slum in the world. We have two schools there that are in desperate need of food. We will be doing our first food drop there tomorrow.

Stay tuned!

Quote of the day: "You look like bags of Maize." Sara in our partner's office commenting on how Irene and I look.

Picture: Top to Bottom. A picture of me after a day's work in Africa. Just kidding, this is actually a bag of maize.

A picture of Kibera. The world's second largest slum. Nearly 1 million people live in this slum which is only 2.5 square kilometers.