NOT RAIN, NOT HUMAN ERROR

This is disgusting. Yesterday's train derailment in Nairobi was due not to rain, not to speed, not to human error but to "flying toilets". Where latrines are lacking in slums, inhabitants relieve themselves in plastic bags and then hurl the waste away from their dwellings, in this case onto the railway line. This caused excessive wheel slip in yesterday's accident. Two bodies have been retrieved, but they won't know how many died until the wagons are lifted and the containers are removed.

UNDERPASS

The great news here is that about 1/2 hour up the road from us, they're building an underpass for elephants so that they can continue to follow their seasonal migration routes up and down the mountain sides without endangering motorists. A great example of working with nature instead of against it.

DOLLY

Teacher Nancy made a dolly today for a child over at the hospice. She is the only child there with all the adults and had no toy.

AN OPEN LETTER FROM ISAAC

Just as a dream, an ambition, an aspiration lies in every little boy/girl/youth’s heart, the same lay deep in my heart. Even as a real little kid, I had a dream to pursue education. But alas, a separation between my parents wiped out my dream to complete my studies.
My name is Isaac, a Kenyan male youth and a resident of Timau. I was raised by a single parent. My mother has been the sole bread winner of our family since I was a little boy. She unfortunately developed medical problems that were followed by an operation that left her weak and unable to work anymore.
It was during and after the operation of my mother that I discontinued my high school education for lack of tuition fees. I dropped out of school in grade eleven. However, after three years of doing odd jobs to support my mother and brother, through the help of well wishers, I was able to go back to school and complete my twelfth grade and sit for my national government examination for Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education. The results were released, and kumbe!, my hard work was rewarded with good grades, having attained a B+ academic rating average for 8 subjects by the Kenya National Examination Council.
In the year 2007, I applied and was admitted to the University of Nairobi to follow a career in bachelor of law. I was so, so excited to begin the four year course of studies. I made it through the first and second year, loving every moment of it and working hard. With great excitement I took up my internship posting at Nanyuki law courts where I got practical experience to blend with the procedural and substantive theory we did in school.
Unfortunately in the beginning of my third year of study, my good Samaritans could no longer help me with tuition fees and, sadly, this led me to once again to discontinue my studies. I felt discouraged and depressed. Once again my classmates all returned to school and I stayed home to look for odd jobs. I missed my studies and I missed my friends. My dreams were once again shattered. The hope of making the best in life through education was once again compromised.
When all hope was gone, imagine my great surprise this fall when I’m told that through the Newman Mission Center I am going back to school. Imagine my joy as I rush back down to Nairobi to re-join my classmates and continue on with my courses, and catch up with what I missed these past months. Who is Newman Mission Center?, I ask. I am told they are a group who help people who are struggling. In deep gratitude, I promise I will give back the best of knowledge attained at school to my community and to be an inspiration, a role model to all the youth and school-going students who might be going through the same life experience as me. Yes, in future I will also help people who are struggling.
Newman Mission Center, you have given me wings; it is now my promise that I will “fly” to make all the people who have contributed towards my academic excellence proud. I will be a positive force for good in my country, and as a lawyer, I will help right wrongs, and I will be a voice for the poor and voiceless. Also, once I finish and get employment I will help my brother to get his education, and will help my mother with her medical problems and be there for her as she ages.Newman Mission Center, may all the blessings of this Christmas festive season and New Year be with you. For me 2010 will truly be a “NEW” Year. God’s abundant blessings to each and every one of you who are members of Newman Mission Center. Love, Isaac

Seamstresses return from trade exam

The girls are excited to have finished their courses and school year. Here they are seen wearing the new dresses and holding up the shorts they have just made for the practical part of their government trade exams. Teacher Mary is on the right. They will be back in January to do the advanced course and work towards a higher certificate.

CHILD'S LIFE SAVED

This "thing" was removed from a small Maasai girl this fall with donations from friends. This "thing" is a hydatid cyst which was the largest one blocking the abdomen of this small child. Without this surgery, death was certain. These cysts develop when people live in close proximity with dogs and sheep and goats. If it's a must to have dogs to help in herding sheep and goats, then upmost cleanliness must be observed regarding handwashing before eating. Without water available, this is not always possible, but it's the only way to wipe out the disease. Hydatidosis is common in the areas down behind the mission. The child is now taking medicines which will clear out any remaining eggs and cysts. Her father and mother have promised they will help in educating their neighbors and friends about how to prevent this condition.

Lunch time. More please!

Almost finished!

The carpentry students learned today that instead of buying reject wig hair and reject wool, the sewing girls are happy to give them all their cloth scraps for stuffing their chairs.

His latrine before we built a new one

Before and After

Here's what he was living in:

Long time no blog

I better put something here or I may lose my blog. Here's a house we just finished for one of our villagers.

Visit by our sponsors (con't)

Visit by our CFCA sponsors

We hosted our CFCA visitors from the States and England yesterday and today as they traveled around the mountain. Besides an informative session and visits to families in the various areas where we work, we held entertainments in our St. Elizabeth courtyard. Our parents and students danced, sang, and recited poems for our guests. The workshop students surprised even themselves putting on a very entertaining play about how to resolve tribal differences.

Scouts Night Out

The scouts are camping out on the school compound tonight. Because it's cold they aren't using their tents---we put the girls in the library and the boys in a classroom, and borrowed the mats from the pre-school for mattresses. Tomorrow they will go to Nyeri for the Jamboree Day/Lord Baden Powell Day. Needless to say, they are very excited about the trip.

KIDNEY TRANSPLANT

I've been really moved that in a place where it's difficult to get even a friend or relative to give blood to one in need, a former student of mine, Irene, and her brother have been vying over who would be the one to donate a kidney to their father, a still relatively young man. They've both been deemed compatible and they both wanted to spare each other. It's now been agreed that the 22-yr old son will be the donor. They've worked really, really hard to make this possible. During the fundraising family members have sold their cows, taken out loans, and given up many things. The surgery will be this Sunday in India. Pray that the operations will be a success and that both father and son will have many, many happy fruitful years ahead of them.

Wedding Bells

(Yesterday's blog was a snowstorm on Mt. Kenya.) I'm changing it to a snap of Jean's wedding in December. For those of you who know the Thompsons (or knew Jean and Charlton as little kids), Charlton is second from left, Fr. Mazzucchi is behind Charlton, then Jean and Andre, then Ruth. Her pastors are on either end and this is the local Anglican Church which Arthur built.

Fare Thee Well

Yesterday being Paula's last day in Kenya (for now), we decided to do something special. Nairobi has a charming little theatre built in colonial times just a five-minute drive from the Flora Hostel. It accommodates about 100 people and every viewer is within 15 feet of the stage. We attended the delightful matinee presentation of "Cemetery Club", a comedy by Ivan Menchell. It was very funny as well as poignant, reminding us of "Steel Magnolia".

Our final fun event before she flies out tonight takes place two blocks from the Flora Hostel. Paula's treating us to lunch at a Chinese restaurant (and this is the Chinese New Year). Brother Vincent will be joining us---there was no opportunity to get down to see him these past three months of Paula's visit, so this grand finale will be their hello and goodbye, until next time. Safari Njema Paula! Don't delay in planning a speedy return!

Eternal snows

This is our beautiful mountain which I couldn't get on the other time. Here it is seen with snow, but our eternal snows for which it is known are not so eternal due to global warming. A sight unheard of in the past, there are days when it is totally brown and snowless. It's glaciers feed our rivers which at the present moment are very low. It's a beautiful sight to work under and January/February are the months when it's clearest and most visible. Other times you can go weeks at a time without seeing it.

St Elizabeth and porridge time

When Fran was here in 2007, she was amazed to see how the little kids loved their little 2-inch plastic statue of St. Elizabeth, our school patron. She decided to look for a larger one. When I arrived home this past fall, there waiting for me was a 2 1/2 foot high St. Elizabeth Fran found on e-bay. Luckily British Airways allows an extra bag for missionaries and she made it safely back with me. (St. Elizabeth that is, not Fran.) We waited to put her up until after we painted the dining room, which we've just finished. Here the children are taking their morning porridge, as St. Elizabeth overlooks them. Yes, Fran, she's now varnished. I know the idea was to have the natural outdoor woody look, but I was outnumbered by those who thought she must be varnished.

Through the windscreen......

As we go around on our home visits and field work, we can't fail to appreciate how lucky we are to have wheels. This is a common sight all along the track. We are going home to maybe have some soup and a sandwich for lunch. They are going home to do their other tasks, and often are not going to eat until evening as it would take too much of their precious fuel to make a fire twice.

Our Welding/Fabrication Workshop

One area of our St. Clare Technical Training School involves Metalwork and Welding classes. The students are encouraged to make things that are useful and needed or which are ordered by customers. Here a customer is collecting some window and door frames for his new house.

One Year Onwards

Last January a frantic grandmother came running into my office one evening begging me to come and get her daughter-in-law to a hospital as she was having difficulty giving birth. We jumped in the car and rushed to her house only to find that there were twin babies on the bed, and the mama was kneeling on the floor in great pain trying to expel the afterbirth. Grandma wrapped up the twins and got in the front seat, and we got mama into the back seat and headed over to our local clinic on the hill. As luck would have it, the nurse on duty was out, but we waited. Finally the nurse came and under the light of a kerosene lamp, the nurse did all that is prescribed, the silver nitrate drops in the eyes etc. By now the husband had been informed and was present. We felt the mama should remain for the night, but she wanted to go home, so I took them all home. I was very happy for their visit the other day to show me the growth of the babies. I told Bernard I couldn't forget their names because they're the names of my grandmothers: Catherine and Rose, although I couldn't of course know which was which. Here they are a bit frightened of my Christmas lights.

Our Beautiful Mountain