Written by Alison | 01 October 2010

After a wonderful Summer I'm definitely enjoying the colours of [Fall] Autumn and watching the little waterfall return in our local woods from the incessant rain UK is getting right now.

It's good also that volunteers are still travelling Kenya to volunteer during their spare time. Mona (a Winter/Spring 2010 volunteer) had only just emailed me about her plans to help the Volunteer Centre progress (or the VCVCK; Vision Community Vocational Centre of Khalaba), when Catriona confirmed her flight details. She'll be assisting the community throughout November and most of December, perfectly timed as Director and founder of the project, Amanda, is fantastically awaiting the arrival of her baby daughter at the end of November so she'll need all hands on deck!!!

I've also just sent over donated funds from Eleanor (a Summer 2009 volunteer) allocated to the Mercy Home Well project. The hydrogeological survey was completed September 24th and a photographer captured the girls fetching water for one of the last times from the spring. The bricks, sand, cement, wiremesh & ballast for the work have been purchased and we hope the work will commence soon. Catriona should be visiting the girls early December.

Unfortunately we're still waiting for the survey to take place at the Enkito community in Amboseli. Jeff of Staff of Hope assures us it will be completed shortly.

In addition to all this activity I've been studying at the School for Social Entrepeneurs. I was invited for the 6 month course and am so thankful I was as its turning into a vital force in progress, getting KO2 active, our community interest company, set up to support AVIF's work, as well as my own local community. More soon ....

 

Written by Alison | 21 September 2010

Today started out with me thinking .. "its going to be one of those days" :( .. wasps nests, dogs barking, pandemonium .. and then I sat down and opened my Inbox. Wow.

The Force is strong in today's emails!

Firstly I'd like to thank those involved in offering us a "Better Net Award" from The UnLtd Millennium Awards Scheme which will help toward "Safeguarding" costs in the preparation of our Community Interest Company here in the UK, ultimately supporting AVIF's development work.

Secondly, I must thank 2007's fantastic volunteers; Nick Kempson, Charlie Wright and all those involved in fundraising for the Mercy Home Foundation. Alongside TRUCC and Vicki and KWAHO, who is supplementing the drilling, we are going to able to put in a well in at Mercy Home. This means the girls no longer have to get up early each morning to walk down to the river and then carry back the large, heavy containers of water each day. There is also the possibility to earn an income as a water supplier to their local community. This is just fabulous news.

In the meantime the hydrogeological survey is about to take place in Enkito to confirm costs involved in sinking a well in that community. After spending the Summer in the village, volunteers have confirmed water is still a big issue. Current piped-supplies of water are shared to taps around the whole area.  The tap 10 minutes away only supplies on a Tuesday! Can you imagine having to collect water in containers, enough to last an entire community a whole week. Impossible. We hope to help. If you wish to contribute please do so via the Donation site top left of this page.

Many thanks to Shiv for these details and her fabulous photos are available here.

(Siobhan and our liaison Jackson in Amboseli National Park, Aug 2010)

Written by Alison | 09 September 2010

The volunteers have sadly all left their communities now though both the villagers and the volunteers will have no doubt left huge impressions on each. Its never an easy time, especially for the children, to say Goodbye, but the great thing is memories, experiences learnt and of course THE PHOTOS .......

Emma's fabulous album from Amboseli is here on FaceBook and I'll pass on more as they get uploaded.

Enjoy ...

..and from Nakuru (more on the LLK website).

 

Written by Alison | 22 August 2010

Jehovah Nissi Mercy Childrens Centre, lovingly known as "Mercy Home" was AVIF's first project back in 2006. It was found by volunteers and has been visited every year since then and the results are phenomenal. Building work, increase in farming land, results of girls entering university, grade scores .. all fairly amazing when you consider these girls have either lost their parents or suffered from various forms of abuse.

Thanks to very generous donors from all over the world, especially Vicki and Della from the US, the home is now catering for many more girls who otherwise would have no chance of success in life. The girls are inspirational and pretty much run the place, under the guidance of Mama and Papa; Deborah & Edward.

The girls wake at 6 every morning for prayers then go to fill huge barrels full of water and carry them back on their heads before preparing a small breakfast and getting ready for school. Some of them do not arrive back home until 6/7pm. Their dedication and resolve is energizing and they will continue to host friends and donors and volunteers for many years to come I hope.

The latest donation comes from a very generous and active BEMSEE-racer and will arrive in Kenya thanks to free-of-charge airfreight offered (again) by Kenya Airways, Heathrow to Nairobi.

Packed into 2 flightcases will be an incredibly unique internet teaching station combining hardware and  software to promote IT learning and designed to include standard IT curricula as well as investigating and comparing the uses of ICT inside and outside school. The girls of Mercy Home will be trained in the software enough to also offer classes themselves to others in the community. Viral learning!!

This amazing design was the brainchild of "Wal" and I'd personally like to thank him for his generosity (again) and creative geekness ;-) We hope that he can travel over to Kenya with his wife in the next few months to help set up and train a few of the girls himself.