It was an eventful year for Simiyu House: Fresh Water, Care for Chris, a Volunteer, and (2) Orphans supported.

Engineers Without Borders finished what they had set out to do and implemented a fresh water well in January of 2015.  Not only does the compound have fresh water for any nearby orphans who may need a safe environment, but the well supplies fresh water for all in the surrounding area.  What an accomplishment!  I’m so proud to have partnered with EWB UMBC.  They continued to press on and triumph through trials and tribulations that their two different trips had brought.  Chris and I are both so proud of and thankful for each volunteer that took the long trip to East Africa to give fresh water to a village that badly needed it.

One of those trials left Chris Shiko in the hospital for almost a month, but quick action on your part (advocates and donors) allowed Chris to pay his hospital bills and buy the necessary medication to heal in what would have otherwise been nearly impossible situation.  Chris is still very grateful and thankful for those who made a micro-movement and came to his personal aid in a very serious situation.  I’m also very thankful and inspired by this unfortunate event.

As we began to see green sprout from a cold winter, Nathan LaDuke and I began putting the final plans in place for his trip in the fall.  Over the course of the summer months we were able to make a plan and arrange all the necessary pieces for him to go.  What a trip it was!  I had built a strong foundation for the project, Chris watered and tended to the project relentlessly, and Nathan was just in time for the harvest in the fall season.  It was a great crop to say the least!  Nathan and Chris went out in the community together and identified thirty (30) orphans within walking distance.  Because of this effort and trip to Kenya, we now have a great and specific focus through whom we we accomplish our mission: To provide an opportunity for a safe environment, formal education and overall life skills to underprivileged children living in Kakamega, Kenya in order to help them succeed both intellectually and financially in their own economy.

Before the year ended, we were able to begin fulfilling our mission and were able to provide a year of school (including all fees, uniforms, and 1 lunch per day) and basic needs for TWO ORPHANS!  So excited to continue watching in 2016!

Thanks to YOU for an awesome year at Simiyu House; all of your Micro-Movements turned into a Big Difference!

~Eric

The following is the email I received from Chris 10 hours ago.

Halo  brother,
Thank you so much for reminding me each time. It makes me happy. I’m sorry that i took more time to send to you this budget. This is because, i was to go around to linders school, go to her aunts place and do more research about her leaving and education.

I have send to you her budget, both school and home needs. kindly, go through and let me know if there will be any question concerning the budget. The budget is simple and i didn’t include more needs.The home meals that i have included is only one meal per day.

I met my community  last saturday and i still hope to meet more people about the local fundraising. We have gain scheduled another meeting to discuss on the same with my community. The turn up of members was very low and those that attended insisted that we should have another meeeting at the end of this month and discuss about local fundraising. I hope the meeting will be fully attended by more people. Those that attended promiosed to pass over the word for the next meeting. people are happy about the matching team and i hope they will give in whatever they can.

Let us pray about this and ask God to lead us in everything. Thank you so much, i look forward in calling you before the end of the week. i will keep on updating you. Please let me know the day you will be available on the phone.

Thank you.
Sincerely,
Fr Chris.

I want to share this email with those who are following the activity of Simiyu House as a show of transparency.  Chris and I are both at work on this project, and we are make micro-movements…a Big Difference is in the near future!

If you want to see the original budget breakdown, click this link: Monthly Linder

After some calculation, this puts support for Linder at $150 (upfront)for all of her yearly needs and $50 per month for her monthly needs.

Still some discussions to be had, but that’s where we are as of now.

Eric

 

The Short Story about Linder, a Simiyu House: Kenya orphan.

Linder is one of our genuine and needy orphans we visited during Nathan’s stay at Simiyu House: Kenya last month. She is 13 years old in grade six. Her mother passed away two years ago as a result of a road accident, which puts her in grade four when her mother passed away.

Before her mother passed away, she used to live a normal life as any other kid who has the parents. She was doing well at school as a result of the support from her late mother. Linder was then abandoned by her father, and her aunt volunteered to take care of her and stay with her. In our community, most kids are better taken care of by their mother than their father, even if their father is still alive. Her aunt lives within Simiyu House: Kenya community.

During our house to house visits of the orphans, we (Nathan and I) were able to meet her at her aunt’s place and had a brief conversation with her. That’s when we found that she doesn’t go to school, but as we talked to her, she said she is still hoping to go back to school and continue with her education. She also lacks a completely safe environment (health) due to not having some basic needs met.

At her aunt’s place life is still very difficult and her aunt is not able to meet Linder’s personal and educational needs. Linder only survives at one meal per day: that’s ugali (a staple food, a dish of white cornmeal cooked with water to a dough-like consistency). Sometimes, they have another meal once per week at some point, otherwise only ugali. The aunt has more family to support, so she is not able to give good care towards Linder.

With this brief story, I decided with full confidence to pick Linder to be our first orphan to support according to our mission (safe environment, formal education, and life skills). There are still more orphans who have a lot of sad stories of living. We hope to support them all, but we will keep to the Simiyu House motto and begin with a micro-movement: we will start with one.

The exact breakdown of our plan for Linder will be coming soon!  Be sure to catch our personal updates on our Facebook Page.

Sincerely,

Chris & Eric

This is the letter from my Matching Team proposal;  I’ll begin rolling out this idea via social media soon, but I wanted to go ahead and post something and the full link here!

I talked to Chris (Director of Simiyu House: Kenya) on the phone this morning, and I could hear wailing and crying in the background.  He explained to me that the neighbor’s young daughter had just died in the hospital.  She was sick, but nobody knew how sick…until she was gone.

There are thirty (30) children in the immediate area of our compound in Kenya that don’t eat as well as they should, who only have one tattered shirt, who aren’t in school because they can’t pay school fees or pay for books, or have a huge hole in the roof of their home.  Many of these children’s guardians are relatives, people who have taken on the responsibility of raising these children for various reasons, but who do not necessarily have the resources to do so.  We want to directly supplement any support these children are getting right now in their own environment.

The motto of Simiyu House is “Big Difference by Micro-Movements,” and this is how we’ll satisfy the need above.  A team of like-minded people who want to see those who are less fortunate have more resources and a better life in general will gather and give a little bit, and as a team…we will make a Big Difference!  Because the children in need have now been identified, we can begin the process of giving direct help: new clothing, school fees, roof repair, etc.  Most organizations like Simiyu House decide to house these children and provide all needs, but I don’t think that’s necessary.  It’s a simple matter of connecting, building relationships, and being a resource to the underprivileged.  

Imagine one or both of your parents either abandoned you or suddenly died from illness.  You now live with a caring aunt or uncle or your grandparents, but the living conditions are poor.  You have some food, but you’re still hungry at night.  You have an outfit or two, but it is beyond used.  You have a roof over your head, but you’re still cold in your house because there is not quite enough money for a new blanket.  You’d like to be back in school, but again, the money for school fees just isn’t there, and you definitely can’t afford the uniform…but you know education is the only way out of this situation.

Join our matching team, and not only will you be continually giving helpful gifts and support to these children on a monthly basis, you’ll be directly rewarded yourself!  You’ll receive the list of items we’ve purchased and given to the less fortunate,  and you’ll get an email update with the most recent story of visitation from the field from the Simiyu House: Kenya director, Chris Shiko (a Kenyan native).  Make a Micro-Movement today by making the decision to support Simiyu House in its mission, and I can promise you’ll see the Big Difference!  Get excited to make a Big Difference by Micro-Movements!

 

Our latest volunteer, Nathan, has made his way to Simiyu House Kenya compound after 30 hours of travel–yikes.  Between the flight to Europe, the flight to Africa, and the bus ride from Nairobi…the total is 24 hours.  It’s a tough trip, but Nathan was excited when I talked to him on the phone, yet excited to fall asleep tonight as well.

Nathan and Chris are working on a couple of things during his stay.  The first objective is to begin identifying school-aged children who are not in school.  You might ask yourself,”Why would there be children like this?”  There are many reasons.  Too many reasons, unfortunately; however, many of them have to do simply with the fact that they are unable to pay the school fees (which total less than $1,000 for sure).  Many children have been orphaned and their aunts, uncles, or grandparents now looking after them cannot afford to keep them in school.  Others have chosen life on the streets, and for parents/guardians, that may mean one less mouth to feed…so they allow it.

The second objective is to begin a small kiosk. We’re still trying to find the right fit for a small sustainable business in Kenya, but it’s becoming increasingly important as we seek out children to help.  I’ve never liked the idea of constantly sending money to Africa.  I’m in the business of supplying the resources that we DO have to those who DON’T have.  Notice I say resources; that doesn’t necessarily mean money.  It can equal manual labor, knowledge, other life skills, OR money, if that’s what is needed.  Bottom line: I need people.

I hope to learn so much from Nathan’s trip as I have from the many people who have visited previously.  The wisdom of a new traveler is invaluable!  I love it.

Follow us on Facebook for updates