Tembo Kenya

There is a mixture of news today.

On the positive front, my laptop is working well most of the time. It will need some TLC when we return to Canada but I'm hoping to nurse it along for the next four months. My netbook which went blank without any warning has now been revived (it pays to go to the manufacturer's site and download the files they offer.) So now I have a 'traveling' machine again.

Again, positive news of Tembo Kenya. We have established our Kenyan Consultative Committee with local friends whom we admire and trust. we are humbled that they all accepted to serve without hesitation. On Dec 13 we hope to have our first meeting to set our parameters and responsibilities. It will be good to have such people here on the ground when we are back in Canada.

We have: Reuben Sechele: who might run again as MP in 2012. Reuben is a publisher of school books and has much interest in income generating projects such as earth blocks. He and Rod get along well!

Carolyne Njango: Caro looks after the micro-finance groups when I am not around and is studying to be a social worker

Catherine Kibisu: Catherine was a CHES scholarship girl herself and is married to Wycliffe also supported by CHES and ACCES at school. They have started several community initiatives.

Grace Lidede: has just retired as a head mistress of an elementary school and is President of Kakamega Rotary Club

Julius Luseka is a talented jeweler and very active in his community. He has worked with us to put in three wells and two protected springs.

Vincent Ajuoga was one of our first computer students. He took courses and started his own computer repair business. He also now runs the computer school we set up.

Bibiana Andabwa is a town councillor in Kakamega. The only woman elected, she is energetic is seeking to improve the lives of women in her community. She and her husband are Virtues trained.

Jeremiah has been known to us since 2001. He runs a taxi service and now owns a large cafe in the centre of town.

We have several training sessions for Virtues planned. (go to http://www.virtuesinkenya.blogspot.com/ for details)

Here is Dorcas, who wants to be an electrical engineer and who has steadfastly resisted marriage for three years to hold on to her dream. We should know in a week or so if she will receive any financial assistance from the university.

I'll save the political and social news for the next message.