The last well

We handed over today the last of the wells from the Rotary grant.

A last check with the contractor

The students gather

Handing over the keys to the Principal

Emmatsi and Wandega

The long rains have started! On Friday we had to travel to two remote schools in the hills and were fortunate that we reached them before the downpour. The roads are impassable in the rains and there were ominous mutterings of having to sleep at the school if we didn't time it right.

For the school receiving the toilets it is impossible to reach in a vehicle so the students walked down to a neighboring school for the presentation. Unfortunately our generator, which we had had fixed, turned over but did not supply enough power for the computer and projector. This is life in rural Africa!
So we did an oral presentation and our admirable contractor will return to the school to explain everything to the students on site. He will also bring us some pictures.

From Emmatsi we hurried to Wandega and were met by the children clustered around the well and singing.
We handed over the well, sang with the children, were entertained by the choir, offered

a meal and left before the clouds burst. The whole community is overjoyed at having clean water near by. Their gifts were three hens as we left.

Canadian Nurses for Africa

Canadian Nurses for Africa based in Ontario, gave funding to construct new eco-san toilets in an elementary school where they work.
On Wednesday we went to the school to do the presentation to staff and children. There is no power, so we took our generator. It set up fine and then--no power to the equipment even thought he generator was running! We did an oral presentation, went to see the toilets. In the mean time the Head Teacher found a very long cable, a source of power nearby and someone who could cobble together a connection. All the children took themselves back to the church to see the 'film show'

Looking for help

We are in the process of handing over toilets and wells before heading home to Canada. We are applying for two grants: one for composting toilets to serve a few more schools and one for Read for the Top, our literacy program. If you have contacts who might be interested in helping us, please ask them to check the web site www.tembokenya.org

$1 to keep a girl in school

This article will explain why we are making re-usable pads for girls. Last year in our pilot the attendance of girls rose from 72% to 92%. It costs just $1 to make a small pack of 3 pads that will see a girl through the year. http://www.nation.co.ke/lifestyle/saturday/Features-Girls-Sanitary-Pads-Gender-Parity/-/1216/2226490/-/vpgp25/-/index.html

Clean water for two schools

One of these schools where we supplied clean water has over 800 children, the other over 700. The children were walking a distance to collect water from the polluted river. Now they will spend more time in class and be healthier.