Tembo continues

Wendyand Don Reimer, Tembo-Kenya board members, are in Africa until June 2011. We received a donation to purchase text books for grades 1-5 at Isecheno primary school. Wendy and Don took delivery, catalogued and photographed the books and carried them to the school for distribution and storage. Well done, Wendy and Don and many thanks for your time and efforts.

Wendy is also investigating a project to supply re-usable sanitary pads to girls in school. We'll keep you posted.

You do not have to be a Tembo board member to volunteer to help. Tembo is setting up the possibility of receiving agents to manage specific projects and to welcome visitors for a rural Kenya tour. Keep your eye on the web site http://www.tembokenya.org/ for details and updates.

Don Reimer puts together our quarterly newsletter. If you have ideas of how to help spread the word about Tembo, please contact kenyatembo@gmail.com

Poultry project

I told you earlier about the training on poultry keeping that was so successful a few weeks ago. Here is a picture of two of the seminar particpants with their new chicks in the mud walled hen house.

Video on You Tube

We have posted a 15 minute video to give an overview of the last six months. Tembo-Kenya 2010-2011 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdDSAml3uZI&feature=youtube_gdata Thank you for your supprt

Safely home

We arrived home in Victoria on Wednesday this week. It is always sad to leave our good Kenyan friends who always shower us with warm wishes and small gifts. On the table in this picture is an insulated basket which is used much like a 'slow cooker' and keeps food warm. I am also wearing another gift--a necklace made of painted horn.

Now we are home (and once we have recovered from the jet lag) we shall be busy with presentations and reports that are due. There will be only a few messages to the blog. Please remember us and come back at the end of the summer.

The springs are done

Shikoti

Mukongolo

The last Saturday we were in Kenya we were able to visit the two springs I told you about two messages ago. Just scroll down the blog to see the pictures of the contaminated pools where whole communities were drawing their water. One spring was completely finished at Shikoti. The other at Mukongolo needed a couple more days work.

Although the work on both springs was organised by Tembo-Kenya, the funding came through a donation for 'One Drop of Hope' Dedication plaques will be installed

Nixon's workshop

Nixon is our well contractor busy right now working on the two springs to be protected. Over the years he has done excellent work for us. He is a first class organiser (not always a Kenyan strength) and has a tabulated list of communities that want a water project, all assessed with a vi st and an estimate.

He has set up a workshop and makes the pumps for the rope and washer installations. Always looking for new ways to increase his business and also to help his community.

Here is his picture. The sign might not be clear in this reduced size, but he is advertising his concrete rings, his repairs and the pumps as well as window and door manufacture.

more donations!

The generosity of Canadians is amazing. Just as I wrote the last message for the blog we heard of a donation of books for a school (our committee will take care of this) and a gift to protect water springs. Protecting a spring means that sufficient cover is supplied to prevent run off from fields and houses (particularly latrines) so that the water stays uncontaminated. Most of these springs (of which there are many in the area) serve 200-400 people per day. Very few of them dry out in the dry season, so they are in constant demand. Here are the pictures of the two we have chosen.

We have a list of communities asking for a well (about $2500), or a protected spring (about $750) or- for rocky areas- a water harvesting system (from the roof) (about $1200)