Current high needs in Kenya (Anthony Moggaless's advice)

Some of you have received an e-mail from me recently. Here I informed you about my coming up trip to Kenya and the ideas of needs that are current there. Before my departure on december 9th I hope to raise enough money (approximately €1050,-) to realize those projects. I have asked my friend Anthony Moggaless for advice on where the highest needs currently are in Kenya. I asked him what his ideas were on how to put it into effective practise right away for the local people and children. He answered me the following:
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Anthony: “The needs are many and the suggestions on what to do many as well. But I believe we need ideas that once implemented will be self sustaining and people empowering.”

1. Fixing the water tank at Compassion Project KE-320 (the one Melvin attends) is good, since there is a major water problem and the tank will go along way in helping meet this need. This will also help people save the money they would have spent to purchase water elsewhere. The churches where the water tanks are located can use this opportunity to reach out to the local area people.
The issue is they have never used it due to lack of funds to purchase and fix the pipes needed to enable them store the water and use it. So after we did the calculations on how much will be needed to do the piping, the total came to 17,000 Shilling (€170,-). This price includes the purchase of all the materials needed as well as labour needed to do the work. There is a major need for water tanks everywhere. What we can do is identify other key areas other than KE-320 or Mathare-slum that seriously need water tanks and meet that need. Fixing the water tank is approximately €170,-.

2. In case we raise more money for more water tanks (€170,- per tank), we could arrange to bring them in the key areas that need them desperately right now.

3. Most of the Compassion-projects in Kenya are in major need of stationery for the children. That is something we can do; help the children have a notebook and pen. Something they can use for like three months, which is a long time, and will save the parents with the burden of having to buy for them. (For them it is a lot of money). (€160,- for 250 children)

4. Something else; I saw the roof for three of the classes at Compassion-project KE-301 is falling apart and children are forced to read outside in the open air. It’s a need you can ask God to help you meet. The costs of repair comes to approximately €550,-.

IN TOTAL WE NEED: €1050,-.
(this includes 1 new watertank for a key-area, but the more we raise, the more can be given)
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To all:
I have no idea at this point (end of October) how much money eventually will be given or what the total amount is going to be... but I will keep you updated on this blog, for sure! :-)

E-mail or call me if you have any questions!
For those who want to make this happen...
Giro: 6221029, S.B. Officer
(put in comment: GIFT FOR KENYA)
THANK YOU and blessings all over the place!

Panorama Kenya

Mombasa beach

Skyline Nairobi

Nairobi traffic

Safari Africa

Masai jump

Tharaka tribe warrior

Gabbra tribe women

Masai Mara


Slum

Mathare slum


Street in Mathare slum

Why I go

The art will be to briefly describe why I decided about a year ago to want to go back to Kenya…
Knowing me, you know I am able to practically write out a trilogy of my thoughts, motives, conversations and everything that passed my mind with regards to the big and wide subject ‘Poverty’. Still, I shall try. :)

Concrete: I have grown, in the 23 years of life-experience (counted until October 2008), used to a certain way of living or a certain way to stand in life. A medley of character, upbringing, experience and culture.
But after seeing a complete different world and having that as an experience for only 2,5 weeks, I want to go back;
Go back to take the time to deepen my view in the differences of the lives and the way people are there.
To ask questions which I maybe didn’t dare to ask in the first visit.
Hopefully to find more touchable answers in the search of how I can stand in the diversity and those differences.
Why did I experience ‘something’ there of dignity and colour in people, a positivism which is beyond, a hope in the most desperate circumstances?
And how can I, personally, find the right balance, shape the correct vision and gain in knowledge?
To generalize would be too easy and words are only black on white. That is why I want to enter the experience again.
So in that way it can shape another piece of my heart. I pray God will use this month to show me more of His heart and love, His faithfulness and character.

Very practically I will mostly listen a lot to people; ask them questions, be busy on projects requested to work on from Compassion Netherlands. Though, my motive of going is quite personal: I want to absorb the overall more and paste out the intense impressions of my first time to Kenya, take the time for people and self-reflection.

Enter Kenya

A first message. From today on I will post messages which will go hand in hand with the preperations that I assemble for my trip to Kenya.
Coming up December 9th I depart. January 9th I return. Leave any comment, I would enjoy that very much! Enjoy the read.