Kindfund

Greetings we arrived last night at the Mennonite Guest House in Nairobi by Toyoto estate car courtesy of the owner of the Uniform Shop in Isiolo. We were able to hire for a few days to complete some business here in Nairobi and visit Clifford [runs our bible programme] at Athy River South of Nairobi off the Mombasa Road. He is graduating from the 5 month YWAM course we sent him on. Recommended by the Cowans from Tuum as ideal to relax there is a real peace here....

I left you last Thur frenetically trying to pack too much into the day. Locham delivered the food to the Blind Unit and the Children's home while I uploaded our report unto the website. We had loaded with cement and other requirements to complete the shower block at base and arrived back in time to watch the sun set. Heat can be unbearable in the early afternoon but at this time it becomes very pleasant.

Fri 22nd: We are all tired so a slow start as we prepare for our visit to the Rendile. After morning worship a queue under the tree. I busy myself with the builders while Pamela and Nancy deal with the requests. Locham is busy loading the landrover with our things plus the Afridev hand pump James will install on the borehole he dug and capped last October at Sokitie, Rendille village . On Wed while Nancy and I were busy with the Sec Sch kids in Isiolo, Locham had taken the matatu to Meru with a cheque for 43,000ks to collect the pump we had ordered from Mohamed Moti. We had also put together a list of spares we wanted to buy for our store to service the pumps we have installed. 
At the last minute before we are leaving a delegation from the village with a request for us to help with the water project. I ask them to see Nancy and they leave me a letter. We will consider later.
Around 11am we are ready to go. It is getting hot and the road is corrugated. Five of us head North for a few days adventure with the Rendille.

At Archers Post we stop to greet Samuel who supervises our orphan feeding programme. We have to pay him for the 16 Turkana blankets he sent to us to be made into curtains for the Blind Unit and Pamela sees the first two Samburu neck and shoulder necklaces she has ordered. They are beautiful and will be used at home. A quick soda and then on North. The road remains very rough for the first 40 minutes. We see some Chinese engineers surveying the road. Tarmac may come soon!
After we pass Serilipi a family of elephants cross the road in front of us. We stop at the spot to discover water lying and a large bull elephant bathing just off the side of the road. On for another hour to Merille. We are tired and hungry, hot and shaken. Time for a pit stop. The local hotel provides goat stew and rice washed down with a soda.

The tarmac road will come this far - soon!. On again to Laisamis. Just a further 20 min and more sand with less corrugations.
A crowd on the side of the road. An accident. We stop. A Danish girl has rolled her station wagon with passangers. No-one is too bad. Some cuts. She is waiting for the police to come from Laisamis. We leave her with some extra drinking water. She is with a Danish charity and has back up.

At Laisamis we have business at the Sec School to pay the fees for a young Rendile man we have sponsored there. We meet the headmaster. We dont know the boys name but he discovers a note against one boy saying fees to be paid by Kindfund. We write the cheque and meet Paul. He is overcome. He never expected to get to Sec Sch. He is 17yrs. Nancy completes the sponsorship form and I take his photo. He takes my hand and insists on conducting me around the various classrooms and then out to meet his new friends watching others play football. He wont let my hand go. Back to the car to meet Pamela. He promises to work hard and pray for us every day. He addresses us as Mother and Father. He has been picked out of poverty and set in a high place. This is the work God gives us to do. We struggle to understand such gratitude pointing the way to Jesus.
We arrange for him to come to our base at Ngaremara at end of term to meet the other students and have fellowship. When he learns we are going to his village ha passes his greetings to his family.

On through the police barrier North branching West just Noth of Laisamis. Another 25kms but now on sand. Comfortable except for the occasional seasonal river bed. We arrive through stark mountains at Raphael and Lucy's enclosure in Sokitei just at sunset. Much greetings and getting organised before dark. Their two children still afraid of the white skin. A young man Francis is there. He has walked from a distant village because he has heard that someone has been helping Rendile get to Sec School.

Nancy will sleep in the house with the family. Locham and James on the ground outside on the sheltered side from the wind. Pamela and I in a traditional guest house on our roll mats. We have supper and chat for a while before retiring. Sleep comes quickly. We are tired.

Sat 23rd: We split leaving James to install the handpump with some local help. We deposit him with cement and materials and drive 20kms further West to the village of Lokachula where we are supporting two women running a nursery school. Semi desert now as we cross a very big dry river bed. Food has not been delivered for three months so we have six 45kg bags of flour salt and fat for them. People gather slowly as they hear we have arrived. We see where they get there water from a pool in the rock. When this dries up there is a six hour walk for water. We look around for a suitable spot to dig a borehole and install a handpump. This village will be our next water project.

Clothes here are in short supply, most of the young boys are naked, girls little better. People have gathered under a large tree. We worship together and then introduce ourselves. Pamela and Nancy distribute some childrens clothes to the women. We have water and some cups. All the children want a drink. We speak with the elder and decide to go over to their village to offload the flour and supplies. Six women have been helping with cooking, collecting firewood and water for the nursery school. We agree that our support should be divided among the six but that in future the parents of the children should provide the firewood. The elder and the two women leading the project agree. They have made a flask of tea and we share with them in the house. Children outside pulling back pieces of cardboard the form the walls to see the white people.
We have been well received and agree that we will deliver once per month except when the river is in flood. Then they will send a donkey to Raphaels to collect. Time to go back. Everyone wants a lift and we leave Locham to sort out the priority.

Back at base we visit the new handpump on the way. There has been a drama. James slipped in the well and fell into 10 ft of water. He was upheld by God in his own words because it took the helpers a long time to get a rope to him. It was hot and exhausting for him. We thank God he is safe and we have learnt a lesson always to have an experienced helper with him when he is working. This was only 30 ft when he has dug down to 70 ft fo us but we must not grow careless. The village has promised him a goat for his work.
We talk till late. I even get the mouth organ out for a while.

Sunday 24th: We meet with about 70 for morning worship. After we travel to our third Nursery school village of Losidan about 15kms South West. They are not expecting us but soon gather. We again look for somewhere we can sink a borehole and James recognises a spot. The village elders agree they will support him and provide for the two men when they come to dig. This will be our third Rendile water project with one completed. We explain that we will not start till mid year. I speak briefly to the elders and look forward to being back mid year. Raphael has brought some animal medicine for one man. He repays with a goat so we have an extra passanger. Time to go. There are 5 children to bring back to board at the primary school at Sokitie.

We are leaving in the morning so some requests which we leave Raphael to deal with after some advice from us. We will have Francis for Sec School, a man and his mother to take to hospital, two women to take to Merille and a man and his goat to take to market. The mother of Paul the young man we have sent to Laisamis Sec Sch visits us to say thank you. Later she sends another son with a small gourd of goats milk. They are very poor and another brother has Downes syndrome. She is grateful for the help.

Mon 25th: We have a surprise for breakfast. Someone has brought an ostrich egg from a nearby village and Nancy is making omlettes for 12. We all enjoy - seems like chicken egg to me. Raphael is presenting us with a small goat so we put the three goats in sacks with their heads out and they sit peacefully on the floor at the back of our landrover 109. Some more photos and a lot of goodbyes and we are off to Laisamis. Thirty minutes later one goat and passanger offloaded. Then to the hospital. Old mama and son dropped. We will call back. Upthe street again throught the barrier and out to the Govt Offices to introduce ourselves to the District Commissioner. We meet his two District Officers. Give them a quick resume of our work and then off to the Sec Sch with the boy (18yrs). The school agrees to admit him, We pay the fees. We discuss how best to equip him. We dont have the time to take him to Isiolo. The headmaster agrees to take him to Marsabit the next day and equip him. We give him 8000ks and obtain a receipt. Nancy fills in Sponsorship form, the boy writes to a potential sponsor and I take the photo.
Back to the hospital. The doctor will operate on the mama tomorrow if we will pay 800ks. We pay and leave 200 with the son to cover food for a couple of days. A soda, we are already parched in the growing heat. South to Merille for lunch at the hotel. This time just chai but two good mugs. Pamela sticks with the sodas.

At Serilipi the elephant is still around the waterhole. I get a couple of photos and then hard driving to Archers Post where Samuel has japatis and stew ready.

On to base camp before dark, what a lovely shower we have!

Tue 26th: Very tired this am. Slow start but all the usual things to do. Locham and I are about to leave when we have two unexpected visitors. Mike the American Peace Corps worker from the Deaf School calls with a collegue. We enjoy their company. They stay to have lunch together. We set out with them for Isiolo leaving Pamela and Nancy. The car needs urgent attention so to BP and a list of things to replace after all the bumping of the last couple of weeks. Lilian left in town to go to the bank and shop while we pick up the beds repaired and take to the Childrens Home 5kms out of town. Solar working ok here. Visit Blind Unit. Good to see cabbage out for cooking - I had left 500ks for greens last visit. Curtain poles not up. Need to call with engineering works in town. Man has let him down so we quickly identify another. Locham will take up on Wed after we leave for Nairobi. Spot design fault with tiebacks and ask for alterations. Back into Isiolo. Pick up crate of sodas for camp along with other shopping - tank for top of shower units, cement and some fittings.
Overtired tonight. Moon waning but still bright. Signs of weather changing as we had short shower today in Isiolo. Rains due end March.

Wed 27th: Locham will leave us to Isiolo. I will drive hire car to Nairobi. We set off. Pamela, Nancy, Lilian and Glory.Visitors to site asked to come back next week. First car has problems. Owner decides to give us the estate but it must be washed. It is 12.15 and we have to stop in Nanyuki!

At Nanyuki we meet Robin Slade. He wants us to see an old Toyoto Land Cruiser which has had a new engine put in. I decide Locham needs to see it. The owner is asking 700,000 ks (6k) but may take less. We take our leave and set out for Nairobi where we arrive at the guest house at 6pm. My shirt is sticking to me after 240kms in the heat of the day. Indeed nearly fell asleep with the heat a couple of times but the automatic drove well.

Thur 29th: Restless sleep but comfortable surroundings. Called the planner in Marallel. Cannot send the map as the Council surveyor is maintaining it is correct. They will go to Wamba on Monday to decide. We call back. We will also be in Wamba as we need to be sure of map. We need confirmation that they will be there as we want to involve our builder and others in a site meeting. Have made those arrangements. Pray that this time they will turn up and we can close this saga.
We have rested this am in the grounds here. Clifford has called and given us directions to Athy River for tomorrow. We enjoy lunch and make contacts with several Americans staying here.

Time for us here is now running fast. Please pray that we can achieve all that needs our attention. Particularly in relation to the Wamba home being started, the meeting with Govt officials about the Blind Unit and our visit to the private Primary School at Serena we are being asked to support.

Thank you for your prayerful support

Greetings from sunny Nairobi

Ken and Pamela