WE VISIT KYAITHANI SCHOLARSHIP STUDENTS (SEPT30/2011)

During our recent visit to Ndandini and Kyaithani we had the opportunity to talk with each of the 9 students who received a $300 scholarship this past year.

They are all studying very hard for their final exams for this year.  Many of them are coming to school by 4:30am each day to study using the newly installed solar lights at the Kyaithani Secondary School.

There are now 112 students in 3 forms.  As Kimali, the principal of the school, told us "every one of the students comes from a home which is desperately poor and is making huge sacrifices to send their child to school".

There are many more students that could be helped if we could raise more donor funds to supply these $300/year scholarships.

While we were there we also were privileged to be able to deliver an internet-enabled PC, a 32" LCD TV, dvd player, the full National Geographic magazine library (on a hard drive), many educational DVDs and a camera - all made possible by your donations.

The students recited a poem to us for you:

"Donors.  We asked for water and you gave us water.
Donors.  We asked for light and you gave us light.
Donors.  We asked for education and you gave us education (the scholarships).
We thank you.
May God bless you,
and bring you long life."

Terry

THANKS FOR THE SOLAR LIGHTING

Here is an email we just received from the principal of the Kyaithani Secondary School where we recently completed the installation of a solar system to light two of their three classrooms.

Terry

Jambo Terry

It gives me a lot of pleasure to see the students making use of the solar light to improve their academic performance. The young girls and boys get to school as early as 4:30 am to do morning preps. This greatly compensates for the unfavourable conditions at most of the family backgrounds. 

Please thank all the donors.

Keep up the good work. 

Regards  Kimali

Scholarship Fund reaches a Milestone!

I am so happy to report that with the donation just received from Barb & Ivan Strom (retired teachers) we now have 9 funded scholarships for the coming year - as many as we provided last year!  Thanks to everyone who has helped us reach this milestone already.

Now the challenge is - how many scholarships can our growing community of donors and humanitarians provide for this coming year?

Kyaithani Secondary School has about 120 students, most from families struggling desperately to keep their child in school.  The Ndandini and Kyaithani area is suffering from the same drought and famine conditions that you are seeing on TV in Eastern Kenya where the camp is for the Somalian refugees.  Having been to Ndandini and Kyaithani several times a year since 2007, I can verify that trying to live there is most difficult.  With average family incomes of only $1/day, it is extremely difficult for a parent to put any of their children through school.

Thanks again for all your help as we try to help these very needy villagers and students.

Terry

SOLAR POWER ARRIVES at KYAITHANI HIGH SCHOOL

Here is an emil I just received from Kimal, the principal of Kyaithani Secondary School in Kenya.

Jambo Terry

It is with profound pleasure that I report to you that the bright light has given rise to very high levels of optimism within the entire Kyaithani Secondary School fraternity. The solar light will surely be productively used to enhance the academic standings of the students.

On behalf of the students, parents, teachers and the wider community, I sincerely thank you and the donors for the invaluable gifts to the villagers. Keep up the good work. 

Regards
Kimali

A GREAT START to next year's scholarship program!

I am very pleased to announce that we have received a very generous donation from Carol Hickman which will allow FOUR $300 scholarships to be provided for high school students at the Kyaithani Secondaary School next year.

Thank you Carol!!

Terry

FINAL SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS FOR THIS YEAR ADVANCED

We have now completed the provision of the us$300 of scholarships for this year for each of the nine students at the Kaithani Secondary School in Kenya.

We are now looking for donations to start the program for the coming year.  I hope that everyone who contributed this past year will donate again and perhaps even consider increasing your contribution?  We are also looking for more donors so that we can hopefully increase the niumber of students receiving a scholarship. 

With family incomes int he area of only $1/day, it is almost impossible for an average family to pay the $300/year that it costs to send a child to high school.

Please read the letters below which we recently received from teh scholarship recipients.  you will see that they are most grateful and also plead for us to help more of the needy students at their school.

Terry

2011/07/13

From Kelvin

Form 3, Kyaithani Secondary School

"I appreciate your concern so much on my education. I received the money that you sent to me. The money in the first term 11,740 shillings and the second term 13,760 was used to cater for my school fee, uniform and other learning facilities. I was unable to attain my goal (academic target) but through your support I will attain my vision of becoming engineer. I appreiate your hardwork of helping and may God bless your hard work. If it is possible may the support be extended to other suffering students in the school." (signed) Kelvin

2011/07/12

From Maureen

Kyaithani Secondary School

"I have written this letter to acknowledge that I have received money from you. The money which you have been contributing to me is helping to facilitate my education. In first term I received 11,740 shillings and in the second term I received 13,760.

The money has been used to pay my school fee, to buy my school requirements and my school uniform. I am at school comfortably working hard to get grades which will enable me to be an engineer. I appreciate your contribution and I kindly request you continue supporting me and other needy students in our school. Thank you and may God bless you." (signed) Maureen

2011/07/12

From Stombua

Form 2, Kyaithani Secondary School

"I am glad to write this letter to inform you that I am among the nine students that are being supported by your contribution. I would like to inform you that I have received the amount of money you had sent. This money have been helping my education to kick off well. First term I received 11,740 Ksh. Second term I received 13,760 Ksh. I am appreciating for the money has assisted me a lot. It has been used to pay for my school fee, learning materials and my school uniform. I am aspiring to be an engineer and through your support I hope I will achieve my dream. Kindly, I request you continue supporting me in my education and inform you that there are other needy suffering students in our school. I request you assist them where possible. May God help you as you continue supporting me. Thank you." (signed) Stombua

2011/07/13

From Faith

Form 2, Kyaithani Secondary School

"I am among the nine students who are receiving the aid from you. I am writing this letter to admit that I have received the money you had sent. First term I got 11,740 shillings and the second term I received 13,760 and the total is 25,500 shillings. I am appreciating because the money helped me a lot. It was used to pay for school fees, provide for my reading materials and my school requirements and my school uniform. My ambition is to be a doctor in my future life. My hope is that through the money I will achieve my dream. I beg the way you have done to me to do the same to the other needy students in our school who are suffering. Otherwise, may God bless you as you continue supporting me to be a better person in the future. i am promising to do all my bet in my academics. Thank you." (signed) Faith

2011/07/13

From Felistus

Form 3, Kyaithani Secondary School

"I am hereby appreciating for your care and concern of my precious studies in your support to make my future bright. I received the term one school fees 11,740 Ksh and the term two school fees 13,760 Ksh. This have catered for my upkeep in school and also my school requirements including the uniform.

As much as I would wish to say is just to work hard academically and have good conduct so as to achieve the target goal of being a doctor or a teacher. Again I request please if possible you extend this donation to some other needy students in our school. This is because it is out of generosity that someone will feel blessed by God.

Nonetheless I remain prayerful that Lord God will keep on opening doors for you and provide more. Actually it is helping very much.

Wishing you God's blessings in all your endeavours. Yours faithfully" (signed) Felistus

2011/07/13

From John

Form 3, Kyaithani Secondary School

"I hereby acknowledge that I received 11,740 shillings in the first term and 13,760 this term thus totalling to 25,500. I appreciate for this amount has been used to pay my school fees, revision books, a full set of school uniform and other school requirements. It has enabled me to run my academics well. I beg that you extend your mercy to other needy students in our school. I pray that God may bless your life. My ambition is to become an accountant and through your support I will do it. I promise to put all my efforts in academics. May God bless you. Thank you. Yours faithfull" (signed) John

2011/07/12

From Joseph

Form 1, Kyaithani Secondary School

"For your care, I thank you very much. The money which you have assisted to me as a school fees first term was 11,740 shillings. It catered me very well. I thank you for your contribution.

I'm very happy that the money which I received in second term was 13,760 shillings. It was used as a school fees and some for buying learning materials such as school uniform.

Towards my decision making I'm going to achieve my goals. I will also do well in (KCSE) examination. My career is that I want to be an engineer. I thank you very much and I also pray for you to continue bringing more money. God may bless you and also your world. Yours sincerely" (signed) Joseph

2011/07/12

From Shadrack

Form 1, Kyaithani Secondary School

I humbly take this chance to thank you for the amount of money you sent to school to be used as my school fees. I am happy for your contribution.

I confirm that I received 11,740 shillings in the first term and 13,760 shillings in the second term. It was used to buy for me learning materials and paying for me my school fees. With the assistance you are giving to me, I will be able to achieve my goal. My aim is to get a grade of B+ and above so that I can join University. I would like to be an accountant.

I wish that you continue bringing in more money. I also wish that you expand that project to the other needy students in our school. I promise that I will do well in my last exam (KCSE) in this school. I pray to God to help you in your ways and bless all what you do. Thanks in advance. Yours sincerely" (signed) Shadrack

2011/07/13

From Sophia

Form 1, Kyaithani Secondary School

I kindly take this opportunity to thank you for your contribution that you gave me. For the first term you contributed 11,740 shillings to me. For the second term you gave me 13,760 shillings. I confirm that I received the money and I was bought some requirements and remaining one was paid to my school fees. I appreciate all what you did to me.

I am requesting you to continue bringing in more money for our school fees. I also tell you that if there is chance you can increase the numbers so that many of us can be helped. I promise to do very well in my studies to achieve the best. I would like to get a grade of B+ and above to achieve my career which is lawyer.

Without your help no where I can get the school fees. Hope you are going to receive my report. I will be glad if you receive it and answer it. May God bless you and love you as a cheerful giver. Thanks in advance. yours sincerely" (signed) Sophia

FIRST ADVANCE OF SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS COMPLETE

I am happy to report that this past month we have completed the fund raising for the scholarship project to allow us to support 9 secondary students this year at Kyaithani Secondary School.

We have already delivered the first (or three) cheques to cover the expenses of these students for the three terms.

We hope soon to have reports from Kyaithani which we will share with you all.

Keep watching for this.

The Sunshine Coast - Sechelt Rotary Club has also raised a project this year to not only support this scholarship project, but to also provide a solar system for the Kyaithani high school for lighting of the two classrooms and for a computer (with internet connection).

With the support of our donors this should prove to be a very good year for Kyaithani!

We are looking for donors now to begin our fund raising for these 9 student scholarships for next year.  will you consider helping.  It takes $300 to support one student for one year.  But every little bit helps.  If you can help, go to the DONATE button near the top right of the main screen.

Thanks

Terry & Joan

Students Recommended for Scholarships

The principal and administration of the Kyaithani Secondary School has presented us with the following list of students that they are recommending be provided with the first scholarships from our scholarship program.  It is very hard to read the reasons for these recommendations and know that there are many more students at the school that also have similar situations.

Kimali, the principal, advises that all these students are very disciplined and industrious and perform well in class.  He says "we are optimistic that the Scholarship Program will give the students the provisions, confidence and impetus to fully exploit their academic potential for personal and social development in the future.  Once again, thanks for making the scholarship program dream come true".

We hope that our program will make a real difference in the lives of these students and that our base of donors to the program will grow so that we will not only be able to provide funding to these students next year, but also provide scholarships for more needy students in this school.

Here is a photo of the 9 students.  From left to right they are:
John, Kelvin, Felistus, Doreen, Maureen, Faith, Sophia, Joshua and Joseph

Keep watching this blog for updates.

Terry & Joan

John  Male, born 04June 1994, in Form 3 with 305/500 grades.  Desparate situation as parents are separated and no one cares for his welfare.  Wants to become an accountant.

Kelvin  Male, born 25Dec 1993, in Form 3 with 345/500 grades.  Desparate situation as parents are separated and the mother cares for him out of casual jobs.  Wants to become an engineer.

Felistus  Female, born 06July 1993, in Form 3 with 289/500 grades. Humble with peasant farming parents and four other children in school.  Wants to become a doctor.

Doreen  Female, in Form 2 with 258/500 grades.  Comes from a large family of 8 children with no regular incomes for the parents.  Wants to become an engineer.

Maureen  Female, born 19Dec 1992, in Form 2 with 286/500 grades.  Desparate situation as the parents have 5 children in school and no formal employment.  Wants to become an engineer.

Faith  Female, born 22May 1995, in Form 2 with 318/500 grades.  Parents have 3 children in school and no regular sources of income.  wants to become a doctor.

Sophia  Female, in Form 1 with 323/500 grades.  Desparately poor family and none of the siblings have gone through secondary school.  Wants to become a lecturer.

Joseph  Males, in Form 1 with 286/500 grades.  Is a partial orphan with no prospects for the future.  Wants to become a teacher.

Joshua  Male, in Form 1 with 319/500 grades.  Is a partial orphan with a bleak future.  Wants to become a diplomat.

Making Progress Slowly

As of the first half of January, it looks like enrollment at the Kyaithani secondary school this term will be about 125 students.  This is a bit higher than expected due to two factors: (1) the cost of boarding school is rising making that even less possible for the poor people of the Ndandini area, and (2) the "short rains" of November and December have once again failed which is leading to food shortages and will have a negative impact on family income.

The good news is that so far our fund has attracted enough donations to allow us to provide for 9 scholarships.  About 5 of these are a result of donations through this site.  The congregation at St.. Hilda's Anglican church in Sechelt BC has once again shown their generosity and support for the people of Ndandini and has raised $900 to provide three additional scholarships.  Thank you St. Hilda's - your support for the greenhouse at the Ndandini Priimary School and now your support of the scholarship program at the high school is wonderful!

Keep watching for more information as we move forward with the program.

Terry & Joan