Smiles

This story has touched my heart. It comes from Lena from Switzerland who is one of Fiwagoh's most faithful supporters and a regular visitor to the orphanage. It makes me reflect on my own children and how freely ... and spontaneously ... and infectiously they smile.

Lena and the Smilers!

"I would also like to mention that I often see children with a smile when I meet them the second time. When they come to the orphanage they are hardly able to smile because of the circumstances in their lives that have weighed them down. Elizabeth is just one example. I noticed how she was smiling this time. In October 2010 I had not received one single smile from her. She explained to me that before she had no reason to smile. Hannah Muthoni also is a wonder when it comes to smiling. She had come to the orphanage before my first visit in the beginning of 2009. Many times I had tried to get her to smile. But it was impossible. But this time she approached me with a big smile. It had taken her several years until she learned to smile. Most children are learning it within half a year."
Lena Clerk - Volunteer 

What an incredible story! Imagine if one of the key performance measures for our work was our ability to generate smiles!

First Aid and Medical Supplies Leave Brisbane

Thanks to the wonderful support of David Hobson at First Aid Kits Australia, we have been able to purchase an enormous amount of supplies (approx $6000 worth, two pallet loads) for $700 and these have now been shipped. This will make a huge difference to the little in-house clinic where the senior children treat the little ones. Claudia, the regular visiting volunteer doctor will be back in house soon, so she will get a lovely surprise when the goods arrive.
Thanks to all our generous donors who have helped make this happen and of course to David. You are an angel in disguise!

New Website!

We are also now the proud owners of a website that will direct you straight to this blog.
The link is as follows:
www.fiwagoh.org.au

New Projects

As the garden project has become a reality, we have now identified the next two priorities that we want to focus on.
One is to replace a very old and decrepit van that is used to collect food and run essential errands into town and move the children when necessary. Due to it’s many problems, each outing is marred by repeated breakdowns!  For example a two hour trip to Nairobi takes all day. If it weren't for their ingenuity in making repairs (using 'pantihose and coathangers'), there would be no vehicle!! A new or good quality second hand vehicle would change their lives!
The other project is to construct another building to house a trade school, further educating the older students for life after Fiwagoh. At the time of Sue's visit in January a lot of tools and other donated items were yet to be put into use as there is not enough space in the current buildings to enable an effective learning space/workshop to be set up. The older children were expressing their concerns to Sue during her visit as they are approaching the age where they will have to leave Fiwagoh and they desperately need skills to be able to support themselves.
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News from the Garden

Two months ago today, thanks so much generosity, we were able to forward $17000 to Fiwagoh for the garden project.Today's news is that the two tanks have been completed. This means that they have a large holding tank near the borehole. This water supply will be piped to the garden using the irrigation system that has also been purchased with our funds. A second smaller tank has been built and will be plumbed into the orphanage living quarters for the house supply and will be fitted to the desalination unit that has been donated out of the blue, to be shipped from Brisbane shortly along with a water pump also donated. This will reduce operating costs significantly as they are currently paying for a water supply from the local council.
They have also taken delivery of the Poshamill that Sue organised when she was in Kenya in January and they are now milling their own flour which also saves them money.
The garden is now producing pumpkins, some soy beans, carrots and greens. This supply will improve greatly as the new water supply takes effect.
As of this week the three greenhouses funded by our donations are being installed and the installers are training the staff and children in how to best make use of these facilities. Among other things, they have plans to grow organic spirulina which is an amazingly nutritious food.
The very exciting news is that these new developments are not only helping the orphanage but also the community at large as the public are invited to come and use the poshamill, obtain water and they will also be able to share in the produce from the garden as the supply exceeds the demands of the orphanage. Benson and Florence are so excited to be able to help the community at large, as always, with their unrelenting spirit of sharing.

First Aid Supplies Ordered

Today we ordered our first aid supplies to be shipped ASAP. What a surprise Benson and Florence will get....a whole pallet load of bandages, bandaids, alcohol swabs, disenfectant, dressings, eye pads, burn treatment, triangular bandages, a blood pressure machine and stethoscope, etc etc!! How exciting!!

Medical Supplies

We have found an amazing man who sells first aid supplies. He happens to have a grandson adopted from Africa so is particularly keen to give us a hand. He is willing to sell us approx $6000 worth of supplies for $1000. To date we have received $100 towards this target. If we can fund the remainder these supplies will be able to be sent with the desalination plant. If you can help please refer to the 'Donate' tab.
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