2020 - Year of Pandemic and Possibility!
In the “Year of COVID” we’ve done our best to maintain our 20/20 vision for the future!
TREES FOR LIFE - The year started with ambitious plans for implementation of our Trees for Life Project (TFL) at four Integrated Child Development Center Sites. TFL seeks to combine community environmental education, reforestation, climate change mitigation and carbon sequestration into one effort. Our goal is for each child and their family to plant one tree each term at each ICDC unit. When fully implemented this will translate into 3000 trees planted each year! The program provides income generation opportunities for both ICDC units and recipients. We are grateful to the Baugh family for a grant that will enable us to complete the first phase of implementation.
COVID-19 RELIEF - By March it became clear that COVID-19 was in Kenya. The government responded by closing schools for the remainder of the year. With the assistance of a relief grant from the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship combined with ongoing nutritional support from the Kenya Health Initiative of Knollwood Baptist Church, we mobilized to provide emergency food rations at each of our project locations throughout Kenya. Our goal was a stop gap measure until schools reopen in January 2021.
RENOVATION AND CONSTRUCTION - With schools closed we took the occasion to move forward with renovations at three ICDC units. This included refurbishing or replacing pit latrines and water collection gutters and tanks where necessary. The Gary Moser Fund generously provided funds for a brand new block of classrooms for our Sisit ICDC. This new facility provides a dedicated space for early childhood development for the first time! In Kasei, we were privileged to be able to build a new building to replace the church that had collapsed during torrential rains. The new building will serve as both a church and a meeting hall for our ICDC unit and the larger community.
PSIKOR BRIDGE REBUILD - A suspended bridge that we had previously constructed over the Wei Wei river had faithfully provided safe passage to and from market, school and clinic for the Sangat/Sisit/Tamkal communities for several years. Until 2019 that is, when unprecedented flooding swept away virtually every bridge and crossing in the region, including road bridges. With the know-how of our long time partner Bridging the Gap and your support, we were able to rebuild this essential crossing and the new bridge was opened in November!
BULA IFTIN WATER CATCHMENT - Our Integrated Child Development Center in Garissa sought to take advantage of the annual flooding of the Tana River to provide dry-season irrigation for the school farm. Led by Rukia Afey Mohammed, the project took shape with funding from BGAV Hunger Initiative to construct a water catchment. Immediately after the earthworks were complete, the rain came down, flooding occurred and the design worked perfectly! Now the community will benefit from an extended growing season through irrigation.
SCHOLARS - While primary and secondary schools closed due to COVID, our three university students continued to progress through their respective programs. In December we celebrated the graduation of Elizabeth Adeya from the Nursing Program at University of Nairobi, the result of sustained support from Peoria Christian Fellowship to see her through!