3 New Classrooms Built with the Community of Kasei

Thanks to generous support from a valued partner, the community of Kasei will in January inhabit three new classrooms we were privileged to construct with them after the failure of our efforts to bring water to that community.  The "before and after" pictures below tell the story.

Original Classroom

Original classroom, interior

Newly Completed Classroom

Traveling to Beni, DRC

Among other things this month was a road trip to Beni, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, via Uganda, at the invitation of Congo Initiative.  I continue to be amazed at the beauty and abundance of this equatorial region.  Seeing piles and piles of timber awaiting transport from DRC to the East, however, left me wondering how long this abundance will last.  I share some related reflections here. 

Building Churches and Training Teachers

The completion of a permanent church / multipurpose hall to serve the Nakwijit community was heralded by the entire community as a milestone.  The moderator of the Baptist Convention of Kenya, Rev. Elijah Wanje, was on hand to officiate at the dedication ceremony. 

Our annual seminar this year focused on the teachers at each of our educational units.  Teachers are the backbone of these programs and are often the unsung heroes as they daily and together meet the needs of over 600 children across the country.  We are so grateful for their dedication and do all we can to help hone their skills and provide support.

100 Meters Deep and No Water to Drink

Not all projects are successful.  After months of planning, technical surveys, permits and mobilization, our attempts to find water in Kasei through drilling did not bear fruit. We pulled the drilling rig out after two attempts of around 100 meters.

Now we are focusing on other ways to help the community through construction of two classrooms for their Early Childhood Development program that will replace the existing structure that has served them up to this point.

An existing classroom at Kasei

Drilling to find water

Renovation at Ulungu ICDC

We continue our rennovation process at existing ICDC units.  The windmill structure at Ulungu (built by others) needed major rennovation which we carried out successfully to enable the children, the community and various projects to have the water they need.