Soar Kenya

Dear soar-kenya. Happy new year 2010. My name is calvin jodisi a former student at hopewell high school. I completed in the year 2007. I came to know about soar-kenya for the first time in the year 2007 when maryann hoff and ruth gibbs visited hopewell. They were so caring and loving and was always ready to listen to students stories even though sometimes some stories sounded boring but they were always ready to listen. They had a big heart for us and they always smiled. I remember before maryann and ruth went back to the U.S.A they took us to the game park, it was my first time to be at the park. It was so exciting to spend the whole day at the park. During 2008 january when we had the post-election violence in our country and many people people died. I was almost affected but the security was increased and hence i stayed safe. the members of soar-kenya especially aileen and maryhoff was always there to encourage us. It was the most wonderful thing to know that someone cares for you. This same year is when aileen promised that she could support me with my collage education. It was quite amazing how this could happen since i did not know aileen and even i had not written to soar-kenya for any support. I just thanked GOD because i knew it was His divine connections. Aileen also informed madam nelly and Mr. Kahendah about it and they were happy about it too. I was able to join one of the collages here in kenya. The collage is. KENYA POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY COLLAGE. i am taking. DIPLOMA IN ACTUARIAL SCIENCE. Aileen pays for my collage fee and darleen johnson from california pays my accommodation fee, it is quite expensive but i know they does it out of love. I sometimes wonder how my life would have been if i did not know about soar-kenya, since i am an orphan maybe i could not have anyone to support me through. i will be going back to collage for the start of my second year and imagine what aileen has already sent the collage fee. I will make sure i post to you all my results as soon as they are out. I would like to thank Mr. Kahendah and madam nelly for their love and also thank maryhoff, aileen and entire soar-kenya team for what you are doing in kenya. Thanks for the big heart you all have. I would like to pray that the LORD may richly bless you in the year 2010. May you all have good health and always stay safe. Thank you all and thank you for your support and prayer. Love you so so much. Calvin. Kenya.
Calvinscooly@yahoo.com
Calvin Jodisi

Dear Mary,

I miss you and i wished you were here with Chris and Rene. that was so much fun! they were at the orphnage every day. Played with the kids, sometimes made us breakfast/ lunch and helped with laundry, cooking and other house chores. I wished you could do that with me as we gossip a little and share about life! I am happy with what i am doing and i just want to talk about it. I have 6 babies now. As i told you before, Mary and Steve left. The court got them relatives to live with. i have a beutiful 7 year old christine and her brother kevin who is 10 months old. they were left at a police stations gate by their mother and in a small paper bag they had, a suicidal note was found. The police have tried to trace her ever since dead or alive without any luck. I got a court order to take care of them. They are the sweetest babies. Its so nice to hear them call me mama. Its the greatest feeling. I am glad they came my way coz all they needed was love. From what i gather from Christine the mother mistreated her so much. You cant imagine that at her age, she can even change diapers, clean a baby and even feed them. She is too responsible for her age. Well, i am trying to slow her down now. I want her to play and be the kid she is. tommorow i take her for an interview at a nearby school. She is supposed to join class/grade one. She is bright and i hope she fares well at the interview.

Nicky was also attached to us by the court. He is 5 years old. With a 3 months old baby, they were rescued by a neighbor when the mom tried to strangle them. She was arrested and is still under police custody. The baby was taken to a different home. He will also be joining nursery school. I cant wait to take them to school in the morning and sit to do homework in the evening. Its a huge responsibily but i am ready for it.

The other new baby we got is baby Steve. We let him stay at the hospital because he weighed 1 kg and we didnt have an incubator in the house. They kept him until tuesday when he weighed 1.8kg. He is so tiny and cute. The mother tried arborting him several times then starved herself hoping to kill him but un/fortunately the baby survived. She fled from the hospital immediately after giving birth. We have him now, the little bundle of joy. He keeps me smiling. I have told you about Chris and Alice. They have grown so big and healthy. Well, we have lots of pics now and i will try to upload them for you. Rene created a facebook page for us. Please search Nellie’s orphanage on facebook.

I got the money, thank you so much. We did a lot of things with it i will send you a breakdown and receipts. The only thing i couldnt do was cement because that was taking up the whole amount and more so we opted for the garden , kitchen supplies and salaries. I will attach receipts. I want to be as open with you as i possibly can and i promise to account for every coin that is sent my way. I need help….my babies do and i will do anything to make sure that i do not compromise transparency and accountability. That 500 was of great help around here and i can never thank you enough. Sorry we couldnt get some bowls because i used up all the money and when Chris tried to he couldnt get nice ones. My guess was that it was festive season and most suppliers were home for xmas.

I have a lot to share with you. My new years resolution is to communicate more often. I will also try to update the facebook page as often as possible.

I hope you are well and in great health. Lots of love to Don.

Love you always.

Nelly

I am always so pleased to report that Soar-Kenya had a very good year considering the downturn in our own economy. I would like to thank every contributor, whether it was a task you did or money you handed out, it is really appreciated. I will give a more detailed account but this is a quick snapshot of the year and where it was given out. Donations totalled 20,331.00.
Hopewell Highschool received the most with 13,050.00. The money went for such things as fencing,land purchase, new simple kitchen,seeds, supplies,uniforms,electric bill,electric post,landscaping the library,trees,field trip to University,new sleeping pads for the preschool,continueing education of our 4 college students.
3500.00 went to Childrens Charity Center in Homa Bay. The money used for ,digging a well,hospital bill for child with aides,food,seed,ducks,Christmas party for the orphans.
900.00 went to Pauline from Barut Primary. Pauline has a feeding program at the school. She attempts to feed the very poorest students with this money.
Burgeii Environmental group-1610.00 sent for membership into their group,fencing,trees purchased,4 water tanks, food for a Christmas party of Community groups.
other
500.00- Vaccines for TB and refrigerator for storing them at the dispensary
300.00 Continueing education
100.00 school fees
400.00 Robert for planting and caring for trees
400.00 Alfred -director of Hanford high for his management class and seed money

Alice K. Shee: Thanks

Today at 8:21am
Where did the year go? Suddenly it is December……again - and we realize that with giant strides we started in January and within a blink of an eye, 2009 is on its back!

A big “Thank You” to you, for the huge impact you had on my life this year. Especially for all the support I received…….without you, I’m sure that 2009would have been extremely boring.

From my side I wish you a magical Festive Season filled with Loving Wishes and Beautiful Thoughts.

May 2010mark the beginning of a Tidal Wave of Love, Happiness and Bright Futures.

And to those who need someone special, may you find that true love

To those who need money, may your finances overflow

To those who need caring, may you find a good heart

To those who need friends, may you meet lovely people

To those who need life, may you find GOD

Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!

THANKS FOR BEING THER E

FOR ME IN ALL AVENUES OF

MY LIFE

YOU HAVE HELPED IN MY GROWTH

“You can dream,create,design and build the most wonderful place in the world….but it requires people to make the dreams a reality.”

Hello Mary, Jeremy and Don,

Several days ago I received mail from home (Salem, OR) and found your note which had included the $300 check. Earlier when I was told via email it had come and been deposited by the person who tends my home bank account, and I had already spent the money to help with the mattresses, I notified Ruth of such, but didn’t have your names or addresses. I certainly appreciate her interest and help as well.. So, here I am sending a big thank you for your thoughtfulness. Through Ruth I have been aware of your good works with Soar-Kenya, Inc. and have enjoyed learning about your activities. Keep up the good works; it means so much to those who benefit as you know.

To up-date you; Along with your donation, I added much more and we are now in the process of making 70 mattresses for our Montesorri nursery children. The mattresses that you can buy here are the typical ones of sponge with a cloth covering. It is impossible to keep them clean and the fabric gets torn easily. Our mattresses were so bad and dirty I couldn’t stand even thinking of the children sleeping on them, so tried to get funding, which I was able to do. We have a parish Self-Reliance vocational program that teaches industrial sewing and three tailoring/dressmaking classes (for which I am in charge), so we put the two groups together to make the covers for the mattresses. We were able to purchase at a discount a fabric that is washable and durable.

With the whole month of December being a holiday month here in Kenya no one is working now, but will get busy come January 5th when schools open. At that time I will take some photos of them making the covers and finishing the mattresses and later our little ones having a peaceful nap!

The last day of August I had a very bad fall and fractured my shoulder and am finally able to go back into Kibera to work with my 8 schools and community library for the past month, which sure makes me happy! I didn’t like being housebound but had no choice until the bones started to mend. I still have very limited use of my shoulder but enough to shift my car to drive and type. I hope to start PT soon and get more range of motion. Because of my injury it took longer to get this project going. It is now a priority to get finished.

Again, many thanks for your generous contribution and thoughtfulness. Enjoy a blessed Christmas and abundant New Year! Don’t give up on photos, I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.

God’s Blessings,

Vikki Smith, MLM

Alfred is the director of Hanford High. I found out about this school through Darleen Johnson who heads HOPE out in California. Soar has only donated 300.00 toward seed so these young people could get their crops planted. What most impressed me is that these people are truely working to make a better life by doing hands on work to make their situations better. They also have shown how they help their fellow neighbors, by fixing houses up and assisting with food. Alfred has his hands full attempting to feed and educate 600 orphans. He sounds like he is doing a good job. He also is continuing to learn more by taking a course on management. Below is his thankyou. and I’m happy the money arrived in time so he didn’t get kicked out. Mary

Dear Mary,
First I wish to acknowledge the receipt of $ 100 you sent me today.I want to thank you very much for it and may God bless you and Soar Kenya at large.It came at a time when I was almost being kicked out of examination room.You’ve saved me alot! I am glad…and will not forget about your help!
I am an old student of Hopewell High.I graduated in 2004(I was among the first students to graduate from this school) Also,I doubled as the prefect in charge of Hanford house which was named in honor of Darleen Johnson.I loved everything about Hanford house so when I completed high school,I started a similar school and named it ‘Hanford High School’.It now caters for over 600 orphans and I’ve had two classes graduated
I visit your web site almost daily and I am happy with what soar Kenya is doing.As I wish you success in everything you do,I want to fully permit you to post anything from my end in the site.
I also wish you a merry xmas and a prosperous new year.May God bless you and the entire staff of Soar Kenya.

Alfred

I received the following letter today and it brought me great Hope. I had just written a friend this AM and said Soar-Kenya is going to fold if we can’t find a way to generate more money. It gets more difficult everyday to even ask for money, when so many people here are really feeling a pinch themselves. We all have so much but with that comes a lot of responsibilities to maintain it all . I came home from work to this letter from my cousins daughter. I remember when she was born and I thought what a cool name. Tonight it seems a little beyond heavenly. Celeste just sponsored a little girl . It certainly makes me feel good to know people out of state have been following Soar-Kenya and reach out to help. I will try to get information and pictures about the little girl. I want to thankyou so much for thinking of us. The needs are just so great there and this will help so much. Thankyou Celeste and Scott, I can now feel the Christmas spirit.
Following is Celeste’s letter.
Dear Mary,
This is your cousin Judy’s daughter, Celeste. We have been considering sponsoring a child from Kenya and after a lot of prayer, talk and reading things from the soar kenya web site and mom’s emails, we have decided there is no other choice but to do it.
My oldest daughters, Emma and Abigail, would very much like to sponsor Faith Chepkoech age 7. I am sending you a check for $200.00 today. I understand that for any number of reasons Faith may not still be up for sponsorship and I also understand what you were saying in your last email to my mom about putting the money towards all rather than just for one child. However the money will best be used, we trust you will put it for that. It is good for our girls to see the reality of a real girl that needs help, which is why I let them look at the children on soar kenya. It is enough for me and Scott to know that we can help in some way to better the life of even one child.
Thank you doesn’t seem like enough, but thank you for all you do.
With love, Celeste

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! what a great party!!!!!!!! hello our friends we hope that all is good with you there in America.
We are even running short of words to express how the party was.We had fun and everybody left demanding more of it.People came from diffrent tribes and areas within the entire village.Ages ranged from the suckling to the old from both sexes. We had almost ten dogs who were not left either and had thier share of the meal.In total, we had 204 people whom we could register and over 100 chidren.We had some candies for them. The area councillor- I think can be compared to governor in the U.S- was among the in-attendance and was very delighted to be in the party. The progress report of the three self help groups was given by each of the groups’ leaders.The guy was soo impressed that he pomised each of the groups some money(Burgei 3000kshs, Nicos 6,500kshs, Sholas 5,000 kshs.) to help them moving.He thanked the American team for being good and more thanked Mason and the rest for helping a local dispensary purchase a fridge.Yesterday was also a public holiday in Kenya to celebrate 46 years since Kenya became a republic.Due to this,the area chief did not attend as he had a baraza elsewhere but sent his apologies.
The pick of entertainment was from an upcoming singer who brought everybody into laughter with his sarcastic moves.Those who stood to speak also were humours so to speak from the youth to the old. In all,It was a party of its kind.
we had a session of knowing each other which was meant to harmonise the differnent ethnic communities.Some representatives were given opportunities to say on how to live together as one.Each one gave an idea of having the same kind of party often at different places.
Let us not write more on this but you will recieve the pictures we took tomorrow and also give you the breakdown of all the expenses.May God bless you and recieve much greetings from all who atteended it.hopping to hear fom you.

James and Josphat.

“Can’t find the proper words to express our joy at the H.J.A, got enough sleeping pads now.An early x-mas gift for us,long live Soar-Kenya.”Marium