Monday, April 14, 2008, 10:48 AM
Dear Don & Mary
I hope this mail finds both of you and your loved ones in great health. The start of week 2 of school was good. The library roofing is being completed now after stalling for sometime because Robert (contractor) could not come back on time. A new contractor is completing the remaining part and is moving pretty fast.
It rained today and we should be able to transplant the many seedlings of assorted vegetables (onions, tomatoes, cabbages, kales, etc) which are getting overgrown in the nurseries. Transplanting will be done in the course of this week. They needed some fertilizer, DAP, and we got two bags for them at the new sky-high prices. The post-election violence effects are now being felt especially by the farmers. Previously, a 50kg bag was going at Kshs. 2000/=. Today, we bought the same at Kshs. 4000/= a bag at the cheapest outlet. Of course the farmers will work on recouping this after harvesting. We are looking at a possible food shortage in Kenya and all forecasts point in that direction. Many farmers cannot afford this new range of farm inputs and will therefore not work their farms. We hope the new government, named yesterday in a Grand Coalition bringing all the protagonists in the last election together will work on ways of helping out.
Rashid is getting better by the day and we continue praying for his good health and strength. Nelly will bring the new director of AGRI (one who took over from Steve Lewis) to Hopewell tomorrow morning so that they guide us on improving our farm. Darleen was also sending the AGRI people some funds so that they help start a Rabbit project in school to supply the kids with the much needed proteins. The team tomorrow will be assessing and selecting the site for the hatches to put the initial 40 rabbits.
The dorm is nearly complete and it looks beautiful. I have done you lots of injustice by not sending pictures but my situation should improve now. We expect the girls to start boarding from 5th May. Initially, we will spread the foam mattresses down as we source for beds. A steel double decker bed measuring 2½ ft by 6ft goes for Kshs. 5000/= ($86) and will provide exclusive comfort for two girls. We will be sending out an appeal for 75 beds for the 150 girls earmarked to board immediately. I hope the cargo gets released soonest so that we can use any bed sheets and towels in there. I promise to get you pictures in the next 2 days.
I hope this update does the trick for Hopewells dearest friends.
We love you
VITALICE