Computer Room Grand Opening!

On Friday we officially opened the computer room to the girls. After supper we had a ribbon cutting ceremony and each group of girls had some time on the computers. They (girls, mums, uncles, and Kate)  were very excited and happy to see the computers. Today we all had computer time and some of the older girls wrote to their big sisters on the computers. We don't have printer yet so we will need to save their work and print it in the office for now. Some of the uncles stopped in today to see the computers as well. We can't tell you how much your donations to the computers are appreciated. Thank you sooo much! We are pleased to  have the opportunity to be here to give this gift to Hekima Place. 

More on the Computers and our Week

On Tuesday, we went for a ride with Kate to The Massai Safari Lodge just outside of Nairobi. What a great place! Very Tranquil. It is a Conference Centre and Hotel. Kate will be taking the staff there for some staff development and team building in early August on two different days. At the lodge we saw a Rock Hyrax. It looks a bit like a Prairie Dog. Then we went to Galleria to purchase some white boards for Hekima Place. At times there are teachers that come in to tutor girls. The white boards will be a helpful teaching tool. 

Massai Safari Lodge Entrance

Hyrax

The Lounge at the Lodge

On Wednesday Kate and I picked up all 10 computers and the big white board. We unpacked them and Meredith and I started setting them up and loading the free programs we found online. Wendy happily stayed out of the computer room although she was also excited for them. Computers are not her strong suit. 

On Thursday we took a taxi to great shop called Mikono. It is a shop run by the Jessuits and everything there is made by refugees. Beautiful things! We supported them well. Then we went to the Junction which is a good size mall. We had lunch. Burgers for two of us and fish for another. Yum! It is nice to have food that is not a Stew type meal. Then we went to the Musical Massai Market that is in the parking garage every Thursday. There were a lot of people both buying and selling. 

Massai Musical Market

 Today Wendy went to school early as she had taught another class some songs which they performed for assembly. Wendy has really enjoyed sharing her gift of teaching at the school and here at home. Homework is a nightly routine. I didn't make it to school as much this week. Computers were my job this week. This afternoon we went to the Karen Blixen Restaurant for lunch. We treated Kate there. We highly recommend this as a stop when you are in Karen. The atmosphere was beautiful and the food was amazing. After lunch we had a tour of the Karen Blixen Museum.

Kate, Kim, Wendy, and Meredith

Karen Blixen House and Museum

Monday

Jambo!
Today I ordered 10 new computers, 10 sets of headphones and 10 microsoft word for Hekima Place out of the money from our computer fund. Yay! The girls and Kate are pretty excited for the new computers. Kate is starting to work on a schedule for each Grade to have time on the computers through the week. We hope to pick up the computers on Wednesday and start setting them up and loading the free software that I have downloaded. Hopefully on the weekend there will be some time to spend with some of the older girls and moms who will be supervising the use of computers. We will also hope to have time to show the girls how to use some of the programs.I will post pictures of the computer room when we are all set up.
Asante Sana!

This Week

Wendy went to school every day this week. She ended up teaching most days as there were some days when a teacher didn't show up in the class. Imagine getting away with that at home. There was some testing going on with the Grade 8 class and some of the teachers were out invigilating exams at other schools in the area. When the teachers do that they don't replace the missing teachers. Anyhow Wendy said that she enjoyed teaching. The Grade 5 class that she was in were responsible for Assembly this week. She taught them some songs for it. I will try and post the videos. I stayed back on Tuesday and helped in the office and then did some weed whacking in the afternoon. On Wednesday I went back to school and Thursday I went through the computer room. We will be ordering the new computers soon and hope to set them all up this week and do some training with the girls next weekend.

Meredith our roommate and Wendy and I booked our camping Safari this week. We go on the 24th - 26th. We are looking forward to that.

On Friday we went to school early to see Wendy's class perform then then left at tea time to go back to Hekima. We had laundry to  do and then we went to town again with Kate to look at computers. Kate had a lunch appointment so the 3 of us went for lunch at an Indian Restaurant. It was very good and very nice. When we met back up with Kate we went to a mall to look at more computers and white boards. We stopped for frozen yogurt and at a little Massai Market. Then home. In the evenings we usually end up helping with dishes and then homework.

Last night was movie night. We watched  "Despicable Me" Wendy took it easy and went to bed early. She had a busy week of teaching.

Today we went to the Elephant Orphanage and To the Giraffe Sanctuary with 10 of the younger girls. We watched the baby Elephants get fed. At the Giraffe Santuary we fed some Giraffes and then had a snack and sodas.

 Baby Elephant

                                                             Baby Gazelle

                                                        Stacey and Uncle Victor (also our driver for the day)

 Rhino sleeping

 Meredith kissing the Giraffe (food is the motivator)

 Baby

Snacks and sodas.













Kim and Wendy

                                Flo and the Tortoise

This is where we are.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Magadi+Rd,+Kiserian,+Kenya&hl=en&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=39.047881,86.572266&oq=3268&hnear=Magadi+Rd,+Kiserian,+Rift+Valley+Province,+Kenya&t=m&z=15

Hi There
Some people have been trying to find Hekima Place on a map.The above link shows where Hekima Place is. If you zoom out you will see where it is in relation to Karen and Nairobi.

Sunday and Monday

Jambo! On Sunday Wendy and I went to the Catholic Church in Kiserian with the majority of the kids and Kate. It was an early start and a long service but very interesting. Didn't understand much of the service but the music was great. After church we worked on de-kerneling corn again. I know that is probably not a word but the term they use is popping the corn which means a much different thing at home. After that, lunch and then we loaded the bus and went to Nairobi. The kids had never gone there so they were in awe of the big buildings. We drove past the Parliament buildings, a large basilica and the Supreme Court building and then went to Uruhu Park. On Sundays it is quite busy at the park and there is a small fair with rides. The younger kids went on the bouncy castle and the merry go round while the older kids went on the flying chair swing and rode camels or horses. All things none of them had experienced. Then we had soda and snacks by the pond. After snack the girls hung their feet in the water. The traffic was quite bad going home and we were very late for supper which was spaghetti and meat sauce. A meal that Kate instituted because she dislikes some of the African dishes.

Cows at Hekima

Holy Family Basilica

Supreme Court

Merry-go-round

Today we went to school with the girls. The bus leaves at 7:15 am (yawn). On Mondays they have assembly first thing in the morning. Wendy went to help in Grade 5 which has 32 students. She worked hard. I went to preschool which is a nursery class and Jr. K class combined, about 10 students. It was a good morning. We went home with the lunch van, had lunch then went into Karen with Kate. She hadn't had lunch so we went to a restaurant which was quite nice. Karen is much more upscale then many of the places we have seen as we have been out and about. We also got some groceries at the Nakumat, which is similar to Walmart but on a smaller scale. Then back to Hekima for supper and homework help. Supper tonight was a traditional dish called Ugali (corn flour and water boiled to death) and Sukuma-wiki which is Kale with tomatoes, onion and oil. I wasn't as bad as it sounds.

We're Here

After a long trip we finally made it. Enjoying our time here. We have lots of names to remember and learn. We had lunch with the girls and then took corn off cobs. Just relaxing in our house now. Lunch today was Githeri. Beans and corn with rice on the side. Enjoying the day!

Leaving Today

Well, the bags are packed and hopefully they are not too heavy. I think both Wendy and I have had to do some rearranging in our bags. Hard to believe that we are leaving for what surely will be a very memorable, life changing adventure.

We continue to be humbled and amazed at the generosity of the people who surround us. Thank you again, from the bottom of our hearts. As a familiar Minister says often ..."MAY YOU SEE THE FACE OF CHRIST IN THE PEOPLE YOU MEET AND MAY THE PEOPLE YOU MEET SEE THE FACE OF CHRIST IN YOU" We have seen the face of Christ in You. 

The next time I post on this blog we will be in Kiserian, Kenya!

Asante sana (thank you very much) and Maisha marefu! Afya! Vifijo! (cheers/ good health)

Kim and Wendy

Today I picked up 60 pillowcase dresses from Karina of Sew Gorgeous. With the dresses from the Quilters at Riverside I think we packed about 80 altogether. We are very happy to be taking the dresses as well as a great deal of school supplies that people have donated. We weren't sure we were going to be able to take everything but today we packed our two extra suitcases and weighed them. Much to our delight and surprise each suitcase weighs less than 50lbs. Whew!
Check out Sew Gorgeous. They are doing awesome work for little girls all over the world. www.sewgorgeous.org

Africa Volunteering - Hekima Place

From July 5th to July 30th, I will be traveling with Wendy to Kiserian, Kenya, which is just outside of Nairobi Kenya.http://mapq.st/KtI3lt?__domain=ca

We will be volunteering at Hekima Place. www.hekimaplace.org

About Hekima Place 

 

Hekima Place is a home in Kenya for girls orphaned primarily by HIV/AIDS. The name “Hekima” was chosen for its Kiswahili meaning: Wisdom. Founded in 2005 by U. S. native Kate Fletcher, the home opened with just 10 girls but has grown to 60 members of the Hekima Place family. The girls are given a loving, faith-based home with nutritious meals, health care, and, very importantly, an education to enable them to succeed on their own once their schooling is completed. At Hekima Place, each girl lives with a loving Kenyan staff member called "mum" – growing within a faith-based "family" with "sisters" (other orphaned girls) as companions and workmates.
 

The home is located in Kiserian, Kenya just outside Nairobi, on property purchased by the U. S. Board of Directors in July 2009.  Construction of the new permanent home for the girls at this site was completed in December 2010. Approximately 20 km south and west of Karen, Kenya (Hekima Place's original location), the new home is in the southern Rift Valley Province and has six cottages and a dining hall along with a significant amount of land for gardening. 

 

Hekima Place Buildings