By Rev. Wasike and Lia

We have thankfully received a second micro-loan from a private lender. With this money another women co-op group will be able to open up their own Village Phone Salon.

Our business team in Nairobi (hats off to Millicent and Ericah) are in the process of making up the training material for our first Village Phone Salon Business Training Workshop. If all goes well, this workshop will take place in the next week or so. After which, the two Village Phone Salons will start their business.

By Rev. Wasike and Lia

The Kimilili Village Phone Salon women’s co-op received a private micro-loan from an anonymous donator to start up our first Village Phone Salon. The donor has indicated that if the first VPS is successful and if our business and marketing practices are transparent, he would be willing to make another loan or two. So, we are setting up a business structure and practices that make it transparent to everyone that we are capable of creating future successful business ventures.

This donator’s terms of loan are generous (only 5% interest on the loan compared to the micro-financing agency’s 16-18%), but also follow along the same guidelines as normal micro-financing agency for the women’s co-op.

The Kimilili VPS women’s co-op consist of a team in Kimilili and one in Nairobi.

In Kimilili, the women’s co-op consists of active members who run the business day-to-day and silent members, who act as guarantors on the loan, as well as give moral support, advice and supervise the flow of income and expenditures.

In Nairobi, the supervisory and marketing team consists are responsible for building up and training the women’s co-op in best business practices, planning the opening ceremony for the VPS business, working on marketing concepts, and supervising the bookkeeping responsibilities.

If you would like to read more about our women’s co-ops practices and all the terms and conditions of our loan and how we are going to pay it back, please go to the Kimilili blog post outlining this.

By Rev. Wasike

We always rejoice to learn that we are not alone with our struggles and worries. It is very moving to know that others think about us. Such a moment of joy came this week when Kathleen H. decided to send us some money to buy Stella medicine she badly needs.

Stella is currently on and off in her attendance in school because of health problems. Now, Kathleen’s kindness and assistance will add value to her life. Doctors tell us that well use of antiviral medication and good observation of her diet will soon normalise her life.

On Stella’s behalf, may God remember Kathleen too for remembering others.

In Jesus’ name. Amen

By Rev. Wasike

Immediately after Jennifer donated the money, I called the families through the one of board members and communicated about the donations and their intended purpose. When Kundu’s father received information about the donated seeds, it was God's timings that the father and Kundu plus others in the family seriously became engaged preparing their land for planting.

This gift really enabled this particular family to approach the year in a different style. Kundu and his siblings plus the father are without mother, and though they have land they have been compelled to hire out the same land at a small fee for many years since they never had means to farm the land themselves.

Now they could finally grow their own food. Since the family could not afford a tractor or oxen to come by to plough the land, they had to do it by hand (hoe). Even though this is a slow way of preparations, they had completed a big portion of their land by the time we went to buy the seeds.

Kundu, his father, and Rev. Wasike

Originally, I had wished to buy the seeds in Nairobi, but communication with the family forced me to go and make them select what type crop seeds they thought they could manage without more inputs from outsiders. They had very set ideas about what they wanted to grow. So when I was in Kimilili last week, right away Kundu plus his father and I went into town to buy the seeds in the Agrovet shop.

At this stage, I was a bit surprised with Kundu’s reaction. He did not indicate much happiness, but acted as if it as normal for him to receive the seeds. Then, I looked at Kundu’s father and was challenged when I saw tears flowing, upon receiving the seeds. In fact, he said that did not believe it would happen. He had done all the preparation not quite believing it would actually happen. When handed him his seeds, he wanted to leave immediately. He didn’t even want to stop to take a photo.

It was a cloudy day and showing signs of rain. He just excused himself, saying that he wanted the day's rain to find his seeds in the soil. Two or three hours later, I went to his home because I wanted to discuss with him a difficult situation that persisted for the last few months. And that was, he refused to let Kundu go to school and instead got Kundu casual work looking after cattle for the neighbourhood.

Upon reaching the home of Kundu, I was shocked to see everyone out on the plot of land planting the seeds. It was almost impossible for me to get Kundu’s father to sit down with me to discuss this matter close to my heart, even though I sacrificed time needed with other community members to go there.

As far as one could see, there was a beehive of activity on the plot of the land of Kundu’ family planting the seeds. The father and elder children plus Kundu himself were at peace; joyful and energetic to go the extra mile as long as it meant planting their own food.

I had a short chat with the father and he promised to send Kundu back to school when the school terms start again. Not, only do the seeds provide the family with food, they also enable Kundu to go to school. Among all those who received gifts from Jennifer, my personal rating noted that Kundu’s family saw God through the seeds.

By Rev. Wasike

Our garden project started as many project here start, by taking small steps with big hearts and strong wills. Since the plot of land that our temporary school stands on is too small, the planting was done in various places in the area; depending on the free portion of land donated for this season by the Kimilili community.

We managed to plant cassava plant, maize, cow peace, and kale (sukuma wiki). We are hoping to raise some funds so that we can purchase some land adjoining the school, as well as a plot of land 15 minutes walk away that is bordering on the river.

By Rev. Wasike

Here are a few isolated photos of the children wearing their new uniforms. These uniforms are being made for free from one of our sponsors, Palm Security Company. They promise to do uniforms for all the available children in the next weeks. If all goes well, the children will all have their uniforms when the new school term starts in May

Many thanks to the people of Palm Security.

by Rev. Wasike

The CBSM board members and some of our community members organized and collected food donations and contributions. Thankfully, the children will now receive lunch and porridge during their school day.

The donations were in form of maize, millet, sorghum, beans and firewood. So, as of tomorrow, our children start receiving meals at school.

We had to discontinue this service during the times we had problem with landlord in the beginning of this term while we were building our new temporary facilities. The food donations will hopefully allow us to provide lunches for the next month and a half. God is great.

Many children were suffering having to go without lunch or travelling long distances for lunch and when they came back, they were too tired to learn any more.

Thank you all for your continued prayers and efforts for the project.

by Rev. Wasike

We have been blessed with news of some generous gifts and donations in the last few days from CBSM community members and people from far away. In this post I would like to give thanks to Jennifer, who has made a PayPal donation through the “Your Help” page of our website.

Jennifer’s donation will give Fadhili a real football. I cannot wait to see the smile on his face when he finds out about this gift. Jennifer also is buying Aminah's family a goat. Aminah lives with her siblings and her mother, who is raising her children on her own. A goat will raise the income of their family, enrich the children’s nutritional diet, and even help fertilise their garden. Jennifer’s third gift, will buy seeds for Kundu family’s one-acre garden. Kundu lives with his siblings and his widowed father. The garden nourishes his family and will be used for sale in the local market. The seed packages will include seeds for onions, tomatoes, kales and cabbages.

I was talking to the operations manager at the Palm Security Service company yesterday. They have offered to uniforms for all the CBSM children.

They are in the process of changing their company’s khaki uniforms to navy blue. Instead of selling off the access rolls of khaki material they still have in stock, they have generously offered to donate the material to our children. Initially, they were just thinking of donating the material, but after I told them that we did not have any sewing machines or tailors in Kimilili, they agreed to make the uniforms for kids if we provide measurements. What a happy day this is for us!