Latest News from Community Groups, June 2009,

Urgent request received from Daniel LeMolo, MBEKEC, on 2/6/09

A severe drought brings the following request for urgent assistance for the children attending Sherston Musul Primary School in Laikipia -

"We are continuing struggling with the drought here with no rain at all...The situation at Musul is worst ever seen. No water, no food, children fainting in the class and a lot of problems. So, to your website, if people can donate so that we can try to feed these kids so we don't lose them to hunger. Please put this request to your website."

You can also find out more information on the food shortages and its severe effects on the children and their parents at Musul by clicking this link to a recent article in The Standard newspaper.

Donations towards the development of Sherston Musul Primary School (provision of facilities such as classrooms, uniforms, books, writing materials, school meals, etc) can be made by visiting the Sherston Musul Primary School website at http://www.sherstonmusul.com/ .

The Sherston Musul website has been set up independently by supporters in UK to help raise awareness and funds for the further development of Sherston Musul Primary School. The funds and funding priorities at the school are administered locally by Gill Ellias at O'Lentile in Kenya.

Further information about Musul and related links can be found at 'Postcards from Kenya'.


Good news from Elija Kanyi, Mathare Roots Youth Group on 9/06/09

"We have had a group of student from Mcgill University from Canada, we gave them a tour in the slum while walking around we talked to some and they liked what we do in our youth group and they promised to come back and work with us. And after two months, two of them Avi from USA and Nico from FRANCE.Came they sat down with George Rai the Chairman of the group they talked on what we can do together, and as they were talking they come up with an idea of building a basketball court at Mathare.

We had some challenges of the field because in the slum there is no playing field or a public field any where in the slum,and this is a mistake that was made by our leaders and land grabbers who never care about playing field and all they do care is about housing which they never care even about repairing after building. And another challenge was funds to build the basketball court,this were the main challenges we faced while planing to work on the project. We were forced by situation to build the court at a near by kiboro primary school where we some times meet as a group. The court was build by the assist from from Mcgill university CFSIA Canada Field Studies in Africa, students who were looking for funds from friends and family,and Mathare Roots Youth Group was providing the manpower since the students were not able to raise enough money for more instructors. And we all believed we only needed one or two instructors to show as what to do and how to do it. Everything was finally done in two weeks,vafter long days of sweat we were able to smile at last.

I found this project very unique because in the slum of Mathare children have talents and all they need is Guidance and Facilities. To be able to show case their talents,vthere is no any other sports well known by children in Mathare than football and that's the reason why we thought Basketball will be something different and unique to introduce and those who know how to play can teach others how to.

At the moment we are still going strong with our projects and activities. While working on our plans we were also able to produce a Documentary of less than twenty minutes. About the things we do, and the reason why we do what we do."