It’s my last week here for the time being. We are tying up all the loose ends and prepping the kids for term 3, which starts at the end of August. By the time Wednesday comes around we will have met with 52 out of 53 of Tuko Pamoja’s sponsored kids (not including baby Alvin).

Here are some things that have happened over the last few days…

Young men’s organization Mpenda Mazingira Initiative

We had the opportunity to share again with Abel and the young men with the organization Mpenda Mazingira Initiative. Abel continues to impress us with his wisdom and drive to support the mental health of these young men. This session, Tuko Pamoja sponsored the hall and food, providing a few hours of community for these guys. A doctor and sex therapist (also a civil engineer!) led the meeting. Wangari (our Gen Z-er assistant), Virginia, and I also had time to speak to the group. The boys were engaged and interactive; I wished I could understand all of their Swahili as the hall was filled with laughter and face palms! Needless to say the boys love this session.

We presented a large sufuria (cooking pot) to Ilmerijo, one of the schools that Tuko Pamoja sponsors with porridge. We noticed when we were visiting and serving porridge that it had run out and the cups weren’t full. They couldn’t make enough with their limited-capacity pots. We decided this would be the perfect way to help them. This was extra special for me as it was in honor of my mom and dad for their 80th birthdays. My sister and I had put together a party with more than 70 people in attendance before I left for Kenya. Instead of gifts they asked for donations for our organization. The gifts totaled nearly $2000. Mom asked for some projects to support specifically, and this was one that we proposed.

The kids, while receiving the pot, sang happy birthday to “Mama Claudia.” I made sure to pull down my sunglasses to cover my teary eyes. Virginia recorded them singing and we sent it to Mom and Dad to enjoy. Mom will also be using the money to buy panties for the girls boarding at the rescue center/boarding house at Olmaroroi and for helping to provide githeri (beans and maize) for their lunch (see the previous Trip Journal post, Olmaroroi) when school resumes at the end of August.

Today we furnished and set up our second safe house, quietly tucked away in Vet. So tucked away that it’s easy to miss the entrance. This home is for one of our sponsored children and her single mom, whose circumstances are unusually challenging. The sponsor has graciously agreed to further help this family. One additional sponsor stepped up to cover half of the cost. As the decision to place them in a safe house happened at the last minute, we’ve been running around to work with carpenters who will build a double-decker bunk bed, a table for the stovetop, and a study table. We also spent time getting all of the mother and child’s initial needs just for tonight. Tomorrow we will pick up a gas tank for the stove and food.

We learned of this home from one of our other moms, Judy, who lives with her son Jeremy in this neighborhood. Not only has she helped us find this home but she has also stepped into the role of Auntie by helping this family. We were so touched by her willingness and kindness. We now know the mom and child are very safe. As we were leaving, and the young mother was thanking us, there were no dry eyes. It’s been a very emotional day.

Our next step with the time remaining is to compile the list of school needs for all the kids. We’ve been slowly doing this over the last few weeks as we see each child. We will be taking a matatu (public bus) into Nairobi proper as it’s cheaper to buy there. Before I leave we will separate everything per student and hopefully make it seamless for Virginia when term 3 starts. (This is an adventure all on its own…)

Today we also made sure food baskets were given out. With the children being home for most of the month of August, some families are hit harder than others due to more mouths to feed. Often when extra money is sent from sponsors, we opt to use it for food baskets. It’s a boon for the families and truly the most needed gift to give. We purchased a few baskets; for one family we sent two kids on one boda (motorbike) and the items on another just to get the items to their home.

Well, it’s nearly 10 pm and we just finished dinner. Virginia made beef cubes, sukuma wiki (spicy kale—my favorite), and kachumbari (spicy guacamole—my other favorite) with rice and finally some kombucha. Kikey (Virginia’s son) is taking his turn washing the dishes. We are done for the night…feeling full and fulfilled. Now for extra hot showers and bed. Our goal was to complete scanning and emailing reports and letters to sponsors but that is definitely not happening at this point. Hopefully we will have electric and wifi tomorrow.

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