2022/2023

Water System: We installed the solar water system in 2021 and turned it over to the community in 2023 to manage so that empowerment was the operational process we wanted to achieve.  We got access to 5 acres of land and started the school growing maize and beans so that we could provide lunch.  Sawa underwrote all costs and over three years the community now supports and the school grows all of the maize needed for the lunch project.

2024

Farming: Over the following 2 years 2023 and 2024 we acquired another 3 acres so that we could start growing beans as well so the dependence on Sawa became less and less.  Beans are a fickle crop so going into 2025 we are looking at cultivating  mung beans and sweet potatoes which are more forgiving crops. We are at the whims of Mother Nature so some years we have lost the whole crop due to hail or no rain at all.

Over the last two years we have planted along with Cyprian our local expert farmer guy 100 + banana trees.  As time goes on the money raised from this grove will be used to supplement the lunch program.  We also have started a small apple orchard to give a variety as well to raise revenue for the

Lunch Program: 2024 Rocket stove – Phil found this idea and because it used less than half the wood we thought this would be a great thing to have at school . The kids have to bring firewood every week for the school lunch program. The best thing was that the “FUNDI” contractor was a woman. It was the first one I have ever met in Kenya and she did a wonderful job

Health: We started a pilot program to get the community more involved in the children's health care.  Sawa has installed a clean water system and a lunch feeding program. So this was the third leg of the basics of life… Clean Water, Food and Health Care. In 2023 we set up a quasi-health program as Sawa was covering all of the medical costs when the kids were in school.  What we found was parents would not send their children to the clinic except when Sawa was paying for it so a cost-sharing plan was developed. 50 ksh per child per term was the starting point however less than 20% of the families enrolled.   As with any program in Africa you go through fits and starts and we will be meeting in March of 2025 to try to get the community to take this seriously and do it.

REUSABLE SANITARY PADS – AS GIRLS GET OLDER GRADES 5-9 IN KENYA MISS SCHOOL DUE TO THEIR MONTHLY PERIOD. In 2024, we found a template for making reusable, washable sanitary napkins and had one of our affiliates TAKA TAKA 2 PESA make 5 pads for each girl along with a bag that had a Velcro strip so they could be taken to school.  We also bought each girl 2 pairs of underwear and laundry bar soap so they did not have to miss any school. Malimu Nancy Akinyi handed all the details at school and we are thrilled to be able to continue this project in to 2025 to expand to cover grades 5-9.

Art: Phil and two of the teachers run an art class every day after school introducing them to the concept of basic art which these children have never been exposed to. To watch them unfold over a week is truly a sight to behold.  We do 20 kids 10 girls and 10 boys and we assign seats so they have to work with others. Simply put it is magic

Sawa Sawa House: Finally, we have been staying at the Cardinal Otunga Retreat Center for the last 7 years and had rooms in the compound which the staff always accommodated us beautifully. We even had an extra room that served as our kitchen and we would cook outside in a gazebo.  When we arrived in 2024 we were met with an incredible surprise given to us by Father Erik the priest in charge OUR OWN HOUSE to use for the duration of our visits because of the good work we have been doing and I guess the word traveled fast at the same cost we have been paying.  What an incredible gift