Busy School Holidays!
April 23rd, 2012 | 
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It may be school holidays here at Tumaini but we have been busier than ever! Thanks to some extra donations from St. Lukes in Nottingham and Christchurch in Southborough we have been able to do some much needed maintenance work.
We managed to buy tonnes of galana stone so that we could finally finish the path outside the High School classrooms. Galana is natural sandstone which is quarried in pieces around 5mm thick. Once laid (like crazy paving) they are coated with special epoxy resin varnish to seal the slabs for a long lasting finish.
We are also working on some new office space as the work continues to grow, watch this space for photos!
The toilet block is coming along well – we have now added the “sunshine” air vents and rough cast paint to the outside. Fitting out the inside continues, but until the white tiles are in place it’s too dark for good photos.
Thanks for checking in on our progress, have a great week from all the team here.
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Choo za Furaha (Happy Toilets)
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All will become clear over the next few weeks – but as I discussed how the building was progressing our foreman made a comment and I said so they are “Happy Toilets!” he laughed so much I think we have a name! Let us know what you think!
The construction work is going well, it was a busy day laying the roof slab with everyone working so hard on one of the hottest days of the year.
We have now started on the internal works with door frames and pipes being fitted this week. We are on target to finish early May.
Thanks from all the team here.
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A Team on a Mission
As we arrived at Tumaini School, it was a Saturday and from the moment we walked into this family, we were welcomed as part of it. We have been shown nothing but love, respect and kindness from all that are part of the great work that is going on here.
Out of the group, nobody really knew exactly what they should expect or to what extent we would be worked, though we can safely say we were kept very busy throughout our time in the school – and we all are very grateful we could be busy and serve as much as we have done. It’s wonderful to have come to Tumaini and give them a little of what we have, even though we have so little to offer, it still makes a big difference.
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Whilst we have been here we have done several things…
- Taught in various classes
- Preached to the students
- Done some practical building work
- Given shoes in another school
- Walked around the village talking to and praying for people
- Got involved with the sports and keep fit
We have come at the hottest time of year over here but this hasn’t bothered us too much. A few times the heat does get to you and the nights can be a bit sticky (particularly in the Jiwe) which has no movement of air in a fairly small room) but it’s all part of the experience. We haven’t come out here to live in flush conditions and take it easy, that’s not what mission is. We came wanting to embrace the African way of living and be part of it.
It has also been great to do some practical work/manual labour. We built a wooden frame to be used as a shelter for firewood. Although it’s not going to change the world by building one shelter, it was good for us to see an instant output from something we had done. Nice to know we haven’t just come and said things to people that might help in the short term, but leave something that will be of practical use for a long time to come. And the whole group got involved in it which is also good, to know that every person contributed.
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The school has been very adaptable in fitting us in and has changed plans to get us involved throughout the week. It was great to take all the older students and teach and preach on difficult issues that many of them are currently tackling: peer pressure, self-esteem, motivation and general counseling. We as a group also want to make a personal thank you to Dave Garrard who has led us and has been an incredible inspiration to us all as a team and I know the school children love him.
To summarise, our time here has been incredible. Tumaini will not be forgotten by us and we do class all of them as family. We would also like to say a massive thanks to Glyn & Jane and John, Lynda & the boys. They really are doing a great work out there and they aren’t business partners or our bosses, but they are our friends. They have done nothing but help and support us and get us as involved as possible and we can’t thank them enough.
God is doing an amazing work here and it’s good to have come and served and seen that God is working. Tumaini will be in our prayers and so will the children, staff and that all that happens here will glorify the name of Jesus. Thank you so much for having us and letting us be part of the family.
Jake, Ben, Sam, Kudzai, Rachel, Nastassia and Dave (Mattersey Bible College)
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A week in the life….
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After returning from a week in Tumaini I was very pleased to be offered the chance to participate in this week’s blog. After arriving without any luggage we were still very keen to make the most of our time with the wonderful people here. Meeting up with old friends and marvelling at the groundbreaking changes which have happened since our last visit. The quality in the finished Stepping Stone building is amazing! And it is so nice to see so many people moved in and settled.
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Our week was mainly spent in the nursery class and out with the workmen working on a new toilet block, after all sitting around isn’t exactly our style. Tom and I were keen to join up with the other workmen as early as possible and were determined to last as long as possible, after stepping out the door and being hit with a wave of heat! You could only imagine the heat 12 feet down digging a well, working at reaching sea water, and there was still another 18 feet to go.
Although this took up most of our time, we welcomed the break of a weekend which gave us a great opportunity to break down a few barriers and get to know people a bit better, we were lucky enough to be invited to the beach. Spending the whole day away from the school, introducing them to some games from home and seeing the enjoyment on their faces was one of the most rewarding moments of the whole week.
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Heading to church on a Sunday was a bit of a new experience for myself and Tom, we were amazed at the passion and enthusiasm of all the people who atteneded… and there was a lot! Gathering together after felt very special seeing children with their mothers and fathers was something we had not seen a lot of. This year we were lucky enough to visit Charles and Mary who invited us to stay for tea. Sat round the table with the 22 children and the two parents you truly do get to understand just how lucky these children have been, to have two caring people like Charles and Mary looking out for them, they really have been blessed.
At the end of our week we were presented with an African bracelet each, these were given to us by Dennis and Osborn and paid for out of their own wages. We were honoured that they would do such a thing but not surprised at their level of kindness. We met some truly amazing people and made some once in a lifetime friends.
Written by Christian Wilson
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A very special treat!
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Over the years, the feeding programme has made a huge impact in many children’s lives. For some, lunch is their only meal of the day; for most, it’s their main source of nutrition. The vision for feeding the hungry continues as a reality Monday to Friday every week. Education for Life relies on donations and sponsorship to keep this feeding programme running and at times it is a real stretch to ensure that every child gets a bowl of food.
We recently began receiving a generous regular donation from a supporter who has a passion to see children nourished with a balanced diet. This has enabled us, for the first time ever, to provide meat, vegetables and bananas for 600 hungry children! We bought 40kg of meat, 10 kg of carrots, 20 cabbages and 3 boxes of bananas to add to the rice and tomatoes which we would normally buy. This is an exciting development at Tumaini and these donations will mean that the children can enjoy this delicious meal once a month.
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It was amazing to see the children’s faces as they realised they would be getting meat, their joy was almost uncontrolable!
Would you like to see more photos? Just follow the link to see what was needed to feed so many!
Thank you to all those who make our feeding programme possible you really are life savers!
Xx Glyn & Jane
Chips & Sausage!
Well we finally made it. After a term of planning and raising funds we have moved in to Tumaini. It really is a wonderful place full of many incredible people and we are so grateful to all those who have made this mission trip possible. After a couple of weeks of settling in and finding our feet we are now focused on trying to explore our roles here for the next 18 months.
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Maureen has been busy managing things here over the last 2 months and has even managed to fit in a few creative activities with the school in her last week – making paper chains, paper mache creations and even a bubbling volcano which the kids loved!! Maureen returns to the UK for a short well deserved break and to catch up on admin in the UK office. Glyn and Jane are back and it’s great to start thinking about how we can support them in their work here. Even already there are many stories we could share about life at Tumaini!
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One of the amazing things that we never knew about education for life is the amount of people it helps. It employs so many people and obviously this means that for those families there is a steady income. In addition to this though people come to ask for support directly from education for life to help them get through each day. It is as though Tumaini (meaning Hope) is seen by people as a place of hope in a difficult and often hopeless situation.
10 days ago a woman came into Tumaini asking for help. She had 4 children, a husband who had passed away, she herself was sick. She had nothing, no money for medicine for herself or her sick child. She had no money for food so she and her children had literally not eaten for three days. This also meant that the children could not attend school because of feeling so ill and weak. Through Education for Life this person was helped. After many years of this charities existence there are daily reminders that it was begun to feed the children. It is heartening to see that this vision has not been lost and the value of feeding the hungry makes such an incredible impact here. One of the guiding principles is that of long term help. If this ladies kids can stay in school, they can later find employment. This will be another family helped and another family with restored hope.
We have only been here a few weeks and we can see God’s blessing radiate through this place. It is amazing to think of the scale of God’s blessing too. Yes the feeding program, schools, children’s home are all amazing, clear evidence of God’s hand on this place. But equally as amazing is the fact that one person helped shows God’s amazing provision in that one instance. This lady was changed physically by the actions of this charity. We were changed spiritually by witnessing such desperation and later gratitude. The kids are healthy now and so is this lady. The kids are back in school. With God there is always hope.
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Recently the youth led a great church service with youth preaching, leading the singing and even dancing! What a joyful and inspiring experience of worshipping God. Maureen had really wanted to take the youth for a treat after the service and had prayed that God would provide money to do so. Before we came to Kenya Mikey and David wanted to do something at their home church (St Luke’s Nottingham) to raise money to bring a gift to the children at Tumaini. St Luke’s were very generous so Lynda was chatting with Maureen about the best thing to use this money for. Maureen was delighted that God had answered her prayer so 35 youth enjoyed chips, sausage and a soda after church. They also heard the story of how God had answered prayers across the world to provide such a treat for them. Xx John and Lynda
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Reflections
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The common questions asked now that we are home are “How was it? Did you have a good trip?” It’s great that people want to know and the immediate answer is “fantastic;” although having witnessed poverty and the needs of many people fantastic is hardly an adequate response. We have so many stories to tell; some sad, others inspirational. Do we tell of the lady caring for a baby abandoned on the beach soon after birth? Or of a mother of 7 children taking in another 3 orphaned children? Or being given Christmas gifts from someone deeply impoverished? Or comforting someone hearing of the death of their sister? Or of the lunchtime queue for food? Or the obvious impact on two young men caring for a special friend dying in pain? Or watching a young boy starting school after a two hour walk? Or..? Or..?
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Perhaps the starting place is considering a picture in our minds. The coast south of Mombasa is lined with many fantastic sandy beaches with shells to pick up and collect. Some are brightly coloured; others have lost their shine and when you pull them out of the sand are chipped and broken. Many of the people we have met are like the shells; the more you engage in conversation, the more you appreciate their fragility and their beauty and inner strength in the face of adversity. In a sense, the beach sums up the mission of Education for Life working in an area with thousands of lives. Like the thousands of shells on the beach, which would, in the course of time be broken by the power of the ocean beyond the shoreline, Education for Life can only help a finite amount of people. This requires discernment; knowing where to start, caring for the broken as well as the ones that shine and to have the faith to let go at the appropriate time. Having set the picture the answer to “How was it?” “Did you have a good trip?” is “we have so much we need to share with you!”
The great news is that we can all be part of this mission! The more we take part in it through prayer, giving and doing; the wider the impact in the community served by Education for Life.
David Cole (St. Lukes, Nottingham)
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Visitor updates
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A DIFFERENT CHRISTMAS!
It’s Christmas Day and here we are up at 5 a.m. getting the beef together for the Christmas church and community meal. An hour later we are sat outside chopping onions and tomatoes with the cooking team amidst an atmosphere of excitement and expectation. On the wooden fire the beef and pilau rice is being stirred in the sufarias (large cooking pots). Smells delicious and only 6 hours to go!
What a fantastic sight to see the classroom used for the Tumaini church overflowing for the Christmas day service. O.K. apart from “We wish you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year” we didn’t understand much of the songs but the praise and worship of the infant Christ was vibrant and joyful. No Christmas service is complete without a nativity play and we weren’t disappointed as an array of angels, shepherds, sheep, wise men, plus Mary & Joseph came forward. Prior to Christmas Day we had spent the previous 3 mornings with the children explaining the Christmas story and making decorations for homes as well as church. It was good to link these activities with this service using the stars we had made both adults and children wrote on the stars their promises to God and their expressions of what He means to them. These were stuck on the walls as a vivid reminder that the Saviour born 2000 years ago dwells with his people across the world today.
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In this country of contrasts it was still somewhat bizarre to find a large musical Santa Claus outside a supermarket, to hear carols inside, to see a snowman and Christmas tree carved in sand on the beach, and to see Father Christmas (complete with red suit, beard and trainers) handing gifts to children in a restaurant. Away from this Western commerciality for many many children there is no magical delivery of presents. So the fruition of many hours of wrapping small gifts ( around 240) was completed in the space of a few minutes as after church we distributed gifts of small toy cars, pencils, pens, notebooks, jewellery, hand stitched crosses, key rings hair accessories etc. to everyone. And of course Christmas day isn’t complete without a lollipop enjoyed by both young and old.
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So to the meal. Men & women sitting separately and children sitting with siblings and friends enjoying this wonderful mixture of beef, spices, expertly chopped onions and tomatoes, and pilau rice. We are in Kenya after all so of course we eat from the plate with our hands (apart from Emma who resorted to a spoon).
The afternoon is spent chatting, renewing old friendships and making new ones and also praying for someone who broke down in tears on us.
Who needs turkey? Well you can’t refuse the hospitality of an English lady living locally can you? Whilst known to Maureen Clayton, Linda had met us only very briefly as we dropped bottled gas at her house but very generously invited us to share a Christmas meal with her plus other friends. So at 9 p.m. we were sat enjoying Turkey plus the usual trimmings and vegetables. When we went to bed at 1 a.m. there wasn’t much time to reflect on the day as sleep beckoned. Looking back it was a day of both sharing what little we had and more lavishly under different circumstances. Our God is equally and without favour the God of the rich and poor and we will forever remember this special day with its contrasts and fun. In closing we would like to thank family & friends who generously gave so that we could finance the community meal, gifts and so much more. Thank you.
David, Maureen, Emma & Matthew (St. Lukes, Nottingham)
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Happy New Year
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Happy New Year. It’s always exciting to start the new year off with good news;
The well project that we have been working on over the past few months, in partnership with The Gathering from Caronport, Canada and Tumaini Family Church is now completed!
The ultimate hope was pure drinking water; unfortunately, we didn’t quite reach that goal. The water turned out to be slightly brackish. This was a little disappointing at first, but not entirely surprising given the challenge of hitting a thick interface of pure drinking water in this region. The good news is that fresh water for other uses is a close second best. Practically speaking, it will mean free, clean, fresh water for every purpose other than drinking. That includes bathing, washing dishes, cleaning clothes, rinsing produce, scrubbing floors, flushing toilets, etc. We understand that this will save families as much as one day’s salary per week! There is genuine excitement and thanksgiving here.
Thanks to all those who sacrificed to make this possible, we hope you have a blessed year.
Xx Glyn, Jane & Maureen
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From a small seed….
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Looking back helps us to remember and that’s what Jonathan from St. Lukes in Nottingham has helped us to do. His project over the last few months was to capture the essence of Education for Life, Tumaini and Timbwani. Jonathan has managed to photograph special glimpses inside life here and put together an amazing book.
To find out more or buy the book, search Education for Life at www.blurb.com
