Cura Village Blog

Generosity

2012-02-08T10:36:00.000-08:00

Those bulging envelopes contain gifts of artwork and prized possessions that some of the kids in Cura asked me to distribute to their pen pals and other loved ones... I was almost sad to see them go into the mail, as they've been sitting on my desk at home as reminders of the capacity to give in the face of such scarcity.

Drawing a picture or writing a letter to a faceless friend across the world is an act of emotional generosity in itself -- and sending a sentimental trinket is something else altogether. The children in Cura don't have much by way of personal possessions, yet they turned some of the dearest of them over to me, joyfully and with trust that they would safely reach their intended recipients.

I've taken that responsibility pretty seriously. Believe me.

-H

Wait... I'm confused now.

2012-02-03T08:42:00.000-08:00

Last week, I spoke at a local Rotary function, on the invitation of the club president and its International Committee chairwoman. As Cura Orphanage is one of my favorite things to talk about, I happily accepted the invitation, prepared materials for my table display, and gathered thoughts to provide commentary to accompany the requisite set of PowerPoint slides.

At the event, I was given a graceful introduction, and the audience was attentive and engaged as I began to overview the work we're doing in the Home and in the village. At one point, though, a man at one of the back tables raised his hand... and when I acknowledged his question, he said: "Wait... I'm confused. Do you work for the orphanage or for all this other stuff, too?"

I had to laugh at myself a bit, since I was similarly confused when I first threw myself into this work. I remember, as I prepared myself to participate, asking for some kind of flow chart or map or hierarchy when it came to decision-making or project management in the village -- and I remember receiving an understanding smile from the Home's founders, Evelyn Mungai and Mike Eldon, in reply.

They reminded me that development work doesn't fit as neatly into linear models, that non-profit work can be a function of inspired opportunity in addition to rigorous planning, and that, especially, the leaders, like the needs, in the village are numerous and diverse.

Now that I've been doing this for a while, I understand this messy web better, and I'm working within it... some days more successfully than others, of course. But this fundamental understanding about development work wasn't coming across as clearly as I had hoped in my nicely-packaged lunchtime presentation!

What I wish I had reflected better is that our work concentrates on supporting the children under our care, of course, and to be successful we need to be sure we focus resources and attention on the Home, its residents and its employees. But supporting the children without also supporting the extended families to which they belong would be an exercise in futility. We can't meet only the needs of individual children if we expect them to mature into adults that can be productive within a thriving community.

Cura Village, as it turns out, thrives without us. But we can help nurture projects in the face of economic and resource challenges: supporting infrastructure for reliable water sources, offering low-cost, local (basic) medical care, providing tools to supplement learning in an information age, building in economically sustainable collaborative agriculture projects and even constructing a secondary school where there wasn't one before.

These projects ultimately belong to the community, and its members are the ones who will reap the rewards if they are successful. But we lend our resources and expertise to the enterprises when we can, since this is the only way we can see to help the village rebound from the devastating effects of AIDS and poverty.

It is this philosophical position that provides the connecting thread among the numerous facets of our work in Cura; it helps us determine priorities and create order where it may not be immediately obvious.

If they invite me back, this is what I'll say.

-H

Cura Primary School and One World Chorus

2012-02-03T07:12:00.003-08:00

Today is the day that we launch the One World Chorus music education program at Cura Primary School! It is not only the children who are thrilled... the teachers there are eager to learn from Aaron Nigel Smith, too. The participants are selected, the costumes are purchased, rehearsal space is identified, and, as Mrs Hinga says "all is in readiness."

The Place of Grace

2012-01-25T23:59:00.000-08:00

The children and I, along with returning volunteer Jennifer, went for a walk toward the end of the day, getting some time together before I ended this visit.

Margaret and Esther wrapped themselves in my orange kikoi and ran ahead, letting the fabric billow out behind them in the breeze. Nancy and Naomi and I walked, hand in hand, behind them, occasionally ducking to the side of the road to let a car or a cart pass, or to say hello to other children who were out of school for the afternoon and inventing outdoor games for themselves.

The sun was hot, but the wind kept us comfortable, and we eventually came down the lane toward Grace's house. One of the housemothers, she was having a day off with her family... a day off that included two walks to the market, and a visit at the Home, just to say hello.

Grace welcomed us in.

"Us" was about 20 children, plus Jennifer and me! We squeezed in, and she dropped her task of removing kernels from corn cobs (preparations for the evening meal of githeri) in order to slice an apple and divide several carrots into bite-sized, nutritious snacks for the whole gang.

When we finally emptied back out into her fertile compound, we said hello to the goats, tested the ripeness of the avocados and marveled at what looks to be an upcoming bumper banana crop.

She walked us to the end of the lane and said, "Now, when you come back, you'll know the place of Grace."

So true.
-H

Hold This Space

2012-01-24T21:25:00.000-08:00

I don't have a thousand words to write here to replace the story I know the photos will tell... so I'll post photos later, when my internet connection supports it, to share the elation at Cura Primary School upon delivery of another round of new textbooks.

Here is an open courtyard with tables set on red dirt, displaying the new materials that only yesterday were pipe dreams.

Here are teachers, diligently stamping the books in preparation for handing them to students, admonishing them to use them well.

Here are students, conflicted between the pleasure of something new and the knowledge that now their homework will increase.

Not pictured: me. With an enormous grin and a full heart.

-H

Learning

2012-01-23T21:46:00.000-08:00

I spent the day in Nairobi Sunday, but there was still a lot to report from Cura... Primarily, a group of local businessmen came to the Home to make a donation of food, blankets, and, especially school shoes! Any parent in any country knows that children go through shoes at a particularly rapid pace, and we were thrilled to have that expense removed from our budget for the time being.

Thinking about the new shoes got me thinking, too, about all of the other expenses associated with educating the children here, at the Home and in the broader community.

With this on my mind, I had a long meeting with the primary school's headmistress, Mrs Mwathi on Monday, catching up on the six months since we've seen each other and touching base about the children's progress and the school's needs.

The PTSA members in my local school district may actively fret about replacing their children's school shoes, but there are plenty of concerns that they do not share with Cura's school leaders: the latrine needs to be redug, and there is often not enough water even to clean the desks, for example. In the midst of this, though, the school maintains its Mission:

To equip learners with knowledge and skills suitable in a modern world of competitive professionals,

and Vision:

To become a leading educational centre for academic excellence.

The question I ask myself is: how I can best support this admirable vision in the face of such overwhelming need?

Last year, the answer to that was to purchase the first complete set of textbooks the school could remember owning... and the teachers this year report that having those is making a measurable difference in the students' learning and their own teaching. I've committed, again, to the purchase of even more textbook materials this year, and, in fact, my next stop today is the bookstore!

This year I'm thinking more broadly about how to support that vision, as well. Mrs Mwathi and I talked about the teachers building Library time into their daily schedules, for example, so that the children spend at least some time every day surrounded by opportunities to read. Many of our supporters have stocked our library -- we hope the community begins to see it as a meaningful place for their children to spend time and develop skills.

We talked, too, about maximizing the opportunities provided by the recent gift of internet access (Thank you, Access Kenya!). The open-source, free materials that my own children take as a matter of absolute necessity in their own studies are still radically outside the experience of even the teachers in Cura. I'm working with them to isolate sites that can generate worksheets and lesson plans to supplement the work they do directly in compliance with the Kenyan national standards.

And we talked about the softer side of education, as well, like making sure the children all have full bellies to fuel their brains! A school lunch program is as crucial in Cura as it is in schools all over the world. We know that children learn better when their basic needs are met.

These are some of the many concerns I'm considering today -- and I'm marveling at the degree to which Cura's teachers are committed to their students. A case in point:

As Mrs Hinga -- the deputy headmistress and one of Cura's teachers -- helped to gather a list of requested materials for me, she made a special point of asking for books and art materials for her "special needs" class. She has been implementing her own program to select those students who have been mainstreamed, by default, into classrooms that present too large a challenge for them. She introduced me to one girl with Downs Syndrome, and she spoke with warmth about how she'd like to be able to work on an individualized learning program with her, just to be sure she knows how to read.

Any child in any part of the world would be lucky to have a teacher like that.
-H

Wageni Wakaribishwa

2012-01-21T11:23:00.000-08:00

In Swahili, "wageni" means guests, and "wakaribishwa" means that those guests should feel welcomed... or at least that's my rudimentary understanding of the phrase. And I have had the unique experience this week of being both a guest AND one of those doing the welcoming!

I am always mindful, both literally and figuratively, of approaching Cura as a guest. When I arrive there, I am greeted as a returning friend, and I'm given the courtesies that most cultures hold sacred: my physical comfort is attended to, and I am invited to eat, eat, eat!

But I am aware that my presence can also be disruptive. A parent meeting at the primary school could easily be derailed by my appearance at the headmistress's office door, instigating a round of welcomes and speeches and even prayers.

My ideas and approaches to problems, as well, can be unhelpful if I'm not taking the lead from those who live and work in Cura and know the place far better than I do.

Still, I have returned as a guest many times now, and this returning puts me in the position of also being able to knowledgeably welcome others into the circle.

I could answer for Jenny and Jason -- a lead team for Construction for Change -- general questions about Cura's history, but also more specific ones like whether the spiders in their room were likely to crawl on them at night or how many hours the housemothers spend making chapatis every Saturday.

I could and did walk Jenn -- a volunteer there to coordinate an art project -- around the grounds, explaining how many eggs the chickens produce each day and what's in githeri and how recently the primary school was re-roofed.

Coming back to Cura gives me the opportunity to experience the joy of welcoming new well-wishers into the fold in a meaningful way. I'm still a guest, and I'm not moving in, but Cura might want to set up a drawer for my toothbrush.
-H

Motherhood

2012-01-20T21:12:00.000-08:00

I am a mother. I have two daughters whose movement through the world causes me to feel, as someone much more poetic than I once put it, as though my heart is traveling outside my body, exposed and throbbing.

I am a step-mother. Well, not officially. But they are part of my blended family, and my love for them, too, is profound, despite not sharing blood or even a deep history together.

And I am something else, indeed, to the 50 children I help support in Cura.

Like my own children, the children here are quick to, honestly and without insult, point out my flaws: that I am dangerously close to growing a unibrow or that the skin at my elbows is showing the sagging signs of my age or that I forgot, yet again, to bring the apples I promised the last time I was in the village.

Unlike my own children, however, the children here know what it means to have lost their mothers -- they carry this grief behind their eyes, but it flickers to life on occasion when they refer to the time before they lived in our Home.

In the process of living with us, they have to accept a force akin to mothering from women who touch their lives along the way. I'm one, of course, and more deeply so is Yassi, their steadfast and committed advocate. Evelyn, who founded the Home, is a source of trust and security, and Scola provides encouragement to read and learn.

There are others, too, of course. But it is the Kikuyu women who work at the Home -- the housemothers -- who provide the daily labors of love that make the children's lives possible. This isn't to discount the role of men in the process! But I'm struck on each visit by the incessant work and attention required by the women who wash endless vats of clothing and select stones out of countless trays of rice and who have a tolerance level for noise and chaos that puts them on par with the saints, as far as I'm concerned.

This motherhood isn't warm and fuzzy. It's affectionate but stern. There's humor and dancing and play, but there is also a system for instilling a work ethic and gratitude and skills for a future outside the Home -- where life is certainly less comfortable and where the children will need to become productive adults.

In short, these eight women are doing the work all mothers strive to do, and they're doing it for 50 children who are not their blood. They work long days, in fact, AWAY from their own children and grandchildren, the people for whom they prepare meals and pay school fees and would move heaven and earth.

I'm learning about motherhood from these women who take this work as a matter of course. I bring my own mothering self to the work I do in Cura, and though it's only a small contribution, I'm aware that I'm part of a group of women doing vital, life-affirming work.
-H

Cura at last

2012-01-20T10:32:00.000-08:00

Again the photos are giving me trouble... I hope I'll get this resolved over the weekend! In the meantime, please note that Cura is as technicolor as usual, and the children are as photogenic as you remember. All are still raving about last week's trip to Splash (water park) with Danielle and ask after everyone who's ever set foot in Cura!

Gilbert, my trustworthy and good-natured driver, and Jennifer, our latest Cura volunteer, and I made our way out there today, and were greeted in the usual crowded, raucous fashion. Grace and the other housemothers made sure we were fed and comfortable, while the children made sure our hair was sufficiently styled and our electronics were sufficiently co-opted.

The most notable change to Cura since my last visit is the landscaping around the church... That Edwin Kinyanjui (Vicar) doesn't mess around! But there are other changes, too: the water tanks Jordan and his friends funded are installed and full, Norman (the cow) is pregnant, while her daughter Anita stands by in disbelief, and a few of the older girls have moved on to secondary schools. Being there in Cura gives me such a concrete sense of where things stand -- I only hope I'll be able to keep up the pace of at least two visits a year from here on out.

Minette wasn't feeling well and was home from school, but she was perking up by the time Friday was winding down and the weekend was on its way... I guess pre-teens all over the world have certain basic characteristics in common!

More tomorrow,of course. Fingers crossed for photos.
-H

Gratitude

2012-01-19T01:35:00.000-08:00

My internet connection isn't allowing me to upload photos, so I'll valiantly attempt to craft a post without them. What I was hoping to say with images I'll briefly sketch with words...

Things I'm grateful for today:

--Generous General Managers at Nairobi hotels, for donating my lodging and making my visit back to Cura.

--The best GM of them all: Mark Somen at Tribe, who coordinated the whole thing!

--Tropical fruits, in season, especially given that I narrowly escaped Seattle's deep freeze.

--The fact that I narrowly escaped Seattle's deep-freeze... other volunteers from Construction for Change were delayed because of the storm. (We all eagerly await their arrival, eventually!)

--Shops within walking distance, where I can stock up on school supplies and even little sweets to bring as gifts to Cura tomorrow.

--Functional internet, which is allowing me to coordinate my visit, funds transfers and volunteer logistics.

--SIM card technology that doesn't expire for six months -- as well as the fact that I got back here within six months and kept the old SIM card alive.

--Cura supporters who have entrusted us with the stewardship of their donations. There is no substitute for being on the ground in the place where the money is used, and I'm grateful that I get to participate in the allocation of funds to benefit our children and the whole Cura community.

Many thanks, and more photos to come,
-H

Going Back

2012-01-17T07:48:00.000-08:00

I leave today for Kenya, and I'm mostly ready. There's a major snow event predicted here in Seattle, so I'm hopeful that my plane will take off before the storm hits, and that I'll be warmly welcomed back in Cura before the end of the week!

As I prepare to leave my own children to go reconnect with the 50 more under our care, I can't help but reflect on the nature of this work that would command all of my waking hours if I let it. It requires attention to each dollar, prolific communication, inter-cultural sensitivity, philosophical examination and a significant financial commitment... not just for me, but for all of the incredible people who dedicate their personal and creative resources to making it all possible.

And it changes lives.

This collective labor of love has changed the lives of the 50 children in our Home, but it has also brought inexpensive, local medical care, a public library and computer lab, water and road projects, and educational materials and curriculum to the entire extended community, changing their lives for the better, as well.

It's changing lives here, too. As more people know about us, more volunteers dedicate themselves to understanding the world a bit better, giving of themselves a bit more... and they come to Cura and are hooked. They come back, ambassadors now and witnesses to the power of global citizenship.

I know I'm changed, too. I'm incredibly grateful that this can be part of my life's work and that I can offer this one small example to my children about what it means to serve others and be rewarded enormously in the process.

Let's get that plane de-iced!

One World Chorus is on its way!

2012-01-07T21:10:00.000-08:00

Check out this great news coverage in the Portland area!

http://www.katu.com/news/specialreports/Everyday-Heroes-One-world-one-voice-136878053.html

2011 Fundraising Success!

2011-12-18T13:05:00.000-08:00

This year has seen substantial challenges for Cura, but our well-wishers and donors have responded more generously than ever before! We are awaiting final totals, but we're on track to have raised enough not only to boost the operating budget of the Home but also to seed additional projects that are central to Cura's sustainable future success: education, infrastructure, medical care, small business. We anticipate having at least $50,000 with which to move forward into 2012 and beyond, and we take our stewardship of donor contributions very seriously. Please watch this page for updates as we complete ongoing projects and vet new ones, and do send me an email if you'd like more detail than what I provide here: hayden@curaorphanage.org.

For now, let me thank, once again, Karyn Craven and her team at Burning Torch, and Kathy and Amy Eldon and their team at Creative Visions for their breathtaking energy and generous spirit on behalf of the children at Cura. And thanks to all of YOU who have provided support in so many ways as this small project has changed the lives of so many.

It's been an incredible year.

-Hayden

Fundraiser Follow Up

2011-12-13T05:56:00.000-08:00

We are still calculating the totals from the two end-of-year fundraisers, but we do know that they were each an enormous success!

Wendy & Lisa, The Goods and Chubby Lovers put on a great show at November's Safari Nights, and the crowd at last week's Burning Torch event was lively and generous!

Check out photos of our Burning Torch event here...

And know that we're grateful and humbled by the holiday generosity everyone has shown the children at Cura!

Fundraising as 2011 comes to a close...

2011-11-12T20:24:00.000-08:00

I have three exciting announcements regarding Cura-fundraising, and a plea for your help spreading the word.

One is a reminder about the Safari Nights event coming up next weekend: 19 November in Los Angeles. It's not too late to buy tickets, so please consider joining us!

http://creativevisions.org/events/cura-safari-nights.html

The second is a new Kickstarter campaign we're thrilled to be part of: it's One World Chorus and its plan to connect with the children in Cura in 2012.

Please don't miss this amazing original song by Aaron Nigel Smith and the information about the program we're implementing for music education and global communication for Cura Village!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/oneworldchorus/aaron-nigel-smith-and-one-world-chorus?ref=email

The third announcement is an invitation to a holiday event ho

sted by our friends at Burning Torch, also in Los Angeles. Burning Torch, Inc. has been a generous supporter of our work in the past, and the fashion

company is making Cura Orphanage the recipient of its holiday cheer this year. Please consider joining us there, too, on 8 December:

November Musings

2011-11-08T08:01:00.000-08:00

In partnership with Creative Visions and Lucy Woodward and well-wishers from all over the west coast, I'm busy preparing for the upcoming Safari Nights event... and marveling at the progress we've made in Cura over the past year. Despite the profound challenges presented by the drought in East Africa, Moses and the housemothers are providing a supportive, healthy Home for the children to live in and thrive.

We hope that the funds raised at Safari Nights will continue the momentum this year has built, and will allow us not only to expand the programs already in place but also implement a school lunch program at Cura Primary School and kick-start a music-education program that will carry over to the secondary school (scheduled to break ground this January!).

If you can't make it to the Safari Nights event in person, please consider purchasing one of these "lunch bags," hand-made by Diedre, one of our partners with One World Chorus. Your $20 purchase will help feed a Cura child who currently comes to school without lunch...

Please contact me at hayden@curaorphanage.org if you're interested; we'd like to raise funds to implement the school lunch program in time for the start of the new academic year in January!

We're also thrilled to announce that Cura now has internet! We'll be making some changes to our Pen Pal Program so that there can be more direct communication between the Cura children and their friends in the west... so watch for more information on that soon.

Here's hoping I'll see many of you at the 19 November event -- and many thanks for the support you've already shown for Cura this year,

2011-10-11T17:29:00.000-07:00

We are thrilled that Lucy Woodward, Faryal Russel and Henderson Studios are working on the second annual Safari Nights (19 November) event to benefit Cura Orphanage!

Please go to Creative Visions to purchase your tickets and/or copy the link to tell your friends.

It'll be an incredible evening of music, and your presence will help support some of the vital projects we have going on in Cura.

I'll look forward to seeing you there!

-H

Letter to Sponsors and Well-Wishers

2011-09-28T06:59:00.000-07:00

Please pardon the duplication, but a version of this letter will go to sponsors and other well-wishers this week... Please consider "following" this blog and linking it to your Facebook and other social networking; we'd love to have even more people connected to the wonderful people and work in Cura!

Please do watch for an official announcement of our Second Annual Safari Nights event, coming up on 19 November. I posted in this blog about the event last year, and we hope to build on those previous successes. At this year's event, we plan to focus our fundraising on both some very essential needs and on an exciting new proposal for adding music education to the curriculum at Cura Primary School.

For that project, we’re partnering with a non-profit called One World Chorus to offer children in Cura an opportunity to perform with and learn about children in choruses all over the globe. The project, if it’s fully funded, will be developed with teen mentor programs and even recording opportunities through its founder, award-winning Aaron Nigel Smith. Please watch for more information about this as plans come together.

Of course, whatever we begin at the primary school will be extended through the secondary school once it’s built and fully operational. Those of you who have been with us for a while know that we raised funds last year through a special west coast premier of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Since then, we’ve worked tirelessly with One Kid, One World to confirm community buy-in and get the appropriate permitting, and we’re in the process now of confirming Construction for Change as project managers for the groundbreaking in January. We’re thrilled to be on the verge of offering Cura’s children a local option for public secondary school, and I hope you’ll watch and celebrate our progress with us!

Of course, my news from Kenya is complicated by the fact that most of East Africa is suffering a drought of historic proportions. According to CNN.com, "East Africa is in the midst of its worst drought in more than 60 years, with as many as 10 million people at risk." Our children, thanks to generous sponsors and supporters like you, do not have to worry about whether they’ll have food to eat, though they are feeling the effects of the drought in indirect ways. Water is a pressing concern in the surrounding community, for example, and much of the Home’s budget has had to be recommitted to trucking in water when the rain collection isn’t sufficient. Food prices, too, in the region are fluctuating radically, and the Kenyan shilling is losing strength. The cumulative effect of this means that the leaders in the village and at our Home have to make some tough choices about what they can afford… and what they can’t.

We hope, of course, that our ongoing fundraising efforts will keep up with the need, at least on behalf of the children who are under our care. Because we’re committed to being a positive force for self-sufficiency and development, however, we feel a powerful sense of responsibility to improve the circumstances of the community as a whole.

Please know that your support, both financial and otherwise, has done measurable good – you are a partner with us in Cura’s well-being. On behalf of everyone there, I am deeply grateful.

-H

Glorious Water!

2011-09-25T19:12:00.000-07:00

Jordan has returned to Cura, and has brought with him vibrant energy that has resulted in not only Cura's first major "Sports Day," replete with team t-shirts...

But also water, water, water!

In this blog during the summer, I wrote about the fact that water was on the minds of everyone in Cura -- how to collect it, how to pump it, how to pay for it. All of East Africa is enduring a drought, and Cura isn't entirely immune from its effects: water has to be rationed, and the community has to collaborate, for example, even to provide water to keep the primary school clean and the children fundamentally hydrated.

When the rains come, of course, our Home's tank fills quickly, and Moses, the housemothers and the children all celebrate. But what overflows or isn't captured is lost... at least it was before now. Thanks to Jordan's generous network of friends and well-wishers, not one but TWO more collection tanks have been delivered and installed in the Home's courtyard.

Feeling grateful for this thing we take for granted here at home:

and for wonderful Jordan, of course.

--H

End of Summer Update

2011-08-29T22:42:00.001-07:00

Paige, Savannah and Danielle are gearing up for the children to return from their holiday break... but they're working with those who stuck around and generally getting a feel for the place. For more regular updates from Cura (and the rest of their Kenyan adventures), please follow their electronic journals at:

wildairafrica.wordpress.com (Savannah & Paige)
journeytheglobe.wordpress.com (Danielle)

Pen Pals, too, are eagerly awaiting the children's return for September classes -- missives from Cura are forthcoming, I promise!

Meanwhile, we're working over here to keep the One World Chorus and Construction for Change plans in motion, and we're developing plans for our Second Annual Safari Nights fundraising event in Los Angeles in early November. Do watch for more information as that gets closer, and for photos if you're unlucky enough not to be able to attend...

Wishing, as always, Cura wasn't so far away...

-H

2011-07-11T12:02:00.000-07:00

We're back from Kenya and settling in at home... but I'm still immersed in Cura-related communication and planning. I've got this photo set as the background on my desktop, just to remind me of where we just were...

And we've got new (and very lucky!) volunteers headed there soon!

Paige, Savannah and Danielle are heading to Cura in August to begin a series of art and theater projects with the children, both between school terms and once classes begin again in September.

Jennifer will return again in November to reprise her Rotary-inspired "World without AIDS" photography and writing projects.

And Aaron and Diedre are working on plans to come to Cura in January to begin a global "Music and Movement" project with the students at Cura Primary School.

Of course, we hope Construction for Change will also be arriving after the first of the year, to break ground on the long-anticipated secondary school, as well.

These plans, and all of the details associated with them, keep me busy and thinking of Cura when I'm home -- as do pen pals and sponsors and interested well-wishers. But nothing beats being there.

-H

Saturday was Bittersweet

2011-07-03T01:48:00.001-07:00

Samuel rode a bicycle around the field probably 100 times.
Henry played football with our driver, Gilbert.
Grace and Phyllis spent prepared 150 chapatis on the new jiko and pans.
Minne and Naomi learned three new songs from my Girl Scout counselor days and promised to teach other kids when we're gone.
Margaret and Esther and Nancy had an enthusiastic dance party in the tv room.
Sharon tucked herself against me, drew my ratty old kikoi over her head and napped for an hour.
Esther and Mercy reminded me to pass along messages to their pen pals.
Amos and Peter asked over and over when we'd be back.
John Michael gave me a stack of drawings of birds to take home.
Loise begged to look at the photos on my camera one more time so she could memorize them.
Simon didn't want to look at us when we made our way out to leave.
Minnet let herself be dragged by the car instead of letting go of my hand.

Leaving is brutal.
-H

Friday was Awesome

2011-07-01T22:21:00.001-07:00

After our Thursday pleas for the last of the “map” donations, we were so flush with pledged cash (we’ll send information on how we’ll collect the funds when we get home, so watch for that!), that we wanted to get a jump on our shopping day Friday. The morning started early, with the about-a-mile walk to Village Market to get caffeinated and get going!

We made a Nakumatt (Kenya’s chain of Kmart or Fred Meyer-esque shopping emporiums) run there, purchasing the following to resupply some necessary materials for the housemothers:

1 sufuria (large cooking pot)

1 jiko (a charcoal burning stove)

2 chapati pans

12 bowls

8 cooking knives

50 melamine tea mugs

2 plastic wash basins (for laundry)

Fast forward now to the delivery of the above materials:

If ONLY Christmas morning elicited jubilation like this over each small and useful gift! Catching sight of the children helping us carry in these items, the whole group of women instantly burst into ululations and song – and the Kikuyu singing and dancing went on and on and on… Later, when Scola remarked that she couldn’t believe that we brought EXACTLY what was needed, we reminded her that we weren’t psychic… we just asked. Matching the donated funds to the necessary items was such an easy thing, and it created ecstatic results!

Back to Nairobi:

After loading Gilbert’s car with the kitchen-related booty, we went over to Westgate, a mall in another neighborhood, where we had made arrangements the prior day to order the maps at Savani’s Book Centre. The maps were there, waiting for us upon our arrival, but then we began a LONG process of working with Pardeep and Sam to fill the orders from the long list the teachers had made.

When we were done, we had purchased:

Full class sets of Science textbooks for grades 1 through 8

3 teacher’s guides for above Science textbooks

9 Kenya maps

6 East Africa maps

10 each of 9 different titles of English storybooks set in Kenya

Class sets of Encyclopedias for grades 1 – 8

5 staplers

4 boxes of staples

8 calculators

1 desk sharpener

16 copies of the primary mathematics textbook for grade 7

20 copies of the English primer for grade 5

15 copies of the REQUIRED Social Studies textbook for grade 8

2 copies each of 24 titles of Swahili storybooks for grades 1 through 8

We were giddy to deliver the goods!

When we arrived at Cura, our delivery was turned into a grateful and formal presentation led by Mrs Mwathi, flanked by the teachers who were misty-eyed with joy.

It’s impossible to overstate the number of times the word “miracle” was used in reference to the display covering the three tables they set out under a tree in the courtyard of the school. The grade 1 teacher showed us the scars on her palms, resulting in sharpening pencils with knives and razor blades – thrilled at the notion of having a desk sharpener now. “Imagine,” she said, “a professional teacher who has to find a knife from the kitchen to make sure her students can do their lessons.”

The books, though, were the star of the show – and Mrs Mwangi, one of the teachers who has been there the longest, gave the children a challenge to accompany this gift: She explained that before, they were all struggling to perform well on exams without the required texts to learn the material… but now there is no excuse. The children were assigned their textbooks and were launched, eagerly, into a heightened level of expectation.

While Greg and I shared Fantas and bread-and-butter sandwiches with Mrs Mwathi and Mrs Hinga (the deputy head teacher and extra-curricular music teacher extraordinaire), we noted the chalkboard graph on the wall indicating the exam scores over the last four years: they’ve been in decline. This is a fact Mrs Mwathi is now making public and working to bring the community’s parents and other leaders into the fold for solving the problem. We’ve connected her with our friend Bernard Mathu, formerly of Kenya’s premier high school’s administration and currently running his own school in Nanyuki, and Cura’s new Vicar is also on the team. With this kind of energy and intellect on board now, we also expect good things!

As it turned out, Friday was also an incredible day for Cura because ANOTHER group showed up to make a donation. A group of Nairobi businessmen have formed a charitable project for which they locate orphanages and schools in need and provide necessary resources. Their arrival meant 50 new wool blankets (which will go very nicely with the sheets and pillowcases recently donated by the Hilton Hotel!), bags and bags of maize meal, and various other sundries. They also left Cura with this challenge:

Any of the 5 girls who are currently in grade 8 can earn a scholarship for their secondary school fees next year IF they earn at least a 400 on their national exams at the end of the term.

This is an enormous gift, and a significant challenge. No pressure, Grace, Esther, Leah, Sarah and Anne… Except that the pressure is on!

We closed our day with promises to return (we’re heading back for a day of football and singing and prolonged goodbyes this morning) and a quick visit with Mike Eldon back in Nairobi. We reflected on all the good progress – as well as the ongoing and mounting challenges – we continue to see in Cura, and marveled at the project Evelyn started five years ago, feeling grateful to be a part of it.

-H

Connecting Cura to YOU

2011-06-30T10:41:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, I held a meeting in the library of all 29 children who currently participate in the Pen Pal Programme I run with Scola Nduta, my committed, reliable, capable, not-to-mention gorgeous partner in Cura. The purpose of the meeting was to explain fully to the children how the pen pal letters are sent and received, since sometimes it seems like a mystery…

They draft their letters on ancient PCs, and Scola saves the files to send via email when she can sit down with her portable modem (which we keep supplied with internet “minutes” using the donations of the pen pals on the US/west side). The children receive their letters in print form, after Scola downloads them from the emails I send her – when pen pals send photos, she has to simply show the children the screen view, though, since the printer warps the images beyond recognition.

I assured the children that the eventual goal was that they could one day communicate directly with their pen pals and others, once Cura has internet access more reliable than Scola’s trusty Safaricom USB plug-in. They were thrilled with the prospect of one day having email accounts of their own, and they were inspired to become more proficient with word-processing so they’d be ready when that day comes.

This is the kind of authentic learning we hoped to create with this program: the children learn multiple skills (keyboarding, English language, conversation, inter-cultural awareness, geography…) that are organic to the activity that engages them. What an incredible success this has been so far!

As our meeting went on, I invited the children to ask questions of me… anything they wanted. Nearly all of them wanted to know the ages of their pen pals, down to the day. This prompted my reminder that that’s a question they might ask of their pen pals in their next letters (though I answered truthfully when I could!). Some wanted to know why their pen pals asked so many questions themselves! This led to a lengthy conversation about how it’s a cultural practice in the US and in the west to use questions as an invitation to further conversation. We role-played possible responses, comparing:

Q: What is your favorite animal?

A: A giraffe.

Q: What is your favorite animal?

A: My favorite animal is a giraffe because its hide is a beautiful color and I once saw one nibbling from a tree. I read in a book that they have very long tongues. What is YOUR favorite animal?

This was a fun exercise, and Scola confirmed, in Kikuyu, that everyone got the gist. A room full of happily responsive “ehhhhh” affirmatives made my day!

All of this is to say that the pen pal program is not only going well, it’s growing! Many of the 29 current participants expressed interest in having a 2^nd pen pal, and the teachers at the primary school expressed interest in having more of their students participate.

If you are not yet participating in the program but would like to, please let me know (hayden@curaorphanage.org) -- I’ll reply with details. The boys, especially, would love boys their own age to write to, so let me know if there are boys in your life who would like to sign on.

If you are already participating, please tell your friends… and please know that your letters are EAGERLY anticipated. Some children receive incredibly regular letters, which is thrilling… but which provides a comparison point for others whose pen pals are less prolific. The children think of you as FRIENDS – they know your names, they ask after you, they give me messages of love to pass along to you, and they want photos of you to have for themselves. You are a connection to a world beyond Cura that they can’t really even imagine right now – a way to make the rest of the world real. No pressure! ;)

At the end of the meeting, I met with each child to find out what they liked and didn’t like about how the pen pal process is going. My favorite moment was when Simon, a born performer and as optimistic a human being I’ve ever met, said: “McKenna is my pen pal and I don’t want anyone else. She writes VERY often, and she knows me. We will meet some day.”

Full disclosure: McKenna is my niece. But she IS an excellent pen pal, and she makes a kid’s day on a regular basis. You can, too!

-H

While we were sleeping (aka the power of social networking and incredible blessing of good friends)

2011-06-30T04:53:00.000-07:00

After posting my last blog and linking it to my Facebook page, we tucked ourselves in for a dvd episode of The Sopranos and an oscillating fan to even out the night noise of askaris changing shifts and traffic heating up on UN Avenue.

And while we were sleeping, the interwebs were hard at work, carrying our plea out to generous friends everywhere!

I am humbled and amazed to report today that not only have we been able to cover the cost of the maps we requested, but we have been able to order EVERYTHING on the Cura Primary School’s wish list. Pledges have varied in size, but the largest portion was one that resulted from wonderful Marte’s birthday party and her request for donations instead of gifts. That brings our total to US$1650 at the moment… far more money than we anticipated. I am deeply grateful.

I am grateful, too, to the book seller (Savani Book Center, Ltd at Westgate, for those of you in Nairobi who might be able to give him more business) we’re working with – after hearing what our purchases are for, he offered a deep discount on everything. I guess he couldn’t help but catch the fever, too!

Those who have pledged these funds can expect a complete reporting of how they will be spent, but know this for now: we can purchase ALL of the textbooks requested, ALL of the storybooks requested, ALL of the maps requested, ALL of the encyclopedias requested, ALL of the calculators requested… and we’ll even have some left over. We can’t wait to see the looks on the faces of the teachers tomorrow when we arrive with a taxi overloaded with much-needed and long-awaited materials.

Watch for photos…

On the Map

2011-06-29T06:03:00.000-07:00

As some of you might remember, we raised funds last year to install one World Map and one Map of Africa in each of Cura Primary School's 8 classrooms. We can confirm that the maps are on display and in use! They are so valuable, actually, that now the teachers wish to have even more specific reference points and have added East Africa and Kenya wall maps to their wish list for classes 4 through 8.

We have already spent all of the money we came with (earmarked for "education") on also-needed and prioritized Science in Action textbooks for all 8 classes -- these have been ordered, and I've actually JUST gotten off the phone with Moses, confirming the invoice amount and the delivery date/time (Friday at 2pm)!

We'd love to be able to make one final gift of these wall maps if we can; they are running about KSh 2000 right now (that's about $25 each). So a commitment of $250 (from single or cumulative sources!) would allow us to confidently make that purchase...

If you're interested in helping with this before we leave (we'll have to do the shopping and delivery before 2 July), please do contact me at: hayden@curaorphanage.org.

Thanks for considering it!
-H

The Last 48 Hours

2011-06-28T08:32:00.001-07:00

The warmth and hospitality of Moses and the housemothers is palpable. We arrived with small gifts (colorful rubbish bins for each of the children’s bedrooms), and the housemothers were surprised that we would bring something for them when it was we who were guests. We are served hot, sweet chai regularly throughout the day, and our plates are heaped with food at mealtimes. Norman, when we stayed in our room previously, has equipped it with a handful of modern conveniences: a mini-refrigerator, a small microwave, some scented candles (there IS a pervasive dampness here that a little vanilla scent goes a long way to disguise) – but it’s the welcome of the people here that is most comforting.

That said, there are few of our usual comforts here. One is never free from the dark red mud after the rains, for example, but that inconvenience is compensated by the gratitude everyone feels that the rains came just in time to fill the emptied storage tanks. We don’t shower here, but we now have plenty for our basic needs, and that is enough.

We were invited to Moses’ house for dinner last night, and as we walked up the path, we passed the plots where his two brothers also farm and live. Moses talked about the land once belonging to his father, and about his 110 year old mother who passed away just this year. Moses and his children proudly welcomed us into their home, a permanent structure just finished this last February. It is yards away from the corrugated aluminum structures where his brothers live, and even from the structures that house his three cows (one of whom was harassing the others because she’s in heat… Moses wasn’t able to reach the vet by telephone while we were there, so he had to excuse himself to go out and wrangle his misbehaving livestock!). The life Moses has created for his family is basic but comfortable, and we gratefully ate the mukimo and cabbage we were served, while we talked about the day’s news that was broadcasting from the small television on the counter. As we walked back to the Home together, nibbling on roast maize, we could smell the cook fires of various other families who were closing out their day in a similar way.

Since we knew we’d be spending the night, I brought some glow-in-the-dark bracelets to play with before the children went to bed. Distributing them was a chaotic and noisy process, but then the courtyard was filled with neon bracelets, earrings, halos, spears… At one point several children went into a single room, turned off the lights, and managed a techno-rave with all of the day-glo blues, oranges and greens!

Many of the children were still holding on to the bookmarks we had made earlier in the day...

The stickers were a big hit, though I’m not certain whether even one of the bookmarks will ever mark a place in a novel. The children love the library and the books there, though much of even the older children’s interaction with the materials there is limited to admiring pictures. It’s something, but it would be wonderful if words could inspire them as much as pictures do!

There is a lot of learning happening here, of course – and in several languages, which is the most impressive part. The children all speak Kikuyu, their mother language, but instruction in school is in Kiswahili and in English. I sat for a bit with Henry yesterday (he’s the only child at the Home who is still in pre-primary classes, so he has a lot of free time!), and we took turns placing seeds into an upturned Frisbee, counting in both English and Swahili. The reward for his excellent mathematical and linguistic performance? Actually PLAYING Frisbee with Greg!

I notice that I’m taking fewer photos this year of the daily experience in Cura – not even of adorable Henry. I think it’s because the things I am most wanting to absorb this trip can’t be captured. This makes for a less visually interesting blog record, I realize, but if I could I would link you to: the impressive size of the spiders who also live and work here, the sound from across the playing field of the pre-primary students reciting their lessons, the press of hands and bodies as the children greet visitors (and the particular urgency of their questions about when we’ll be back), the sensory overload from hearing ones name repeated hundreds of times a day (calling for your attention, but also wrapped in a sentence in a language you don’t understand), the tug at your scalp of ten pairs of hand braiding and unbraiding your hair, the weight of the wheelbarrow that contains an enormous pot of githeri for lunch (not to mention the solid strength and balance of Grace as she maneuvers it from the kitchen to the Home, the pace of life and work that requires the older children to get up at 5am to begin their studies and keeps them busy at school until after 5pm…

It is not only the children who are working hard to improve their own lives here. The adults are in constant physical and psychological demand, doing the work to raise these 50 children while they also have families of their own. Since we’ve been here, I’ve been called to act as the librarian, a tutor, a computer tech, a security monitor, an art teacher, a financial consultant, a confidante, a storyteller… I know I fell into bed exhausted last night, and I did only a fraction of the labor the house mothers did.

Today’s mud quotient was lower than yesterday’s, which made everything seem a bit easier – planning every ingress and egress in order to minimize the muck-distribution is an intellectual challenge on its own. We accomplished other things, too, though:

--I distributed art work from the HiLife kids in Texas, which the children added to their individual collections of other masterpieces from Lockwood Elementary over the last two years;

--Greg mapped the whole Cura compound, using such high-tech instruments as graph paper and his approximately-one-yard-in-length stride;

--I met with all of the children currently participating in the pen pal program, getting feedback from them about their experiences and answering questions about their US counterparts;

--Greg launched a walk-about clean-up campaign, and he and the children filled four garbage bags with scraps and trash and recyclables from around the compound;

--We both met with the headmistress, Mrs. Mwathi, to receive the list of needed textbooks she and her faculty compiled. (We matched the education-restricted donation we recently received to a segment of the need, and we’ve got an order placed for science textbooks for ALL of the class levels. Delivery on Friday – yay!)

There were notes placed in our pockets all day, expressions of love and appreciation that are unnecessary… but incredible mementos to keep us going when we get back to the US.

For now, back in Nairobi, the next step is a shower and maybe even a martini… we’re children of our own culture, after all. Keeping the ability to be effective in both worlds is key to eventually calling our work here a success.

The Rains Down in Aaaaaafrica

2011-06-26T07:47:00.000-07:00

We're having a lazy Nairobi Sunday, but I didn't want to miss a day of blogging...

Although my initial goals for the day included hardly more than sleeping in and reading by a pool, the sunshine at noon eventually devolved into ominous clouds that forced me inside. It's a good thing, too, since I got a lot of Cura-related emails written and made sense of the illogically sequenced and illegible scribbles I've made during our meetings all week.

As the ominous clouds turned into power-outage-inducing thunder, and the thunder turned into the kind of rain that even Seattle-ites like me can't really fathom, I took the time to be thankful for two things:

1. that the generator here at the UN compound (where we've set up camp for the afternoon's shelter and internet access) is fully functional... and

2. that this torrent will serve to replenish the water supply in Cura, if only temporarily.

Water is the word on everybody's lips there, and the notable lack of sufficient rain impacts everything. I don't actively bless much, but I bless this rain. Cue Toto soundtrack...

-H

Red Dirt and the Cura Arts Scene

2011-06-25T14:15:00.000-07:00

This morning, we were greeted at Cura (which, by the way, is reached by a stretch of gutted red road) by Edwin, the new vicar. He had invited us to his home to meet his family, and he instructed us to get back in our car and follow him.

Gilbert (our driver) was game, so off we went back down the rutted red road (with Cura children following, perplexed by our extremely short morning visit) and over the paved road a ways before we turned off for what seemed like AGES of maneuvering increasingly rocky and neglected terrain. It is Saturday here, so the fields we saw out our windows were filled with people hard at work, weeding and harvesting the crops they depend on for both food and income. At one point, we slowed nearly to a stop in order to let a donkey by; it was pulling a cart laden with charcoal and other commodities for the market. Gilbert chuckled under his breath, and said he was reminded of an adage: Treat a donkey well, and he will treat you well. He was filled with folksy commentary, actually, as he noted the work ethic clearly in place in this predominantly Kikuyu region. Gilbert is a Luo, a tribe that has been disgruntled, to say the least, with Kikuyus through Kenya’s history… But Gilbert thought that old resentment might be put to rest if “more Kenyans went for a drive out here and saw how Kikuyus live.”

We were, of course, eager to arrive at Edwin’s shamba to see how he and his family live… and, sure enough, Gilbert had even more to be impressed about. Edwin and Rachel, his wife, have a small plot of land that is adjacent to that of each of his brothers and his father. On this plot, they proudly keep 5 cows, 20 pigs and 250 chickens, at last count, and they and their three daughters work from 5am to milk cows, harvest eggs, prepare the day’s feed and other chores before walking the surplus to the market for some additional income.

After all of that, Edwin drives the chassis-brutalizing route to Cura to begin the morning’s duties in the parish office, observing, learning about and responding to the concerns of his “flock.”

Not being Anglicans ourselves, we weren’t sure what to expect from Edwin in terms of his observations about Cura and/or his commentary about how to address its challenges. After today, even Gilbert was happy to have sustained ample wear and tear to his taxi in order to hear Edwin talk in such measured, creative and energetic terms about how he can make a meaningful impact on the community there. He spoke about the particular challenge of integrating the various generations into the common and substantial work of the community. He commended Moses and his generation for being the caretakers, and he recognized the young people as the future workforce and leadership of the area. He wondered, though, where the adults between the ages of 25 and 40 had gone… Some have died prematurely (hence, the orphanage!), but, as he says “we have not put every one in the ground as of yet.” He takes as his personal focus the closing of this gap: bringing what adults still hover around Cura into partnership with the young and the old so that the solutions to Cura’s problems are shared by a group of people who can sustain each other into the future. We look forward to tracking his success!

Once we said our thank yous and goodbyes to the Kinyanjuis, we made our way back down and then back up the red roads between there and Cura… and got back in time to spend the afternoon variously playing games, making art projects and taking care of some administrative business.

Scola, my partner in the pen pal program and the computer lab instructor, helped us manage the children rotating through the art and photography stations, while Grace (one of the house mothers) led singing and dancing and still found time to serve us a heaping plate of ugali and sukuma wiki. Delicious and filling!

The day was chaotic and demanding: those of us with children at home know what it can be like to be on call for every need throughout the day – and imagine that times 50! Though the children are self-sufficient and have plenty of care throughout the day, they were also excited to show us the new skills they had acquired (bicycles, bicycles, bicycles), make plans for when we come back on Monday (pen pal letter-writing, another art project, a shamba walk, and more) and generally get us caught up on what they need (Stephen wants a pen pal that will write more often; Sharon wants a scrunchy to finish off the braid she put in my hair; Minnet just wants Norman to come back, in the worst way; Naomi wants more paper and pens to draw her flowers in peace and quiet; Grace wants to get good enough marks on her final exams to earn a place in a prestigious Nairobi secondary school; Simon wants to become an even better dancer; Minne really wants to be excused from Sunday school… ).

Asking questions and listening to the children was the major focus of the day, and the afternoon passed swiftly! By the time we sat with Scola (my pen pal program partner) for sweet, black tea and hot, fresh chapati, we were exhausted!

I left amid reassurances that we’d be back on Monday, and that I’d have another craft project to do together (it’s bookmarks… don’t tell!). I also left with two small treasures: gifts from Esther and Grace that were so beautifully wrapped that I waited until I got back to Nairobi to open the packages so that I could photograph them before I ruined them in the unwrapping.

Food and water and luxuries like that

2011-06-24T07:54:00.000-07:00

Yassi and I lingered over our dinner last night, talking about Cura, our respective relationships to the children, the leadership and the projects, and what we each anticipate in the coming years. Connecting with Yassi is always crucial for my work; it is even more crucial for the children in the Home, as she is as dedicated a mother-figure as anyone, crafting games and activities that inspire the children to be the best versions of themselves. This is easy for me to say, however, over my dim sum and papaya salad, my hair still wet from my hot shower!

Today’s meetings, like those over the past few days, covered a wide range of topics, but one, in particular, emerged as paramount: WATER. How to pay for it, how to get it, how to distribute it, how to live without it… The Cura community (separate from but overlapping with our work with the Home) has an outstanding utility bill that must be satisfied before any meaningful solution can be reached, and that obstacle is weighing heavily on everyone’s minds. Because there’s no readily available water (rain is collected, but what if it doesn’t rain??), Moses sometimes has to have water delivered – for washing, for drinking, for irrigation – and both the expense and the rationing have negative impacts on the Home.

Despite the water problems, the housemothers and Moses continue to do their best for and with the children. They build the healthiest menus they can within the allotted budget:

And they even generously share their meals with us when we visit. Today, we were greeted with chai and fresh eggs from the chicken coop only yards from where we sat. For lunch, we had githeri… a treat for us, but a starchy twice-a-week lunch staple for the children.

Headmistress Mrs Mwathi and the Cura Primary School teachers, too, continue to make do with what resources they have. Our meeting today mentioned but didn’t focus on water; we discussed the need for textbooks to meet the new requirements from the Kenyan Ministry of Education, in social studies, in particular… as well as the ongoing difficulties many of the community’s children face in even being able to afford to bring lunch to school.

With water and food and educational basics weighing heavily on us, it was an indescribable pleasure to get to see the children recite poetry and perform the music they’ve been working on. We know how valuable this kind of supplemental education is for children’s development, and, as in the US, most of the work staff and faculty do is unpaid and for the love of the children involved. For her efforts, we are deeply grateful to Mrs. Hinga, with whom we hope to develop more programs for music and dance education in Cura.

Clearly, the infrastructural challenges in Cura are many and mounting, though progress and hope are still in ample evidence. The eight housemothers, with whom we met today, gathered in their kitchen and surrounded by cook stoves and metal pots, can make a long list of needs – but they also smile when they speak of the children’s progress in school, their good health, and their good behavior. They are proud of the work they do – as they should be.

--H

The Glamorous World of Site Plans and Spreadsheets

2011-06-23T07:45:00.000-07:00

We stayed in Nairobi today so that we could schedule meetings with our partners doing the daily, unglamorous work of maintenance and management on behalf of all of our projects in Cura. It turns out we had a lot to talk about!

Greg and I left the New York Times office building early, escaping before the UN compound across the street implemented one of its regular bomb drills. Chaos may or may not have ensued... we were already comfortably ensconced in Mark Somen's office at Tribe! Mark and, in particular, his wife Yassi have coordinated field trips, organized fund-raisers and generally provided loving attention for the children in Cura for the past two years.

After a short visit, we strolled over to the Village Market for coffee and to await the arrival of Nazir from the DEPOT. Nazir has worked with our partners with One Kid, One World on the community building and required permitting in preparation for the construction of Cura's future secondary school! We worked together to bring plans in line for bringing on the Construction for Change team, who will oversee the construction project starting in January... as long as we have SITE PLANS for the plot! Does anyone know a good surveyor in or around Nairobi who is willing to work for next to nothing? One the site is surveyed, we can finalize the construction plans and break ground...

Discussing site plans and construction schedules worked up an appetite in all of us... and just in time, too, since Greg and I ran into friends at the food court and got to catch up between meetings!

After lunch, we ran some errands and eventually made our way to Lavington to visit Evelyn College of Design. The grounds are tucked away and not easy to find, but this is part of the charm of the place, which we investigated as a possible headquarters for future Cura volunteers. For today, our most important errand there, though, was to meet Daniel, Cura's volunteer accountant. He and I exchange organizational emails regularly, but we had never met; it was wonderful to now be able to envision a face behind the spreadsheets. We brainstormed strategies for sharpening the relationship between Cura's receipts and the quarterly reporting; Evelyn runs a tight ship and Daniel is organized and vigilant, but we know we can always do even better as we manage several projects under this one umbrella. Learning from him what will best streamline Evelyn's work was vital to the ongoing success of our fundraising...

Glamorous? Not really. But in service of something powerful and important -- which we'll get back to tomorrow. Cura-bound first thing in the morning!
H

In Cura. Finally!

2011-06-22T04:48:00.001-07:00

After two or three wrong turns (perhaps our sense of direction was dampened by the rain?) we arrived in Cura to be greeted warmly, as usual, by Moses and his right-hand-man Steven. Hannah served us chai and cakes, according to Kikuyu custom which, according to Moses, requires that one not ask a guest a single question until he has been served some “small bitings.” Once those bitings were served, however, the questions were volleyed from all directions!

Our conversation lasted us until lunchtime, and ranged from the state of Norman’s (the cow) milk production to the cost of water to the plans for the secondary school to the newest members of the Cura community: the headmistress and the vicar.

As if on cue, the new vicar, a tall, slender, impeccably dressed man, walked in to the office and Moses made introductions. More formalities ensued, as did some excellent brainstorming about accounting and vision and community leadership. It was gratifying to speak with people who are so thoughtful about the methods with which they meet the needs of the children, the broader community and even the donors and volunteers who have linked themselves with their work in Cura.

As we talked about the work that has been done as a result of donor dollars so far, we got to visit the Clinic’s nurse and lab technician, inspect the computer lab and library, and even say hello to Norman, Anita (the calf!), and the many chickens and rabbits that now reside in the Cura Orphanage compound.

We’ll have more time with the children at Cura in the upcoming week or so (today we only saw several peeking around the corner of the office, confirming with their own eyes that the rumors of our return were true!), but we have more meetings-of-the-mind in store for the near future.

We’ll meet the new headmistress on Friday, for example, and we’ll get to chat with all of the housemothers that same day over the lunch hour. We’ve met with the men today… we’ll see next what the influential women of Cura have to say!

Getting here from there

2011-06-21T09:07:00.000-07:00

We left Seattle on Friday morning, 17 June, and drove as far as Redding, CA – the half way mark to LA. On Saturday, we completed the I5 portion of the journey, winding up in Pasadena, where we could regroup, repack and prepare for our next steps.

On Sunday morning, we met with current and future Creative Visions and Cura Orphanage luminaries…

Talking through potential plans for a choral arts program to connect Cura’s children to choirs in the US and elsewhere, as well as about the current status of the plans for the secondary school. Kathy and Amy gave the gathering the usual energy and hospitality, Jon provided perspective and comic timing, Grace set the framework for our financial progress, and we were even lucky enough to have Mike there to provide context and up-to-the-minute commentary about developments in Cura.

Greg and I left inspired, energized, and armed with a substantial to-do list!

It was tough to leave Malibu and its obvious charms, but we tore ourselves away and got to the airport in plenty of time to address the Virgin Atlantic’s various challenges. By take-off at 9pm, the in-flight entertainment helped drown out our chattier neighbors and lull us to sleep.

Arrival in London marked the half way point, and then we had yet another overnight flight into Nairobi… where we’ve now safely arrived and settled in at the New York Times Bureau office.

An hour on the road in the morning will deliver us to our eagerly-anticipated destination and get us started on the work that brings us all the way across the globe.

Worth it.

-H

Heading Back for More!

2011-06-16T08:55:00.000-07:00

I'll try to be more consistent with my postings this year... though the pull of the internet isn't very strong when there are other distractions available like art projects and daisy chains and village walks and bike rides with all of the incredible children in Cura!

Greg and I will arrive back in Kenya on 21 June, and we'll have only about two weeks there this year -- it's not long enough, but it's something, and it will help us assess the incredible work that's gone on there over the past year.

Even from a distance, we already know that:

--the rabbit hutch is constructed and populated;
--Norman, the cow, had her calf, Anita, and all is well in cow-land;
--a shipment of new computers for the lab is on its way from Afretech in Canada;
--the children have a handful of new bicycles, thanks to Norman, the human;
--mattresses, school uniforms, and new shoes, among other items have all been graciously donated by concerned well-wishers;
--many engaging visitors and volunteers have made their way to Cura this year, inspiring and being inspired by the children;
--volunteer accommodations have been improved, making it possible for us to stay in Cura more often;
--enormous progress has been made toward breaking ground on the new secondary school;
--the village has a new vicar;
--the primary school has a new headmistress;
--29 children have been actively participating in the Pen Pal Program throughout the year;
--many field trips and enrichment activities have been organized by our incredible Yassi;
--27 of our 49 elementary-school aged children are earning marks in the top 10 of their respective class level exams!

There have been other exciting developments this year, of course, but even this short list demonstrates that the focus, energy and compassion so many people have directed Cura's way is really paying off.

Of course, none of our enrichment activities or projects are possible without funding, and we've had some incredible developments in that arena, as well. I've blogged here about most of the fund-raising events throughout the year, and we're looking now to create a budget cycle that allows us to project fund-raising targets and plan for growth.

The most incredible and recent news on the funding front is that, since April, 35 children either have been newly sponsored or have had their sponsorships renewed! This is in no small part to the credit of Norman Golightly, his KenyaSpareACamera project, and his breathtaking energy: his campaign resulted in 21 of those recent sponsorships. Of course, sponsorships are in a constant cycle of renewal, and we have 6 on the horizon... Please tell your friends to contact me at hayden@curaorphanage.org if they're interested!

Of course, I'll be less available to monitor paperwork and details while I'm in Cura... but I'll get to them when I return. The communications work and detail management I do throughout the year is driven by the inspiration and energy I derive from being with the children, talking with the incredible Evelyn Mungai and Mike Eldon, and hearing from Moses and the other community leaders who provide the daily foundation for the work we all do.

I hope you'll check in here when you can...
Hayden

eNORMous Thanks!

2011-05-22T14:45:00.000-07:00

Please forgive the silly pun in the title... I'm actually at a loss for how to meaningfully express the incredible humanitarian work our own Norman is doing for the children of Cura during his current visit.

He's effecting actual change on the ground by working to fill the rabbit hutch and upgrade some of the living quarters, and he's brightening the children's lives with a photography project that allows them to capture their unique views of their world.

Perhaps most importantly, though, Norman is bringing increasing numbers of people into the Cura family; his website for the cause just logged its 2000th hit, and the queries for sponsorship, volunteer-ism and in-kind donations have been keeping me busy every day.

Please check Norman's site yourselves at www.kenyaspareacamera.com --

the images are stunning, and Norman's reflections on his visit are a moving tribute to the transformational power of giving of oneself.

Humbled and grateful,

So much to say!

2011-05-03T05:50:00.000-07:00

Volunteer season is in full effect in Cura these days...

From the recent Rotarians at Work day:

To the return of Norman and his Kenya Spare a Camera project, to Joey's recent visit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-GvttlhBWk

We are fortunate to have so many well-wishers who provide incredible experiences and opportunities for the children we care for!

We are also partnering with generous and committed organizations like

Construction for Change: a Seattle-based skills to our secondary school project

Burning Torch: an LA-based clothing line that is holding an online fundraising sale in its online boutique and donating 30% of its profits to Cura

Flying Kites: a New York-based non-profit that also runs an orphanage and school in Kenya and with whom we've been sharing ideas and challenges.

Thanks to all of you for making this work even more meaningful and productive!

Cura has made it to YouTube!

2011-04-09T18:11:00.000-07:00

We dare you to resist a visit to Cura after watching this short video! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oo3BrbkNsIY

Hats On for Cura!

2011-03-10T07:34:00.000-08:00

Well wishers at Clear Creek High School recently raised $1000 to support our work in Cura, with a "Hats On for Cura" event. Enormous thanks to Wynette, whose energy inspired the project!

-H

Considering a Safari this Summer?

2011-02-03T15:56:00.000-08:00

I've not yet purchased my own ticket, but I plan to be in Kenya again from about 20 June until mid-July, and I'd love to escort Cura well-wishers to the village to see the incredible work that is done there throughout the year.

Because I'm a volunteer with Cura and not a travel specialist, I'm working with an amazing woman, Marcia Gordon, and I can recommend her efficient and professional safari company, Extraordinary Journeys (www.ejafrica.com) for your travel arrangements. I hope you'll check out her website and contact her to discuss options for your own, custom-developed safari experience -- which will include your time with me in Cura, of course! I know she's working up some sample itineraries, and I would be happy to forward you a couple, just for a frame of reference, per your request.

June and July are beautiful times to be in Kenya, and if you book early, you may be able to take advantage of lower season rates. Please let me know if a safari to Cura might be in the cards for you this year, and thank you for your ongoing support of the children of Cura!

-H

Holiday Shopping -- Revised!

2010-12-14T12:53:00.000-08:00

With the generous help of CauseCast, it is now easier for Cura-supporters to shop online through the Creative Visions Creative Activist Partner Program site at:

http://www.creativevisions.org/shop/gifts-25-100.html

Thank you!!
H

Holiday Shopping for Good

2010-12-11T13:21:00.000-08:00

We already know that our Cura supporters are generous to a fault... and we know that holiday gift-giving can stress everyone's budget. If you'd like your gift giving to do double-duty, please consider making a purchase, on behalf of a friend or family member, through our online store at CauseCast:
https://store.causecast.org/products/all
You'll need to scroll down quite significantly to find the specifically Cura-related items, but we think it's worth it.
Thank you to all of our generous donors throughout the year, and especially during the holiday season.
Cheers,
Hayden

New Shoes and School Uniforms

2010-11-12T09:36:00.000-08:00

On Oct 31st, two Cura supporters -- Roger and Larry -- joined Yassi in Cura for a very special visit. The children were thrilled with the lollipops they brought, but were even more grateful for the 26 brand new pairs of shoes and socks Roger brought with him from South Africa! Larry has made funds available to purchase pairs for the remaining 24 children, and has further offered to replace school uniforms for those who need them. The generosity of these visitors is humbling...

Malibu Days and Safari Nights

2010-11-08T15:25:00.000-08:00

It was a busy weekend with the Creative Visions Foundation folks! The inspiring Friday afternoon meeting in Malibu led to connections with other Creative Activism Partners and some brainstorming about upcoming Dan-Eldon-inspired-safaris... Watch, of course, for more information about those, as they might provide YOUR opportunity to join us in Cura some day!

Of course, the primary purpose of the weekend was to support and attend Lucy Woodward's brainchild: the Safari Nights fundraiser. Contributors to the event are too many to list, but we owe particular thanks to Faryal and Henson Studios (who donated the venue), as well as Albertson's and Happy Endings (who contributed the food), Phillips Distilling (who donated vodka), and Regina Wedelstedt, the owner of A Savvy Soiree (who donated candy to satisfy guests' sweet teeth!). Of course, the musicians were the main attraction -- so whether or not you joined us at the event, please check out the party below...

Grace and Katey, of Creative Visions Foundation, ran the donations table in the yurt corner:

Kathy Eldon and Jon and Amy Turteltaub were among the luminous guests:

New and exciting artist, Jameson, was the first to perform:

Sultry Lucy Woodward and her spectacular band were up next:

Joe Sumner played his "dark songs for a good cause":

And Nikka Costa blew us all away!

The crowd of about 200 guests was entertained by the musicians and moved by the stories and photos of the children in Cura:

It wasn't lost on us that the venue was the same studio where "We Are the World" was recorded all those years ago... and we await the final tally for the night's fundraising. Stay tuned!

And catch more photos from the night's official photographer at:

http://michaelmillerphotography.blogspot.com/2010/11/benefit-concert-for-cura-orphanage-in.html

Many, many thanks,

Hayden

Looking forward to November!

2010-10-22T13:41:00.000-07:00

Incredible things are awaiting us on the fundraising front in November, and we are so fortunate to have so many who are willing to throw their time and talents behind us!

If you're going to be in Los Angeles on 6 November, please join us at a fun musical event at Henson Studios. The talent will be huge, and we hope the fundraising will be just as impressive! If you or people you know are interested in attending, please go to our page at Creative Visions to purchase your tickets and learn more.

Also in November, People magazine will feature a necklace designed especially for us... I've already bought mine! 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the necklace will go to projects currently underway in Cura Village. For a closer look, visit Melinda Maria's website.

14 November will also bring the second annual CAbi fashion fundraiser, put on by Andrea Austin at my home in the Seattle area. For sales linked to this one event, she donates 100% of her profit, and last year her efforts purchased all new wall maps for the primary school classrooms. If you're interested in making a purchase, please mention Cura when contacting her.

Humble thanks to everyone whose work and creativity have gone into these incredible gifts of generosity...

-H

Under Construction

2010-10-17T20:08:00.000-07:00

There's always a lot going on in and for Cura, and I try to keep the blog updated when I can. The arrival of these photos was just the inspiration I needed to get another post up right away!

One piece of exciting news is that dedicated volunteers, generous well-wishers, and members of the Cura community have worked together to install a new pump that now provides fresh, running water to the Home. What an incredible gift of convenience, time and health for all who live there!

Equally exciting is the progress on the rabbit hutch, the early idea for which was expressed at our June meeting with Moses and the Cura Home's Board. An organic farm dinner fundraiser in Seattle later in the summer, as well as the donation of personal funds and boundless energy from one of our most committed volunteers, got this project truly off the ground... as we now have photographic evidence to demonstrate!

Soon enough, we'll need to see some actual rabbits moving in to those luxurious digs!

Also "under construction" has been some behind-the-scenes functionality for our website. The donation of time and expertise from Canopy Marketing has been truly astounding, and we hope we'll be able to serve both the projects and people in Cura AND our donors and site visitors with the changes we've made. Thank you!

Finally (and there isn't a graceful construction related pun to use for this item), we await tomorrow's (18 October) publication of People magazine, since a necklace designed specifically for us will be featured on its pages. Lucky magazine has made a similar committment for its November issue, so please do watch for those.

Please do watch the website for information about a fundraising musical event in Los Angeles in early November, as well, and know that all of us involved with Cura are continuously inspired by the good work being done on the behalf of the children who live there.

-Hayden

Reunions

2010-09-19T13:07:00.001-07:00

I don't have photos to post at the moment, but a recent flurry of emails has reminded me how much even one visit to Cura has transformed volunteers who have been there. One visit is BOUND to turn into two, three, four...

I have already written about Nicole, a volunteer whose return to Cura this summer meant new mattresses and happy reconnections for the children.

More recently, Jordan has returned, efficiently managing the rabbit hutch plans and budget and construction. Everyone at Cura was sorry to see him go, but he's left the foundation (both literally AND figuratively) for a successful and economically sustainable agricultural project.

We know that Norman, our intrepid and impromptu cow-expert, intends to return after the first of the year, and Bonnie and her impressive team from Canada will also come back to Cura in February, for the first time since they collectively installed the Library and Computer Lab.

Jenny, too, is making plans to come back for round two of her photography project, documenting a "World without AIDS" with the children.

I, too, am eager to return, and have already blocked 2011's dates on the calendar. Anyone care to join us? Karibuni sana! Fair warning, though: if you go once, you'll be hooked!

-Hayden

A Registered Letter from Cura

2010-09-03T06:48:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week, the postman knocked on my door, asking me to sign for a registered letter from Nairobi. After I'd explained my connection to Kenya to the very patient public servant on my doorstep, I opened the envelope... and was thrilled to find a lovely letter and series of drawings from one of the girls in Cura! Two of the contents of the envelope, in particular, are now on display together in my office:

This drawing from Esther's own experience of the world...

And this page from a donated coloring book!

Esther and her friends and family have likely never seen snow, let alone a snowmobile... and they certainly can't imagine owning one! Here's hoping 2010 will bring loads of donations of culture-specific books for the children in Cura---please contact me if you've got any ideas!

End-of-Term Update

2010-08-28T16:31:00.000-07:00

Moses Machara, the Home's proud Papa, just reported that 10 of our children were the top performers on in their respective levels at the 2nd term examinations. Four of them were the first in their classes!

Minnet is the top student in first grade.

James is the top student in second grade.

Joyce is the top student in fourth grade.

Christopher is the top student in fifth grade.

We are so proud of all of the children, and grateful to the wonderful housemothers and tutors who assist them with their studies. We look forward to being able to provide a secondary school soon, for all the students to receive a complete education in Cura Village.

Moses reports, also, that a returning volunteer has provided the Home with 50 brand new foam mattresses for the children's beds. This generous gift was much needed... Moses says:

"I wish you were here to witness the mood of happiness that engulfed the whole Orphanage when the mattresses were presented to the children!"

Many thanks to Nicole!

-H

Summer Sparks

2010-08-15T12:01:00.001-07:00

It is safe to say that the Farm Dinner to support Cura Orphanage was an incredible success! We are awaiting a final total for the event, but we anticipate approximately $2700 as a result of the generosity of the Little Spark organizers, the willing volunteers and the diners themselves.

The guests could browse the information table to learn more about Cura...

while Olaiya and her crack team worked on the delectables for the evening!

The Dog Mountain Farm provided plenty of reminders of the local, sustainable agriculture projects the fund-raiser would be supporting in Cura,

and the diners were treated to a glorious Seattle late afternoon.

Each place setting held a "thank you note" on behalf of one child in Cura--and we spent the whole day thrilled at what the event was going to do to improve the lives of the whole family there!

I love the spirit of Little Spark--the notion that small actions can inspire others and turn into some thing much larger than themselves. This was the impetus of the farm dinner, and it looks like other little sparks are in motion elsewhere.

One recent visitor to Cura, for example, was David Lansing, a writer for National Geographic. He fell in love with the place, and his blog entries about us are already inspiring others to do what they can for the children there. We've heard of at least one child dedicating his lemonade stand profits to the cause...

Thank you to everyone who's keeping Cura on her mind and in his heart!

A Secondary School for Cura!

2010-07-28T19:38:00.000-07:00

Wow!

On 12 July, The Sorcerer's Apprentice premiere, hosted by Creative Visions Foundation and generously offered by Disney and the film's director, Jon Turteltaub, raised over $100,000 for the purpose of building a secondary school in Cura Village!

(See footage from the red carpet here: http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-473511)

Community meetings and permitting planning were already underway in Cura, so this influx of funding will make the dream of secondary education a reality for many children who would have otherwise gone without.

Watch this blog, of course, for ongoing updates about the progress of the school, as well as the other projects-in-progress!

--Hayden

2010-07-09T23:25:00.000-07:00

A big thank you to this month's volunteers:

Evan, Tami, Tesha and Linette

We also moved in a long-term volunteer, Matt Ransley, who is already hard at work on some computer lab/technology upgrades, as well as developing a fish farm and doing some digital music recording. We look forward to lots of successful reports from him about happenings in Cura...

We are also working on two major fund-raising efforts:

1. A special premiere of The Sorcerer's Apprentice in LA on 12 July. All of the proceeds of this exciting event will go toward funding the construction of a secondary school for the Cura community!

2. An organic farm dinner in the Seattle area on 31 July. All of the proceeds from this event will go toward an agricultural project in Cura... likely a new rabbit breeding project to add to the existing cow and the chickens in the shed!

Please do let us know if you would like additional information about any of this information, and thank you for your interest in what's happening in Cura!
--H

We're Home

2010-07-09T23:06:00.001-07:00

So I wasn't as diligent about blogging as I had hoped... please forgive me! The fault lies in some combination of my busy-ness and the weak wireless signal, but please don't conclude that our trip lost momentum.

We did some wonderful work with the teachers in each classroom, having reading and conversation in English to give the pupils practice. (The maps are in the process of being mounted!)

We spent two half-days doing athletic events that the teachers think will be helpful in supplementing the existing physical education curriculum.

The children serenaded us, even after the Cura Primary School choirs feted us with their award-winning dances!

We delivered computer equipment and software to supplement the existing materials and to facilitate the Pen Pal Program.

We delivered art work from a US elementary school---each piece was accompanied by a note from the artist and was treasured by the recipient!

We delivered school supplies and new toothbrushes to each child in the Home.

We donated 6 copies of Mama Miti, a children's book about Nobel Prize winner (and fellow Kikuyu and Kenyan) Wangari Maathai to the Cura library. Thank you to the author, Donna Jo Napoli!

We purchased two large sufurias (cooking pots), three pitchers, four washing bowls, two thermoses, 100 spoons, and 30 plates and bowls to help the housemothers serve the children's daily meals.

The volunteers were transformed by the experience... watch for their "capstone" comments to be posted soon!

--Hayden

School Days and Grandmother

2010-06-24T21:45:00.001-07:00

It is Friday morning here, and we are preparing to head out to Cura for another round of activities based at Cura Primary School.

Yesterday, our volunteers scattered to various classrooms for some reading and English language lessons led by the teachers of classes one through four. Matt was the official photographer of the event, and we'll hope to be able to post some pictures soon (the connection here too slow to post them effectively now, but I'll try to add them later!).

After reading time, we moved to the field to conduct athletic activities with classes five through eight. The children had an incredible time with the new equipment: a fabric parachute, some bean bags, some hacky sacks, some jump ropes, "fitness dice" and more. It was satisfying to see the kids so happy, but it was even better to hear the teachers express the novelty of this kind of physical education. The Deputy teacher, Stephen Ngotho, was thinking aloud about the ways he could use the materials not only for sport but also in combination with language and math instruction... The materials were inspiring the teachers to bring their instruction outside and into a kinetic form that would resonate with their pupils.

We look forward to more of that today with the younger children and their teachers! We are also eager to get the maps we donated up on the classroom walls. As of yesterday, the rolled bundles of maps were still in the corner of the Headmaster's office, so we're afraid he's less than excited about getting them distributed. We'll keep trying to encourage his enthusiasm for the programs and materials so that he can encourage that tone among the more reluctant teachers, as well.

Our guest yesterday, Bernard Mathu, was a big help in encouraging Mr Njenga (the Headmaster) to embrace our presence---Mr Mathu has a long career in education in Kenya and currently runs a school in Nanyuki (where we'll visit toward the end of our trip). Bernard is also a Rotary member, so he spent the day with us, overviewing the projects in the village and at the Home. He had valuable insights about the work we're doing, and was so impressed with the projects in the village that he's coming back with us today!

One of the most exciting "projects" we saw yesterday was the completed livestock shed and its celebrated inhabitant: Norman. Norman is a very pregnant cow whose milk has been nourishing the Home's family since her arrival. Kenneth explained that, since Norman was welcomed to her new home, the Home has not purchased a drop of milk, saving 3000KSh (about $40) per month. This is an enormous benefit to the Home financially, and the milk is sweet and delicious and fresh! (I sucked down two creamy cups of tea at the end of the day, so you can take my word for it.)

The upstairs occupants of Norman's home are noisy and busy... and on the verge of providing eggs for the Home and for sale to the community! The hundred or so hens will start laying in a month, and the ten original "roasters" have already provided chicken dinners for the children. The Board members are doing a spectacular job at managing the livestock and the shamba (small vegetable farm) so that they feed the children first and then provide potential for surplus to sell. We're hoping to add rabbits to this mix very soon, of course.

Lest one think that rural farming is all that's going on in Cura these days, I should mention that I also delivered two laptops and a large selection of educational software yesterday... one laptop for Moses (to help with his record-keeping and communications) and the other for Scola (to help with her computer lab instruction and the management of the Pen Pal program). We're excited about the prospects once Cura is more fully "wired."

The day ended with a visit from Evelyn Mungai, the one who started it all, and her husband and deputy, Mike Eldon. When the children found out that she was coming, they couldn't contain their excitement to see what "Grandmother" would be bringing them. (Biscuits from Nakumatt, as it turns out.) Our group had a lovely meeting with Evelyn and Mike, updating one another on the projects we've been working on and the observations we're making. Lovely Evelyn invited each person to talk about her/his experience in Cura so far... and the reactions were uniformly, thoroughly positive and filled with gratitude.

Malik, our driver, is waiting for us in the lot as I write, so I must run. More soon.
H

Meetings with Leaders

2010-06-23T21:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday our group went to Cura for the first time, by way of the Dan Eldon Place of Tomorrow for a brief tour and introduction to Mike Tambo. Mike works with his DEPOT colleagues on leadership workshops with Kenyan young people and organizations, including with the teachers and leaders in Cura Village. He agreed to join us in Cura later in the day, but sent us on ahead...

On the way, we saw Scola, the computer lab instructor, walking toward Cura--so she and I had a joyful roadside reunion before she hopped in our car for the final stretch of road!

Upon our arrival, we were warmly greeted by Moses and the full Cura Home Board. We were seated and offered tea and sandwiches before the Chairman (George, who is also the pastor of the Anglican church) convened our meeting to discuss the progress of the Home since we last visited together. We were updated on the progress of some of the projects designed to foster Cura's economic sustainability (weaving, bee-keeping, banana-growing, chickens and the latest idea: rabbits!), the plans for a secondary school and the repercussions that school will have on the policies of the Home, as well as on the welfare of and existing needs for the children who are happy and healthy there. Mostly, we were reminded of the profound committment these individuals have toward nurturing the community's strength and independence. We hope to continue to partner with them in creative and successful ways!

One of the things we asked the wise people of the Board was about the qualities of successful volunteers; we hoped to get some guidance for our own behavior, as well as a sense of how long-term volunteers could increase their potential for success. I was particularly struck by the Chairman's immediate answer: that the most effective volunteers "matched words with actions." The Board added that effective volunteers are also respectful of the community's practices and wisdom, open to new experiences, committed to complete the projects they begin, and mindful that they stand as role models to the children who observe their actions.

After our meeting with the Board, Mike Tambo rejoined us and escorted us to Cura Primary School for a meeting with head teacher Mr Njenga and his staff of teachers. We reconnected on the issues we discussed last year, and discussed our plans for interacting with the school children for the remainder of the week. Some of the teachers shared their observations about existing needs for their classrooms and curricula, which gave us excellent ideas about how we might prepare materials and activities for our next visit!

I'll write more with details about these conversations as they develop, but for now rest assured that we're all busy and very, very happy to be here! Tami and Tesha were all smiles after their tour of the classrooms and interaction with the children; Linette was so moved that even now she tears up when she talks about yesterday; and Evan is giddy about her plans to visit the class 8 pupils who are closest to her own age. Matt, of course, is busy planning his move from his Nairobi bed and breakfast to his Cura digs...

More to come,
H

Cura's June 2010 Volunteers

2010-06-18T17:49:00.000-07:00

This week, Cura will welcome seven volunteers who plan to work on a variety of projects related to the Primary School, the Clinic, the Computer Lab, the Library, and the Home. We'd like you to know who we are! In each of the informational segments below, we're providing a brief introduction, and we'll post subsequent updates about our work in Cura in the upcoming weeks. When possible, we've linked to our individual blogs, as well, in case you want to follow our more personal reflections about our travels.

Hayden Bixby Nichols and Greg Van Belle

We are thrilled to be returning to Cura, since it's been a year since we were last there. We look forward to reconnecting with the good people who live and work on behalf of the children at the Home.

We can also be tracked at http://haydenandgreginkenya.blogspot.com/

Linette Bixby

Linette says:

I can't wait to play with the children at Cura - to see the happy faces (that I've only really seen on the Cura website) of these children who have endured so much in their few years of life. I'm also looking forward to meeting the teachers who are making such a huge difference in their lives. I'm looking forward to being a part of an organization that is doing so many wonderful things.

She can also be tracked at http://linetteinafrica.blogspot.com/

Evan Nichols

Evan says:

I am fifteen years old and I am very excited for this trip. I cant wait to meet the kids at Cura and the child we sponsor. I am also excited to meet kids my age who live in Cura. It will be interesting to talk to a kid my age who lives on the other side of the world!

She can also be tracked at http://evaninkenya.blogspot.com/

Tesha Taylor

Tesha says:

I have been independently involved with educating myself on HIV/AIDS education, awareness and relief efforts in Africa since I was young and the passion I feel for this cause is irresistible. There has always been something very magnetic about the idea of volunteering in Africa, and the opportunity to work at Cura is a dream come true to say the least. I also feel touched that my sister Tami will be alongside me through this journey and we will have these memories to share forever.

Tami Taylor

Tami says:
I have been fortunate in that I have done a lot traveling, but it has been years since I was able to combine that travel with service. I am incredibly excited to once again be apart of something that matters. After years of working in the often harsh and disillusioning corporate world, I am ready to do more with my life. I truly want to make a difference. Ever since I was a little girl, I have had a fascination with Africa. I am so very grateful that I was able to take advantage of this opportunity.

Matthew Ransley

Matt found us via our website and has been developing his volunteer proposal for months. He plans to live in Cura over the next several months, contributing to the development of the computer lab and other ongoing projects!

On the Countdown to Departure

2010-05-29T15:06:00.000-07:00

On 19 June, a group of 6 volunteer travelers will leave Seattle, headed for Cura! As the official wrangler of this band of volunteers, I've been juggling itineraries and payments and donations and details for months now... and I'm looking forward to what I know will be a trip that will see the hard work and planning pay off.

Of course, I haven't been alone in my preparations, so I want to make sure I acknowledge the specific organizations and individuals who have contributed materials and money to support our cause...

Edmonds Community College, for example, donated a laptop to support our Pen Pal program, and Julia Hill donated another to allow the orphanage's director to keep digital records of all the children who live at Cura Rotary Home.

Metzker Maps gave us a great deal on World and Africa maps for the classrooms at Cura Primary School, and Deborah and Carol at the Fabric of Life Foundation helped make that transaction happen. They also gathered educational materials from Syracuse Cultural Workers and donated kits from Days for Girls through Project Thrive!

Pearson Longman publishing donated some educational materials for the school, and Donna Jo Napoli, the author of the children's book, Mama Miti donated several copies for the library in Cura.

The purchase of other materials were made possible through a generous fundraiser by Andrea Austin, selling her CAbi fashion line, and a fundraiser through the Huffington Post.

Dr. Isabel Perez and her team at Accent Dental donated toothbrushes for Cura's children, and children at Lockwood Elementary School are sending artwork to put on the walls of the Home.

All of these people, as well as countless additional well-wishers, have shown such incredible interest in Cura that we know we take their good thoughts with us on our travels. We hope you'll watch this space for updates from our adventure...

Cheers!
Hayden

Volunteers at Work!

2010-05-24T07:55:00.000-07:00

Our tireless volunteer, Norm Golightly, was recently featured in the following article:

http://news.therecord.com/Life/article/715376

Check it out!

Also, Seattle-area volunteers are in the planning stages for an organic Farm Dinner on 31 July to support projects in Cura. Please see this link for more information:

http://bealittlespark.blogspot.com/2010/05/summer-event-scheduled.html

Finally, a small group of volunteers will be headed to Cura on 20 June... watch this space for updates on their work!

Imagining a World without AIDS, a project for Rotarians for Fighting AIDS

2010-03-31T17:21:00.001-07:00

Photographer Jennifer Huxta volunteered at the Cura Primary School and stayed with the children at the Cura Rotary Home in November 2009. She writes:

The matatu ride from Nairobi to Wangige takes about an hour. I get into a minibus with a picture of Barack Obama painted on the side. Today the driver blasts Classic 105 FM and “Say a Little Prayer for You” comes on and I swear we are singing along together as the matatu swerves around potholes in the road that snakes through the coffee fields towards Cura village. One of the stickers on the dashboard says ‘Arrive Alive’.

I jump out at Wangige market and take a 30-minute walk along a red road up to Cura orphanage. As I walk up the last stretch, several children from the primary school in vivid blue sweaters are already waving and dangling from the trees that line the path, calling, “Mzungu! Mzungu! Howareyou?!” They run alongside the path until we meet at the entrance to the home, where 10 children hold my hands at once, and others yell, “Jenfa! Jenfa! Make me one photo!” Caroline and I catch up with each other and she asks, “What’s in the bag?” “Art supplies. Pens and colored pencils and paper so we can do a drawing project.” Rotary has asked me to lead a series of art workshops as part of their initiative, Imagining a World without AIDS. The students of Class 5 wait for me at their desks in the primary school.

Before beginning the art workshops, I spent about 2 weeks with the children at the orphanage, hanging out, eating lunch, and telling stories. Leah’s stories often began, “Long, long ago there was a hippopotamus and some bees…” or “Once there was a cow, a goat and a hyena…” We played 4 kinds of Tag, Duck, Duck, Goose and Red Light Green Light. They taught me dances and songs and we had a massive soccer game. I photographed them while they filled their days, played, studied, braided their housemother’s hair, ate beans and ugali and greens. The children who live at the orphanage go to school each day with students who walk from their homes in the village.

The kids from Class 5 jump around in their chairs as I walk into the classroom. Working with one of their teachers, Steven, who translates my English to Kikuyu and Swahili, I explain the art project for Rotary. We ask them to draw pictures of a world without AIDS, a world where HIV/AIDS doesn’t exist. I hand out the art supplies and walk around sharpening pencils and photographing them as they draw pictures of houses with big gardens and people and many children. “This guy is big, he’s healthy,” Kelvin says. They laugh and compete to show me their artwork. They all want another and another and another piece of paper. They trade crayons and share colors and lean over each other’s drawings, smile and exclaim about each other’s work.

Over the week, I worked with classes 6 and 7 in similar intense and creative sessions. After hours of deliberation, I chose one drawing from each class and then photographed the students and their artwork to be profiled in the Rotarians for Fighting AIDS newsletter and the Rotary International website. I asked them what they dream about. Leah Wanoro, who lives in Cura village with her mom, said she dreamed of having a good job to help needy children. Samuel Njenga, who lives at the orphanage, said he dreamed of having a big house and a good car. Jane Njoki, who also lives in the village, said she dreamed of having a good things and nice clothes; “I want to have a good life. I want to be a musician.”

Norman's Note, Upon His Return to the U.S.

2010-03-27T13:34:00.000-07:00

What follows is the lovely summation Norman wrote and posted to his own followers on Facebook upon his return from Cura... the photo he refers to is being retrieved from a failing laptop and will be posted soon! Thank you, Norman, for your energy and passion and heart!

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As you may have gathered from my earlier notes and photographs, today will certainly not be the end of my relationship with Cura or its inhabitants. My hope is to return with some regularity, while continuing efforts back home to raise awareness and funds. I would ask that you remain a member of this group and continue to spread the word, as I will add more stories, pictures and news from these children we have come to know by name (or nickame) and grown to love.

As a photographer, sometimes I will spot something when I am without my camera and make a mental note to return later if possible and capture the image. I mentally filed one of those thoughts my first day at Cura but soon forgot as I immersed myself in my new world.

To my surprise, the night after the first camera session with the children I found the exact same image had been taken by one of the groups. And then by another group. And then another. Five or six of thirteen groups had taken the same picture. This image is the most recent posted to this site and i would ask you to look at it closely for a moment before reading on.

This is a close-up of an astoundingly almost fluorescent green hedge that surrounds the dormitory at Cura. Snaking through the green, is a nasty and layered stream of barbed-wire. When I saw the picture I wanted to take in my mind, it was just like this – close-up, beauty and harm, juxtaposed and intertwined. The children must have seen this too. But so many of them?

Whether at their respective ages they realized it or not, I know they saw something that I could not have seen. A mirror. They, the beautiful hedge brimming with life and a desire to grow towards the sun, but trapped, strangled, by the circumstances into which they were born. If one group had taken this picture I would not go on about such symbolism…but after seeing this very specific image repeatedly from so many of the children, when no other such item captured their mass attention, I knew there must be more to what they were seeing.

If someone in the world of popular culture made an impression on me this year, it was Conan O’Brien. In his final moments hosting the Tonight Show, with the world watching, he chose not to lambaste NBC for how he had been treated. He did not take a swipe at Jay Leno. He didn’t launch any of the verbal rockets for which the masses tuned in. Instead, he said this:

“All I ask of you is one thing, and I’m asking this particularly of young people: please don’t be cynical. I hate cynicism- it’s my least favorite quality and it doesn’t lead anywhere. Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you’re kind, amazing things will happen.”

I think that is an incredibly beautiful thought, not only for the sentiment, but how and when it was delivered. When I began this journey, there were friends of mine who were cynical of this adventure. In my month away I have heard from people I did not expect, and disappointed by some from whom I expected more. People who could have donated the most, often did not donate at all. And some, for whom I know it was difficult, gave beyond their means.

For those that were cynical of this journey, no I did not change the world, nor had I predicted I would. But by the support of family, friends and people whom I have never met, fifty children now have a glass of milk with breakfast and pillows to sleep on at night. In five months they will have eggs daily, no longer just on Sundays. A previously unemployed community member now has income tending to the new animals. And later this year, these ventures will turn a profit for Cura, which they can use to slowly upgrade the little they have. And of course, the kids took some pretty damned good pictures too. Don’t be cynical.

As this picture has stuck with me for nearly a month, may it stay with you also. You don’t have to cross the globe to find something beautiful being strangled by barbed-wire – a sick neighbor, a food bank for the homeless, a veterans facility. If you’re reading this, like me, you’re one of the lucky ones. It is our responsibility as such, to help those around us and cut that barbed-wire away. From this experience, I can tell you the rewards will far outweigh your output. Just find that thing that makes your heart hurt, and go, and to the best of your ability, help it be in a better place tomorrow than it was today.

I thank you and love you all for taking this special journey with me.

Norman

Norman Golightly, Volunteer Super Star!

2010-03-19T13:24:00.000-07:00

Norman, Cura's most recent volunteer, saw some big changes during his stay. Specifically, he helped move donated chicks and a cow into their new Cura homes. We can't wait to hear from him here about his work!