Austin's Kitchen Garden

At Cura, in partnership with Real Impact Farm, we hope to implement an organic, low-impact bag garden to help provide our kids with nutritious, freshly-grown fruits and vegetables. This has been a dream for us... and a new campaign is working to make it come true! That the campaign is dedicated to the memory of Austin, who was captivated by Africa and wanted to be a teacher, makes this an even more special partnership.

Please check out our Fundly page for more information... and give if you can! Every little bit helps, and we can make this garden happen as early as July if this fundraising goal is met, so please share broadly!

(Superbowl) Sunday in Cura

It's Superbowl Sunday, and our teams are rivals... but we managed to get along in Cura today!

\

It was a delicious day of art and apples and visitors and laughter.

Thank you, Southwest Airlines!

\

At long last, Donnah from SOS Children's Villages presented Cura with leather goods made from up-cycled upholstery from Southwest Airlines! Moses, Board members and some of the children posed for a photo with the loot!

Loise was selected as a spokesperson on camera -- to send a video thank you to Southwest for its generous donation. She was poised and articulate and confident, as usual!

These footballs from Alive and Kicking will get plenty of use...

As will these shoes from Maasai Treads!

Friday Visitors

We arrived at the end of the school day today, just as the Secondary School students were marching across the field... Our guest, Zainab, joined in -- then spent some time back at the Home with me and returning volunteer, Jenny H. It's been a week filled primarily with Nairobi-based meetings, so it was wonderful to be back in Cura with the kids who inspire us!

Cura Secondary Happenings

New desks are being built, and old desks are being refurbished, to prepare for Monday, when the Form One students come back to school!

And Head Teacher, Mr Njoroge, congratulated David Kamau, a Cura Secondary School Form Three student who was awarded a Kenya Education Fund scholarship!

Real Impact Farm

Loise, one of the new Cura Board members, and I had a long, hot day together with Linus and Marylyne of Roots and Shoots... learning about organic farming practices at Real Impact Farm. We are thrilled with the possibilities for partnership with this fantastic organization!

Cura, via Kigali

Due to technical difficulties, I can't link or post a photo here... but rest assured that it was a productive and photogenic weekend, where Cura is concerned! I traveled to Kigali, Rwanda, stayed with friends at the lovely inn, Heaven, and had a couple of meetings with people whose organizations use leadership and scholarship programs that we can adapt for the benefit of Cura Secondary School students.

Chris Mburu, of the Hilde Back Education Fund shared his experiences with his scholarship program over our delicious appetizers -- and, over our hearty brunch, Tina Anderson, with These Numbers have Faces, helped me understand her program's leadership curriculum for young people making the transition to university.

So many people doing such fantastic work!
~H