Water Slide Field Trip

We spent Saturday at the water park in Nairobi -- the kids were THRILLED! Quinn and I will head to Cura to say our goodbyes (for now) today, but yesterday was a blow-out celebration of our time together. The sun came out and everything!

The water was cold and the morning sun was elusive, so the kids warmed themselves on rocks between dips in the pool.

Even shivering, they had smiles on their faces!

Leah spent some time supervising the littler children at the kiddie pool.

Margaret leads the charge down the slide, again and again...

The mothers prepared rice and meat for lunch... and we fed a hungry band of swimmers right before the sun came out for real in the afternoon.

Rispah thought even the very small slide was an exciting ride.

Simon lounged his way through the afternoon, on the tube through the lazy river.

Many thanks to the management of Village Market for treating us to this wonderful day! 

Clinic and Teachers' Strike

We've been busy, though the blog doesn't show it! I've been working to finalize some repair projects to the computer lab, deliver donations, meet community leaders and purchase needed equipment for the Clinic. More later, but here are some photos!

Donor dollars purchased a much-needed autoclave for sterilizing instruments, and a hand-cranked centrifuge as a back-up for power-outages!

Kenya's teachers are on strike, so Gilbert led the kids in an extra-curricular debate on issues of the day.

Quinn helped unpack and sort the 40 pounds of toothbrushes, toothpastes and dental floss we will distribute to all of Cura's school children once the strike is over!

The Home's children each received a separate gift back from a generous dental office...
THANK YOU!

Rotary and Braeburn Visit -- Cura on Saturday

Duncan, Christopher, Simon and John -- awaiting the day's activities.

Braeburn High School students arrive with gifts of blankets, sodas, food and more!

Rotary dignitaries, including founder Mrs. Mungai, conducting the day's presentation.

Watch this space for a link to Mike Eldon's write up about the day's events on the Nairobi Rotary website!

Cura this Week: Home

Mothers.

Decor.

Shelter.

Harvest.

Sky.

Cura this Week: Play

Glow stick bracelets before bed.

Turning the football pitch into a hair salon.

Planning dream vacations and field trips.

Puzzle!

"Weightlifting."

Cura this Week: Work

Delivering donations to the Clinic and preparing to create a budget proposal for 2014.

Meeting with Moses to review the Home's budget progress and make plans for building improvements for the balance of the year.

Pancake craftswomanship.

Peeling potatoes for githeri for lunch.

Sorting rice (bean and maize sorting not shown).

GO!

On the verge of my departure tomorrow, I received the outstanding news that Cura Secondary School has been awarded two exciting grants from the generous and energetic GO Campaign. In total, the grant awards amount to over US$21,000 and will furnish the high school's Library and Science Lab, building toward its goal to become a center for excellence in the region. I can't wait to land in Nairobi and start contributing to the incredible work that's already begun!

Watch this space for updates on these projects, as well as:

--the completion of the courtyard re-pavement project,
--the delivery of donated items for the Cura Clinic,
--an overhaul of the Cura Computer Lab,
--the purchase and donation of more textbooks for the Cura Primary School,
and MORE.

I'll head to the airport energized by the recent burst of sponsorship activity, as well, thanks to Norman's recent visit. His Kenya Spare a Camera project has inspired new donors, and their contributions have added to those from our recurring sponsors... resulting in 40 of our 50 children being sponsored so far this year.

Many thanks to those of you who have contributed time, money, and talent -- not to mention toothbrushes, anti-bacterial soap and bandages, among other things. My excess baggage is bursting with your generosity.

Off I go.
-H