Twiga Rules Cricket

A cricket set was delivered to Twiga last weekend and the boys fell on it like a swarm of locusts, despite the fact that they had never seen the game before.

The basic rules were explained ... and ignored to a large extent and a new set of rules were made up as the "game" progressed.

• Firstly, there are as many bowlers as there are balls (in this case, three). The bowler who gets the batsman out becomes the batsman. 
• There are only two ways to get out, bowling or catching. If the batsman is caught out, the catcher becomes the batsman.
• Although there me be three bowlers, rarely are all three balls bowled at the same time, although this sometimes happens.
• The game ends when all three balls are lost down the pit latrine (which is out of bounds to all children) or a heavy downpour stops play.

That just about covers it. More rules will be added as necessary and when new balls have been acquired.

Surprisingly (or perhaps not) one of the best batsmen is Simon, our deaf child. His hand-eye coordination is very good and he can hit a ball as good as any of the older boys.

When the boys gave up and retreated to a game of Connect Four, the girls had a go and they weren't bad either.

So it was not exactly what you would expect to see at Lords, or even on the village green, but the kids had a lot of fun, which is all that matters.

More Donations

I have today collected a load of clothes to fit a 12-13 year-old boy and also a bag of young teenage girls clothes. On top of this we have received a bag full of Bratz dolls and accessories.

Thanks a lot Linda. They will be very much appreciated.

Update on: 3 year-old seriously ill

The youngest child at Twiga, who is HIV+ was diagnosed with malaria. This combination could have been fatal but we managed to find the hospital fees and she is now now responding to treatment.

3 year-old seriously ill

Twiga Children's Centre

We have a 3 year-old, HIV+ child on our register. We have just received a report from Kenya that the child is seriously ill and needs medical attention.

This is a preliminary report and we are awaiting further details.

No treatment can be administered until we have the money to pay for it. Presently, we do not have any funds available.

If there is some kind person out there who would like to help this child by helping to pay for her treatment, please contact us.

More details will be posted as soon as we have them.

Esther - a further update.

Esther, the girl who was "rescued" (see previous posts) from an orphanage miles away from her homeland is now in Kisii.

She has settled in and is attending school, where she is doing well.

It is so nice to have a success story to report on.

Update on Esther

It looks as if the young Gusii girl lodged at an orphanage in Kajiado will be moving back to her homeland.

We have had an offer of sponsorship from a family in the USA which will cover her daily needs and schooling.

This is indeed good news and we are very happy of the outcome. The authorities at Kajiado have been informed, so we are hoping that Esther will be repatriated very soon.

Update on the Update: Esther will be taking the bus on Monday morning to be returned to her homeland of Kisii. By all accounts, she is very excited!

Update 15/3/2010: Esther has arrived in Kisii and is settling in well.

Abused Kisii Girl Needs Urgent Sponsorship

We have today been informed that if Esther (13), a Gusii girl who is lodged at an orphanage in Kajiado is not taken in by Twiga Children's Centre very soon, she will be taken back to her parents.

This is not good news. Esther's parents sent her out to work as a house girl, where she suffered beatings and other cruelty in the hands of her employer. This will happen again if we do not offer Esther accommodation.

We need a sponsor who can help this girl to lead a normal life, attend school and regain the right to be a child.

3,000 Kenyan shillings (about UK£26.00 or US$40.00) a month will ensure that Esther is placed with a caring family, is fed, clothed and attends school.

Please, is there someone who will help us to rescue this girl from a life of abuse by donating 3,000/- a month?

You can donate through PayPal, or you can contact Vincent at the Twiga Centre in Kisii.

Previous Post:

Twiga Children's Centre has been contacted by an orphanage in Kajiado, asking if we can take one of their children, a girl called Esther.

Esther (13) was transferred to the Kajiado Children's Home from another orphanage, but she is of the Gusii tribe and there is no one in Kajiado who speaks the Abagusii language, and she does not speak the Maasai language. Naturally, Esther is very unhappy and wants to return to her traditional homeland of Kisii.

We would be happy to help and to make this child happy, but we really are stretched financially.

If anyone reading this can help by sponsoring Esther so that she can return to her people, please do not hesitate to contact us at Twiga Children's Centre through our website.

The Hut has a New Stoop

As well as acquiring a new well, the hut has been given a new stoop. It is too small to be called a patio. It is just the area under the roof overhang that has been concreted and painted. But it makes a big difference.

This area is much used when the kids get too hot, or when a shower passes over, this is where they take refuge.

The goats quite like it as well!

Water!

When I was last at the Twiga Centre in Kisii, Vincent proudly showed me a big hole in the ground that he proudly announced would be our borehole.

Well, apart from it looking like a well rather than a borehole, it was very deep - and very dry!

But I was informed this week that it now has water in it - and that it has cost KCIS KSh 6,000.

Ah! I didn't know we were paying for it and I haven't budgeted for it.

And there will be added expense in sealing off the top to prevent the water from being contaminated by things (leaves, small animals, children) falling into it. Then there is the expense of installing a pump, either manual or motorised. Presently, there is a bucket on a length of rope.

So, the Twiga Centre has its own water supply, or it will have when someone gives us the funds to pay the well-digger.

A Gusii in Maasailand

Twiga Children's Centre has been contacted by an orphanage in Kajiado, asking if we can take one of their children, a girl called Esther.

Esther (13) was transferred to the Kajiado Children's Home from another orphanage, but she is of the Gusii tribe and there is no one in Kajiado who speaks the Abagusii language, and she does not speak the Maasai language. Naturally, Esther is very unhappy and wants to return to her traditional homeland of Kisii.

We would be happy to help and to make this child happy, but we really are stretched financially.

If anyone reading this can help by sponsoring Esther so that she can return to her people, please do not hesitate to contact us at Twiga Children's Centre through our website.

Dare We Hope?

We have just received an enquiry regarding our plans to build a small residential unit at the Twiga Children's Centre, something that has always been on the "To-Do" list, but which has never had the funding.

As we had a change of direction regarding residential care of our children, we now need a lot fewer places than originally envisaged. We are going to offer support to family units where there is a capable adult, rather than just take the children into care automatically. But we still have six children who are either total orphans or totally abandoned by parents. These need residential care that, at present, we cannot offer.

So, last night, I was re-drawing building plans, and sending out requests for costings of materials. I have never constructed a building in my life, not even a garden shed, so I am bound to have forgotten stuff - like window frames and doors, pretty fundamental really!

Luckily, Vincent, the other director has build things in Kenya and is well used to traditional building methods, so I passed my initial workings-out to him.

We are planning on two "huts", each with 4 sets of bunks. The existing hut is split into three rooms, which will become the kitchen, matron's quarters and dining/study area. I have designed in a shower block, but we will need to build toilets. We have already started a deep-pit latrine, so we are wll on the way.

Using traditional building materials should cut costs considerably, but we want concrete floors and corrugated sheet roofing.

Of course, we will need to buy the bunks, a unit for each child to keep clothes and personal belongings, as well as furniture for the matron's quarters.

Then there are the running costs, food, wages for the adult supervisor (or matron), electricity (dare we?), clothing, books, etc.

But I will worry about these costs once the huts have been built. Let's cross one bridge at the time!

The Kids Cook a Meal

It was Sunday. About 15 children were at the Twiga centre, where they were letting off steam and remembering what it was like to be a child for a while.

But they were hungry. They had been given sugar cane, as much to help clean their teeth as to give them the energy from the sugar itself, but they were still hungry.

We were about to find a couple of volunteers to cook a meal when Aloys (13) said that he wanted to cook, as long as someone provided the ingredients. He was despatched to the local shop clutching a Ksh 200 note and soon came back with kale, tomatoes, onions and a bit of meat - probably goat. We already had maize flour in stock and he set about getting a fire going.

Looking for firewood was just the excuse that two of the younger lads to shin up the tall trees on the plot. These trees don't have branches below about 20 feet. They literally shinned up!

Firewood collected, stones placed to make a fireplace, Dennis, kneeling down to blow the flames into life and Aloys started to prepare the Ugali. Meanwhile, some of the girls were in the hut preparing the vegetables. But what was going on outside was far more entertaining!

Aloys had not placed the stones well and as he stirred the ugali, and it thickened, he could not keep the pot still. Dennis, on his knees, cheek on the ground was still blowing on the fire, but had to jump up to grab the pot to steady it, using leaves and bits of card to protect his fingers.

As soon as the ugali was ready, the girls turfed Aloys out of the cooking area. He was not going to get all the credit for the meal.

Soon, sukuma wiki was on the go and not long afterwards, the girls were serving up.

Baba Mzungu is not keen on sukuma wiki and ugali, so was not served. However, as soon as Aloys finished his meal, he shot back outside, fanned the fire and made himself busy. Soon, he presented Baba Mzungu with two hard-boiled eggs and salt.

The boy is very thoughtful. Having asked Vincent if Baba Mzungu took ugali and being told that he didn't, he had made a meal for one. OK, two boiled eggs is not a lot, but with a budget of Ksh 200 and 15 mouths to feed, it was a nice thought.

But then, that's is what we would expect from Aloys.

Swing Low, Swing High

I had thought it a good idea to put up some sort of swing - after all the Twiga Centre is surrounded by trees. A simple rope with a tyre on the end would be simple enough ...

But we don't do simple at Twiga. Vincent's dad, although a farmer, is also an accomplished woodworker, and what he can do with a piece of wood and a panga (machete) is a wonder to see.

He had cleaned of a tree trunk for an upright, another for the crossbar, and shaped the joints using just his panga. He also made the seat from a plank of wood he just happened to have lying around.

All we needed to buy was the rope!


And the kids? We can't keep them off it, although I am happy to say that there have been no arguements as to whose turn it is. They are too good-natured.


So we say a big thank you to Vincent's father, who is always there to help when needed.

Generous People Will Make It Christmas At Twiga

Since the beginning of 2008, I have been collecting old cell phones for sale in Kenya. Last year, this effort raised enough to buy all our kids a new pair of leather schools shoes!

I have continued to collect cell phones, but they are becoming rarer. So I put out a plea for toys and games, as we approach Christmas - and my departure for Kenya.

Orphaned kids in Kenya don't do Christmas. They go to church, but other than that, Christmas Day is just another day to survive.

Anyway, I just want to say a big thank you to Sophie, 10 years old, who lives in Newbury. She has given up her complete collection of Barbie dolls, 15 of them! Her little brothers gave 4 or 5 cars and a few other bits and bobs.

Anne, also from Newbury, gave us a load of cuddly toys, and some games, such as chess, draughts and card games and a junior Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.

Mia, a South African, also from Newbury gave us some games and some seed for our vegetable plot.

Our kids at Twiga are going to have one very good Christmas, even if it will be a little early - I will be back in the UK for the day.

But we still need money to feed them (and to build the much needed children's home), so if anyone is feeling generous, or wants to do some fund-raising, please feel free. Donations can be made with the PayPal button in the right margin.

Also posted on Baba Mzungu's blog

BBC Feature

I am happy to report that although the broadcast was some time ago, by broadcasting standards, KCIS is still featured on the BBC Radio Berkshire website under the 'Faith' section.

There is still the audio slide show, narrated by Nejra Cehic, as well as the two features that were broadcast on 9th and 16th of August, featuring the voices of some of our children, notably Aloys, Edwin, Esther and Dennis, and of course, our local director, Vincent.

In the broadcasts, Nejra visits the home of Aloys and Nyachuba to see just how primitive their living conditions are. She also visits the site of the Twiga Centre where she sees the children's efforts to grow their own vegetables. The children can be heard playing and singing in the background.

These broadcasts give a very good audio idea of life for orphans and needy children in rural Kenya.

It is really worth a listen.

A Plug on the BBC

We at KCIS have had a bit of luck (and let's face it, we need some!)

A researcher at our local BBC radio station travels to different parts of Africa with a charitable organisation during her main holiday, and this year, she was sent to ... Kisii.

A colleague of hers at the radio station had been following the blog or Twitter and pointed this out to the researcher, who then contacted David and a meeting was set up before she left.

Once there, she met up with Vincent and Abigael as well as many of the Twiga kids. She recorded, interviewed and observed. The kids sang and Aloys recited a poem in Swahili. or the rest, we will have to wait until the transmission.

The feature will be broadcast in two parts on the Theological programme, this Sunday (10th August) and next. The first will be cut and edited sound bites, and the following week David will be speaking about the ongoing and future KCIS projects including, of course, the Twiga Children's Centre - if he doesn't dry up. What do they call it? Corpsing?

Of course, the other possible problem is David's potential for verbosity. Maybe corpsing would be a better option.

Oh well we will see - or hear - next week.

Video on YouTube

One of our many projects in Kenya was to make a vegetable plot for the Twiga kids (orphaned and abandoned children). This we have now done, or rather, the kids did it under our supervision, and to find more enthusiasm would be difficult!

Many photos and some video were taken and have been compiled into a video, posted on YouTube.

Take a look here

Twiga Children's Centre

On my recent trip to Kisii, I visited the houses where some of our kids live.

Aloys (13) and Nyachuba (10)

These brave kids lost their mother a while ago. Their father remarried and moved out of the area, leaving them to fend for themselves.

They live in a two-room hut, living room and bedrom. Thre is a smaller hut which serves as the kitchen.

Aloys, the boy in this pair, milks his cow and sells the milk to buy food for the two of them. He cooks over an open grate in the kitchen. There are few utensils and some of those he has, he made himslf.

Both children attend school, and despite their desparately hard life, they both attain good marks.

Aloys, at 13 years old, has to act as father and mother to Nyachuba, administering medication if she needs it, etc.

I was astounded, when he was at the centre, preparing the soil for the vegetable patch. He was the hardest worker there. He stripped off his shirt and his hard life can be seen in his thin, sinewy body. He has muscles that many twice his age could only dream of.

But why should a kid have to work so hard that he has the body of a fully developed athlete?

Both kids are very cheerful, always helpful and rarely without a smile. In the case of Aloys, he also has a very cheeky disposition.

Their dream? To help build the Twiga centre so that they can move in and enjoy a little comfort.

Edwin (14) and Dennis (12)

Cousins to Aloys and Nyachuba, these brothers had a similar fate when their mother died. Luckily, they have an older sister who took them in, despite the fact that she is a teeneage single mother of two very small children.

Edwin is open, cheerful, helpful, and ready for hard work. Dennis is more withdrawn, but once he comes out of his shell, his rare smile lights up his usually serious face.

Edwin and Dennis put in more than their fair share of work to prepare the vegetable plot, working very hard to clear the weeds, prepare the soil and build the animal-proof fence.

They also want to help to build the Twiga centre so that they can move in and benefit.

That's a Rash Idea

My imagination has been running away with me - again!

OK, so the idea is this - I don't remember suffering a fever at the time ...

On our plot in Kisii, Kenya, there is a two-room hut, not a cottage, not a bungalow, a hut, made of sticks, stones and mud. At least the roof is corrugated steel. There are proper windows and doors, with security grilles.

There is a corridor running front to back between the two rooms with doors to the outside at both ends.

As the hut is built on the side of a hill, the back faces a small cliff and there is an open passageway running between the hut and this cliff. There is also a small appendage which could be used as a "kitchen".

So, my idea is ... to live there for a while ~ no electricity, no running water.

But, while I am there, I want to carry out some minor improvements.

First off, I will install water, with a tank on the cliff behind the hut, to give a head. This will supply an outside shower and maybe running water to the kitchen.

Second, a home-made portaloo. I want to use the waste to collect the methane, which will eventually power a generator and a water pump (there is a river at the bottom of the plot).

Then there is the land itself. On top of the cliff, the land is a lot flatter than in front of the hut. It is very fertile and I reckon, from memory, there is enough to grow crops to feed all the kids on the orphanage register, with some left over to sell.

A by-product of the methane production is fertiliser. This together with composting will keep the soil rich, which will be necessary as I want two or three crops a year - it rains all year round in Kisii.

Linking into these improvements, I will be experimenting with using the sun to warm water for washing, and water filtration and purification. I also seem to remember building a food cooler when I was at school - but that was in 19 - yes well, it was a long time ago.

To finish off the place, I will make a BBQ out of ½ an oil barrel, so that the kids can sample the delights of a burger or hot dog (you know the type, burnt on the outside, raw in the middle).

What I had forgotten when dreaming up all this is that I am approaching 60, I am not the fittest person in the world, and I am mildly disabled. Further, Kisii is at 5,700 feet and oxygen is a bit thin.

Still, it will be an experience and it will allow me to tinker with the project designs and get them to work to their best effect.

Wish me luck!

Also posted on BabaMzungu blog.

Keeping the kids amused ...

We told the kids to gather at the plot on Saturday for a 'Fun Day'. And it wasn't until after they were told that I put my mind to finding things to amuse them.

Boys are easy, well most are. Give them a ball and they are away, football, volleyball, whatever, they are running, shouting, playing in a team - they are happy.

But what about the girls? I got a couple of hula hoops (that's all they had in the shop), and some skipping ropes. But it didn't look like enough for about a dozen girls ranging from 3 to 16 years.

Then I had a brainwave (or was it a brain storm?)

I bought some macaroni, paints and a ball of string. Before the big day, I showed six-year-old Benta how to make a necklace. She was thrilled - a good sign - and spent a whole day, carefully painting the tubes of pasta and threading them onto enough string to make a necklace that touched the ground when she was standing up! But she was happy with her efforts.

On the big day, she was so important, because she was showing all the other girls what to do to make their own necklaces.

It was a big success, except that Aloys, one of the cheekier boys, complained.

"You are wasting good food," he announced, barely concealing his grin.

But I was ready for him for once.

"No, we're not. The paint is non-toxic, so you can eat it, and you can eat the painted pasta, so, the girls have a necklace and a meal at the same time."

It is not often I can get one over this bunch of street-wise survivalists that we call our orphans.

I am convinced that I could learn a lot from any one of them.

Next time, I will take paper and glue as well as a variety of shapes for the younger kids to make pictures. I wonder if I can find non-toxic, edible glue?