Children of Bukati NEWSLETTER - March, May 2008

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Update: May 15, 2008: The following is an email received from the principal of the Bukati Primary School 14'th .5.2008 Dear Cate, It is another good moment God has given me to express our pleasure for your continuing support to the programmes aimed at attracting and retaining the needy pupils at school, we are optimistic that the ultimate goal will be achieved as it has become evident that most of the initiated projects are successful. For instance the children will have lunch four times a week commencing from third term basically on the success of the gardening project. The orphans and destitutes who joined school in the beginning of the year have fully joined the programme (lunch and uniform). However, we have fourteen more who have been enrolled this term. They are already getting lunch and will be fitted uniform soon. At the moment, famine has hit most families, sometimes; some of them go without a meal in a day. Thus, this programme is of great significance to the affected children. Finally, on behalf of my family, the children and staff of Bukati, I wish you great success and joy in your career, family life and endeavour to support the needy pupils in our school. Not forgetting Mr.Dewey’s and other well wishers’ significant involvement in sustaining and maintaining this project. May God bless and inspire you more. Yours sincerely, Nicodemus Obiero

March 28, 2008 Update The following is an email received from the principal of the Bukati Primary School The Kenya conflict is improving. However, the post-election conflict in Kenya has adversely affected our project. We have 116 new children in our program, all of whom needed uniforms. The parents of some of these children were killed in the violence in the Rift Valley and Nairobi. Other children were AIDS orphans who were forced to move back to their ancestral homeland to avoid violence. This has put additional pressure on the adults in the community who have had to take in more children. For us, this means that we need to raise more money to feed more children. Food prices have risen dramatically, even as much as 400%. Beans, maize and cooking fat are now very expensive. Luckily, the school had purchased enough food to feed the children 3 days a week until mid April. However, it will now cost more money to maintain the current lunch program.  The profit from the corn grist mill is low because of high fuel prices and the famine in the area means that less people can afford to have grains ground. Travel is dangerous and expensive. School officials need to travel to Busia to do the banking. Limited vehicles on the road and high fuel prices have increased the cost of this trip. Just like fixing the school’s well last July 2007, these set backs are just that – challenges that we will meet and overcome. Thank you for your on-going support of these children and this community. For a more complete update, please click here.