Children's Garden Home is run as a family setup and the children live here like a big family of brothers and sisters. They take care of the home, guided by Matron Lucy, take care of one another, do the cooking and cleaning as a team.
The children find entertainment in simple things. They play creatively with wheelbarrow and innovate new games with a deflated football. They love basketball but could not afford one... But the simple pleasure of life is what we learn and shall take away from our stay with them here...
Cleaning duty is done every morning.
No pipe-in water so collecting water is a daily task.
The vege farm is a source of food and training for kids.
Meal preparation is a team activity, guided by seniors.
Football training by Moses was a regular activity.
Robyn playing a game of 'bladder' with the girls.
Devotion and singing is a weekly Friday night affair.
Kezia (10 yrs) styling Jin's hair.
Seva Project #3: Tables & Benches for the Dining Hall
The picture below shows the dining hall for the children at CGH. For a long time, it was devoid of furniture. Every meal time, the children would have to hand carry the heavy study desks from their classrooms to the dining hall, and after meal time, to bring them back.
We decided we could raise some funds to sponsor the making of 10 tables and 20 benches as permanent dining hall furniture. Each table will sit 12 kids so that will create a seating capacity of 120 in one go.
As with the door project, carpenter Fester would involve the older kids in making the dining hall furniture onsite for a greater sense of belonging and pride, as well as to provide vocational training. We are grateful to AOL Kenya, Kirit and Priti Shah, and KC from Singapore, for the kind sponsorship.
Project cost = Ksh80,000
Sponsor = Kirit & Priti Shah (timber), AOL Kenya and Tan Kwang Cheak
Shopping for timber, with heavy bargaining!
Table making in progress...
Seva Project #4: Posho Mill Service
Alessandra and Eugeno, and their friends from Italy sponsored the Posho Mill. Besides milling maize for flour to make ugali at the home, it also offers milling service for the local community to generate an income for CGH.
We designed and launched a VIP Customer Loyalty and Friend Referral Program to kick start this sustainability project. We thank our friends for supporting this project with donation.
Project cost = Ksh10,000
Sponsors = 'Friends of Seva' Donors
We helped to seed the capital cost of 2 sacks (90kg each) of maize for sale. Fiona Saunder from the UK subsequently sponsored another 6 sacks. Each 2kg bucket with milling fetches Ksh110. So each sack will earn a profit of Ksh550. The aim is to get the Posho Mill Service to be self-sustaining, and then to generate a growing income for sustainability of CGH. The photo shows one of the first VIP Customers to sign up for the mill-10-buckets-get-1-bucket-FREE program. The Friend Referral Program is now also bringing in more new VIP customers! This is network marketing in action!
Seva Project #5: Kuku (Chicken) Farm
Another initiative we launched was the chicken farm. The idea was to rear chicken to multiply more chicken and then to lay enough eggs to not only feed the children but also to sell the eggs/chicken to generate income for CGH.
We set up a student Kuku committee to run this project. They worked with Robyn to design and paint the signage.
Project cost = Ksh30,000
Sponsors = 'Friends of Seva' Donors
The chicken coop was previously used to rear rabbits.
Getting the coop ready to welcome the chicken...
It was a wonderful combined seva effort with Marcus and his sons from the USA. They donated 90 GM chickens while we sponsored 20 (1 died) local chickens.
We sponsored the purchase of timber and materials for the construction of the chicken coop by carpenter Fester. Accountant Lazarus bought the local chickens.
8 Sep 2011 - Visit to Service For Peace
At the invitation of Eric Mogaka, country coordinator of Service For Peace in Kenya, we met his team in his office for an experience exchange and sharing session.
I talked about our seva experience in India and shared with them the concept of social business. We also discussed how best to assist Children's Garden Home with agri-farm technology through the use of the greenhouse that was constructed by Service For Peace.