The rebuilding of lives has begun!

REBUILDING LIVES is finally here! Everyone can now sign up online to sponsor a family at Pipeline IDP Camp! Check it out! Just visit the link on the left hand side of this page! I am sponsoring the first house with my darling Paul back in NZ and our good friends and his house mates Hamish and Paul R. Thanks guys!
Altogether, four families have already been sponsored and two people have already signed up for the group sponsorship! So awesome! It’s so exiting to see people from all over the world getting together to make a difference and help rebuild the lives of these beautiful people who have suffered so much.
It was an extra special visit to the camp last weekend because Sarah and Ben came along, my two gorgeous friends from Melbourne who have been volunteering at an orphanage just out of Nairobi.
Fortunately it was a nice sunny day so there were lots of people around and the children were out playing. When it’s raining the camp has a completely different feel because everyone is trying to stay dry and all huddled up in their tents.
Two more of my good friends who live in Kenya also came along for the trip, Steph and Julian. Similarly to Irene (who I work with), they are like my ‘jungle angels’ over here in Nairobi and have been wonderfully supportive and so much fun during my time here. They have two children, Luca and Molly. Molly is 6months and Luca is three, and I must say, Luca was certainly the star of the day. All the kids at the camp were absolutely fascinated by him and wanted to touch him and get close to him. I think it was a little overwhelming for the poor little guy so dad popped him on his shoulders and carried him around. It was like the pied piper! I am not sure the kids at the camp have ever seen a little mzungu (white) boy before!
We were all given a tour of the camp by the committee members. We visited the tent where school takes place and I was excited to see an adult English class in session. This initiative was started by two of GVN volunteers who have been working at the camp. Megan and Leanne are doing an amazing job. The kids are not the only ones who are eager to learn and stay busy. Some of the women in the class would have been in their sixties. So cool.
Sarah and Ben did some fundraising before coming to Kenya and they said their friends and family and work colleagues were incredibly generous. They gave me the exciting news that they would like to support the rebuilding lives project and use a portion of their funds to sponsor a family at the camp – whoop whoop!!!! So when the tour took us to the plots where the first houses are going to be built, they got to actually see the tent they will be replacing and meet the family they are giving a new house too! It was fantastic and very special. Sarah and Ben are heading home this weekend so they unfortunately wont be here for the first build in mid June but I am so so happy they were able to visit the camp and meet the family. I will certainly keep them updated and post lots of pictures once the house is built.
Next weekend another good friend and donor arrives - Nikki from Australia! Nikki is sponsoring an IDP family and going to help build the first lot of houses. I can’t wait for her to get here!
I am heading to the camp on Wednesday with Irene to work out logistic for the build, bring more GVN volunteers, and also discuss a potential microfinance project which GVN Australia are considering introducing in the camp. I will keep you updated.

Hugs,
Lauren xo

Camp Sleepover!

On Sunday I went to Pipeline IDP Camp to meet with the Camp Committee about the Rebuilding Lives project and to finish gathering information and photos for the sponsor family profiles. As a group, the Committee decided not to go with the lottery idea and instead suggested simply building from plot number one. It was a great idea and I think it will be a lot easier to manage logistically too. The camp is actually divided into two areas which are called Pipeline I and Pipeline II so we will begin building in both areas at each of the plot one sites.

I am continually impressed by this community. The way they communicate, make decisions, work together, and help each other. It is so inspiring…

Prior to arriving at the camp I asked Moses (Camp Secretary) if he could organize for me to stay overnight with one of the IDP families. I am eager to get to know the community and hear their stories and connect with them as much as I can while I am still in Kenya.

Moses arranged for me to stay with Nerbert Wanjoi (Camp Trustee) and his wife Mama Ngeri and their four kids. They actually have 8 children but some of them have been sponsored and are away at school. It was wonderful. Mama cooked rice and lentils for dinner and we drank lots of tea of course. Nerbert told me about his experiences during the violence. His house, business and car were all burnt and his brother and father were killed. Him and his family survived by hiding in the forest until the UN helicopters arrived.

Nerbert also gave me a new name –Wanjiko. It means Kikuyo of Kenya. So at the camp I am no longer Lauren, I am Wanjiko! I feel very honored by this affectionate gesture and I had a wonderful warm and cosy night with my IDP host family in their tent.

Monday was another special day. We launched the porridge program which is being funded for two months by the GVN Foundation. Each child (2-5yrs) from the ECD class will receive a cup of porridge when they come to school. UNICEF provided tents for the children and the classrooms are being staffed by volunteer teachers from the camp. They have no chairs or desks or school books but they are doing the best they can. The kids are so eager to learn. Last week we purchased the pots, firewood, and porridge ingredients so today it was ready to go! It was a huge success. All the kids were so excited and Chairman said he had never seen so many kids at school. He said “The porridge is good because it gives them energy and it also gets them out of the tent which means we can check on the kids to make sure they are all ok.”

Another amazing day at the Pipeline IDP Camp.

I am going to head back next Saturday to finalize building material costs and start planning the first build. Two of my beautiful groups of friends have already committed to sponsoring a family and the project has not even been launched yet! Hopefully the website will be up and running this week. So exciting!

More to come!

Hugs,
Lauren

Images: My IDP host family; Porridge Program Launch; Classroom.

Porridge and Lottery!

I am just waiting for Irene to pick me up. We are heading to Pipeline camp to meet with the committee and find out the results of the lottery. Ten families are going to have houses built for them through this project! I am so excited. Next I need to start fundraising!
We are also going to Pipeline to start a porridge program through the GVN Foundation for the 568 ECD kids (aged btw 2 and 5) who attend class in one of the large emergency tents supplied by UNICEF. We need to buy bags of maize flour, millet flour, sugar, powdered milk, and also big pots and charcoal to cook it with.
We don't have enough funds to supply food to the whole camp so we are starting with the kids. At least they will be getting one cup of porridge a day and hopefully it will take some of the worry away from the parents.

I will let you know how we go!

Lauren xo

Rebuilding Lives!

Coming soon!!!