Sunday, August 30, 2009

Update from Moses, Camp Secretary

Thanks to GVN volunteer, Ethan Frisch, we have the latest Rebuilding Lives update from Moses, the Secretary of Pipeline IDP Camp:

"Six houses walls have been built and three houses are under construction and have been provided will all materials. The issue of plot no. 1 which was to be solved by the public health officer has been solved and the house will be built soon.

We have shortage of sand and each house need a truck of sand for what was budgeted for was not enough for one house.

For the roofing, the iron sheets, timbers and nails the DC has received the sheets and he still wait for timbers and nails."

Moses Mbugua

It's times like this in Kenya where one might say "pole pole" (pronounced polay polay). It means 'slowly slowly' in Swahili!
The building process has been slow and we are still waiting for the iron sheets for the roofs to complete the first set of houses but the outlook is promising! I am so excited that the health officer finally gave the go ahead for Plot 1 too. The family of four are currently sharing a tent with another family, I imagine it will be so wonderful for them to have their own space and their own place.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Baby goat!

This week I have been chatting to GVN volunteer Ethan Frisch. Ethan has been working at Pipeline IDP Camp for the past four weeks. Here is one of his stories which I could not help sharing with you!

"I was visiting with someone in the camp yesterday evening, just hanging out and chatting about nothing in particular. This morning, he comes running up to me with a big grin on his face - his goat had a baby last night, and he's sure it was my visit that brought him good luck and caused the baby goat to be born. Apparently I'm good luck - who knew? Anyway, he wants to name the goat after me. So there is a baby goat named Ethan living in an IDP camp in the middle of nowhere in Kenya." - Ethan

Also, here is a very interesting article from the Kenyan newspaper, The Daily Nation. Really puts the food procurement issue into perspective:

It's a Pig's Life for Starving Citizens