REBUILDING LIVES PROJECT

I am baaaack!

2010-05-19T20:12:00.000-07:00

Firstly - my apologies. I am sorry it has been so long between blogs!

Oh, so much to say. Where to start!

Ok, so I just got back from Kenya. I spent 9 days co-leading the Eat So They Can Distribution with an amazing group of people. We visited schools, orphanages,and camps, distributing funds and resources. As usual, there were many highs and lows (Kenya has them in abundance!) but I have come home feeling hopeful and excited about the potential to create meaningful change.

When I first arrived at the camp I immediately felt a wonderful sense of peace and familiarity. Seeing the committee members, the kids, and the families involved in the Rebuilding Lives project was really exciting. We received a lovely welcome and I felt such happiness. However it did not take long for a few little frustrations to trickle in. Some of the roofs of the houses were not finished which was pretty disappointing for me as I expected them all to be done. But, things are done differently in Africa, in Kenya, and especially in IDP camps! Lauren, relax!

The palaver that occurred with the iron sheets that the government promised to provide was just one of the bumps in the road. I found out that the IDP’s even held a protest to try and get them to deliver – unsuccessfully. I found this clip on You Tube - see below.

Awwww, I love these people so much...

The good news is all of the houses will be finished by the end of this month and we can move on to the next group of houses for the next group of families! We are going to purchase wood/metal houses this time in case the IDP’s are given land and they relocate in the future. This way they can simply take down the house and take it with them! Pretty cool hey!

The second piece of good news is that GVN Foundation has adopted the project and funds raised through the global campaign Eat So They Can will benefit the Rebuilding Lives project!!!! Yay! People around the world who sign up the campaign will be able to donate directly! It’s pretty awesome!

Please check it out and sign up! : )

Ok, I will post some more photos over the next few weeks and continue to write updates.

Until then, kwaheri and hugs,
Lauren xo

Camp update!

2010-02-08T13:26:00.000-08:00

I was so excited to receive an email from Moses Mbugua this morning updating me on the project and situation at the camp.

“For the block houses that we started 5 of them are done IDP's are living in. The rest 5 houses Irene said she will provide the roofing, doors, and windows this week. For the timber houses it is easy to built and cheap to buy the material's. We also have iron sheets houses they are the cheapest and most of the IDP's like the houses. Generally in the camp IDP's are still facing challenges:

1. Lack of food.
2. Sheltered as some tents completely torn.
3. Medical facility , such as medicine.
4. School fees for secondary school students.
5. Uniform and textbooks for primary school students.

But all and all we still have hope because we still have new projects which were started by the volunteers. These are poultry for broiler hens to support the clinic. We have a fish pond to support the ECD.”
-Moses

It has been a long process but we are making progress! It looks like I will be back in Kenya in April. I can’t wait to go back to the camp and spend time with the community. It will also be a great opportunity to review the project and set new goals.

Thank you again to everyone for your support.
Hugs,
Lauren

Image: Clinic built by GVN volunteers.

A Home for Christmas!

2009-11-04T21:22:00.000-08:00

Thank you to all of the wonderful new donors who have supported the Rebuilding Lives project at Pipeline IDP Camp in Kenya.
Honestly, your donations have not come at a better time. I have really been fretting the last couple of weeks because the government has pulled out of our agreement and wont be supplying us with the roofing materials as promised. This means that ten sponsor houses recently constructed remain unfinished, and reports from the camp this week have been quite distressing. Heavy downpours related to El Nino have meant that many of the tents have been flooded and destroyed. There are stories in the daily paper about families being knee deep in water during the night!

http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/674084/-/uo1kdn/-/index.html

However thanks to your donations we are now able to start purchasing urgently needed iron sheets, nails, frames, doors, windows and nails to complete the houses. Yay! I am still a little short of funds but hopefully a few more donations will come through and all ten houses will all be complete by the end of the month! A new home for ten families for Christmas – whoop whoop!
I am speaking to Irene next week so I will provide further information then.

Hugs,
Lauren

News: Kibaki directs closure of camps

2009-10-05T16:22:00.000-07:00

Kenya President Kibaki has directed the resettlement of all internal refugees in two weeks.
This was taken from The Daily Nation newspaper:

The President ordered the ministries of Finance, Special Programmes, Lands, Internal Security and Agriculture to move with speed in ensuring that land is made available for the resettlement exercise.
“We should move with speed to resettle the IDPs who are still in camps. This matter has dragged on for too long. We must deal with it and ensure that we do not have persons still living in camps,” he said.
“We also need to help those who are going back to their land to resettle and undertake their farming. I also appeal to all communities to live peacefully and co-exist harmoniously.”
President Kibaki was speaking Friday at his Harambee House office where he chaired a meeting of the committee overseeing resettlement of IDPs.
During the meeting, it was resolved that all IDP camps should be closed down within two weeks once the IDPs are resettled on the land purchased by the government.

Read full article:http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/663294/-/unedqy/-/index.html

Irene is meeting with the Committee at Pipeline this week to discuss how these recent turn of events will potentially affect the families at Pipeline IDP Camp. I will be posting an update as soon as I have one. Stay tuned...

Lauren xo

NEW REBUILDING LIVES VIDEO!

2009-09-24T15:54:00.000-07:00

New sponsorship video just released! So exciting! Check it out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sPvXSMNphE

Thanks Ray!!!!

Update from Moses, Camp Secretary

2009-08-30T20:19:00.001-07:00

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.

Baby goat!

2009-08-24T15:14:00.000-07:00

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

Rebuilding Lives is Changing Lives!

2009-07-30T14:45:00.000-07:00

Check out what a difference you are making in the lives of IDPs from Pipleline Camp in Kenya. Imagine what it must feel like to go from living in a tent for over one year to living in a solid, safe, stone house! What joy... I cant wait until moving day!

A Roof for James!

2009-07-27T13:24:00.001-07:00

In an earlier blog I introduced you to James, an IDP who has been sleeping under tarps to shelter from the rain because his home at camp has no roof. Over time it simply deteriorated and wore away due to the wind and rain. Well, I heard from Irene this morning and the good news is it has been fixed! I am so relieved, it has been playing on my mind since I left Kenya. Hopefully one day the Rebuilding Lives project will be able to build James a stone house but for now at least he is a little more protected from the weather.

I also heard that the health inspector finally visited camp but I have not heard what the feedback was. The first plot, the one I sponsored with Paul F, Paul R, and Hamish, is still awaiting the green light to start building because it is situated right next to a block of pit latrines. Fingers crossed.

For those of you wonderful donors who are part of the group sponsorship (Mish, Dinny, Julie, Nic, Eliza and Prue) building a home for Isaac and Lydia at Plot 7 here is an image from the first stage of the build - digging the trench and laying the foundation! Whoop whoop!

Update from Irene on the Ground!

2009-07-22T20:42:00.000-07:00

This week Irene visited the camp and she sent me the following exciting update!

“I visited Pipeline on Thursday and everything has been great so far.
I had one and half hour meeting with District Commissioner and he informed that he is waiting for the humanitarian board under his office to organise for the timber and nails delivery for the houses. The iron sheets are already at the store in Nakuru and as soon as the timber and nails are released they will be delivered to the site. He also asked me to see him on Tuesday next week as I will be going to Nakuru at Mbaruk IDPs camp to take food and I also want to put 2 classes for the kids there since they don't attend the school due to various issues. The camp is in a very bad state compared to others.

The four houses have been finished and they are waiting for the roofing.

Alot of women were no where to be found at camp and when i asked the guys they told us that they have already gone to work with the funds which have been donated to them through the community loans project by GVN Foundation. They have really been waiting for this golden opportunity to come to their lives where they will be able to support themselves more than relying on well wishers for their basic needs.” -Irene

I am so excited to hear that the first four houses are nearly ready! Irene also told me that she has ordered the materials for the next six houses and the community has started digging the trenches and preparing the foundation – yay! Although it was hard to read in Irenes email that the other IDP Camp she visited is worse off than Pipeline. Far out, things are so desperate there right now, its hard to imagine what the Mbarak camp must be going through. I am glad to hear that Irene has managed to supply them with some food. Hopefully she will be able to place some volunteers there too...

In case you are wondering what the community loans are that she mentioned in the last paragraph, it is another great need in the camp that we are trying to address. With barely any employment available in or around the camp and no capital GVN Foundation are funding soft loans to registered groups to help them start a business and get back on their feet. I did some work on the community loan project at the camp while I was in Kenya. The proposals included businesses such as chickens, charcoal, rabbits, cereals (maize and beans) and farming.

The IDP’s are desperate to work and the thing is they have the skills. Many of them owned successful businesses before the violence. They have been idle for over a year and just hoping for a chance to be self sufficient once again.

I really do believe in them.

As always, thank you for your support and believing in this project.

More to come soon!

xo

James

2009-07-08T19:54:00.000-07:00

Kia ora friends!
I am in New Zealand. Can you believe it! After a quick visit to Perth to visit family I arrived back home to Wellington on the weekend. Everything feels weird, very, very weird but I am trying to take things slow and ease back into life in the land of the long white cloud.
The last visit to Pipeline camp was pretty difficult I must say. Not just because I was saying goodbye to so many friends but I am really worried about them. Goodbyes are never easy but normally I can rationalise leaving people by telling myself that ‘they will be ok’ or ‘they will be fine’. However in this situation I feel don’t have those words to fall back on because the fact of the matter is that the people at Pipeline Camp might not be fine or ok. There are people there who have not eaten for three days. There are people there who are bed ridden in their tent because they are too sick, weak, and poor to go to the hospital. There are people who sleep under tarpaulins because they have nothing else. I mentioned in my last blog about a man I met during the food distribution called James. Since that first meeting when he told me about his scars and how he only just escaped the post election violence with his life it had really been haunting me. During that meeting he had told also me how he sleeps out in the open at the camp. So this trip I did some investigating and I went and found him and his plot. It was true. The small shelter he had built using sticks and tarpaulins was worn and torn and had no roof. The wind and rain had taken their toll and he no longer has any shelter from the elements. It was heartbreaking. The few items of clothing he had were hung up in an attempt to dry them. It had rained the night before and everything was wet. He had slept under a tarpaulin to try and shelter from the rain. Normally at the camp I shy away from helping people individually and instead focus on community projects like the house building and porridge program, however in these types of situations something has to be done. I spoke to Moses, Camp Secretary, about helping James. I did not want to cause any politics at the camp or show any favouritism because everyone at the camp is in such great need but he said that in this case he does not feel the community would object in any way. The man is practically sleeping in the rain. And so, I spoke with Irene and she has agreed to help purchase some nails and new tarpaulins for James. As I said earlier, leaving the camp was tough but knowing at least James would soon have a roof over his head (even if it was made out of plastic) made it a little easier. I cant fix all the problems at the camp but I can do what I can and that is what I really have to hold onto now that I am back home. I will return to Kenya and to Pipeline but for now, from here, I will do what I can. It is all any of us can do in life really.
Ok so I have not even spoken about the houses yet – wow! They look amazing and you can clearly see a house taking shape now. The final top blocks were setting while I was there which means that all that remains is the roof, doors and windows! Irene is visiting the camp and meeting with the District Commissioner next week so she will be able to send us an update then. Hopefully they will deliver the iron sheet very soon! Whoop whoop!
In other exciting news I can officially announce that the first ten families have been sponsored – yay! The staff at Global Volunteer Network (GVN) have signed up and been busy fundraising and Colin Salisbury, GVN Founder and President has generously agreed to match dollar for dollar! Thanks so much guys! I would particularly like to thank Tracy, Erin C and Eliza for all of their hard work and support. I am so lucky to have such fantastic colleagues and friends. Erin C, GVN CEO, and her kids Josh and Sarah have also sponsored a family which is so incredibly kind – thank you.
Another house has been sponsored by Scott Krause and his family and friends from the USA. Scott has been volunteering at Pipeline for the past 6 weeks with GVN and is doing an incredible job working with the community. He is a teacher by trade and is speaking Swahili exceptionally well which has made him a serious asset in the camp and volunteer program. Thanks Scott, you rock!
Chris and Judy Van Dreven, two of my beautiful friends from Australia have also sponsored a family and I am incredibly grateful for their continued love and support. Judy has just recently given birth to a beautiful little girl called Kitt yet she still finds the time to lend a hand and support this project. Your amazing - thank you.

And thanks to everyone who continues to follow and be a part of REBUILDING LIVES. Together, we really are making a difference. Be proud.
Hugs,
Lauren

Hilarious to heartbreaking

2009-06-26T21:45:00.000-07:00

I have to say, I found the recent visit to the camp- hilarious, exciting, touching and also heartbreaking. Let me tell you why…

It was hilarious because apparently my recent ‘expansion’ was a topic of discussion amongst the women. Irene and I had just arrived at camp and we were walking along the path on our way to visit the building sites when we came across a group of women at the water station. I recognized a couple of their faces and waved as we walked by. All of a sudden Irene burst out laughing. I asked her what was so funny and she told me that the women were talking about me. Intrigued, I asked her what they were saying. She said “They are wondering what you have been eating because you are expanding!” hahaha! I was shocked, amused and horrified all at once! Ok, I may have put on a little weight lately but I did not think my chapatti belly was that noticeable. No, well, apparently it is! : )

Ok, so the next experience was exciting! Exciting because once I arrived at the building site I saw a house beginning to take shape! A house! Last weekend only the foundation has been completed but this visit I could see seven layers of blocks piled on top of one another and also the outline of a door and two windows! It was a beautiful sight, believe me! Thanks to this project and all of you incredible donors, IDP families will be moving into safe and sturdy stone houses! How exciting!

It was also an extremely touching day for a combination of reasons. Firstly, because Thom and Yuka, two gorgeous GVN volunteers, came along for the day to distribute funds they had raised with the help of their friends and family. Thom and Yuka are on their honeymoon and traveling the world assisting communities by volunteering. They expressed to me a desire to help where help was urgently needed. I said “Pipeline IDP Camp. They do not have food.”
We purchased sacks of maize and had it delivered to the camp and it was amazing to witness how a food distribution takes place. Women are only allowed to collect the food unless you are a man on your own. The community gathered on the filed in front of the camp and before they divided into the districts to do the distribution, they sang a gospel song thanking us for the food. It was so beautiful, so touching. There was joy and energy in the singing despite the fact that many of them had not eaten for many days. I am continually amazed by this community. It really was one of those moments that touched my heart and left an imprint, I don’t think I will ever be the same.

And then I met James and it was heartbreaking. James was on the field collecting his portion of flour when he stopped to talk to me. I am guessing he is in his sixties or seventies. He told me he sleeps outside. He told me that people tried to kill him during the violence. He told me he is old and does not know what to do. And then he lifted his shirt and I saw the scars all over his chest and arms. He said it was from the arrows. “People tried to kill me but I got away” he said. It was heart breaking.

After talking to James I realized that there are so many traumatized people at the camp who have been through horrendous experiences but not received any type of counseling or emotional support. People are suffering so much. I am hoping the next group of volunteers can work on getting some social workers to visit the camp and start some counseling groups to begin the healing process.

I am heading to camp today and I will update you tomorrow. It will be my final visit before I head back to New Zealand. There could be tears but I will try be strong.

Finally, I would like to say an extra big thank you to Thom and Yuka and all of your family and friends for your generous donation and especially for sponsoring a family through the Rebuilding Lives project. Nine out of the first ten houses have now been sponsored. Yippee!

DAY 4

2009-06-14T21:59:00.000-07:00

Sunday is usually a day of rest but not for the Rebuilding Lives Team! We were back at camp early this morning and volunteers at both sites were already busy at work. We have started building in two areas of the camp which are called Pipeline One and Pipeline Two. At Pipeline One we were meant to start with Plot One, which is the house I have sponsored with my buddies back in New Zealand, but because the plot is next to a set of pit latrines it is on hold because we need a health inspector to approve the construction first. She is due to visit on Monday so hopefully building will commence this week. So we started with the next plot in line which is the family Sarah and Ben and their friends back in Australia are sponsoring. At one point today I noticed a woman in a lovely dress hard at work and shoveling cement - it was Jecinta, the beneficiary of the house. It was a special moment for me and I was so happy that she was getting involved and joining in. The cement mixing is another job done manually, there are no machines. Everyone is working very hard…
At Pipeline Two we were able to start with the first plot and it is actually the family that Nikki is sponsoring so she was actually able to meet them! We took photos of Nikki and Mary and a couple of her kids. Two of the children were at church which is held in the tents that are also used for the school and adult English classes. I think because it was Sunday the camp had a very relaxed and happy feel about it despite the hardships everyone is facing.
All of the workers at the building sites are volunteers from the camp and they are working incredibly hard despite their lack of food so we organised lunch consisting of ugali and skuma to be cooked for them. Mary cooked for the team at her site which was great to see and demonstrated how appreciative the community is and how well they work together.
Once the trenches were built, a layer of cement poured in, and the first blocks in place, everyone called it a day to allow the cement to dry. The volunteers would be back at it again early tomorrow.
I am so happy to see the project in action finally. There have been a few bumps along the way and the first build has been slow but now we have the design and formula in place the next build should run a lot smoother. Well, in theory : )
Irene and I are planning to head back to the camp on Thursday to see the progress and also take a couple of volunteers for a visit. More to come soon!

Thank you again to everyone who has supported this project, together we really are making a difference and helping rebuild a community.

Hugs,
Lauren

DAY 3

2009-06-13T22:02:00.000-07:00

Today we were up early again and at the camp by 8.30. We headed straight to the building site and could see that the team had already started to measure and mark the ground. Irene and I put on our gumboots and were ready to start digging but we soon realized that we were going to have to wait. A number of men had gathered around and were in deep discussions about how to go about building this house! Everyone needed to have their say. So we pulled up a stone block and waited and watched the scene unravel. Finally after some time Moses came over to us and simply said “they have agreed!” and we could continue. Irene and I jumped in and did some digging for the foundation but we were kind of slow and in the way and getting laughed at so we stepped aside and let the boys take over. It was awesome to watch them in action and interesting to. Similar to what we witnessed at the quarry, everything is being done manually even the measuring. One of the tools they were using is called a ‘Kabiru’ and it looks like a pendulum. It is used to ensure the building will be straight. You need to have a very good eye and steady hand for this job!
And so the digging of the trenches continued all day and we could see two small rooms taking shape…
Meanwhile, Irene was told that one of the kids at the camp had been bleeding consistently during the night and so she took him to a hospital in Nakuru to be checked out. Nik, Kath and I stayed at camp. Wangari, one of the elders and committee members hosted us in her tent and cooked us a delicious meal of mukimo and cabbage. Mukimo is a traditional Kenyan dish that consists of potatoes, beans, peas and maize that gets all mashed up together. It was yum!
In the afternoon we all wandered around the camp chatting to people, and Bryan, a GVN volunteer joined us and I got a chance to hear about what projects he is working on and how camp life is. From what he said it sounds like people are getting more desperate and food is very scarce. While we were there we saw two well-wisher groups bring food. The first one was from a local guy who pulled up in his car and gave out pieces of bread to the kids. It started out pretty organsied with the kids in lines but it soon turned chaotic as people started grabbing for the food. It was difficult to watch.
A little bit later another group arrived in cars and trucks. I found out that is was the second President of Kenya’s son, Gideon Moi. He delivered a speech and donated sacks of corn flour. The community were so happy and thankful for the food that would ge them through another day. He promised to come back again this week.
At about 6pm we called it a day and headed back to a nearby hotel for dinner and a much needed shower. We would head back to the camp in the morning to check the site and meet with Paul and Moses.
I have an exciting story to tell you about meeting famous marathon runner Samuel Wanjiro who won first place at the world marathon in Beijing and broke the record… but that will have to wait! Gotta fly…

Hugs,
Lauren

DAY 2

2009-06-12T21:34:00.001-07:00

Today started out nervous. Chairmen had an 8am meeting with the district Commissioner who held the future of the Rebuilding Lives project in the palm of his hands! Irene., Nikki, Kathy and I met for an early breakfast then we headed into town to meet the boys. We arrived to good news. The DC had confirmed that each family would be receiving 20 iron sheets! This means we could use stone blocks! He also wanted to meet us to learn more about the projects we are introducing at Pipeline and requested that we all come back into town and see him at 3pm.
This was all the information we needed to launch into action! We all boarded the van and headed back to camp to make plans. On the way we stopped at the supermarket to pick up some supplies and Nik and Kath decided to load up on pencils and books for the school. I think after meeting the teachers and students yesterday and seeing their commitment and determination to learn they had been quite inspired to assist. The resources they bought were greatly appreciated. Thanks ladies!
Moses met us on arrival, we were all so relieved to see he was feeling better today. The` good news we also brought with us was great medicine. Everyone was excited to start the project.
Then Bo, the malaria prevention guru, turned up with his mate Gamme and we did introductions. We were a little pressed for time` so Samuel gave` them a camp tour while we continued with our building plans. A number of the camp tradesmen came to assist with the calculations for building materials and design. We were ready!
We met with Bo after his tour and he gave us a run down of his ideas on how the community can best prevent malaria given the living conditions. He says treated nets and spray will be the most effective and economical. We will keep working on this one.
The team jumped back in the van and were on our way. First stop – the quarry! We drove into beautiful Kenyan country side for about half an hour until we reached the site. It was a scorching hot day and we men and women were working hard cutting the stones from the earth. It was amazing. Back in Australia we have huge machines to do this work for us but here it is all done by hand using hammers and chisels. We ordered our blocks and then headed off to the nearby hardware store to order the cement. It felt so good to finally be underway!
We arrived back at the camp and headed to the Chairman’s house for tea and bread. I had been badgering him for weeks that I wanted to see his new little baby Bryan so I finally got to see him and have cuddles. Well, it did not go very well actually. When Irene was holding him he was happy and quiet as a mouse but as soon as she handed him over to me he screamed! They said it was because I was the first mzungu to hold him but I swear Irene pinched him, hehe! Oh but he was sooooo cute!
After our tea we all jumped back in the van and headed off to our meeting with the DC. It went fantastic and he was happy for us to all work together. Moses and Paul only told me afterwards that they were very worried and nervous that he would put hold on the whole building project. But he was positive and friendly. He just requested that we officially write to the municipal and health and sanitation informing them of our plans and keep everyone in the loop.
We all left the meeting elated and super excited!
Chaiman Paul said “Today is our day”
Secretary Moses said “Today is our first day of freedom”
On the way back to the camp we all had a celebratory soda and toasted the Rebuilding Lives Project.
When we drove into the camp the truck had just arrived with the cement and blocks. As they were being unloaded the community all gathered around. Chairmen said “People are so happy to see the blocks. They represent hope.”

Tomorrow we start building and rebuilding lives!

Lauren xo

DAY 1

2009-06-11T21:58:00.000-07:00

Today was tough and it did not go as planned. When we arrived at the camp there were journalists there from Kenya’s two leading newspapers interviewing community members. The camp is in crisis. People are starving and desperate stories about families who have not eaten for days are starting to emerge. One of the stories includes one of our families who are waiting to be sponsored for a house. Living in a small structure made out of tarpaulins is a 70 year old grandmother and her two orphaned granddaughters who have new born babies. Baby Samantha is 2 months old, baby Michelle in only one week old. Irene immediately offered to go shopping and buy them a weeks supply of food so we headed into Nakuru and visited the market. We also heard about another family that had not eaten for three days, a woman taking care of orphan boys, so we distributed food to them too. It was an emotional time.
Moses, Camp Chairmen, was also not feeling well and he looked terrible so Irene sent him to the hospital to be checked out. We heard late last night that he has malaria. Sigh…
We will go check on him today.
Walking around the camp I noticed a number of tents had collapsed. The volunteers told me that a huge dust storm had ripped through the camp this week and destroyed many of them...
Ok, so it was quite a day before we even got to discussing the building project! But in good news we have heard that the iron sheets that the government promised the IDP’s are in a shed in Nakuru! Chairmen Paul has a meeting with the District Commissioner at 8am this morning so we are hoping to have an exact delivery date. This is exciting because it means that if the sheets are supplied we will have enough sponsorship money to purchase the cement blocks for the houses as opposed to purchasing the iron sheets which would be amazing. Let us pray!

Also, Bo did not make it yesterday as he had a few dramas on the way…. One of them being that some guy ripped the blinker off his car while he was waiting at traffic lights and Bo got out and chased him! Far out! But he will visit the camp today.

Ahhh, I am hoping for a good day today.. I will update you when I can.

With love,
Lauren

On the road with the team!

2009-06-10T22:31:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!
Good news, Nikki and Kathy from Australia have arrived safe and sound and we are preparing to hit the road and head for Pipeline camp with Irene (VICDA Director and Project Manager) this morning. We are all very excited! Plus we have a few more additions to the team. Chris, a GVN volunteer who has been in Kenya for 5 months will be traveling with us and he is planning to volunteer at Pipeline IDP Camp for the next month. Chris will be joining two other volunteers, Bryan and Scott, who are already at the camp. From what I hear, the boys have been doing lots of work with the community and assisting Moses (Camp Secretary) and Paul (Camp Chairmen) – teaching them computer skills and sending emails to NGO’s requesting assistance. Awesome work guys!

Plus I also met an interesting fellow at my local coffee house this week, Bo from Texas! Bo is passionate about saving children from deadly malaria and has developed a solar powered mosquito control system called Zuba Mist which can be installed around villages, schools and is environmentally safe. Malaria is a growing problem at the IDP camps so I am keen to see if Bo thinks his system is something that could be potentially installed at the camp. We are happy to have him onboard and I just love bringing visitors to the camp too.

There have been a few interesting developments over the last couple of weeks that had the potential to change our building design. The Kenya Government has promised the IDP’s at Pipeline 23 iron sheets per family to assist them build houses. These sheets were donated by China. If this delivery goes ahead it would be fantastic for our project and the community as it would mean we could afford to use cement blocks, however it has been difficult to obtain a delivery date. It could be days, weeks, months! We had a meeting with the community and they have requested that we go ahead as planned. So we will stick with building houses made of iron sheets until the situation changes. The community have decided to go with iron sheet walls rather than the mud.

Ok, so I will try send daily updates from the camp. We are planning to spend today preparing and ordering materials and Friday and Saturday building. We are aiming to build four houses. I daresay we will face many challenges but its all part of the fun and adventure!

Thank you so much everyone for all the support and encouragement and especially the first group pf sponsors – Paul Fletcher, Paul Ridley, Hamish Roberts, Sarah McNamara, Ben Seidel and their family and friends, and Nikki Best!

Stay tuned!

Lauren xo

The rebuilding of lives has begun!

2009-05-30T02:33:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-05-19T10:57:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-05-12T21:54:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-05-11T10:55:00.001-07:00

Coming soon!!!