In the form of U.S. dollars, of course! Dear Friends and Supporters of Family Hope Charity,
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and all you hold dear in life!
Although not a tourist attraction, the chicken is by far the most widespread and versatile animal in Kenya. I don’t know the exact number of chickens alive at any one moment in this country nor the number being consumed each day but it has to be in the millions. Besides providing fried food for many people (and I mean really fried!), chickens play a number of roles in Kenyan society.In the slums they eat millions of bugs - Mother Nature’s pest control. Secondly, I’m told they produce great fertilizer that can be used either for slum kitchen gardens or for sale. Chickens also support many poor people because they can be raised in the most impossible of environments - like Nairobi’s slums. And even in harsh conditions, they multiply fairly quickly, enabling someone who is selling them to turn a profit in a short period of time. Hens are very protective and caring of their chicks and so are slum mothers and guardians who will do just about ANYTHING to care for and support their children. Young roosters get into a lot of trouble if idle and so do a lot of young Kenyan males who lack employable skills. Chickens and poor Kenyans are pretty resourceful and can turn a dime into a dollar given a few breaks. A slum acquaintance of mine for example is now supporting his family of six by selling fruit in an upscale section of Nairobi. He truly started this business with chicken feed--- only $20. However, chickens need to be taken care of and placed in a safe environment, otherwise there are too many dangers and threats to their lives. Poor Kenyans need to be taken care of, too, because without concerned people like you the dangers of slum life are too numerous and too overwhelming.
Your support can help the mothers of these children create a better life!This Christmas season, I’m asking you to support some short term projects Family Hope Charity is currently engaged in or will be starting soon. We are trying to raise $5000 during the holidays. The choice of the following projects will depend on Family Hope Charity finalizing our assessment of their organizational credibility and trustworthiness as a partner. The projects are:
1) Setting up a revolving fund for a women’s HIV/Aids group in the Kiambiu/Nairobi slum. We will give them $1000 = 75,000 Kenya shillings. With this start up grant they can begin lending to members of the group. The interest they charge each other will slowly build up the amount available for lending. Then either as a group or as individuals they can attempt more ambitious income generating projects for the support of themselves and children.
2) Starting Alcoholics Anonymous and/or Al Anon groups in Kuresoi/Rift Valley of Kenya. Alcohol and drugs fueled the wave of violence that plagued this part of the country for three months after the December 2007 election. There is a great need for a variety of programs and initiatives that promote reconciliation and forgiveness in an area that saw hundreds killed and thousands lose their homes and livelihoods. AA and Al-Anon can indirectly contribute to rebuilding society by offering addicts and their families a way of restarting their lives and taking responsibility for their actions.
3) Starting Alcoholics Anonymous and Al Anon groups in Kiambiu. Alcohol and drugs fuel much of the violence and abuse that many slum women and children are subjected to. AA can offer a new way of life to addicts, especially addicts prone to violence and abuse. Al-Anon can offer hope to those affected by someone’s addiction.
4) Working with a clinic in Korogocho, the slum next to Kiambiu in Nairobi. This clinic sees on average 200 people a day with only one trained nurse on staff. Family Hope Charity will try to set up an income generating project—e.g. raising chickens— either to help provide regular income for the clinic or provide money for the HIV positive mothers who use the clinic and its services. We are currently exploring
ways to expand the facility. If we get funding for this expansion, we can train slum youth in building construction skills who then would put up the addition.
5) Helping a women’s group in Kuresoi build a chicken coop. These women were victims of the 2007 post-election violence and in many cases, lost everything. With the chickens they raise they will be able to support 30 different families, each having around 10 members each.
I’d like to express my gratitude once again to all of you for your past support and prayers.Your support of these projects will help Family Hope Charity continue to implement practical initiatives, targeting the most vulnerable victims of poverty and violence---women and children. You can send your tax exempt ‘chicken feed’ to either of our two fiscal sponsors below:
1) Setting up a revolving fund for a women’s HIV/Aids group in the Kiambiu/Nairobi slum. We will give them $1000 = 75,000 Kenya shillings. With this start up grant they can begin lending to members of the group. The interest they charge each other will slowly build up the amount available for lending. Then either as a group or as individuals they can attempt more ambitious income generating projects for the support of themselves and children.
2) Starting Alcoholics Anonymous and/or Al Anon groups in Kuresoi/Rift Valley of Kenya. Alcohol and drugs fueled the wave of violence that plagued this part of the country for three months after the December 2007 election. There is a great need for a variety of programs and initiatives that promote reconciliation and forgiveness in an area that saw hundreds killed and thousands lose their homes and livelihoods. AA and Al-Anon can indirectly contribute to rebuilding society by offering addicts and their families a way of restarting their lives and taking responsibility for their actions.
3) Starting Alcoholics Anonymous and Al Anon groups in Kiambiu. Alcohol and drugs fuel much of the violence and abuse that many slum women and children are subjected to. AA can offer a new way of life to addicts, especially addicts prone to violence and abuse. Al-Anon can offer hope to those affected by someone’s addiction.
4) Working with a clinic in Korogocho, the slum next to Kiambiu in Nairobi. This clinic sees on average 200 people a day with only one trained nurse on staff. Family Hope Charity will try to set up an income generating project—e.g. raising chickens— either to help provide regular income for the clinic or provide money for the HIV positive mothers who use the clinic and its services. We are currently exploring
ways to expand the facility. If we get funding for this expansion, we can train slum youth in building construction skills who then would put up the addition.
5) Helping a women’s group in Kuresoi build a chicken coop. These women were victims of the 2007 post-election violence and in many cases, lost everything. With the chickens they raise they will be able to support 30 different families, each having around 10 members each.
I’d like to express my gratitude once again to all of you for your past support and prayers.Your support of these projects will help Family Hope Charity continue to implement practical initiatives, targeting the most vulnerable victims of poverty and violence---women and children. You can send your tax exempt ‘chicken feed’ to either of our two fiscal sponsors below:
| Totus Tuus Ministries c/o Jim Seghers 17236 St. Gertrude Drive Covington, Louisiana 70435 | The Staudinger Foundation c/o Fr. Lou Franz, C.M P.O. Box 1208 Flagstaff, Arizona 86002 |
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