Visiting our Students
Recently we spent three weeks in Oyugis and had the chance to meet with many of our sponsored students.
Recently we spent three weeks in Oyugis and had the chance to meet with many of our sponsored students. Unfortunately, soon after arriving we came down with a severe upper respiratory illness that kept us from venturing out too much into the community. Although we did make a trip out to visit our students at Omboga Secondary.
During the weeks we spent getting over our illness, several of our sponsored students stopped by the house to greet us. Some of them I had not had the pleasure of meeting in person before and was thrilled they came by to say hello.
One afternoon, a young man who was in his final year of Secondary School arrived. This was the 4th year Olalo sponsored his education. Over the years we had exchanged a few letters, but like many of the others, this was our first in-person meeting.
There was a time in the past when things got a little rocky for him and we weren’t sure we would continue sponsoring him. Wanting all our kids to succeed we stepped in and got things on track.
On this day, he sat down beside me on this small loveseat and we talked for an hour. For the first 40 minutes he continually expressed his gratitude and thankfulness to Olalo for giving him this life-changing opportunity to get an education and impact his life. He talked about his past struggles in school and how he now had a plan for his life that he is working hard to achieve.
He wants to succeed for himself, his family and his community. He wants to succeed so he can help others succeed as well and break this cycle of poverty.
I have to admit there are times when trying to keep our education program going is frustrating when trying to meet tuition payments on time and as the list grows with more kids needing financial help to attend school.
But this one hour spent with this sincere young man who finally sees a future for himself was both humbling and tearful for me and reminded me what it’s really all about. The frustrations fade away as the focus moves more to what we are achieving by giving kids an opportunity to change the cycle of poverty into a new cycle of hope and direction through education.
Thank you to every one of you who have invested into the lives of these young people. Know that you are appreciated so much not only by Olalo, but by the children you are sponsoring.
Nyasaye Ogwedhi!
Merry Broughal
Olalo of Hope-Kenya
Up, Running and Saving Money Already!
With the great support we received from you through Global Giving, plus some outside sponsors, we were able to reach an amount that allowed the purchase of a mini-van for medical and community support purposes.
It is with great satisfaction and excitement that we can close this project on Global Giving because Olalo of Hope-Kenya has successfully purchased a vehicle!
With the great support we received from you through Global Giving, plus some outside sponsors, we were able to reach an amount that allowed the purchase of a mini-van for medical and community support purposes.
The purchase came late last month and within days was put into life-saving action. Already it has been used multiple times to transport people from Oyugis to receive medical evaluations, surgery and treatments into both neighboring cities of Kisii and Kisumu. It has also been used to deliver food products to several families in need of basic support.
We are so very thankful and grateful for your support through this project. The money that has already been saved by not having the need to hire a taxi or renting a vehicle to transport urgent medical care patients has been left in our Urgent Medical Care Fund to help others in need.
When you supported us in the project to purchase a van, you didn’t realize it, but you joined with us to help others receive urgent medical care and much needed food basics. One good thing leads to another.
Thank you for being part of the Olalo family, and for making a difference in the lives of those in Oyugis, Kenya!
Merry Broughal
Olalo of Hope-Kenya
Traveling Kenya for Help!
We continued to cover the costs of treatment and medications for a number people right in Oyugis’ s fine hospitals, but several instances required us to travel to Kisii, Kisumu and Nairobi
Over the past few months, a variety of urgent medical care issues arose that kept us traveling all over Kenya to get help!
We continued to cover the costs of treatment and medications for a number people right in Oyugis’ s fine hospitals, but several instances required us to travel to Kisii, Kisumu and Nairobi.
One young teen, Moses, couldn’t be diagnosed locally and sent us on to Kisumu where he was required to have day surgery to treat his issues. Another case that require several surgeries sent us to Nairobi to remove a facial disfigurement…one surgery down, another one yet to go. His dramatic picture and the change after just one surgery is included with this report.
Several times we were contacted by local hospitals about children seen and released without necessary medications so we made sure they got them. Sonko came across a mom with her young children who needed to be seen. The little guy had a tumor growing on his leg and his little sister was suspected to have malaria…she did.
Another child needed emergency surgery but had no money. The hospital administrator made the decision to proceed with the life-saving surgery and then asked Olalo of Hope-Kenya to pay for it…. when and as we can. It is very humbling to be a trusted resource in the community and to be called on for the urgent needs that cannot be financially met by those needing to be treated.
This is all possible because of YOU, our great supporters! Thank you for stepping up and helping us to save lives and make a difference in the lives of those who would otherwise go without urgent medical care.
Your support for this is very much appreciated by all of us at Olalo of Hope-Kenya, and by those who lives are impacted through treatment received because of this medical project.
Thank you.
Merry Broughal
Olalo of Hope-Kenya
Education Opportunities are Expanding!
Children and students are learning basic computing skills. Others are learning marketable employment skills by learning the Microsoft Office Suite. Others are learning other skills to improve their lives and how they do business.
When we learned that most of our 4th year students had absolutely zero experience with computers, we knew something had to be done…Expand our Education program!
We purchased some computers, rented a small space in town, and began offering classes to not only the students, but we opened it up to the community at large.
We discovered a woman we knew in the town had a lot of experience with computers and asked if she would be interested in teaching classes. Her name is Bianca and she is AMAZING!
Bianca immediately began to dig into our server which held thousands of files and lessons on every subject you can imagine. She saw possibilities beyond just teaching the basics and started to develop classes for more segmented groups, such as the local midwives to learn about the latest medical advances, and farmers with agricultural advances.
Immediately a waiting list popped up for classes. (at this time we only have 4 computers so the classes are small).
Children and students are learning basic computing skills. Others are learning marketable employment skills by learning the Microsoft Office Suite. Others are learning other skills to improve their lives and how they do business.
The successes we are seeing are not only because of the amazing people we have, but also because of a company called World Possible and their development of a 2-pound server that contains all of these education files and programs – RACHEL – Remote Area Community Hotspot for Education and Learning.
RACHEL is a self-contained unit that has downloaded all the current information from their sources on the internet so there is no internet access to the students. Olalo can plug RACHEL into the internet and download all the latest, most up-to-date information so we are always offering the latest information to our students. It is amazing and opening many doors to the people of Oyugis.
Check out RACHEL on World Possible and you will see the great opportunities it offers to people not only in Kenya, but around the world. www.worldpossible.org
We are heading off to Kenya this week and are anxious to meet with some of our students to see how access to our community computer lab is making a difference in their lives.
Thank you for making this all possible! Education is truly the key to breaking the cycle of poverty and YOU are helping Olalo of Hope-Kenya make it happen!
Nyasaye Ogwedhi!
Merry
Olalo of Hope-Kenya
Urgent Medical Needs Are Met!
To our Amazing Donors...a special “Thank You” goes out to you for supporting Olalo of Hope-Kenya’s Urgent Medical Care project.
In just the last month, there were 14 babies, kids and adults recovering from a multitude of illnesses and injuries because You cared enough to support Olalo in our efforts to provide the means to get the urgent medical treatment needed.
Whether it was surgery following a miscarriage, covering the cost of medications, dealing with stomach ulcers, malaria, typhoid, loss of eye sight due to infection, x-rays for a stabbing victim or a child with a growth on his foot, each one got the urgent care they needed and are on the road to recovery!
One very recent case really stands out and I’d like to share it with you.
While out visiting a friend in a town 5 hours away, Sonko, one of our amazing Kenyan volunteers, noticed a child on the side of the road. Her legs were scabbed, crusted and turning colors. Upon further investigation, he finds she is two-and-a-half-year-old Shantel and she is no longer able to walk due to the condition of her legs. Shantel was abandoned by her mother when she was just 6 months old and no one knows who her father is. A neighbor has been looking after her since she was abandoned.
We got her into a local hospital where she was evaluated and kept for several days while they attended to her legs. To avoid any possibility of her catching something from the other children in the hospital she was sent home with medications and instructions on how to care for her. It was determined an infection had gotten deep within her leg bone which was causing all the issues and rendering her unable to walk.
After just a few days it was reported that our little Shantel was healing and she was even trying to walk again. What an amazing fete and journey this young child has already been through at just 2.5 years old! The doctors are confident that due to her young age and getting treatment when she did, she will make a full recovery.
Thank You on behalf of this young child who may now grow up and have the use of her legs.
And on behalf of Olalo of Hope-Kenya, thank you for supporting us in this area of Urgent Medical Care.
You are making an impact on many lives…. saving lives and changing lives!
Thank you!
Merry Broughal
Olalo of Hope-Kenya
Van Update #2
Inching Along to Getting Our Van….
Many thanks to every one of you who have caught the vision with Olalo and know that providing a van for transportation is vital and essential to getting people to the hospitals for urgent medical care, kids safely to school, and for the delivery of food and other life basics to those in desperate need in Oyugis, Kenya.
In just the last three weeks a cab was hired and cars rented to transport very ill children to hospitals two and five hours away…they were necessary distances to get them the kind of help they needed. Thanks to you, our Van donors, we know that in time Olalo will have the necessary funds to purchase a van to make these types of trips and save the money for medical care rather than it being spent on hiring cars/cabs. (You can read more about one baby we got into the hospital in our latest report under our Urgent Medical Care Project.)
Drought conditions in the area are making it difficult to provide food for families. In the last month Olalo was able to deliver food to several families.
The van can also be used to transport others who need to go into the city. Passengers would be charged a fee which will help to maintain the van.
One of the recipients of Olalo’s medical fund will travel six times to Nairobi for surgery and follow-up care. Due to the nature of his disease he is not able to work and has no way to travel there except for going by bus. Those are 6 trips which could be made to Nairobi with paying passenger riding along with him in our van. As you can see, a van would certainly be a benefit in a variety of ways.
So even though we are only inching toward our goal of purchasing a van, we are so very thankful for your continued support and encouragement!
Thank you for standing with us…thank you for supporting our efforts in Oyugis, Kenya!
With Much Appreciation
Merry Broughal
Olalo of Hope-Kenya