Jidavee Youths Tackle Deforestation

Esabalu’s  Jidavee Youth Group are very aware of climate change.  The long rains failed to materialize in Western Kenya this year causing crops to fail and Esabalu farm families to suffer.  Jidavee members attended many youth gatherings and workshops this year about climate change and environment.

Jidavee Environmental Volunteers

In every workshop, young people were advised to plant trees especially local and indigenous trees.  The trees protect water  catchment areas and keep  streams and springs from becoming dry.

Volunteer presents Seedling to Church Elder

With $360 of outside funding from Amesbury for Africa,  the Jidavees organized a major tree- planting event in Esabalu on November 1, 2 and 3rd (the beginning of the short rains season). Twenty volunteers working in teams of 3 or 4   planted 417 trees in 20 locations around the village.  The planting sites were 8 schools and a dozen churches.

The Jidavee volunteers trained for their event  at Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) in nearby Maseno and visited other environmental tree gardens at Ebuyanga and Mahanga. Tree seedlings were purchased from  Vihiga county and the government of Kenya.

Beginning last weekend the volunteer teams fanned out across Esabalu wearing their new green Jidavee/Environmental Tee Shirts.  The young people planted several varieties of trees and instructed the teachers, students, clergy and church elders in how to care for the seedlings. The plants included indigenous mango and avocado fruit trees, other trees which provide animal forage and some medicinal plants.

The teams will continue to monitor after the event.  They plan to revisit each site at set intervals to check on the trees and see which plants and which sites do the best.

Esabalu Updates – Happy New Year!

 

AFA President Mark Bean and AMS Librarian Lori Bymer at the Middle School Bookswap Fundraiser

September is the start of a new Amesbury for Africa year.  (Our annual meeting takes place on September 18th .)  Here is updated information on the last year’s projects!

The  Vibrant Village team of Maxwell Abwamba and Edward Ongondo have signed a memorandum of understanding with African Storybook in Nairobi to produce 3 storybooks in Kinyore – Esabalu’s tribal language.   Amesbury Middle School students held two fundraisers in June – a book-swap in the school library and a teachers’ appreciation breakfast on the Friday before summer vacation.  The two events raised $257 to fund the on-line printing and publication of 2 out of the 3 storybooks. (see photo)

The Jidavee Youths are now a registered Kenyan CBO (Community Based Organization). The Esabalu youth group has begun the second round of jiggers treatment going school-to- school and  door-to-door to case find T. penetrans infestations.   They are finding that the number of affected households has gone down 74% since their first interventions last year.  They are well on their way to reach  goal of 95% of  village households to be jiggers free in 2019!

Uniforms were distributed at Ebusakami Primary School in June and all the children were pleased with their new clothing, bookbags and shoes.

George is doing great in his first year at Lubino Boys School – one of 40 National High Schools in Kenya.  As of the end of his second term George is #1 in his class of 338 young men.   Strong work George!

The big challenge for the coming year of 2019-2020 will be healthcare.  After 16 years of service, the Bailey/Whaley Health Clinic has lost its site on government land at Mukhalakhala Junction.  They have located a new site to rebuild the clinic and are awaiting government compensation for the loss of their facility.  Meanwhile the clinic continues serving patients daily in rented space nearby.

George Hoyi – Star Student

In February one of our youth leaders, Jacktone Ambole, sent us an emergency appeal regarding George Hoyi, a member of the Jidavee youth group.   George graduated in December from 8th grade at Ebussamba Elementary School in Esabalu.  He scored the highest on the national secondary school entrance exam of any graduating student in his school.

George Kuya Hoyi

George is a “single orphan” – a term that means one of his parents is deceased.  In George’s case, his father died and his mother has struggled to get him an education.  Because of his good marks in school and a top score in the Kenyan national exams, George was accepted to one of the 40 National Secondary Schools in Kenya which take only the best and the brightest students.  He even received a full scholarship to attend!

In January George enrolled in Lubino Boys Secondary School, a boarding school in Mumias, Kenya.  In February, his mother was shocked to receive a bill from the school.   Although his scholarship paid his school tuition in full, George owed money for room and board, school supplies, a school uniform and books!  He needed to pay $300 by the end of March or he would be sent home.

The bylaws of Amesbury for Africa do not allow funds to be sent to benefit individuals.  As a 501( c)(3) charitable organization we can  only give grants to groups of people – such as Jidavee Youth Group or Esinamutu Widows Group – for projects that benefit all members of the community.

However, there is nothing to stop individuals from helping a needy student to get an education.  In fact, families in the Amesbury area and other members of Amesbury for Africa have often helped out in this way.  I reached out to Jack and Lorraine Sanborn who years ago had helped an orphan named Irene finish high school and go to teacher’s college.  (The Sanborns –Jack, Lorraine, son Steven, his wife Jenn, and granddaughters Mari and Elena– last traveled to Esabalu in Aug 2016).

Jack and Lorraine put up half and I put up the other so that George could continue his education.  We both got his report card last week!  After the first term George had the highest number of points of any freshman at Lubino Boys and is #1 in his class of 338.  Strong work!

Jacktone writes: “The boy has a story.  His poor mother who had been brewing local alcohol has stopped. I have talked to her.  Now that George is being supported, she does not have to continue with this illegal activity.  This boy is her only hope to elevate the family.”

George himself writes: “Thank you for promising to help and support me towards my study and achieving my dream in life.  I promise to work so hard to make my future bright.”  George is committed to remaining #1.

For next year, George plans to apply for a bursary scholarship at Lubino Boys so that his room and boarding expenses will also be covered.   A little help goes a long way!

Please feel free  to Contact Us if your family  would like to help a deserving student in Esabalu!

School Uniforms of Esabalu

SCHOOL UNIFORMS

The School Uniforms program of Amesbury for Africa started as a response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Esabalu.   Many men from the village had died and their surviving widows were hard pressed to feed, clothe and educate the children.  These disadvantaged women formed the Esinamutu Widows Group, a remarkable support group which continues to be active to the present day.

(See   https://amesburyforafrica.org/esinamutu-widows-goats-from-amesbury-interact-club/ for more info

Surprisingly, one of the most pressing problems for an AIDS widow was how to get a school uniform for her son or daughter!  Without a school uniform a child in Kenya is not allowed to attend public school.  He or she is sent home and will not get even a primary school education!   A group of 16 visitors from the Amesbury area discovered this fact when they went to Esabalu for the dedication of the new Bailey/Whaley Health Centre in 2005. (a joint project of the Rotary Club of Amesbury Massachusetts, Rotary Club of Amesbury England and Amesbury’s Bailey Foundation)

Hearing this story, Annette Christian of Salisbury decided to take action.  Annette was the waitress at the “Whistling Kettle” café in Amesbury.  She started signing up her breakfast customers as sponsors for the AIDS orphans in Esabalu.  Each sponsor gave $20 to buy a uniform, schoolbag and shoes for one AIDS orphan.  Other AFA members signed up sponsors too.  And, when school started in January every single one of the children of the Esinamutu widows had a uniform.  Unbelievable!

HANDING OUT THE UNIFORMS

That was 15 years ago and the Uniform Project is still a major success.  The initial small program for AIDS orphans expanded to a program that includes all needy students in the 4 Esabalu primary schools (including the Ebukuya School for the Deaf).  In 2018 over $2700 was collected from donors in the Amesbury area including almost $900 at a successful Pizza Nite fundraiser last May hosted by the Amesbury Flatbread Company.

Each year a different primary school is selected to receive uniforms.  This year it is the Ebusakami Primary School.  The students for whom a uniform is a barrier to education are selected by the classroom teachers.  Each student is measured for size.  The materials are bought in bulk.  Every uniform is sewn by a local seamstress or tailor.  (An important side benefit of the uniform program is jobs for local residents! Also, a reduction in price – roughly $13 per uniform.)  As of this week, 200 students have been measured and the new uniforms will be distributed in May at a day-long celebration for the proud scholars and their families.

             READY TO LEARN!

To support this effort, please click the donate button in the lower left corner.  Thanks!

Jiggers Campaign 2018 – Judavee Youth Project

What is a jigger? It is a sand flea ( aka Tunga penetrans) whose original home was South America but which has become established in East Africa as a major pest.  T. penetrans is the world’s smallest know flea, at about 1mm in length but despite its small size  can it causes one heck of a lot of trouble.

The female sand flea lives in the soil and when mature burrows into the skin (most commonly between the toes) of its human host where it lays eggs and causes intense itching. The burrow site often becomes secondarily infected leading to severe complications of ulcers, tissue loss and gangrene.  The worst case scenario is septicemia (blood poisoning)  and even death.

Jigger infestation, once established in the home, affects the whole family.  The root cause is poverty and unsanitary living conditions. Families who have jiggers often have dirt floors which allow the parasites to lay eggs and multiply.  Treating the jiggers with lotions or solutions that kill the fleas works temporarily.  However, the next rainy season the eggs in the floor will hatch and start the cycle again.

The Judavee Youth in Esabalu took this on as their project for last year (2018).  All the Judavee members received training in how to identify jigger infections and in the proper treatment of the infestations.   They formed into 2-3 person “jigger squads” and visited the homes of poor families who were known to suffer from jiggers.  All the affected individuals were treated with antiseptic footbath solution (and re-treated if necessary) until the whole household was jigger free.  Then the floors and lower walls of the huts were sprayed with ovicide to prevent any eggs from hatching in the next jigger season.  The ovicide treatment and jigger inspection of the inhabitants was repeated for 3 cycles to ensure that the adult parasites would not come back.

In total, 179 families were treated at a cost of about $5 per home.  Thanks Judavee for your  time and effort to scratch one terrible  itch from the lives of everyone in Esabalu.  And thanks Amesbury for Africa contributors for providing the funds to get the job done.

Street Children of Esabalu – Combating Stigma

In the spirit of the Holidays, the Jidavee Youth Service Group in Esabalu hosted a “Jamhuri Day” event for the street children of Luanda, the small market town which is walking distance to Esabalu Village.  Jamhuri Day, December 12th is Kenya’s national Independence Day.  Jidavee youths from Esabalu were joined by UNICO, a service group of Maseno University students, in hosting the street children.  The theme was “We Live to Save You from the Street”.

Jacktone Ambole, the president of Jidavee Youth, writes of the event:

“The street children are out of their home because they have no parent or anybody who will take care of them. They are orphans and runaways who have often been mistreated by step-parents or relatives.  They have no homes, sleep outside and eat thrown away food from dustbins. Most of the time they are harassed and even beaten by police or other local people who believe them to be bad.”

Clothes distribution to street boys

The all-day event was designed for the street children to get to know other young people, reduce the stigma of being a homeless child and begin the process of re-integration into their community.  Participants received a home cooked meal, used clothing and blankets in good condition, and a chance to share their stories.  There was counseling on an individual level and in a group.  Other group activities included singing, dance and sports/competitions.

“We learned a lot from them!” says Jacktone.  “Most of them are good people and can be rehabilitated. They want to go to school.  Some of them never use drugs or alcohol.”

The next step in dealing with this problem is to learn more about problems of street children and the programs that are available to help.  Amesbury for Africa has connected Jacktone and the other Jidavee youths with Capstone Ministries in Kisumu.  Americans, Patty and Dan Schmelzer, have run this ministry for two decades with a goal of rehabilitating street boys to their families of origin.  The number of children reconciled and brought back from the street now stands at 492.  Jacktone and Samwel Ayula will be going to Kisumu on Jan 7th to talk with Capstone Operations Supervisor, Isaiah about how they can cooperate further to help the street children of Esabalu.  For more info on Capstone and its unique approach to rehabilitation of street children in Western Kenya please visit www.capstoneministries.org

African Story Books for Esabalu

Imagine that you are a six-year old child who has never been to school.  You are thrilled and excited and a bit scared to be starting first grade at last. 

Now imagine that when you arrive at your first-grade classroom you find that all the books at your school are in French and German!    There are no books in English which is the only language that you and your family speak at home. 

Impossible right?  Sounds like a bad dream.  Unfortunately, this is exactly the situation that faces every new learner at Esabalu’s Ebussamba Primary School and all the other primary schools in the Esabalu area!  At home, parents and siblings speak only Kinyore which is a dialect of the Luhyia language, the mother tongue of Esabalu village and surrounding areas.  All the schoolbooks are in English or Swahili (the 2 national languages of Kenya).

Now, thanks to a South African Publisher www.africanstorybook.org and the efforts of kids and teachers in Amesbury Middle School this situation may be remedied.  African Story Books can take text and illustrations in electronic manuscript form and produce durable books for early elementary students in the childrens’ mother tongue. 

Charlie Wright, a British teacher who works with the NGO Vibrant Villages to improve teacher training in Esabalu and surrounding villages, has been contacted by Amesbury for Africa and will be meeting this month with Dorcas Wepukhulu who represents African Story Books in Nairobi, Kenya to work out details of the project.

Charlie writes, “We actually have a fabulous young artist and storyteller, Maxwell, on our staff as one of our Education Field Officers who has been crying out for an artistic outlet and this kind of project would be perfect for him!”

As to funding, Librarian, Lori Byman and social studies teacher Kristen Bilodeau will be planning a fundraiser with students and staff at Amesbury Middle School this spring to raise seed money for the first Kinyore books!  Mungu akubariki (God willing).

Julius and Rebecca Owuor – Exchange Visitors from Esabalu

It’s peach picking time in Amesbury!picking peaches

Deborah Welch, Secretary of Amesbury for Africa, was pleased to welcome Julius and Rebecca Owuor from Esabalu, Kenya to her home in Hampton for three weeks in August.  Julius had been to Amesbury once before (20 years ago!).  For Rebecca, it was a first visit.  And neither one had ever tasted a peach or an apple!  They got their chance on the third day of their visit went they were hosted by Glenn and Karen Cook at Cider Hill Farm in Amesbury.

Both of the Owuor’s are primary school teachers.  Since retirement, Julius has been very active in Esabalu’s community development.  He is involved in the Amesbury Rotary’s library project at Ebussamba Primary School as well as Amesbury for Africa’s early reading project “Reading begins at Home” and its school uniform project.   He is also on the Board of the Bailey/Whaley Health Clinic and an advisor to the Esabalu Widows’ Group.

Rebecca works at the Ebusakami Primary School.  Her schoolroom can have up to 60 students in one class!

While in Amesbury, the Owuor’s enjoyed visiting their many friends and acquaintances in Amesbury.  They visited Boston, Vermont and Maine.  In Amesbury, they were welcomed by Mayor Ken Gray, the Rotary Club and the Lions Club. They toured Cider Hill Farm and the Amesbury Elementary School.  Rebecca braved the waters of the Merrimack and Lake Attitash on boat rides (thanks to Paul Fougere and Jack & Lorraine Sanborn). While boating, Julius caught two fish and one eel!DSC_0415

Julius and Rebecca Owuor with Mayor of Amesbury, Ken Gray

The Owuor’s agree that exchange visits are fun, bring new experiences and build friendships.  Julius wishes all of us “Karibu Kenya!”  (Welcome to Kenya) and is looking forward to more visitors from Amesbury in 2016.

 

Jacktone Ambole – Exchange Visitor

We have probably all heard the African saying   “It takes a village to raise a child”.  But what happens when villagers in Massachusetts reach out to a child in an African village to help in raising him or her?  Just ask Jacktone Ambole (prounounced Jack-tun Am-bow-lay), who has many adopted “mama’s” from our Amesbury area!

Jacktone Ambole visits Amesbury      Animal Hospital

Jack was born in Amesbury’s sister village of Esabalu, Kenya, near the market town of Luanda. Jacktone’s mother had polio as a child and was disabled. When Jacktone was 4 years old, his father was killed in an industrial accident, leaving his mother as the sole caretaker for Jacktone and his younger sister and brother.

By the time Jacktone was in 4th grade his mother was too sick to work.  He was often sent home from school due to lack of school fees, and only went part-time in order to help his family.  In the afternoons he worked to support his mom and siblings. Jack collected firewood, guavas, sweet potatoes, sugarcane and even termites when they were in season. All these he sold in the market to get food for the family.

Jacktone’s mother died that same year.  Jack, his brother, and his sister were left total orphans. An uncle allowed them to stay with his family, though there was little food.

When Jacktone was in 7th grade, Jerusa Ong’ondo, the Clinic Director at BayWay Health Center, introduced him and his siblings to Katie Nye, an AFA member visiting the village. Katie took the three students, along with 7 others, to Luanda market to buy school uniforms, book bags, and sandals.  (This was the start of AFA’s school uniform project – see the AFA uniform project webpage)

Jacktone continued to go to school, though his uncle pressured him to leave school and tend livestock to bring home money to the family.  Jack insisted on his education, and at the age of 15 he moved out of his uncle’s house, building a small cottage where he could stay with his younger brother. This gave him the freedom to decide for himself about his education, but also meant that he had to continue to look for ways to provide food because his uncle would no longer feed them.  During all the school holidays he worked to improve the house and farm so that his brother and sister could eat while he was away at boarding school. Neighbors and even schools around his home came to him to buy the vegetables that he grew.

Jacktone maintained his relationship with Katie Nye, who paid his secondary school fees and assisted him and his siblings with household needs. After finishing secondary school, Jacktone met Susan Pranger and Dan Thomas, who were in Esabalu with Deb Carey on an AFA visit.  Susan and Dan went on to establish a close relationship with Jacktone, and supported him through college.  Jack graduated from Moi University’s School of Public Health this spring.

Meanwhile, Amesbury for Africa’s Deb Welch partnered with the YMCA of Southern New Hampshire to bring Jacktone to the U.S. for a visit.  Jack is working as a counselor at YMCA Camp Lincoln in Kingston, NH for the summer and will return to Kenya in mid-September.  After he returns, he hopes to work in community health, go on to continue his studies, and support his brother and sister to make lives for themselves.

While here, he will be staying with local friends and families associated with Amesbury for Africa, particularly with his many American “Mothers” and “Aunties”.

Jacktone’s story is one among many of people from our two sister communities who have joined together for a better life.  Amesbury for Africa is truly “a friendship-based development partnership”.

Jacktone with Sue Pranger and Dan Thomas – Boston Harbor Tour

Jacktone with Sue Pranger and Dan Thomas – Boston Harbor Tour