June Update
| Thank you, WFWIA for the GIFT of Education Sponsorship “The GIFT of education that you give to the many children from Kibera slums is both precious and priceless. May God sincerely bless you!” The Wanawake Kwa Wanawake Kenya together with the families from Kibera would like to say thank you so much for the gift of this education sponsorship. It stirs hope, creates life and brings freedom. An empowering GIFT which we acknowledge with deep reverence and gratitude. On the recent past months, COVID-19 has spelled doom to many families in Kenya and to many families throughout the world for that matter. The informal settlements such as Kibera slums have been suffering the most with families losing their sources of livelihood thus rendering them incapable of feeding or educating their children. You however, have always stood with us all this time. You have doubled in your presence, kindness, compassion and generosity. We stand tall on your shoulders and we are very lucky because of your unwavering support. The effects of COVID-19 are glaringly visible. Currently, parents are preparing their children to join secondary school. It is a very expensive exercise. Every day, we come across some of these desperate women and men who are looking for secondary education for their children. Their children have completed class eight and are going to secondary schools but they have got no means. So many of them come every day to the centre to ask for a chance but we know that resources are limited and we have to simply let them know that we are unable to help. We tell them NO! painful.. We are very lucky to even have the children in the program already and to put them in school and feed families. The children who are already in the program, families from Kibera and the Wanawake Kwa Wanawake organization are very lucky to have you WFWIA. We salute you and we say THANK YOU – Asante Sana. Ben Mbasa. As we near the end of the financial year, please consider donating to the Women and Children of Kibera. All donations are tax deductible. Regular monthly donations can also be set up through the website or clicking the link below. All who work at the WkW centre, the committee in Melbourne and the families of Kibera are so very grateful for your continued support. Donate Here   Thanks to your amazing contributions we are still purchasing stoves for our families. Our thanks to the special Drysdale and Mt Beauty Uniting Church communities for their wonderful support of these excellent cookstoves. They are a wonderful and life changing initiative which brings warmth to families of Kibera.       Happy Birthday Leonida! Recently our Director, Leonida Kwamboka, celebrated her birthday. This is always a very special day for the WkW team and the Kibera families. The Centre is decorated, the girls in the kitchen make a special lunch and there is always a cake and flowers and little gifts. This year Leonida also had a wonderful dinner and night with the girls at the Safe House who cooked her a lovely meal with lots of celebrations. Leonida happily was able to stay at the house and did not have to travel home in the dark as there is a small outside room that she can use.   This is a letter from Mary Seleina, who is doing her post secondary studies and like so many of the other students is doing very well. She is the eldest child of Joyce, who I met many years ago when she came to ask for a job or for help to care for her then two children – Mary Seleina and baby Samantha. Joyce, at that time, had very little self esteem and very little hope, she said because of a foot problem that she was in her words ‘deemed useless’. Now some 13 years on, Joyce is in charge of the ‘womens’ group’ and the ‘table top banking group’. With support from WFWIA and WkW she has acquired a basic education, does dressmaking and does very beautiful beading. She also now has two sons and over the years has also looked after her sister’s children – all in the tiny divided, one room home. I am very proud of her and the mother she is to her children and the great support she is to the other women, despite still having the pain of her twisted foot, she comes often to the Centre bringing with her the expertise that she has acquired over the years. I am sure she must be so proud of Mary Seleina, and I know she is very grateful for the love and care the family have received from Leonida and the staff at the WkW Centre. Marguerite Ryan Dear Mom Marguerite, How are you? I hope you are doing well and that you are keeping safe. My family and I are doing great. My Mum and siblings send their love and greetings to you. We are most grateful for your continuous support and love that you have shown to me and my family. I am doing well in school and I have been given an opportunity to do my external attachment at an Energy research center. It is a requirement that I spend three months in an industry that is related to my field of study prior to the final year programme. I am very enthusiastic about energy research, biofuels in power generation, transmission and distribution work and most grateful for the opportunity to work with the team and to gain more knowledge and experience in Energy research. I will resume back to school in September for my last semester of my four years in university. Which I am looking forward to begin. Say Hello to your family. May God bless you and your family. Your lovely daughter, Mary Seleina Alukaya. |
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