One great story is about a boy named Kenedy who was with us all last year.  Our staff got him healthy, prepared for school, he passed his exam, and as of January this year he is enrolled in the local public school for the first time.  His teacher called to follow up and reported that he is top of the class, a  voracious learner, and a joy to have in class.  This is exactly what we’re shooting for with every child in the program.  Kenedy is one of 16 children who completed our program this past year and are now enrolled in local public schools.   His mom has finally understood the value of education, having seen the transformation in her son she is doing everything she can to support her other children’s success. 

After much discussion with the community and our staff, we all agreed on the most pressing needs for 2013.  First of all, we planned this project for 50 kids and have been running at 75-80 all year, not an easy job but we pulled it off.  We had to hire a reliever to cover extra security needs and to assist in the kitchen.  We also decided to sponsor the 16 children who graduated our program so they can get established in local schools.   Investing in them just seems like the right thing to do, especially when it cost under $70 per child per year.   To cover these basic program increases we need to raise an additional $260 a month right away.   It’s really easy to make a one time donation or sign up for a recurring donation here on the web site.  Right over there —->

In 2012 we were able to build a new classroom so that we can separate kids by age and ability to really maximize the learning they receive.  However, we do not have the funds to hire the teacher and teacher’s assistant needed to staff the second classroom.  $3000 a year, or $250 a month would accomplish that goal.  Imagine the impact of hiring two new teaching staff, dramatically improving the learning environment, and being able to help even more kids have a chance like Kenedy.    We’ve been working hard to raise those funds, here’s one example how. 

On February 15th, our dear friend’s, Craig and Natalie Prins, held a benefit concert at a Coffee shop in Salem.  The Portland crew headed down on a chilly Friday evening to attend their event, it was an amazing night.  Craig said it was like all of his people, his passions, and his various worlds coming together.  Now when Craig said he wanted to do this back in September I have to admit it did cross my mind that organization and sustained focus (important parts of event planning)  are not what I would think of as his signature strengths.  However, this evening proved to me once again that when we step out of our comfort zone and courageously follow the inspiration of our spirit it usually works out just right.  So much more was accomplished during this event than the funds that were raised, it was a truly inspired evening.   In the end, they brought in enough for us to serve 15,000 more meals in Kiang’ombe, what a gift.  Here’s a short peek inside the coffee shop that night.  Thank you everyone who participated in any way, together we are accomplishing something very special.  You are Ameena Project!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Learn more and follow our progress on HERE!

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We believe these kids deserve a chance to learn and if we have our way, they’re going to get it.

New Student – Babu

1 Student’s home.

Practicing Numbers in Class

Showing a bright girl how to put on her uniform correctly before she heads off to primary school.

Some proud moms and kids ready for school.

Mother and sons

These two are very bright boys, Brian on the left may be a teacher one day, he loves to lead the class.

Well Done.

Confident Boy.

Leaving Ameena Project Kiang’ombe … heading to primary school confident, capable, and ready learn.

One child heading to school prepared for success, one child almost ready to start with us, one mom grateful for the support as she struggles to provide for her little ones.

Today, shortly after entering into the Kiang’ombe community, we came upon Isaac’s home. Isaac was the 5 year old boy attending Ameena Centre this last year, whose mother was found dead in the house with him one morning. As we entered into a wild green yard surrounding the small house that belonged to Isaac’s grandma, and called out a greeting of “Hodi!”, a short elderly woman exited a curtained shack. Our escort explained that we had come to see Isaac’s home, and the grandmother waved over to another small building and indicated in the Kikuyu dialect that Isaac stayed there with his brother. I entered the building, a scant 6 foot by 8 foot space, crammed with a bed, belongings and a bike. As I stood inside, Isaac’s grandmother entered and we asked whether or not they had found out how the mother had died.

Isaac’s House

The grandmother paused, a pained look on her face, and then shared in Kikuyu how Isaac’s mother had suffered from an untreated abscessed tooth. The infection had spread into the tonsils, causing them to swell and block her throat, leading to her death by suffocation.

The grandmother started to cry. I felt myself well up too and had to turn my head. This is life here, especially in Kiang’ombe, and while people grieve, they also have to keep on with the rhythm of life….finding ways to get a little money for food, fetching water from the one water pipe in the center of the community, cooking food, washing clothes, cleaning out the house and caring for others.

I tried to lighten the uncomfortable moment by asking the grandmother how old she was, thinking that she must be a few years older than my mother (really, they don’t take offense to that question here)…..she just shook her head and mumbled “I can’t remember”. My escort indicated that she was too shaken up over the memory of her daughter to talk any more. I felt a bit foolish for my silly attempt to lighten the mood … I wish I would have been able to rest in the heavy moment better with her.

We thanked the grandmother for allowing us in, and as we were leaving our escort finally explained who we were and that we were the ones partnering to bring the school to Kiang’ombe. That we were the ones helping to send Isaac on to primary school.

Isaac’s grandmother’s face lit up, and her mood was brightened … enough for her to want this picture with me:

Isaac’s Grandma – she’s now responsible for him and his two brothers all on her own.

I sat and thought on when I might have had this overwhelming sense of sadness…this grayness that creeps up into every moment of the day, the sense that our world was never meant to be this way.

 And then it hit me.

 These were the same familiar feelings that I experienced for about 1 year after leaving Kenya and returning home to life here in the United States.

 Desperation, grief, loss, sadnessand anger after bearing witness to terrible acts and circumstances.

Weeping at the thought of the cruelty of this world. Of children being stolen, women raped, beaten and disregarded, murder, deceit, children going hungry and dying slow, scared deaths. These were events that were routine experiences in Kenya among friends, neighbors, and employees. Upon coming home, I struggled with explaining the intensity and heartache of it all. Of what it means to be a witness to such horror and the feeling of not being able to do anything about it? How can you explain to your girlfriends that you sat on the floor weeping for these people now half way around the world?

It’s the same feeling now. Except, the difference is, most everyone in America feels it too. You can just say Connecticut, or “school kids” and everyone nods without more words being spoken, there is a mutual understanding of the unfairness and evilness of it all. A shared sense of grief, a hunt for the “cause” and a wish for there to be an answer.

After experiencing that year of feeling “unsettled” after returning from Kenya, knowing that daily, while we lived here in our comfortable life, others struggled through no fault of their own…..it was such a blessing and relief to be approached about partnering to create real and lasting change in the lives of the most desperate and helpless there. Are we doing anything earth shattering? No! But we are doing something, it’s not that hard, and it makes a big difference.

Are we entering into relationship with other human beings and sharing in their hurt and their triumphs? Yes! I truly believe that this is the central step in bringing about change in this world….being willing to enter into the grief and heartache of another, experiencing that discomfort and knowledge, and then being open to acting on it.

The alternative? Insulating our selves, covering our eyes and ears to these horrors and pretending that they don’t exist. Telling ourselves that those people brought it onto themselves and being shocked when these events occur in our own neighborhoods and communities. 

It’s no more a child in Connecticut’s fault than it is the fault of the women bought and sold for sex or the child sitting listless in the dirt, starving and ill. The good news? Each and every one of us is able to do something about it—not in the same way, but in the similar way by allowing ourselves to be vulnerable to the hurt and loss of each other. Loving one another. Sharing with one another. Being real, raw and dirty with one another. Using what we’ve been given to make the biggest difference we can.

Each and every one of us become the solution to these deep problems in our world when we reach out to the suffering, marginalized, and forgotten among us. When we look for opportunities to get involved and make a difference in the lives that intersect ours.  Wherever it is you choose to make your mark, be encouraged and carry on, action rather than intentions or ideas  is what solutions are made of.    Anne

    As 2012 comes to an end we wanted to send out a letter to share more details about the work being done through Ameena  Project.  Since it’s inception in September 2011, progress has been brisk! Initially, we partnered with a fiscal sponsor and shortly after acquired our own non-profit status! We were blessed to have a variety of folks mentor and guide us through a somewhat foreign process!  We have been able to keep to our original goal of 100% volunteer run operations here in the States, with a full 100% of your donations going to feeding and educating children in Kiang’ombe, Kenya .   

     In wrapping up our first full year of operations we can’t help but be amazed at how things have worked together for this good.  We have developed a core group of volunteers here in the states to manage all of the domestic administration required to operate the non-profit.   Recurring monthly donors currently cover nearly 80% of our ongoing Kenyan operational costs, and we have a small cushion in the bank. Generous people have surrounded us and given time, talents, and funds so that we are now in a position to discuss further program development.  Anne and I will be traveling to Kiang’ombe in January to meet with our staff and community partners to fully explore how Ameena Project can deepen it’s impact.  Yes, that says deepen, not broaden.  Over the past few months we’ve been challenging ourselves to focus on growing Ameena Project deeper, not just bigger.  A question we discuss often is, “How can we leverage our resources to benefit these specific kids, in this specific community, long term, in a culturally appropriate way?

    Since opening our doors in January, we have been consistently running way over capacity with 75 children in a program designed for 50.  We’ve served 30,000 hot meals to hungry kids and have seen the dramatic changes adequate nutrition produces. Sixteen of the kids attending our program are now school aged and academically ready to enter local primary schools in January when the Kenyan school year starts.  Ameena Project has ensured that these kids are ready for school prepared for success.  We have also decided to continue supporting these children as they move on.  With your support, we will be providing the essentials for them to attend and succeed in local public school.  While Elementary school is technically free in Kenya, there are often  other associated costs that become insurmountable barriers for those in extreme poverty. At Ameena Project we’ve decided to eliminate those barriers by providing the uniforms, school fees, and lunch fees these children.

    We have had many fundraising efforts over the year and feel humbled by the flood of ideas and inspiration you have brought to us.  Not only are we focused on meeting critical needs of children who attend our program in Kenya , we are also committed to impacting lives right here at home by creating a place to plug in, get involved, and use your passion and talents.  We believe that people live out their innate purpose best when they are able to use their talents to meaningfully help another human being. Can you remember back to March when you all donated supplies that we took to stock the classroom?  It seems ages ago, yet that was just 9 months ago.

    Shortly after returning from that spring visit, an enthusiastic supporter named Lara approached us with the idea of a benefit concert, at her home, in August. She put on a wonderful Evening in the Country that raised enough money to take us from touch and go financials to the beginning of financial stability.  Others of you have given us strategic fundraising advice that enabled us to broaden and deepen our support base.  A group of great girls, The Bracelet Bunch, has repeatedly made it known that kids have big hearts and big ideas.  They have creatively raised money on their own and made regular and ongoing donations throughout the year.  NW Scrubs decided to get involved in a big way and in a two week online promotion raised enough to build a new classroom, new cook house, and new covered patio – all under construction now.  Just this week the local chief, various NGO directors, the staff, community, and kids had a big party celebrating the one year anniversary of operations in Kiang’ombe.  This wonderful time of new hope and optimism was funded entirely by two girls in Salem who decided to use their own birthday party as a fundraiser.  Two girls with global compassion have thrown a party for a whole community.  Read more about Lauren and Amelia HERE!  Other kids have worked independently to plan and execute fund raisers at local schools–what a practical way to learn about community, economics, altruism and the entrepreneurial spirit. 

     Looking back, Ameena Project has come farther than we had ever hoped in 2012.  All of our goals were met and we are now positioned to move into a future that is truly beyond what we had ever anticipated.  We’ve been able to accomplish all of this under our original monthly budget of only $1575.  So little has done so much!  Our 5 Kenyan staff have worked tirelessly to lay down a solid foundation on a shoestring budget and we couldn’t be happier with what they’ve accomplished.  The community is rallying around the program and developing a strong sense of shared responsibility and investment in it’s success.   

     To everyone who has played a part in what has been accomplished this year we say well done and be proud of what we’ve done together!  Hope, joy, and new opportunity has been brought to some very needy kids and the community of Kiang’ombe.  At times we have a hard time believing that so much progress has been made this year, but it all is very real and powerfully impacting to everyone involved. 

Here are some of our upcoming needs for 2013:

    – Public school support for 16 graduating children (uniform, school fees, lunch fees) – $70 per child per year.

    – Cost of Living pay increase for employees starting Jan 2013 – Amount TBD

    – Desks, chairs, blackboard, and educational supplies for our new additional classroom – $1200

    – Monthly Donors – sign up online for a recurring donation to support our ongoing operations. We are still a few hundred dollars short of having operation 100% covered,            even at our current budget.

We are humbled and encouraged by your current support and can’t wait to see what this new year brings!

With thanks,

Ian  & Anne May 

Invitation to the Party!

One of the coolest parts of Ameena Project is this concept of Collateral Impact – those secondary positive affects that result from doing something good and doing it together with other people.  Over and over now, we have been shocked and humbled by the creativity and generosity of others.  Not only are we focused on meeting critical needs of children who attend our program in Kenya, we are also committed to impacting lives right here at home by creating a place to plug in, get involved, and use your passion and talents.  We believe that people live out their innate purpose best when actively using what they’ve got, to meaningfully help another human being.  I’m excited to share how two great girls (with truly remarkable parents) decided to get involved this fall.

All on their own, Lauren and Amelia Prins came up with a creative and generous idea to use their birthdays as a fund raiser.  They decided that they simply have enough and so instead of receiving gifts, they could have a joint party and ask for donations to pay for a big party for the kids in Kenya.  They put it all together themselves and pulled off a great success.  These girls raised $270 which is going to fund the best (and only) party our kids in Kiang’ombe have ever seen.  The truth is, they raised too much for a party so we’re going to have to sit down with them and discuss how they want the extra money to be spent.   No store bought gadget could ever provide such an enriching and empowering experience for these girls, their parents, and everyone involved.  In place of another Cozy Critter Cabin, cute outfit, or $30 Squinkie dispenser that would live in the back of their closet waiting to be sold at a garage sale 10 years from now, these girls have made 75 desperately needy kids feel joy and feel valued like never before.  They have also learned the amazing power of their choice and how easy and fun it can be to do the right thing.  Our world is full of pain and injustice, a reality we all have the power to change, once choice at a time.   Take a look at these pictures, be inspired.    

During the first weeks in October, they will donate 10% of online sales to Ameena Project. Take a look at their site and if you, or anyone you know needs scrubs make an order today. This promotion will not last long so please spread the word and help us get the most possible out of this remarkable generosity. If you click on the banner at http://www.nwscrubs.com/ you can see more info and even a live tally for the event. This is a very easy chance to do something wonderful for a child.  How about some new scrubs as an early Christmas present to yourself? Dress like a Dr. for Halloween?? The best PJ’s ever! Whatever you need they have got a pair for you! 

For those of you who were not able to make it out to the event and for those who attended and wanted to know how we did, this post is for you. 

We were all so happy with how the event went and couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome.  We want to extend great thanks to the amazing group of volunteers who made it all happen, to the awesome musicians who shared their talents with us (check them out on our Friends of Ameena page), and to all of the new supporters of Ameena Project who opened their hearts to this amazing work. 

So yes, this event was a fund raiser and we went in with the goal of raising enough funds to cover operating costs for our school in Kiang’ombe (around $5000) through December 2012.   We also hoped to increase awareness about what we are doing and to provide ways for others to make a difference not only to the project in Kiang’ombe, but also in their own lives.   

A big thank you to the 125 people who made the trek out into the country!  We blew past all of our goals!

A quick run-down of some of the stats: 

$9,446- One time donations & sales that evening

$890 – 1st month funds given from 14 new monthly recurring donors!

$890 – Challenge grant match for new monthly donations!

Even more encouraging for the Ameena Project team is that we are now just a few hundred shy of having our entire monthly operations costs covered by recurring monthly contributions. 

For the first time we are at a place where we can think about how to move forward with program services and community development activities.  

YOU have made that possible!

Please enjoy with us some photos of our successful Evening in the Country.  Our warmest thank you to the Blair family for hosting us at such a magical place and for bringing this event about!

Eva, the daughter of the event photographer in the “forest gallery”. Beautiful girl, amazing photos. Check out Traveling Light Photography http://www.travelinglightphotography.net/

Info Booth

Ian trying to contain Ameena so Grammy could have a little break.

Haley Johnson on a flat bed trailer at dusk. She was amazing!

Rhett doing what he does. The sound was so good I think even Rhett was impressed. Dan and Rhett worked together like PB&J. A wonderful example about what volunteer efforts can do!

 

Forest Gallery – Images and information about the children we serve, their community and daily life in Kiang’ombe.

We were thrilled to have some awesome food carts out! A pulled pork trailer, taco truck, and beverage tent kept us all happy and full.