Hope For The Nations

Food security is a family affair. "It takes a village to raise a child".

There is a very active 'village' working towards the love, security and education of 22 children at the Kiungani home in Kitale, Kenya.

Maccabee Financial INC, HFTN and the children and workers in the Kiungani community have all been helping to 'work the land' ... of which, 2 plots have been purchased by Macabee Financial.

We are so impressed that Dalton, the house parent, paid for 1/3 (one plot) of the land. He has worked and saved to bring his own 'shillings' to the table.

Full plot:      KSH 50,000
Half plot:     KSH 37,000

"l paid KSH 25,000 near the fish pond where there are bananas and sweet potatoes the owner asked me to pay 37,000 for the 1/2 plot so the total balance is 62,000 ($775 CDN) to clear the debt of the land. l have also planted trees all round" ... Dalton - House Parent

Dalton runs the Kiungani Children's Home in Kitale, Kenya which has 22 beautiful children. His challenge is feeding the children.

In order to do so, Dalton has just leased 3 acres of good land and has added it to the 1/2 acre plot he just purchased. He has presented a budget for planting BEANS & MAISE which will provide sufficient food to get them through most of the next year.

CURRENT FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT has provided funds for the following:

Ploughing 1  acre and reploughing for 3 acres  will be Kshs 18,000/=. $215

Every acre will need 100kg of fertilizers so total amount will be 300 kg of  fertilizer price is  3,600 per 50kg , so 300kg = 22,000/=, $260

Seed maize   we need 45kgs  which costs  kshs.7,000/= $80

Beans  we need 50kg   costs  4,000/=.$50
 

Plowing + Sewing + Harvesting = FOOD ON THE TABLE for 22 children and staff !!

CURRENT FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT underwrote the costs of starting a brick-making business in Kitale, Kenya (see story below).

So, what happens to these bricks?

Well, the first batch of bricks was used to buidl a CHICKEN HOUSE. Linet, the house mother and owner of the brick business, sold each brick for KSH 7 (which is 9 cents) and put the profits back into her interest-free loan.

Doing the math:

- Sale of bricks:            2,000 brick x KSH 7 = KSH 14,000 ($175)

- Costs to make bricks: 2,000 x KSH 4         = KSH 8,000 ($100)

Profit: $75

What did Joseph & Linet do with the profit?

1. $10 USD was sent to HFTN to sponsor a child in the Dominican Republic

2. $65 USD was used to repay their loan to CURRENT FINANCIAL

Now that's good stewardship!

Come to Kitale, Kenya and visit Linet's brick-making venture.

Each brick made brings a profit of KSH 3 which, when multiplied by 1,000 per day, puts bread on the table. This moves us slowly towards our goal of "self-sustainability".

David is a successful Financial Consultant and Manager but he and his wife desire to see 'business success' come to another corner of our world ... Kitale, Kenya.

A recently provided 'rotating' interest-free loan has both lifted the burden of Linet's 18% bank loan and has empowered and inspired her to reach ever higher. Profits from her Brick Making enterprise help to feed 9 children in the Bethlehem Children's Home.

In addition, this loan serves to help a very poor community. 9 youth and one mother of 6 now earn daily wages which puts food on their tables.

This is pretty high impact for a $460 CDN loan!

This group of young workers in Mali Saba thank CURRENT FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT.

A little time and a little hard work and 'Voila' ... you have a fish pond!

CURRENT FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT recently invested in a small business at the Bethlehem Children's Home in Kitale, Kenya. This partnership has produced a second fish pond.

In six months the 'fingerlings' will be ready for market. Over 1,000 Talapia will be sold in local markets and the profits will start another cycle of production, feed the children in the home and provide precious revenues for school fees and clothing.

The parents and children of the Bethlehem Children's Home send their love and appreciation!

Sure, it's just a hole ... but it is also a whole lot more!

Linet, the house parent for the Bethlehem CHildren's Home in Kitale, Kenya is also a business woman. As an entrepreneur, she finds ways to make money using their property. They are also good neighbors. So how does this all fit together?

In their neighborhood, Joseph and Linet came across an extremely poor elderly couple living is deplorable conditions. At the same time Linet was also having workers dig a cavity on their property for a second FISH POND (Current Financial financed the first successful pond). Then came the connection:

• The dirt from the pond cavity needs to be discarded
• Invite this couple to come and use the dirt to make bricks to build their house
• Solution: The dirt is removed + bricks provide a new home for a poor neighbor

Daily this husband and wife came to our site ... making one brick at a time. One became 100 and 100 became 1,000. Their house will soon be built! Our fish pond will soon be completed.

CURRENT FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT's investment:

1. KSH 15,000 for 'poly' lining for new and old pond ($175 CDN)
2. KSH 4,800 for 1,200 Talapia fingerlings ($56 CDN)
3. Note: one fingerlings can be sold for KSH 300 in 3 months at the market

This is an amazing PARTNERSHIP and expression of LOVE!

The location is Kitale, Kenya. The place is the Dynamic Rehabilitation Children's Home.

Dalton and staff are doing an amazing job of raising these 22 children.The are scrubbed, fed, sent to school and loved. However, a new skill is being added to their training: BUSINESS

EBENEZER SHOP has started on their 2-acre property and the children are being trained in purchasing, sales and customer service. Here is Dalton's letter:

"We managed to open Ebenezer shop again and hope this time  it will do better than it was before. also together with the children we are doing work of looking after our  cows, chicken and  farm during this August holiday.

I would like to request you if you can be in a position to give me  Kshs, 25,000/=  so that I may buy maize, sugar, cooking oil  If i get this money I will buy maize now then sell them when the price is up . 

The reason of opening the shop is that during harvesting time people buy things and when they lack money they gave me maize instead and the maize feeds our children."

CURRENT FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT has invested $300 to build "entrepreneurs"!

While David and friends are salmon fishing off the British Columbia costs, Linet is creating her own fish farm.

Linet is the house parent of the Bethlehem Children's Home in Kitale, Kenya. The 9 hungry children of this home seldome have meat because it is too expensive. Solution? Start a fish pond.

The following is the budget for the project which contains 2,000 fingerlings:

1. pond digging..................ksh 3,000

2. polythine lining..............ksh  7,000
3. 2000 fish............................ksh14,000
4. 1 bag Fosh Food....@.....ksh 3,000
5. 10,000 lts .............................ksh3,000

Total.........................................ksh 30,000 = $360

And yes, donors are invited to dinner !

MYANMAR (BURMA)

It was not too long ago that the house parents at DIVINE MERCY HOME in Myanmar provided us with a "wish list" of items needed for their home.

At the top of their list was the purchase of a GENERATOR for pumping water and for electricity for four of their buildings.

Once again, CURRENT FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT stepped up to the plate and hit a home run! Within weeks of the request, funds were donated, money was transferred and a generator was purchased.

The children are delighted! .... thanks again.

The Divine Mercy Children's Home is a 40 minute drive into the country side. Once you arrive, this 2 acre property is home to 40 children all rescued from the circumstances of extreme poverty.

The children wash clothes and bathe from rain water that is collected in small pools or tanks. An urgent need was the construction of a water tank for the girls. Cost? $600

CURRENT FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT was there once again to meet this need. The tank has been completed and the tank is collecting water from the present rainy season.

These special girls say "thank you".

Going to school is tough enough for students in Kenya, but sitting on the floor when you get there makes things much more difficult.

The solution? build some desks.

CURRENT FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, with the help of HFTN, UK provided funds which enabled the construction of 20 desk units.

Here is a note from the school principal:

" We thank our Almighty Lord for how far He has brought us, our sincere gratitude goes to HFTN friends for their tireless participation and support they have provided to the project.

Now students are proud with new desks....

Funds wired for desks was ksh 24,400/= both from HFTN Canada and Uk, we managed to build 20 units as appears on photos. Students still need 30 units to meet the number  required."

The students and staff say "THANK YOU"

What do you do when drunkards visit the lady selling booze next door to your children's home?

You buy her land! This is what recently happened at our Siritanyi Children's home in Kenya.

Here was the request:

My request is about the payment on piece of land compensation to the former land owner trees so that she may move out of the land as soon as possible.

Some of our children are being spoiled by the drunkards who happen to be customers to the woman who sold us the piece of land.

They secretly offer them drinks, the purpose is to destroy our children in the Home, we reported this to the authorities, but we were advised to pay her out to save the situation.
 

Here was the solution:

Government officials along with village elders spoke with the elderly lady and came to a fair agreement of sale of the land and her relocation. She requested Ksh.45, 000.00 (US$.550.00) for trees and a relocation fee... that was the agreement between the administration, village elders and HFTN for her to move out.

The result: Current Financial Management bought the land!

This narrow piece of land between the Children's Home property and the Children's Home agricultural land has been purchased. The children are free from this adverse behaviour!

LOCATION: Bungoma, Kenya

PROJECT: Hope Children's Home

BUSINESS INITIATIVE for Sustainability:

Patrick Siabuta is a community leader, a businessman and a house parent with his wife Mary. Together, they understand the need for business enterpirse that will subsidize the expenses of running a children's home and running healthcare projects in their community.

On their property, HFTN has put in a borehole. 2,000 people in their neighbourhood are served by this water well. Daily, they come and pay 10 ksh to fill their 5 gallon containers. On their property are green houses for vegetables. So what does and entrepreneur do?

PROJECT:

Build a VEGETABLE KIOSK to sell vegetables and put WATER TANKS on the roof to sell water.

What does it cost ???

 Items                 Qty                Price  - ksh.           Amount - ksh.
 Cement            20 bags           850                           17000
 Sand                14 tones           800                           11200
 Rough stones  2 trips           6000                         12000
 Twisted bars y16 12 pcs        900                          10800
 Twisted bars y12 16 pcs      2500                          35000
 Twisted bars y10 24 pcs        750                           18000
 Twisted bars y8 13 pcs           400                             5200
 Ballast                 14 tones     1500                           21000
 Ordinary Nails       4kgs           150                                600
Timber 8x1              550               25                            13750
Timber ( poles)     25                200                              5000
Bricks                       2000              7                            completed
Piping system and taps Assorted                                 8000
 
TOTAL COST: $2,600 .... LET'S DO IT !!!

At St Mary's School most of our students sit on the floor. This is not by choice, but rather, the students have no other options.

St Mary's School is located in one of the poorest regions of Western Kenya. The region is remote and lacking in any form of productive industry or agriculture. Yet so many children live here.

Six years ago, HFTN surveyed an outline of bricks 3 layers high which was the perimeter of two future classrooms for a school. Through the help of many donors the classrooms were completed and eventually four more were built.

However, with the growing population of 183 students, we have been requested to supplement teacher’s salaries, food costs and the construction of student desks.

CURRENT FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT has responded by building 10 desks.

 One desk set that seats 4 students costs $15

For the sum of $150 we have made 40 students very happy!
 

The women who work in Ganta, Liberia with Hope For The Nations are heros!!

They give sacrificially to serve others.

They live with so little so that others can have a little more.

They all take in other children surrendering their own space.

Anna is one such hero. Presently she is living is one part of a chicken barn. She deserves so much more! However, she is making bricks to build her own home.

Anna Yallah:

• Is a kindergarten teacher in our school.
• She cares for her grandchildren because their parents will not.
• Anna is with one grandchild in front of her unfinished home.
• She barely has enough to live on every month with all the extra mouths she has to feed.
• This money will come just before the rainy season and allow Anna to move into her home.

CURRENT FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT has provided $250 of funding for concrete.

I have just returned from the 'grand opening' of the BETHLEHEM CHILDREN's HOME in Kitale, Kenya and was so impressed with the activities and initiatives that come along with the home.

Not only are 9 children loved, housed, sent to school and cared for ... but the house parents see to it that the surrounding neighbours are helped. Hospitality and friendship is shared along with the teaching of 'bio intensive' gardening techniques. This means move food for all.

Another initiative is that of raising chickens. Joseph (our house parent) has raised chickens on our other property but now he is in a group of men learning better methods and techniques from the government sponsored training seminars.

The 'structure' for 200 chickens has been completed on the home property and now it is time to purchase and vaccinate the chickens. This is where once again CURRENT FINALCIAL MANAGEMENT has stepped up to the plate and delivered the funding.

Their donation of $500 completed the structure, purchased 100 chickens and provides feed and vaccine to get the chickens to the laying stage. Eggs will be sold and the profits will bring a measure of financial sustainability to this home!

Once again, thank you!

What a great Christmas for the 22 children of Dalton's children's home in Kitale, Kenya!

They were so amazed to each receive the gift of one pair of 'quaility' shoes and one new outfit to wear to school. These children know that they are so loved and cared for!

Thanks to CURRENT FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT for putting pride into their 'step'.

Splashing and squeals of joy was the scene at DEEP SEA in Kitale, Kenya as 23 children from Dalton's children's home celebrated Christmas.

Such children seldom get to go on such an outing ... traveling by bus to the pool, swimming and eating at a restaurant are activities usually reserved for the rich. Well, out kids are rich!

Once from the street, our children are now housed, educated, loved and cared for at Hope Rehabilitation Home. Thanks to the many who have invested into the lives of these very special children at this very special time of year!

DEEP SEA is a favourable outdoor resort in Kitale, Kenya with an atmosphere of relaxation where one gets to enjoy and have fun with family and friends.

DEEP SEA also contains a swimming pool area and a restaurant which children love.

For $175 we can send all of the 23 children from our children's home to go and enjoy themselves and have fun at DEEP SEA.

Let's give them a Christmas they will not forget.
 

CURRENT FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT have helped to turn on the lights in Kenya!

A few months ago an appeal from Dynamic Rehabilitation Center children's home with 23 children requested electricity for their home. The children had to study by oil lamps which were both inadequate and expensive.

Thanks to the generosity of CURRENT FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT the electricity has been connected. The children are most grateful!

This will be there first Christmas with Christmas lights!

Amazing ... one week after the funds from CURRENT FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT arrived, the doors and windows were purchased for the Bethlehem Children's Home in Kitale, Kenya.

Here is a letter from Linet ... the mother of the home:

"We thank you for the fund you are sending to make sure that we have a place to call a home with all the kids freedom. Our chickens started laying this week and the kids are very happy for the project. Maize are almost ready for harvesting but for green maize for boiling or roosting is ready.

The contractor has made 6000 interlocking bricks of which we are waiting for them to dry up. He said that by 31st Aug. he will start putting the wallsso the total cost for the walls is ksh.400,000 inclusive of the doors and the windows. .We have explain to him how the fund are flowing in.

For doors and windows is as follows>3Doors ksh 10,000x3 .............30,000
3Windows 8,000x3..............24,000
8Windows 5,000x8..............40,000
2Windows 2,500x2.................5,000
TOTAL.......................................99,000
 

I would love to introduce you to a new project: the BETHLEHEM CHILDREN's HOME in Kenya.

Joseph & Linet are in the process of building this children's home to look after a family of nine chldren. To this point in time we have bought the land, put in a borehole, started the gardens and poured the footings & foundations.

We have some funds for the bricks but we need to pre-purchase the windows & doors so that they are on site when we put in the inter-locking bricks. Price = $1,335 CDN 

Here is a letter from Linet ... the mother of the home:

"Hallow every to every one,

We are glade to have people who cares like you .Kids are doing good and they keep on praying for you.They are very happy and longing to stay in a new house .

For the construction,we are very ready to do the walling .The white man who is making the bricks has started and this the second week since he started. I asked him to give the price for the wall but since the wife she is sick he couldn't managed to send it on time but he has given a price of ksh400,000 for the walls and the ring beams.

Also according to the type of bricks we are using we will need to make the 3 doors and13 windows ready so that they fix when making the walls.The price for windows is ksh110,000.
We thank you for the work you are doing to make sure we have shelter,food ,education and medical care.

Send our Bethlehem family greetings to all friends in canada.They would like to meet all family friends in kenya during the opening of the new blessed house that the lord has prepared for us through you hands.

May God bless you all."
 

I believe we can get the job done!

Donations have arrived from CURRENT FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT sufficient to cover the entire costs of providing electricity for the Dynamic Rehabilitation Center!!!

The funds will be wired to Kenya today and the children will soon experience the 'luxury' of studying by electricity.

We are so grateful to all who invested!

Please study this photograph carefully.

What we have here are 23 children in the Dynamic Rehabilitation Center (named by one of our street boys) trying to do their homework by a 'hurricane lamp' and a flashlight.

What they need is electricity!

For an investment of $650 CDN, we can provide Power Company fees + Wiring + Labour.

The cost of petrol for the generator and paraffim for the lamps is far too costly. Let's switch to electricity and light up their lives!