21/7/2008

Everything is nice with us here in Upendo. Every body is ok, doing fine, only that we have got some more kids. We have also rescued several cases who have rejoined with their relatives like Sandra who was 6 months old; she was abandoned by her own mother in town but her grand parents claimed that their daughter had mental problem. So the magistrate found it wise to let the child stay with the grandma. We also have a boy and a girl who are a sister and a brother, We have Simon 4yrs whom we took to hospital for some special check up coz his private parts were not ok. His testes are not in the "bag" ha-ha but inside the body. you can not feel them and according to the doctor report he needs surgery. We also have Purity, 6 yrs old and Simon's sister, who was neglected by the parents. They were rescued and put in Upendo while the children's officer finds a better place for them, He's doing "Pole pole" as you left him. I hope he'll do something this Thursday coz we have an appointment with him together with the volunteers. We also have Anthony Maina, 2 years old, who was abandoned by the mother who is in prison. The boy is in UCC now for 3 months.

I think the children's office called me some week ago pleading me to rescue a six months old baby for a night but when they brought the kid she was only 5 weeks and still in house now. We had not budgeted for the baby but the baby has to drink more milk, diapers and paying for hospital bills. The child is ill and we have been taking her to hospital every time paying and buying drugs.

The volunteers you have sent are really wonderful. They are really helping the house mothers in the house.

23/7/2008

Today was a good day though very cold. We had an appointment with the Nyeri prison as the volunteers had something for the children who stay with their mother in prison. Most of these kids are below 4 yrs. It was a successful day coz we made it and the volunteers had a chance to see the prisoners with their kids, they offered them some candies, toys, dolls and the prisoners were very happy about it. Also the administration was happy too to have us. We were accompanied by Paul who has been volunteering in Upendo and have been counselling our kids. He had to talk to the women letting them know that being in prison was not the end of their life and so on.

We also had a chance to see Carol's mother who was jailed for 3-1/2 yrs and our counselor had a word for her too.

24/7/2008

Still continuing; today was another busy day as ever, and we have spend the whole day in hospital, police and in the children's office, we had taken baby Lucy to hospital and we left Stella and Lindy with Cate to take care of that in hospital as we go with Ninke and Marieke to plead with the DCO to find a better place for the small kid and also to know more about some other hanging cases, Lucy's mother was caught and now in police custody. We let her see her child that she had abandoned and she apologized crying that she will take care of the child but it was too late, she'll be taken to the courts tomorrow, later we got a letter from the police to take the kid (Lucy) to hospital nursery and was supported by another letter from the DCO. We were lucky coz the matron in the hospital just listened to us and let the kid in the nursery. Am sure that's a better place for her at her age. The place is warm and the doctors are there, remember we are in winter now and it's very cold in the house and also outside the degrees are going down to 12 Celsius.

At 4pm today while in hospital I got a call from the resident magistrate her self pleading with us to take care of some other three kids temporally who were also abandoned by the father. I understand that the father will be traced easily.

25/7/2008

The day was busy as well coz we had gone to Mweiga about 20km north from Nyeri town. We had gone to trace Anthony's mother who was set free about 2months ago from prison, she did not know where her kid was, coz when he asked the area chief of her child, he could not tell her coz they had to settle some hospital bill of about Ksh. 6,800 and they could not afford that. After visiting the girls home the volunteers decided to pay the bill. Anthony's mother is about 16yrs and does not work also her mother is a poor woman. The girl was overwhelmed when she saw her child after 5 months and she could no hold her tears nor hide her joy. She really wants to stay with her child and we have to do it on Tuesday officially, so we asked her to meet us at the DCO's office that day. We are working on behalf of the DCO's office coz they are really sleeping; if we don't do that then some children will never see their parents or relatives again.

About the new house, we found it ok and we were very happy to here some thing concerning the house We can't wait to see more Dutch people in Bernard's place again this time building the new orphanage in a month. It's so interesting!!!

I also cant wait to see Mr. Doctor again with us. Please let him know that we love him very much and we appreciate what he thinks and do for us also your friends and parents who have been supporting us.

-Jackson.