Update on Garden of Hope; Our Children's Rescue Center

As we turn a corner in time and enter a new year, we feel optimistic about the future and gratitude toward our donors and partners who make our work possible. We want to take a moment to share a progress update on the construction of Garden of Hope, our children’s rescue center in Kenya.

If you’ve followed our social media accounts or our email newsletters you’re probably aware of the delays COVID-19 caused to our construction plans. Many months of 2020 were filled with challenges and setbacks to the plans. There’s good news though! Although COVID continues to be an issue, we’re back on track and nearing completion of construction.

Background of Garden of Hope

When we first began working in the region of Nandi County located in the Great Rift Valley of Kenya, our mission and vision were to provide support and help to women and children who live in conditions of extreme poverty. There are a couple of ways to measure levels of poverty. The World Bank defines poverty according to income. By the World Bank’s measure, “extreme poverty” is where a person is living on less than $1.90 per day. Of course, in wealthier countries, extreme poverty has been eradicated and so these countries have a different definition as to what constitutes living in poverty. The UN defines poverty by a measure of income and access to services. The UN has defined 4 different levels of poverty, with extreme poverty, abject poverty, or destitution being the most severe, where conditions are characterized by deprivation of basic human needs, including food, shelter, water, sanitation, education and medical care.

When we began working in Nandi County, our focus immediately fell on the children we met who live in extreme poverty. We have many, many stories of the children we met during our scouting missions. Some lived on the streets, addicted to sniffing glue and surviving by borrowing, begging, and stealing. Others lived with an elderly grandparent, under the care of an older sibling or with a single mother. Initially, when we saw kids running around barefooted, it seemed appalling and harsh but quickly as we met kids from quite difficult circumstances we came to realize that lack of shoes is actually not that difficult, compared to others who survive with so little that it’s hard to comprehend.

We organized meetings with local officials and leaders, including the regional Chiefs and Assistant Chiefs, village elders, social workers from Kenyan Social Services, members of the County Health Office, and we even met with the Governor of Nandi County, Steven Sang. Our goal through these meetings was to fully understand the needs of the region and to discuss if and how we can help. Meanwhile, we were sponsoring street children and orphans who were brought to our attention. By sponsoring these kids, it meant that they had access to food, shelter, clothing, medicine and education. After several months of planning and meeting, it was determined that we would build and open a children’s rescue center.

What is a Children’s Rescue Center?

It is estimated that there are currently 3 million orphaned and vulnerable children in Kenya. The best place for a child to be raised and to grow up is in a home and family environment. In some cases, this is not possible. Historically, orphanages were opened up and children were raised in an orphanage if needed. However, the Kenyan government has changed its philosophy and no longer supports or allows new orphanages to open. Instead, they encourage utilizing rescue centers. A rescue center is a hybrid of an orphanage and foster care; children are brought into the rescue center to receive immediate attention and care. While living in the rescue center, a long-term foster family is identified and once the child is stabilized they’ll move into the care of the foster family.

Garden of Hope - Our Children’s Rescue Center

Once it was decided that we would focus on building a rescue center, we began the task of identifying and purchasing land for the home. This was no small task as the land needed to meet several criteria, including cost, access to water, proximity to schools and medical centers and it needed to be accessible to us as well, so on or near a paved road. After several months of searching and visiting prospective parcels of land, we purchased 3 acres in Chepsangor.

Our land in Chepsangor, Kenya where Garden of Hope is being built

From there, architectural drawings were drafted and approved and construction began. The home is a 3 bedroom home with an indoor and outdoor kitchen. It also has indoor and outdoor toilets. This is customary for such homes in Kenya. Much of the cooking is done using charcoal and firewood which is best done in an outdoor kitchen, keeping the smoke away from the living areas of the home. Garden of Hope will be equipped with solar panels for electricity and utilizes a nearby spring as a water source. We’re also planning for rainwater collection to help with the irrigation of a future garden. We also installed a biodigestor which is a system that contains three underground chambers to treat waste without the need for cleaning or emptying. Advantages of using the biodigestor included the elimination of odors, no maintenence required and we can use the filtered water from the final tank to irrigate the fruit trees on site.

Current Status

At this point, our team is painting the interior of the home, installing fixtures (doors, lights, plumbing fixtures, etc). We are preparing to purchase the furnishings of the home and have started the landscaping. We have planted 20 banana trees and plan to include avocado, mango, papaya and guava trees as well. We also need to build a safety fence around a portion of the property to protect the kids from a steep escapement.

We anticipate opening the home very soon! Once the home is operational, a matron or caregiver will live in the home with the children who come into our care. We’ve partnered with the local school, so the children will receive an education while in our care. We plan to have around 8-10 children living in the home at any given time and expect that they’ll stay at Garden of Hope for 6-12 months, which is the time it will take us to find a foster family for each child.

On an ongoing basis, we’ll need to purchase food for the children and provide for their other needs. We’ll also pay the salaries of the matron and the on-site watchman. We’ll employ a part-time gardener to help us to grow food for the home and have future plans to build a chicken coop, purchase a few goats and a dairy cow and to expand the home.

If you’d like to support this project, please donate here. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us! And for those of you who support our work, THANK YOU!

Neighbor children, coming to watch the construction of the home

One of the neighbor girls, stopping to say hi to us as she passed by the construction site

This grandfather cares for his 5 grandchildren. He has health issues and struggles to provide for them - social services linked us to this family, who receives support for the children’s schooling, food and other needs.

The community of Chepsangor hosted a ‘welcoming celebration’ for the Love Kenya Team. We planted a tree in commemoration of the ceremony.

A neighbor ‘mzee’ or grandfather, who comes to sit under the tree and observe the construction progress

Views from the home site - the region is quite mountainous and very beautiful.

These boys were thrilled to receive soap and tooth brushes!

An impromptu meeting with the land surveyors to review the property boundaries before the purchase was finalized

This woman works within the local social services -here we were spending a few days meeting street children and interviewing them to better understand their background and circumstances.

Street children commonly are addicted to sniffing glue. It is a difficult reality of their situation, however helps them to not feel hunger or cold. It is quite addictive so there are many challenges when supporting these children.

January 2021 - the exterior of the home is nearly complete. We need to tidy up the landscaping as we complete the interior.

A view of one of the bedrooms inside the home

A painter, hard at work

October 2020 - the beginnings of the outdoor kitchen

Members of the office of Kenya’s Children’s Department and local social services visit the site for an inspection

Wanyama (center, in blue) from the National Government Children’s Office visits the site

November 2020; the unfinished inside kitchen

September 2020: the floor is set for the outdoor kitchen

Before the cement floor is in place, the ground is made level with stones set to keep the ground firm and stable. All work is done by hand - very little machinery was used in the construction of the home.

This is an example of the type of stove we’ll install in the outdoor kitchen. It allows for cooking with charcoal and firewood and retains heat for hours to keep the food warm.

November 2020: the front of the home

Meeting with county officials to understand the needs of the community

On the left is world champion marathoner, Abel Kirui. He has supported our work and connected us to trustworthy and reliable partners. Center of the photo is Steven Sang, Governor of Nandi County.

Interested in learning more about our work? Read more of our blog posts here.

Providing Hospital Gowns to Help with Covid-19 in Kenya

VIDEO: Nandi County Governor, Stephen Sang speaking about the donation of medical gowns from Love Kenya Foundation (formerly Lee Sisters Foundation).

This Week, Medical Gowns Arrive in Kenya

Over 2,000 hospital gowns arrived in Kenya at a critical time. The hospitals in Nandi County are currently preparing for Covid-19 but their resources are extremely limited and the need is dire. The gowns are intended for patient use, however, due to lack of critical supplies, health officials are considering also using them as a PPE (personal protection equipment) layer to protect doctors and nurses as they care for ill patients. Of course, in this case, the gowns would need to be properly and carefully sterilized but would allow the health workers to be protected from the spread of infection.

While the CDC advises that gowns are always used in a hospital setting, we understand that the gown itself is not going to stop the virus. Compared to the option of having no gown at all, these will allow hospitals in Kenya to provide patients with an easy to wash and wear garment. They also can be used by health care workers as a layer under the isolation-grade gown to allow them extended use of the outer layer.

About Medical Gowns

According to the FDA, gowns are examples of personal protective equipment used in health care settings.  They are used to protect the wearer from the spread of infection or illness if the wearer comes in contact with potentially infectious liquid and solid material. They may also be used to help prevent the gown wearer from transferring microorganisms that could harm vulnerable patients, such as those with weakened immune systems.  Gowns are one part of an overall infection-control strategy.

Some clothing and fashion companies, such as Burberry have converted their focus to manufacturing gowns to meet the need related to Covid-19. In the Phoenix area, volunteers have mobilized to make medical gowns as Covid-19 cases grow.

Together We Can Make a Difference

The gowns were packaged and shipped, thanks to a broad effort. We specifically wish to recognize Jan Fredrickson’s donation of the garments, the backing of our financial donors which made the distribution possible and our partnership with Governor Stephen Sang and Minister of Health, Ruth Koech in Kenya. Without the cooperation and help of our community and partners, these potentially life-saving measures would not have been possible.

If you’d like to support our work, please consider a financial donation. As most of you know, during 2020 our focus has been completing the children’s rescue center. However, because of Covid-19, construction has temporarily halted. All schools in Kenya are closed and children are at home or with a caregiver. Many of these children are not receiving the meals they normally would have had in school, so we are providing food support during this difficult time.

We know it’s a long shot, but if you know anyone with access to medical equipment that can be used to fight Covid-19, please let us know. We are able to immediately ship equipment such as respirators, personal protective gear, masks, etc. If you have any questions, please contact us!

Eliminating Malnutrition: Providing 160,000 Doses of Essential Micronutrients to Kids in Kenya

Do You Know the Importance of Vitamin A?

The World Health Organization has deemed Vitamin A as the single most vital micronutrient for proper health and development for a growing child. Our bodies rely on vitamin A for proper bodily function and for long-term health. When a child lacks sufficient vitamin A during the early stages of development, they can easily get sick, go blind or even die.

Vitamin A Deficiency- 150 Million Children Around the World Do Not Get Sufficient Vitamin A

Some nutrients, like vitamin A, are not produced by the body naturally, which means it must come from a child’s diet, or they are at risk of being vitamin A deficient. Families with children living in conditions of poverty are most at risk, because purchasing or growing vitamin A-rich foods isn’t always possible.

• Sight: Since vitamin A is crucial for healthy eyes, children who suffer from vitamin A deficiency may have compromised vision - or go completely blind.

• Immune System: Vitamin A deficiency results in weakened immune systems in children, making them more susceptible to infectious diseases like measles, diarrhea and upper respiratory illnesses.

• Hair & Skin: Without the vitamin A necessary for healthy growth, children often have thin, brittle, or lightened hair and dry, flaky skin.

• Mortality: Vitamin A deficiency increases a child's risk of illness and resulting death.

Love Kenya Foundation Distributes 160,000 Doses of Essential Micronutrients

Thanks to a continued grant from Vitamin Angels, we are distributing 160,000 doses of vitamin A and albendazole (deworming) to children in hard to reach areas of Kenya.

Our team in Kenya meets with the County Nutrition Officer with the vitamin A and albendazole. From left to right, David, world-class marathoner - Wilson Kipsang, the two women in the center are from Elgeyo Marakwet County and include Priscilla Koima, Nutrition Officer, and our Project Coordinator - Brigid Memoi.

We are working in close partnership with our in-country partners, Nandi County and Elgeyo Marakwet County in the Rift Valley region of Kenya. By collaborating with the network of healthcare workers, we are able to travel to rural areas to educate the villages about the importance of proper nutrition and to distribute the vitamin A to children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years.

It only takes two doses of vitamin A per year to combat the devastating effects of vitamin A deficiency. These supplements strengthen immune systems, helping to fight off life-threatening illnesses for children who lack access to foods with vitamin A.

Prenatals for Pregnant Women

In 2019, we are also distributing prenatal vitamins for 189 pregnant women, as part of Vitamin Angel’s global effort to reduce newborn mortality rates. There is an estimated 7,000 newborns dying daily per data released by UNICEF. By increasing the distribution of prenatal multivitamins to expecting mothers, we support improved birth outcomes and save newborn lives.

We met with mothers in Kenya to discuss the importance of proper nutrition for their growing children.

A pregnant mother receives prenatal vitamins in Kenya

A newly pregnant mother receives prenatal vitamins.

Help Us Help Children

As always, we appreciate the support of our donors who make our work possible. A big, huge THANK YOU to those who contribute financially or otherwise. May God bless you!

Feed My Starving Children - A Day of Food Distribution in Kenya's Great Rift Valley

Hi Love Kenya Donors and Supporters!

As you may have seen through our social media posts, we were thrilled to receive a grant from Feed My Starving Children to distribute 7,700 meals to those who need it most in Rural Kenya. 

Our focus area in Kenya is in the Great Rift Valley region - specifically in the drought-prone areas. We identified 4 areas that are quite rural and we met with the area chiefs of each of the four regions. The chiefs are aware of the most vulnerable and needy children in their communities and prepared lists for us, identifying children who could use food support. 

It’s incredibly important to us to work with the chiefs and governments on the ground to help identify the children as they truly know the community and help us make the most impact by reaching those who need it most.

Here, the locals have gathered so that we can meet and distribute the food for their children

While we were there, we met the caretakers of those children (in some cases, the caretaker is a grandmother, aunt, older sibling or single mother). For the selected families, we provided them 2 meals per week, to last them the remainder of this year. To ensure that the food is consumed over time (rather than all at once), we only distributed a portion of the food to the families now. In a few months, our team will deliver their next set of meals. 

We also provided select families with seeds to plant maize so that they can take advantage of the rainy season (starting now) to plant food to supplement what has been provided from Feed My Starving Children. While visiting these areas, we took note of some of the handicaps and illnesses of the population. We have only recently began collecting data, so our information is incomplete, however, in each village that we visited, we met people who are blind or deaf and many middle aged people with cataracts and other ailments. These conditions are a direct result of lack of proper nutrition (they are issues related to micronutrient deficiency in-vitro and in early childhood development). The nutrient fortified meals that you provide will allow these young children to have the vitamins and minerals required for healthy growth and development. 

Along with children in rural areas, there are 12 former street children who we sponsor and who will also be eating the FMSC meals 2x/week. The meals are greatly appreciated for these boys as they cut down on our feeding costs and ensure that the boys receive proper nutrition. 

In addition to the meals, we also work with Vitamin Angels and have received a grant from them to provide pre-natal vitamins to pregnant women and vitamin A and deworming to children between the ages of 1-5. The children we will distribute these vitamins to will be the same ones who have received your food aid. We are very interested to track them over time to gauge if the number of health ailments and handicaps declines. 

On behalf of the mothers, caregivers, village chiefs and our team, we want to say THANK YOU so much to our donors for your support and for making this work possible. It is so much appreciated. 

Stay Up-To-Date!

Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more updates!

Join Us in Kenya! October 13th - 20th!

If you’re interested in joining us in October where you can help us distribute meals on-the-ground, be sure to check out the details and reflections from our trip last year and secure your spot today!

Mothers and their children

Some of the mothers and their children who received the food.

Donor Showcase: Avonix Imaging

Donor Showcase: Our corporate sponsors, Jeff and Brian from  Avonix Imaging wanted to make a difference. What compelled them to support our work? Watch the video to hear about the kids who touched their hearts.

Lee Sisters Foundation Receives Grant of 67,000 Doses of Life Saving Vitamins

October 2017, Sanna, Co-founder of Lee Sisters visits children in rural areas of Nandi County. These are some of the children who will benefit from the vitamin A and Deworming supplements

Minneapolis, MN - Lee Sisters Foundation, a 501(c)3 public charity that helps women and children living in extreme poverty, received a micronutrient grant from Vitamin Angels, a California based charity.  The grant includes 35,500 doses of Vitamin A and 32,000 doses of Albendazole (deworming tablet) to be distributed to nutrient deficient children in Kenya.  

Lee Sisters has partnered with officials from Nandi County in Kenya to ensure the most vulnerable and at-risk children in the county receive vitamin A and deworming supplements. Ruth Koech, Minister of Health for Nandi County stated “We are so grateful.  This grant will save lives of children who are currently suffering from vitamin A deficiency and are infected with worms.  These children have suppressed immune systems and as a result easily die from preventable and curable causes, such as malaria, respiratory illnesses, diarrhea and others.” 

Vitamin A - The power to save lives

It only takes two doses of vitamin A per year to combat the devastating effects of vitamin A deficiency.  These supplements strengthen immune systems, helping to fight off life-threatening illnesses for children who lack access to foods with vitamin A.  Our bodies rely on vitamin A for many purposes, all of which are essential for day-to-day activities and long-term health.  When a child lacks this nutrient during the early stages of development, they can get sick, experience stunted growth, go blind and even die.  

>View vitamin A infographic

Deworming - Improving the health of children

Parasitic worms in children can lead to malnutrition. Deworming children allows them to absorb the critical nutrients needed to be and stay healthy. Deworming children improves their health.  Even small parasitic worms can cause pain, discomfort and illness.  To kill the parasitic worms, children receive a deworming tablet twice per year. 

Sanna Lee, co-founder of Lee Sisters Foundation stated “We are thrilled to receive the grant from Vitamin Angels, as it is the first grant we’ve applied for, and the first grant we’ve been awarded.  We are a young organization, having been in existence only a couple of years, so it is encouraging  to receive a grant like this.  It will allow us to reach and help a large number of children in Kenya who are currently micronutrient deficient, meaning their bodies lack the nutrients enabling them to be healthy. This grant means we will save and improve the lives of thousands of children, which is a huge success for Lee Sisters Foundation.” 

To learn more or to support the work of Lee Sisters Foundation, visit www.leesisters.org

###

Lee Sisters Foundation is a Minneapolis based charity whose mission is to help women and children living in extreme poverty.  Current projects include sponsoring children who live in Tassia slum in Nairobi, building a children’s home for orphans in Nandi County, and supporting women and children whose basic needs are unmet. 

Chelsea Goes to Africa

Meet Chelsea

Chelsea is from Brisbane, Australia and is an avid-traveler with a heart of gold.  Her optimistic enthusiasm and zest for life is contagious, her lively spirit and fun-loving attitude brighten any room!  We are so excited to share that Chelsea will be in Kenya helping with our work in 2018.  She's quitting her job, selling her car and some of her personal belongings to allow her to traveling to Nairobi in February, where she'll start her 6 month journey of volunteering in Kenya.   

---

Supporting Girls who live in Tassia Slum

Chelsea will start by visiting Tassia slum in Nairobi, where she'll distribute reusable menstrual kits  to the girls at Beyond the Vision school. Chelsea has been fundraising over the past few months to raise money to purchase the menstrual kits from Days For Girls, a charity organization who employs impoverished women to create and sew the kits.   

In October 2017, we distributed reusable menstrual pads to girls who live in the slum, in Nairobi. The girls were so excited! The kits include soft, reusable, absorbent cloth which is placed inside of an anti-leak liner so that they don't have to worry about leaking through. After the girls went home with their new kits, some of their moms came to the school to request kits for themselves, as they also struggle each month, using only bits of old cloth.

Interested in supporting this initiative? An $8 donation pays for a reusable menstrual kit, enabling girls to manage their monthly cycles, and avoid missing several days of school each month.  Each kit is designed to last 3 years. 

October 2017: Edinah explaining how to use the menstrual kits to girls in a rural school.  

October 2017: Girls in Tassia Slum receive reusable menstrual kits from Lee Sisters Foundation. 

---

Teaching at Great Joy Academy

Chelsea recently earned her certificate to teach english as a second language, so after she finishes visiting Tassia slum, she'll travel to the Great Rift Valley region in western Kenya, to Eldoret, a bustling and growing city.  Here, Chelsea will settle in for 6 weeks to teach at Great Joy Academy.  As she prepares for her time at the school, she's collecting text books and school supplies to support the more vulnerable students who are at the school.  

Some of the students who attend Great Joy Academy 

Inside one of the classrooms during recess, when the students were playing outside. 

---

Volunteering in Hospitals in Nandi County

In June 2018, Chelsea will travel to Kapsabet, Kenya where she'll stay for several weeks.  During her time in Kapsabet, Chelsea will spend time with children who are sick, brightening their days by reading to them, playing games and showing them compassion and empathy.  For the children that are well enough, Chelsea will teach them english, sing with them and take their minds off of illness and hardship.  Chelsea will be working with our on-the-ground partner, Ruth Koech, who is the Minister of Health for Nandi County.  As June approaches, Ruth will identify additional areas where Chelsea's time and effort can be put to good use (assisting with distribution of vitamins, etc). 

To support Chelsea and the projects please consider donating.  

Donate today 

Follow Chelsea's story: Journey 4 Life, Chelsea's Blog
Support Chelsea and our work in Kenya: GoFundMe