Since November, we have had the opportunity to communicate with George via e-mail and a couple of very expensive phone calls. He was very grateful to receive the $500 that we sent him. For him, that was the equivalent to about five months salary. He told us over the phone what a difference that it has made for him as he was able to pay off outstanding debt to the manor for the loan he took out to buy his land, buy household items that had been looted from his house in the post-election violence last year, and put money towards getting his children into a better school. For most Kenyans, they send their children to public schools that have classroom sizes of upwards of seventy to eighty children, often times taught by a teacher who has what we would consider to be a high-school diploma. Additionally, those teachers are given no supplies to teach with, so they instruct the children according to what the children bring to the classroom.
Knowing that, we also set out in November and December to get money and school materials to Julius' family, one of the other drivers at the Manor. It was his children who we had such an incredible time with at the play date on the Manor and the trip to the Rift Valley. We set out to first get some school materials to them. We ran around Chico and found some spectacular sales on backpacks, notebooks, pencils, etc. We then culled trough the kids books and magazine subscriptions and took some donated books from Justin and Carob, Julie's brother and his wife. We put them together with some clothes, sushi rolling mats and some supplies for the cooks, some blown up pictures, and a few hard to get items for Rudy (cigars are incredible expensive in Kenya...) and shipped them off to the Manor. We waited to hear if they got the package for about two weeks and it appeared that it was not going to get there. We finally heard that they got it (Rudy had to pay a very large tax to get it...). Here is a copy of the e-mail that we got from Julius:
"Jambo sana everybody! How are you doing? Iam sorry i took long to write you i went home to see my parents in western Kenya. They are fine doing well. Much greetings from Teddy' Sylvia' Linda and there mother. They asked me to say hallow to you and there friends. They also asked me to thank you. They opened school on 6th and they took there new school bags and story books. they were so happy. I told my parents about what you are doing to us and they were so happy. They asked me to thank you very much. They wish you were around they could have come and see you and say hallow. I wrote you when i got the money hope you got the email. I will always say thanks for your saport. We have two baby giraffe one is two and half weeks and the other one 5 days old. Wish you all the best God bless you thanks. Asante sana karibu tena Kenya. ( thanks alot and welcome back to Kenya"
What Julius was also referencing was the fact that we were able to send him $500 the day before Christmas. Julie, myself, and numerous family and friends had made stuffed giraffes and sold them around the schools that we work at and with some incredible individuals gave us some rather large donations and we were able to send the money the day before Christmas. Again, Julius:
"Hallow to you all ! Asante sana sana.( Thanks alot ) I got 36200 shillings in the account on 30th.. thanks so much.I told the children and they jumpt up saying thanks thanks. We are so happy. You are really busting us. Iam going to buy them school uniforms and shoes. Then i will pay for there tushion buy them studying table becose i want then now to work hard in school to be able to write you and there friends. I will always say asante sana.We are so happy to have you and carering friends. We will always remember you in our life.Wish you a happy new year and hope to see you when you come back to kenya. You took our children like yours that is great we are proud of you. say hello to everybody bye bye."
We have been in contact since then, getting e-mails about every two weeks. We have made a committment to them that we will try to support their education and eventually figure out a way for the kids to come to America to go to college. Here is how Julius responded:
Juilius:
"Hey to you all. Much greetings from Teddy, Sylvia. Linda and us. We are also very happy and proud. Wen i red the mail i was with my children i went to get them from school. We were all happy for sure. We have never been out of Kenya even in the plane. So we are so happy. I asked them to work hard in school so that they can go to collage in united state of america.So they promised me they will work hard. Im still training to use computer so please bere with me. Im working hard to know more. I will send you pictures for my chilren in there new school bags and uniforms. They are proud of you and they say they have Wazungu friends in America.( wazungu ) Is white friends.Say hey to everybody. Tell the chilren hallow from Teddy, Sylvia and Linda.God bless you and guide you all thanks and bye bye."
So, all in all, we could not have hoped for the last two months to have gone any better. We were distressed to find out that the teachers in Kenya went on strike, but were joyed to hear that Julius was able to pay the kids' teacher privately to keep them coming to help the kids.
We are trying to put together more giraffes and are planning on sending $500 to each family in April again. Lots of friends are interested in helping and we are just going to incorporate this process as a natural way of doing things. There are few times in life where you absolutely know that what you are doing is positively helping someone out. Hopefully, this will have a ripple affect and better things will come from it.
Asante Sana for now
