Miss-Delectable
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The Leamington Observer - Warwick charity worker in deaf orphans mission
A CHARITY worker from Warwick is hoping to raise a total of £20,000 to bring safe drinking water to an African school for deaf orphans.
Martin Mackenzie recently returned from an arduous journey to Lambwe Christian School in the remote village of Ogongo in Kenya's Nyanza province, suffering a total of seven punctures on the rough tracks that serve as roads.
He has spent almost two years raising cash through street collections and shopping centre stands for the school, which has no running water or sanitation and very few toys or sports equipment. Electricity was only connected last year with money he had raised.
Mr Mackenzie and colleague Jan Williams travelled to the school on a fact-finding mission, checking on the latest plans to put in a new water borehole and reviewing their geological surveys.
At present tanks collect rain water from the roofs but during dry spells pupils have to walk several miles to fetch water for washing and cooking.
The school also has a large 'shamba' or plot of land where they grow maize and graze ten cattle, and with more water they might be able to make the school self sufficient.
About 65 pupils aged five to 18 – all orphans - live and study there for much of the year but the school has faced opposition from locals for its support of children considered by many in the community to be cursed.
Mr Mackenzie told the Observer: "Seeing them communicating by sign language reinforces the impression that they are strange but an increasing number of locals are accepting them.
"During the visit a mosquito net was purchased for each child as the area is rife with Malaria carrying mosquitos, and another 10,000 litre water collection tank was installed.
"On the way home a meeting with the Ministry of Education in Nairobi gave me hope that the two unpaid teachers there may be taken on as paid staff."
The school currently only survives due to government grants and donations from the Siloam Christian Ministries and other sources.
For sponsorship details, or to support the project, contact Martin on 07970 869956 or visit www.siloam.org.uk
A CHARITY worker from Warwick is hoping to raise a total of £20,000 to bring safe drinking water to an African school for deaf orphans.
Martin Mackenzie recently returned from an arduous journey to Lambwe Christian School in the remote village of Ogongo in Kenya's Nyanza province, suffering a total of seven punctures on the rough tracks that serve as roads.
He has spent almost two years raising cash through street collections and shopping centre stands for the school, which has no running water or sanitation and very few toys or sports equipment. Electricity was only connected last year with money he had raised.
Mr Mackenzie and colleague Jan Williams travelled to the school on a fact-finding mission, checking on the latest plans to put in a new water borehole and reviewing their geological surveys.
At present tanks collect rain water from the roofs but during dry spells pupils have to walk several miles to fetch water for washing and cooking.
The school also has a large 'shamba' or plot of land where they grow maize and graze ten cattle, and with more water they might be able to make the school self sufficient.
About 65 pupils aged five to 18 – all orphans - live and study there for much of the year but the school has faced opposition from locals for its support of children considered by many in the community to be cursed.
Mr Mackenzie told the Observer: "Seeing them communicating by sign language reinforces the impression that they are strange but an increasing number of locals are accepting them.
"During the visit a mosquito net was purchased for each child as the area is rife with Malaria carrying mosquitos, and another 10,000 litre water collection tank was installed.
"On the way home a meeting with the Ministry of Education in Nairobi gave me hope that the two unpaid teachers there may be taken on as paid staff."
The school currently only survives due to government grants and donations from the Siloam Christian Ministries and other sources.
For sponsorship details, or to support the project, contact Martin on 07970 869956 or visit www.siloam.org.uk
