Meet more of our Staff.

Meet Omondi, as I said in my previous Blog that I am going to introduce you to each of the wonderful people who care for the children.

Omondi is 18 and is a partial orphan. He lives with his mother, grandmother and 5 brothers and sisters. He is the breadwinner of the family and has been working as a groundsman from last year when I was here................he is a shy young boy who never said much until he joined the Youth Group................it has been wonderful for him to mix with his peers and is now speaking more and more english day by day. I asked him what his most favourite thing he loves to do and he said it was gardening and looking after the vegetables that are grown for the babies. He has come a long way from the young shy boy that we employed 12months ago.

The caretaker had a report from the big kids that there were some little kids that was just eating the toothpast so she suggested to them that they teach the small kidas to brush.....................well I was watching them and found this.................I guess it was easier to just do it for them.

What a beautifl sight..................I am blessed to be here and I cherish every minute I spend with these babies...........I know I call them babies and they are "Really Big" but to think what has happened to them by bringing them from their homes into a strange environment, they have done so well.....................

This is Gideon, one of our Night Watchmen...............Gideon is a fishermen and has one of our Fish Ponds................He has 3 children and a wife and does odd jobs to support his family. He is very active with a Community Group and has worked protecting the centre from last year. At least now the Night Watchmen have some cover when it rains as before the centre had a rood there was not much cover so to speak so they think it is luxury.

Today was a good day as we had a visit from a farmet that plants Passionfruit. Passionfruit is a crop that gives a very good return and with some funds donated to us from World Youth International's Gift Catalogue we are able to purchase enough plants to cover approx. 2 acres. Kate our volunteer here atthe moment has purchased a Soar Wheelbarrow to water the crops......................the farmer came and spent most of the day with them, teaching them how to plant etc. and has offered all the help that they might need to make sure they have a successful harvest. We had men and women come to learn and they are all very motivated to make this work.

Oh yes, our Clinic. It has now been running for just over a week. We have tested 35 people for HIV and all were negative...........great result..........Our clinic is open 3 days per week and servicing the community extremely well. Kate our volunteer has successfully managed to encourage 38 women to have implants for contraception and 20 women to have a Tubal Ligation which is permanent sterilisation. Kate is working very hard to educate the people, including men and youths about the need to Plan Their Families..............this is proving to be extremely successful and the people are beginning to understand that Family Planning is the future to them living better lives.

So life continues here in Odede and as the saying goes. "Hope is the only bee that makes honey without a flower".............HOPE is alive and well in Odede.

Cheers = Marilyn