Archive for July, 2012

Our engineer, Mr Mbogo, sends the following progress report.  We are getting there!     

Exterior Walls- Painting 99% Complete

Courtyard (Gathering Space) 95% complete

Podium – 95% Complete

       Compound – 60% Complete

Matron Rooms- 100% Complete

In addition:  Perimeter Wall -100% Complete -  Septic Tank/Water Treatment Plant- 100% complete -  Rehabilitation of 1^st Floor Sanitation- 100% Complete -  2^nd Floor Sanitation- 100% Complete

Earlier this year Rebekah Teal and her ten-year-old daughter created the “Sweet Dreams” project whose goal was to provide a nightgown for each girl at St Clare.  Once the necessary funds were raised, a Kenyan seamstress began making nightgowns.

Mama Glory is making the nightgowns in her little shop in Nchiru, assisted by a few local women whom she has hired.   The girls are so excited to receive the pretty gowns.

A successful project that was begun in the U.S. has given work to a group of local women.  The project has combined American resources with Kenyan labor and, in the process, has benefited the girls at St. Clare.

St. Clare Centre for Girls provides a full academic program for young Kenyan women.  Girls study courses including languages, social science, science, and math.  Truly, St. Clare is an investment in Kenya’s future leaders.

 As a member of the Development Committee for Friends of Kenyan Orphans, Chris Miller has supported FOKO for some time.  In February 2012, Chris, a teacher, was part of the team that visited St. Clare Girls Centre.  While there, Chris worked with the girls and saw first hand how wonderful they are and how urgent their plight is.  So Chris began looking for a creative way to raise funds for the young orphaned girls at St. Clare.  Knowing the needs the girls have and also how difficult it is to send things like clothing and books directly to St. Clare, Chris decided to hold a garage sale this July to raise needed funds.  Chris enlisted the participation of her friends and neighbors who donated items and their time.  Someone even donated two tickets to the sold out Jimmy Buffet concert.  In addition, her grandson, Walton, assisted Chris.  After all, Chris believes that you cannot start serving too young.  From the garage sale money, the girls at St. Clare will receive food, clothing and other things they need to thrive.  Chris has exceeded her goal of $1000 and raised $2500.  She is thrilled to be providing 5 sponsorships for St. Clare girls.  Congratulations Chris.

Recently participating in the district competition for extra-curricular activities, St. Clare’s primary students earned first place.  The football team (soccer team) brought home a second place trophy.  This was the first time these players have ever entered into this type of competition.  Clearly, the girls are extremely pleased with themselves.  While small, the girls insist that their trophy is pure gold.     The team and their coach, Mr. David Kiberia, are pictured here.

 In addition, Madam Sarah has entered St. Clare into a dance and voice competition.  The girls will present tribal dances of the Samburu, Luau and Somali tribes.  Further, there will be poetry recitations and choral pieces.  The girls are busy practicing and excited as they make costumes; Luau girls  are pictured here making their grass skirts.  The Samburu group is making very showy beaded body decorations.  District competitions are a great experience for the St Clare girls.  

Recently, Sisters Renee and Kathryn, along with Madam Sarah Wambui, Administrator of St. Clare, visited Sweetwaters Game Reserve. While there, they met with Mr. James Odenyo, the park manager.

Sweetwaters, owned by the Serena Hotel Group, is a favorite site for tourists who visit the game reserve to see the animals in their natural habitat. As a member of the Serena Group, Sweetwaters maintains very high quality service as a first class hotel. On a very regular basis Sweetwaters acquires new linens and then disposes of the used linens. Due to the kindness of Mr. Odenyo and the staff at Sweetwaters,  St. Clare Girls’ Centre is the recipient of the high quality used linens at Sweetwaters.  We thank Mr. Odenyo and Sweetwaters for such generosity.  Also pictured is a Marabu Stork. This chap stands about four feet high and has a 6-8 foot wingspan. He hangs around the dining area hoping tourists will toss him a few scraps. Resembling, a grumpy butler, all he needs is a pair of glasses on his beak!!!!!       

Bud and Sue Ozar have been making presentations to many of the Rotary Clubs in the Detroit area where they have been warmly welcomed and supported. Many of the Rotary Clubs, along with various individual members, have made donations to St. Clare and/or have become sponsors of a girl. However, the Grosse Ile [French for “Large Island”] Rotary Club has gone above and beyond.  In addition to many Grosse Ile Rotary individual members donating and four individual members becoming sponsors, the club itself will sponsor two girls at St. Clare.  Further, the Grosse Ile Rotary also made a monetary donation to St. Clare.   President Bambang Soedarjatno feels this may be the beginning of a long relationship between St. Clare and the Grosse Ile Rotary.

Bud and Sue Ozar have been invited to preach the mission appeals in five parishes in the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese in Western Pennsylvania, four parishes in the Erie Diocese, also in Western Pennsylvania and three parishes in their home Archdiocese of Detroit. “This is a great opportunity for Friends of Kenyan Orphans,” said Sue Ozar.  “These mission talks allow us to spread the word about St. Clare and widen the circle of compassion so that more people can become involved in the miracle of St. Clare.  It is also an opportunity for us to encourage other people to think about becoming lay missionaries.”

Last year the Ozars spoke in the Archdiocese of Detroit and in Altoona Johnstown and met some marvelous people who have contributed to the success at St. Clare. This will be their first visit to the Diocese of Erie.        

“We usually drive to the diocese and stay in a rectory. Then we split up, Sue will speak at all the masses at one parish and I will drive to another and speak there. It is a bit exhausting but it is very fruitful in spreading the word about St. Clare,” said Bud Ozar. “It consumes our summer but it is worth it.”

This past year the Diocese of Allentown shared its annual Lenten Rice Bowl collection with Friends of Kenyan Orphans, donating $7,000 to St. Clare.