Posts Tagged ‘Fr. Limo Riwa’

A few months ago, Father Riwa became a “fish farmer.”  Reacting to the drought and famine that occurred last year, Father began raising tilapia to add more protein into the diets of the children at the Children’s Village.  According to Father Riwa, “Fish farming is a worthy enterprise to feed the children and the easiest farming I have undertaken.”

Recently, Father’s fishery yielded a wonderful harvest of St. Peter Fish a.k.a. tilapia.  (Tilapia is called St. Peter Fish because that is the primary fish in  the Sea of Galilee.)  The recent harvest was divided evenly between the boys at St. Francis and the girls at St. Clare.

However, a “surprise” was discovered in the fishpond.  A catfish weighing 5 kgs. was found in the tilapia pond and had been feeding on the tilapia there.  The fisheries officer advised Father to have a separate  pond for catfish because they grow faster and are bigger.    The way forward for this project involves purchasing swampland in order to create more lakes and ponds to rear many more fish.    

Last year’s drought and famine sparked a new idea in Fr. Riwa.  In realizing that he needed to be more self-sufficient and raise more food at the Children’s Village, Father built two tilapia fishponds and stocked them with 15,000 fingerlings. In addition, he hopes to add two more ponds in the future. With four fishponds he will be able to add protein rich fish into the diets of the children at least once a week.

Tilapia is wonderful at eating the scraps from the table so feeding them is not a problem. The biggest problem seems to be with the younger children, especially the little boys who love to hang around the edge of the ponds and try to catch the fingerlings by hand.

The recent famine in Kenya has taught a difficult lesson. Just like the stock market, Kenyans must DIVERSIFY so Fr. Riwa has decided to build fishponds.  This way he will not be totally dependent on grains. Small fishponds have proved very successful in other parts of Africa, especially for raising tilapia.  The process is inexpensive, very productive and the fish provide vitamins critical to a healthy diet.

The Adrian Dominican Sisters organized an Environmental Club at St. Clare and one of the duties of the club members will be the care of the fishponds.  Here the Environmental Club is at Meru University learning the skills necessary to be good fish farmers.

Earlier we told the story of Jane who was brought to Father Riwa by volunteers Marilyn and John Parker.  Born with a defect that caused a severe limp, Jane had corrective surgery, which was completely successful.  Focusing on healing, Jane has made remarkable strides and is well on her way to a full recovery.  Jane is pictured here standing on her own without the use of her crutches.  Continued good health, Jane.

We wish you a Merry Christmas and Joyful and Peaceful New Year. WE are most grateful for you loving support and compassion.
Fr. Francis Limo Riwa
The Adrian Dominican Sisters
The Staff at St. Clare
The St. Clare Girls

Pictured here are photos of the crèche set created by the children from materials they found “laying around.”

From these discarded materials, they have created a stable scene.  

Sarah Wamburi is the administrator at St. Clare. It is  her job to take care of all the administrative details.  She recently sent this email.

“I know Father Riwa, is worried what the children will eat tomorrow and the day after, where they will live, what they will wear and mostly what will become of them in the future. The world doesn’t differentiate.  When food prices go up, they go up for us too.  When medical care and clothing go up, same for us also. We are not given an exemption and everyday it gets tougher and more and more children, needy and elderly people are crying for help. I know how difficult it is for Father Riwa to turn his back on them, how much it weighs him down when he can’t offer the much needed assistance. I know all of this comes back to you, and everyday more is required from you. But I believe God placed us in different capacities with a purpose and has given us responsibilities that he knows we can handle, of course through his grace. This is his work, which he is doing through all who are involved so he will provide whatever is needed including good health, strength, favour, ideas etc.”

A special Food Campaign has been started to assist the children. ANYONE WISHING TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE SPECIAL FOOD FUND CAN SEND A CHECK TO ‘FRIENDS OF KENYAN ORPHANS’ (920 BERKSHIRE ROAD, GROSSE POINTE, MI 48230) or send a donation on PayPal through this website.

The multi year drought in East Africa has resulted in famine in Kenya and hunger is knocking at the door of St. Clare and the Children’s Village.  Fr.Riwa could see this coming and took drastic action months ago by cutting meal portions in half in an attempt to make the little they had last longer and planting every possible inch of land.  When the crops failed to yield the expected amount of food, this week Fr. Riwa reported he has run out of options. “You cannot believe it that these days I have been disturbed because of the food crisis. I have borrowed funds from my friends to buy food as I cannot send the children away. I have a very big responsibility but I know that God will not abandon me. Yesterday I looked at the children and asked myself why I ever started this project. There is not enough food and the children have no clothes. I pray that the Lord touches the people of good will to come to our aid.”

A special Food Campaign has been started to assist the children. ANYONE WISHING TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE SPECIAL FOOD FUND CAN SEND A CHECK TO ‘FRIENDS OF KENYAN ORPHANS’ (920 BERKSHIRE ROAD, GROSSE POINTE, MI 48230) or send a donation on PayPal through this website.

The first classes at St. Clare started here, in Fr. Riwa’s office, under the mango tree. It continues to serve as his office. Children and parishioners know where to find him. Children and villagers just line up next to the mango tree knowing Fr. Riwa will come there to hear them and their problems.

The first construction workers for the sisters’ home were Father Riwa and Sue Ozar as they officially broke ground for the Siena House, the future home of the four Adrian Dominican Sisters who will assist Father care for the children at the Children’s Village.

During two years working in Kenya, one afternoon after another, I sat in my small make-shift office at The Children’s Village, listening to children talk of sleeping on stree verandas, foraging gutters looking for garbage, fighting animals for a crust of bread, and in desparation, eating cigarette butts to appease hunger pangs. I wondered if there could be any children lining as difficult an existence as these former street boys?

One year later I discovered the answer when a group of 140 war-torn children arrived at the village who witnessed their homes burned, their families lost of killed by machetes during the post-election violence of 2008. Clearly the children of Kenya continue to suffer. This past winter I returned to The Children’s Village. This time Father Riwa asked me to listen to the life stories of a few young girls recently rescued from the desert in northern Kenya, girls from the Samburu Tribe. (more…)