Give a Smile for Christmas

Can you Give a Smile this Christmas? Due to the current ecomomic climate many of our children at Tumaini do not have a decent pair of shoes, t-shirt & school bag. A full school uniform helps a child to feel part of the school and enjoy all the activities to the full, especially games. A good pair of shoes, t-shirt and a school bag are out of reach for most families but are an important part of the school uniform here in Kenya.
For £25 you can give a gift of a pair of shoes, t-shirt & school bag for a child a Tumaini.

You can send us a Cheque or donate online.

Make a Child Smile this Christmas

Fresh Water, O Yes!!!!

O Yes, we are now able to deliver fresh water to the school. Our Mitsubishi Canter has a 2,500 litre water tank fitted to it. We now buy water at £4 for 2,500 litres rather £10, it's a great saving! The water is piped to a distribution point located 4 miles from the school where we now collect water, it's takes on average 2 hrs to make a delivery!
Today the Canter is being used to collect Timber and Floor Tiles to enable us to finish our last High School Classroom, if we did not have our own transport it would have cost us £45 today just to get the building materials from town to school.
Thanks for the blessing. Xx Glyn & Janey

Janey's School of Driving!

Our Water Truck is on the road and "Street Legal" but before anyone is allowed on the streets they must pass through "Janey's School of Driving" We had a lot of fun, reversing between cones into a pretend garage. The funniest thing was when Jane put a piece of cardboard on the floor, drew a red line across it and said reverse and stop the back of the truck over the red line! Mbaraku and Austin just laughed and said "It's impossible!" Janey promptly jumped into the cab and showed them how it's done! At the end of the session all passed and we still had 3 cones in tact!

So on Monday we will make our first water delivery, watch this space for more pictures. Thanks again for all those who helped us to buy the water truck. Xx Glyn & Janey

Parent's Day

We have come to the end of another school year, the children were really happy to sing, dance, recite poems and perform drama's in front of their parents.

Once again the competition was tough for the top student overall for the year, this year the award once again goes to a different student, David Mwenda Ikunga of Std 3, well done David. I think he will have to work hard if he wants to maintain his position as he joins upper primary in January.

We are continuing with our building project and hope to have the High School classrooms completely finished by the end of the year.
Now the school year has finished we are about to launch our Christmas Campaign "Give a Smile for Christmas" in preparation for next year. Full details will be posted on the blog in the 1st week of December but if you would like more information before then just drop me an email. Thanks again for helping to make 2008 a successful year. Xx Glyn & Janey

Cut & Paste!

So we have had another great week, Primary Students have completed their National Exams and we are cutting tiles for our third High School Classroom.
K.C.P.E results will be released at the end of December, we are hoping that most of our students will qualify for a place in Tumaini High, next week is the last week of term for the rest of our students who are looking forward to performing songs and dances in front of parents and teachers. and hopefully receiving a prize for most improved or cleanest student!
We will start plastering our final High School Classroom on Monday so that we have all 4 ready for the start of the new school year in January. We hope you have a great weekend. Xx Glyn & Janey

Oh heck! What next?

So today is the day! Form 4 have finished their exams, there are mixed emotions around the place, a lot of relief mixed with fear of the unknown. The world awaits! The results will be out at the end of February and those fortunate enough to be offered a place at University will be informed by September, so it's a long wait.

Thanks to all you who have supported us to this momentous day, some of our students have been with us through thick and thin, through different schools for the last 8 years. It's been a journey well worth taking. Thank you all. Xx Glyn & Janey

Empty Pot!

Hi we have had a good week with the KCSE exams going really well, so far students have completed papers in English, Swahili, Geography, Physics and Christian Religious Education. They still have a long way to go as exams continue until the 10th November.

Thanks to all those who are helping with our feeding programme, especially those who have made extra commitments. From next month we will be increasing the amount of food that we cook, I have to admit that as I went outside to see the food distributed today that I cried as the food ran out! There were still at least 50 children waiting patiently who left hungry, I wanted to run inside and take food from anywhere and give them something!
Hopefully this won't happen next month! We know that we still need to increase the portion sizes, if you can help please contact us. Xx Glyn & Jane

K.C.S.E.

Wow! What a week, but we made it. The Fundi's (Builders) have really worked hard and as you can see below the class needed for exams is finished. Today the invigilators came and set the desks out, ready for an early start on Tuesday, as Monday is a public holiday. We also managed to get the hallway plastered and a window fitted, the front office ceiling finished and undercoat applied to the walls so that the invigilators can use the room. Our third classroom is painted and ready for tiling after the exams finish on the 10th November.

Our Form 4 students are ready if a little nervous, please pray for them, they have a tough 3 weeks ahead. Xx Glyn & Jane

Deadline Approaching!

It's been a busy week and our deadline is fast approaching, exam time tables were handed out yesterday, students wandered around with a worried look on their faces, will our classes be ready? Yes we said confidently. The whole team has worked incredibly hard this week, including today, which is a public holiday. The floor of the first classroom is almost complete, we hope to have a ribbon cutting ceremony by Tuesday! The second classroom has a new ceiling and the first notice board finished. By the end of next week Form 4 students will have the classes they need for their exams. Thanks guys. Xx Glyn & Jane

Getting There!

Well we've come to the end of a busy week, thanks guys for all the hard work! This week has been unbearably humid, so we're all a bit whacked! Progress has been good, the first classroom will be ready for tiling on Monday and the ceiling is almost complete for the second classroom. We have put windows in the third classroom, but plan to leave that as it is until the other two are fully complete.

Thanks to all those who have given to our water project, if you don't know what I'm talking about drop me an email for more information. Thanks Xx Glyn & Jane

We have had a busy week, as you can see a lot of sand had to be sieved for the plasterers. So by the end of the week we have two classrooms plastered and floors laid ready for tiling.
Rob and Steve have been busy on the ceilings, they very carefully set out the panels so that the ceiling boards would go up easily, only to find all the ceiling boards were all slightly different sizes, so this morning they are busy trimming the boards with a stanley knife!
Next week we hope to get one classroom painted ready for the final stage of tiling the floor. Thanks from all of us here.

Back in Business!

Yes it's good news, we have started building again. As you can see our cement mixer is working to full capacity so that the plasterers can finish the walls and floor ready for Mr. Rob and the joiners to start on the ceiling. Not to be left standing, the joiners are busy making windows for the next classroom.

We are against the clock as Form 4 National Exams start on 21st October so we must be finished by then. Watch this space for weekly updates. Xx Glyn & Jane

Fresh Water, If Only!

Once again we are facing problems with a reliable supply of affordable fresh water to the school.
The main cost is transportation currently 87% of our total water bill is the cost of getting the water to our school either by man power or water truck.
Can you help us overcome this? We have written a proposal, if you would like a copy of how you can help just send me an email to mombasa@educationforlife.net
Thanks Xx Glyn & Jane

Finsihed!

Wow! What a roof, it took a couple of weeks but as you can see Juma and Joyce are very happy with their new roof. They can now all sleep safe in the knowledge that they will not get wet! We will be starting building work again at Tumaini in the next couple of weeks, Asante Sana Rotherham New Life for your continued support. We are hoping to finish the remaining 3 classrooms, inflation and exchange rate permitting! We will keep you updated as the work starts. Xx Glyn & Janey

Room with a View!

This is Juma's House or as he's better know in the village "Baba Mpole" or "Polite Grandfather" Juma lives in a mud house with a Makuti (Palm Leaf) Roof with his wife Joyce and 3 grand children. When the heavy rains came the house would leak, but more of a concern was because the walls are made of mud the water would soak in and cause them to collapse. So this week thanks to generous donations we have been able to start on a new roof to ensure Baba Mpole, Joyce and their grand children sleep well at night. I will keep you up to date as the roof takes shape. If you would like to help someone like Juma, please drop us a line. Xx Glyn & Jane

Sight Returning!

Great News! Said is doing really well after his operation. His sight has improved tremendously, however, he still needs to go back to the clinic for regular check ups, we have been told that his sight should return gradually but he might need a further operation.

Please continue to pray for Said, he's a lovely little boy who's enjoying his new gift. Xx Glyn & Jane

Edinburgh Marathon

Well done Lucie! 4 hrs 37 mins & 42 seconds to complete the 26.2 mile Edinburgh Marathon.

Lucie ran the Edinburgh Marathon to raise money for Education for Life and has raised £1,300, also thanks to ING Real Estate who matched Lucies fund raising. The photo shows Lucie with her running partner and boyfriend Mike. Thanks guys!

Are you up for a challenge? Can you do something similar? Go for it, give us a call. Thanks Xx Glyn & Jane

Sports & Fun Day

Last week was Sports & Fun Day, the whole school from Nursery to High get involved, what about staff you ask? Yes they are fully involved in all the games, more about staff vs students later!

So Nursery started with a Banana race, lots of shouting and jumping up & down, I'm not sure what happened to our little boys banana!

Kenyans love to run, and today was no exception! You can almost hear the excitement as they cross the finish line. So onto Staff vs Students, football was a resounding victory for the students both primary and high school boys beat the staff! However, basketball was where the real action was and a nail biting game over 4 quarters ended in a Staff victory 25-21 points and season tally of 3 matches to 1. Well done guys!

Rain, rain, rain!!!

Wow! What a wet week, the guttering was working to full capacity and amazingly our Africa water tank was completely full in 2 days! It's quite a contraption, but it works, well done Kai and the team! The result as well as much needed water was a beautiful rainbow over the school.

Today is our Term II sports and fun day, we are hoping for a dry day so that all can enjoy. The match of the day will be High School Boys vs Staff at Basketball, so far it's 2 games to 1 to Staff, and last time we only beat them by 1 point!

I can see!

Said is 5 years old and has been with us at Tumaini since January '07. He had very little sight and therefore struggled to learn with other children who are able to see. Around two months ago, following tests, our Special Needs teacher Mr Kibe was told that Said could undergo an operation to gain some sight and that as he is below 7 years of age, there's a good chance of success. The operation took place last week and Said is now recovering. The surgeon made a hole in the lens of both eyes to allow light to pass through to the retina. Said is able to see more than he could see before and he has a check up on 26th June. Please pray that his eyes heal quickly and that Said gains good sight.

Orange or Grey?

If only it were that easy? What am I talking about? Guttering, what else would be so complicated! As you can see the guttering is a lovely shade of Orange, looks OK until you discover the connecting pieces are grey! Watch this space for next weeks photos.

The window frames are coming on nicely, thanks to our tailors who seem to have had their space well and truly encroached upon!

To save costs we are working with our own fundis (maintenance team), the progress is a little slower but will ensure we come within our budget.

Thanks once again for supporting us through difficult times, inflation is now running at 31.5%, which is making it difficult to plan ahead.

Mosquito!

Thanks for checking in on our progress. Well after 8 years they finally got me! I've been down with Malaria this week, temperature of 39.5 degrees and feeling pretty rough! So after 4 injections and a lot of rest this week (policed by Jane!) I'm starting to feel a little better. Needless to say we haven't made much progress on the classes this week, so after Madaraka (Independence) Day holiday on Monday we are hoping to press on! Xx Glyn

Seeing Blue Again!

The rain has really rained this week! Amazingly our guys have worked through it all to complete the roof. Thanks Mr. Rob and Steve for keeping it all going! As I write this the finishing touches are going on to the "kofia" or ridge pieces, as you can see from the photo.So next week we will be working inside in the dry, making window frames and ceilings.

Trusses

So we start another week, the trusses are up! We now have to secure and brace them before we can start with the iron sheets. We had to clear out what looked like a swimming pool this morning after it rained all weekend, hopefully we will get a dry week and be able to complete the roof by Friday.

Timber!!

Thanks again Rotherham New Life for your help in getting the project off the ground again! We have managed to buy all the timber needed to roof three classes. This week we have started making roof trusses, as you can see we have completed 3 already!
If you notice sticks tied together in the background that's our Form 4 Agriculture project, they have to make compost as part of their National Exams (K.C.S.E). We are now 1 week into Term 2 and students and staff alike are working hard to achieve good exam results.

Thanks again to all who are following our progress. Xx Glyn & Jane.

Changing Seasons!

Due to the increasing strength of the Kenyan Shilling and the rapid rise in inflation, currently 21.8%, we have decided to postpone the building work for a short time.
If you would like to do any fundraising events to help us through this difficult time as we support the local community and continue our regular programmes within the school, please contact us so that we can help you to organise your event. Thanks Xx Glyn & Jane

Hip Hop!

Wow! What a day, over 400 young people turned up at Tumaini to help us celebrate Easter. Along with our own artists DJ Joysee, Sister V, Angel C's and DNC we had artists from Nairobi and Uganda perform, the crowd bopped to the beat of Prince Ris, Bamba Fifty and Brayo G! The PA System was at full capacity as the crowd joined in with Fire, Fire, Fire and Choma! The atmosphere was electric, but don't worry you can be part of the day, we have produced a CD of the artists which will be available when we visit the UK in the summer, book early to avoid disappointment!

Work will start next week on the roof for classes 1, 2 and 3. Have a great weekend. Xx Glyn & Janey.

Happy Easter

This is a great weekend to celebrate and we have a lot to be thankful for, Easter is time for reflection and thanksgiving for the incredible gift of life we have received through the death and resurrection of Jesus. We are planning an incredible music extravaganza, we have local artists as well as some from Nairobi and Uganda performing at Tumaini on Saturday and Sunday with a grand finale on Monday. It's going to be an explosion of music, dance, drama and puppets!

More thanks this week to Rotherham New Life for a donation that will allow us to continue building and finish the roof for Forms 1,2 & 3. We plan to start construction of the roof trusses the week after next, and as always we will keep you up to date with our progress. This is how the project is looking at the moment. We hope you have a great Easter weekend, we are certainly planning to jig, rap, bop or wriggle to the sound of the beat!!! Xx Glyn & Jane

Eureka!

So the debate is finally over! Form 4 have moved into their new classroom. There was much excitment and a scramble for the best position in class. Each chair and desk was inspected and new rubber feet fitted before being allowed into class. As you can see there is now plenty of space, it's light and airy, a perfect environment to make our next anouncement. We have received our Registration Papers for K.C.S.E exams that will take place in October, our Form 4 students are officially "Canditates for 2008".

Can you help us to move on? We need to complete classes for Forms 1,2 & 3. Our first priority is to put up a roof before the rains start at the end of this month, we can then continue on whatever the weather! Thanks for helping us to get this far. Xx Glyn & Janey

So Close!

So close, but I'm sorry you will have to wait until next week to see our students sat at their desks. Our fundi's have worked really hard this week and are determined that the classroom will be ready for Monday, so as a team have agreed to work Saturday.
There is much debate in High School, will it be Form 1 or Form 4 that get to occupy the new classroom. They have both put forward very good arguments as to why their class should have priority, obviously neither class has read the blog!

Blossom before Spring!

It's looks like Janey was right, the walls have now been painted and it looks fantastic!

The windows have been varnished, that's George adding the finishing touches and the notice boards are in place. So next week we start tiling the floor, then apply the final coat of paint to the blackboard and move our Form 4 Students in.

It's been amazing how our team have pulled together to complete this classroom in a realtively short time. Well done guys, and Elizabeth!

News hot of the press, we have just received a shipment of 14 Computers, donated by Tonbridge School in Kent, more details to follow as we unpack the boxes. Asante Sana!

Ladders & Ceilings!

As another week draws to a close, we have some interesting photos to share with you. The ceiling is now almost complete, what took the time I hear you ask? Well we had to make the ladders first, as you can see no expense spared! The walls have had their first coat of paint, as we wait for the coloured paint to be mixed and transported from Nairobi, can you believe it, there's no coloured Weatherguard paint in Mombasa!!! The external walls and veranda have now been plastered so it's all looking very nice.

Next week we will finish the ceiling, fix the notice boards and then paint with the lovely "blossom" Weathguard specially mixed in Nairobi paint! We will then be ready to tile the floors and move our Form 4 Students in. Thanks Xx Glyn & Jane