Soon, the EAC-sponsored Vutakaka Community Center will open a second building that will double its size, vastly increasing capacity for our current programs and allowing us to initiate new ones. The new space will include a courtyard, two classrooms, an office and a kitchen.

Last week, the roof was finished and this week, the red steel doors to the new building were installed. The next and last last step is to cement the floors. Thanks to our hard-working builders Katana, Kenga, Kahindi, and Muhammed, we will likely be finished before our expected date of August 23rd.

We are still deciding exactly how the new space will be filled. We know it will allow us to increase enrollment in our nursery school, which already has an extensive waiting list. It will also allow us to dedicate one room to the Sewing Club full time, so that members can drop in and work on the sewing machines every day. We will likely also offer a few new classes and youth programs.

This photo shows members of the sewing club

Come Kuona volunteer Summer Starr just arrived in Takaungu two weeks ago. Some first impressions: When asked to write about my first impressions of Takaungu and the programs at Vutukaka, my first instinct was to write about my background in development - how I spent the last three years studying development at the University of Washington and how this is the first time I feel I am starting to understand the realities of what development means. But this would be a lie. If anything, I am now more confused than ever about what development means. Is what the EAC is doing here development work? I don't know. What I do know is that the EAC is doing more than I had imagined to effect positive change in the lives of so many members of this community. Change is always slow. It is a process that is difficult to quantify, but even more impossible to really understand. But it is easy to recognize. I see it in the faces of the children in the nursery school. I hear it in the conversation between women in the health education class. I see it in mostly in subtle ways - in the quiet attendance of the adult education class and sewing club. Even though I have only been at the center for two days, it is clear to me that many people here have a desire to learn so that they can address their own needs. It is just as clear that the Vutukaka community center is fulfilling these desires. But don't take my word for it. I invite all of you to visit the center in Kenya and see for yourselves the amazing work that is being done here. I have been involved in the EAC for a year and a half now and I can safely say that I had no clue what was really going on here. There are some things that you just cannot comprehend until you see it for yourself.

If traveling is not your cup of tea (the tea here is fabulous, by the way), then please continue your support of the important work the EAC is doing here. Normally, I would be the last person on earth to solicit financial donations (some of my friends and colleagues can attest to this - you know who you are :-), but I can say with much conviction that investing in this program is a thousand times better than whatever you were originally planning on doing with your money. There is a lot of need here and addressing it by empowering people to take responsibility and solve their own problems is complicated. That is what makes the EAC's successes so impressive. I know that I am going to learn so much in the next few months. I hope to continue to share a little bit of my experience with you through my writings in the newsletter. Just remember that no matter how many times you read the newsletter or how many books you read about the kind of work the EAC does or about the situation in Africa, you will never truly understand until you come here. And if you have been here - well, I'm sure you are dying to come back.

Past volunteers or potential new volunteers, please check out our brand new message board at www.comekuona.org

The EAC is sponsoring one of our nursery school teachers, Madame Mercy, to obtain her early childhood education certificate. She goes to join this course, during the breaks of the nursery school program, for one month every quarter of the year. All together she must go six times to complete six months of study, over a two year period. On August 1st, she will enter her second session of study and needs $70.00 for this phase of the course. The $70.00 covers all of her expenses ie. books, meals, transport etc. etc. If you are interested in assisting us in putting Mercy through this course, please send a check to the EAC at PO BOX 95703 Seattle, WA 98145. Thank you!!

We need sponsors for some of our nursery school children. It costs $25.00 per year for school fees for a child to attend nursery. Moreover, uniforms and other school supplies increase this figure to around $50.00 per year. We are fearing some of the children will be forced to drop from the school due to lack of funds. We need money to set up a fund to assist the students most in need. A tax deductible donation toward the establishment of a nursery school fund can be sent to the EAC at PO Box 95703 Seattle, WA 98145-2703.

We need toys, books, paints, and so on for our nursery. Though shipping these items from the US is possible, purchasing them here can be more practical. We are asking for donations in any amount to help us create a rich learning environment for our nursery children. A donation of just $20.00 can buy five balls (similar to soccer balls), ten jump ropes, one hundred blank art journals AND ten plastic boxes for storing items collected from nature. If you are interested in assisting with all or even part of this wish list need, please send a tax-deductible donation to the EAC at PO Box 95703 Seattle, WA 98145-2703.

The EAC is looking for sponsors of hours, days, weeks and even months of our organization. Currently, it costs us $20.00 per business hour for us to successfully accomplish all that we do. That is the cost of running the entire organization. If you would like to sponsor the Center for a day, the cost would be $160.00, a week, $1120.00 etc. This money helps us pay our teachers, keeps this newsletter coming, provides porridge to our nursery students, buys books for our library and so on. If you are interested in sponsoring hours, days, weeks or months of our operation, please send a tax- deductible donation to the EAC at PO Box 95703 Seattle, WA 98145-2703. Memo the length of time you would like to support.

Peddling for a Cause-- Jeff Long, also from the Boeing Company, is organizing the event "Peddling for a Cause" on Saturday, August 28th. This is a bike- riding event where everyone will meet at 11 am in the parking lot next to Red Robin, at the Auburn Supermall. We will head north on the Interurban Trail. You can ride at your own pace and enjoy the trail for as far as you would like to go. Be sure to pack a good supply of water and some snacks for your ride. Please invite your friends and family to participate. We have set the goal of 50 riders for this event. There will be a $10.00 donation fee for each person riding or if you know of anyone who isn't able to ride, but would like to participate by donation, we will gladly accept that also. All levels of riding skills welcome!! Sign up of participants and all funds need to be collected no later than Friday, August 27th. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. In advance, I'd like to thank you for your support. Hope to see you on Saturday, August 28th, so mark your calendar! Jeffrey.c.long@boeing.com.