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Dear East African,
Executive Director's Message
We have so much for our
newsletter this month. Fortunately, there are no bug
stories to tell!! We think the bug problem was mainly to
blame on the lack of rain. Everything was so dry last
month. The rains have begun to come and the bugs
have begun to go.
The EAC could benefit from a
few more hands in the US. Our Board of Directors has a
few openings that we would like to fill. If you are
interested in international non-profit/NGO efforts and
have some skills within the non-profit/NGO sector, with
law, with accounting, with development, or with any
area covered in our mission, (ie. public health, general
education and/or poverty eradication programs,
particularly in developing nations) we would love to
hear from you.
Or, how about volunteering with the EAC between 2-4
hours per week, helping us with our bookkeeping? We
use QuickBooks Pro and our bookkeeping processes are
kept simple. We are looking for someone as soon as
possible to take on this volunteer position.
Bookkeeping and/or QuickBooks skills are helpful, but
are not required. If you think you are up for the
rewarding work please let us know. (You must be able
to get to the University District in Seattle at least
twice per month). Please contact me if you have any
questions or comments about the above volunteer
opportunities. You can email me directly at
sjeneby@eastafricancenter.org.
Don't have time to volunteer? How about donating your
old laptop to the EAC? Unfortunately, two of our
laptops in
Takaungu stopped working this month. We need at
least two
more right away. We know a few of you out there must
have a
laptop you have retired. In addition to allowing us to
offer computer skills training classes to adults, as well
as run educational cds for many children in our
afterschool tutoring program, your donated laptop will
help us continue to operate as a site for Bridges to
Understanding (see below). Please email Mike McCarty
at
mmccarty@eastafricancenter.org if
you think you can help. (We will gladly accept
monetary donations for us to buy one or more new
laptops as well - $800.00 each) Thank you. - Suzanne
Jeneby
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What's Happening in Takaungu? |
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Bridges to Understanding!! For the past six weeks,
Bridges to Understanding Program Mentor, Amanda
Koster, has been with us in Takaungu. Amanda has
been doing incredible work with this program and we
are already missing her as she is about to return to the
US.
Bridges to Understanding poses, "What would happen if
children from fundamentally different backgrounds were
able to build relationships with each other to solve
problems together? We believe the future course of the
world can be altered positively, child by child,
community by community."
The Bridges to Understanding mission: BRIDGES is
an on-line classroom program that connects youth on a
global level for the purpose of exploring and honoring
cultural diversity. Central to the program is digital
storytelling, with the youth as authors. Students will
experience heightened self-esteem as they document
and share their cultures. The final result is an increase
in understanding and compassion between different
cultures.
We are thrilled to be partnering with this remarkable
organization. There are twelve students from Takaungu
that are currently taking part in this program. Please
view the work from our local group of Bridges students
at preview.bridgesweb.org. However, within the week,
this same information will be available, forevermore, at
www.bridgesweb.org. If you have any questions about
the Bridges program please email Amanda Koster at
amanda@amandakoster.com or call Bridges directly at
206-275-2318.
Visit the Bridges to Understanding website! »
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Would you like to Volunteer in Kenya? |
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The EAC will continue to post messages in this section
from visitors to Takaungu, but no longer operates an
international volunteer program. Rather, a separate
organization, Come Kuona, welcomes new volunteers
and guides them throughout their often life-changing
international volunteer experience.
Volunteers with Come Kuona will have the opportunity
to either work with the EAC, or with other agencies in
need of assistance in the area. There are so many
projects available for the adventerous volunteer that
you're sure to find something that suits your interests.
You can find out more about Come Kuona by visiting
their website at www.comekuona.com or emailing them
directly at comekuona@swiftmombasa.com.
Visit Come Kuona »
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The EAC Appreciates..... |
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Thank you to everyone who has made a donation after
recieving an aerogram from Suzanne in Kenya. The
Center can provide even more services, programs and
facilities if we receive your continued support. Thank
you for responding! If you want to be on our mailing
list, making you eligible to recieve our occassional
mailings from Kenya, please email your name and
address to Ann-Marie Speirs at
aspeirs@eastafricancenter.org. (Your contact
information will not be shared with any other
organization.)
A HUGE thank you goes out to the Washington State
Jaycees for your monetary donation this month from
your sheriff fund!!
A HUGE thank you goes out to Frankie Rolapp for the
cds. We were thrilled to receive a stack of educational
cds in the mail last week. These are going to be great
for the Center!
The EAC truly appreciates those of you who have made
financial contributions to the EAC over the past month.
You are making this project happen. Your
generosity is acknowledged and deeply, deeply
appreciated. Last and by no means least, the Members,
Chapters, and States of the US Junior
Chamber you continue to be fabulous! Thank you for
everything you have done for this organization. The US
Jaycees are making a real difference not only in their
own communities, but across the globe!
More about the EAC »
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Wish List |
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We need more sewing machines and more irons for our
Center's sewing club. Our goal is to have a total of
eight machines and right now we have two. We use
treadle sewing machines (there is currently no
electricity at the Center) and charcoal irons. Each
machine can be bought for $100.00 and each iron can
be purchased for $20.00. If you are interested in
donating toward either sewing machines or irons,
please contact Suzanne at
sjeneby@eastafricancenter.org
The EAC's resource center needs several copies of the
book "Where Women have no Doctor", and "Where
There is no Doctor". Local residents LOVE this book and
our single copy just isn't enough. If you happen to
come across this book in the US, please purchase a
copy for us. You can contact Yarrow Goding at
yarrowgoding@hotmail.com regarding the details for the
book getting to Kenya.
The EAC needs a safe at our Center in Takaungu. We
can get one here in Kenya for approximately $500.00. If
you are interested in donating toward this need please
email me at suzanne@swiftmombasa.com
We need a vehicle here in Takaungu. The vehicle will
provide for the transport of goods, supplies and people
and will most importantly, provide emergency transport
to people of the Village where at this time there is
none. We can purchase a reliable vehicle for
$10,000.00. If you can offer any advice or assistance
that can help us meet this need, please don't hesitate.
Please email me at Suzanne@swiftmombasa.com if you
would like more information.
Make a donation »
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Handmade quilt |
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As many of you know, one of the East African Center's
ongoing poverty eradication programs is our sewing
club. The women make bags, aprons, baby dresses etc.
in order to learn new sewing skills. Sometimes, the
women are able to sell their products to make a profit
for themselves. With the money that some of them
make, they are able to start other small businesses
that can help to sustain their families. For
instance, some women have started cashew nut, cash
crop or fish marketing businesses from the sell of their
sewing club products.
All of their products are beautiful, but their handmade
quilts are by far the most detailed. Over the past
month, the EAC in the US has been taking auction bids
for the quilt you see here in the picture. This quilt has
a current bid of $300.00. The auction closes on April
1st
at noon. If you are interested in making a bid on this
beautiful quilt, please email me at
sjeneby@eastafricancenter.org.
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