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Dear East African,
Executive Director's Message
We are waist high in dirt again! Yep, construction has
started on the second phase of the EAC's Vutakaka
Community Resource Center. We broke ground on
Monday, May 10th. Now, so much dirt has been moved
it looks like we are putting in an olympic size swimming
pool behind the Center. (Actually, that's not a bad
idea). The first cement was poured this last Tuesday
and the goal is to have the building complete by
Monday, August 23rd.
What will the building be for? More classrooms! Our
nursery children need much more space and our sewing
club needs space designated just for them. A place
where they can keep all of their sewing machines and a
huge work-table where they can do their cutting. The
new classrooms will also allow us to divide our after
school tutoring program up so that older students can
be separated from the little ones as their needs are so
different.
We are so thankful to the Massachusetts Jaycees
Headquarters Trust for giving us this construction
grant. We look forward to keeping you continuously
informed of how things are progressing. In no time at all
we will be having another ribbon cutting for our
fabulous new building. Thank you for the assistance
you have given to the our organization and most
importantly, to the people of Takaungu.
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What's Happening in Takaungu? |
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During the first week of April, the Center was even
more furiously busy than usual. On April 1, we held a
ceremony to mark the end of Vutakaka Nursery School's
first term.
The nursery ceremony was incredible. The children
were even more adorable than usual, dressed in their
best clothes. Some parents decorated the area outside
the center with bougainvilleas and we set up all the
benches and tables outside. Our teachers, Madame
Mercy and Madame Pili led the proceedings, which
included performances and songs by the children, a
speech by the village chief, awarding of prizes for the
school's top students, and the distribution of report
cards ("Colouring" was a subject.) We beamed as the
chief lauded the work of the Center and exhorted the
parents and community members assembled to embrace
our programs and take advantage of the opportunities
we offer.
After the ceremony, everyone was served pilau (spiced
rice and beef), cooked by some of the parents, and the
kids got kichiri (like potato chips) and biscuits brought
by another parent. People stayed for hours to talk,
play, and laugh. It was a wonderful, happy day.
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The Vutakaka Sewing Club |
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As many of you know, the Vutakaka Community Center
offers a variety of programs. One of these is our
Vutakaka Sewing Club. The Club offers training to
groups of thirty people at a time, in classes lasting six
months. The Club is so popular that all spots are full up
through June 2006! Although it is mostly
women involved, we do have some men who have
joined as well and together we make fabulous items.
What do we make? So far, we have made quilts,
aprons, baby dresses and bags. All of the items we
make are made from traditional fabrics. The members
spend several weeks learning how to make new items,
then make batches that are for sale. So far, we have
been selling our items locally, and in the US. Some of
the proceeds go back to the members of the Club
(helping us to meet our goal of reducing poverty in the
area) and some go to helping us support the Center so
that we can continue to offer most of our programs
free of charge.
Right now, our Club is about to finish a large batch of
aprons and bags. In the picture, Diana is modeling the
bag and Pili the apron. Both of these items are for sale
at $20.00 plus the cost of shipping from the US
(typically about $1.50 per bag). If you would like to
order one for yourself or a batch that you would like to
try and sell to your own contacts, please write Mike
McCarty at mcrt@aol.com. Once he receives our latest
batch, he will contact you. Through purchasing one of
our items you not only help the members of the Club,
but you help the Center AND have a fabulous product
you will enjoy for years to come. For you Jaycees, this
is a great fundraising opportunity for the EAC that your
chapter can easily undertake. Thank you in advance for
your orders.
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The EAC Appreciates..... |
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Massachusetts Jaycees Headquarters Trust! It is
because of the Trust that the construction of our
second building is taking place. We are so grateful. It is
causing such a stir of excitement in the community.
Your construction grant will provide a facility that will
transform lives. With our deepest gratitude, on behalf
of Takaungu Village and the EAC, we say "Asante
Sana".
Ann Fischer and Girl Scout Troop 1205 from Dublin, Ohio
for raising money to buy uniforms for several children
attending our nursery. In the picture you can see all
the children looking so lovely. Below, Purity Pwani is
modelling her new uniform. Thank you Ann and all of
you amazing girls!
Perry Pirsch! Perry held a fundraiser for the EAC at his
home in DC. Perry invited some friends over, fed them
well, told them about the EAC and offered them the
opportunity to make a donation. The EAC is grateful to
Perry for undertaking this endeavor. From the event,
we raised enough to operate the entire Center for a full
week. Thank you!!
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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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.
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.
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 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 Sjeneby@eastafricancenter.org if
you
would like more information.
Make a donation »
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Volunteer! |
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In Seattle, we are currently looking for volunteers who
can assist us in coordinating an upcoming event for the
EAC in October. If you are interested in assisting us
with this, please contact Ann-Marie Speirs at 206-271-
9557.
In Kenya, The Vutakaka Community Center as well as
the local primary schools are in constant need of
volunteers. Volunteers with us often have life
transforming experiences. We encourage people to
come and stay for three-month sessions. If you ever
thought of volunteering in Africa, here is your chance.
Go to www.ComeKuona.org for more information on
volunteering in Takaungu, Kenya.
Visit ComeKuona.org »
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