Project Africa - Need Help!

[Dick Gerard]

The church my wife attends sponsors/supports a clinic-hospital-school in rural northwest Kenya. during a presentation at a recent lunceon, the speaker, in passing, mentioned that the 800 children who attend the school, had no toys. Any games they play, they play with pebbles and rocks. The speaker also noted that the meal they receive at school is
probably the ONLY meal they will have that day. My wife told me about this and she has talked me into turning tops and cup and ball toys for the kids. The thing is, well ... 800 tops and or ball and cup games!?!

So, I am turning to the Sawmill Creek crowd to see if anyone would be willing to turn and decorate a few tops ... or 10, or 20 or more and send them to me to add to the meager supply I will be able to make.

Also, the campus supports 70-80 widows. Widows in Kenya, traditionally receive no help from family members and are often chased away from their homes, and the land they have is taken away. So, if any of you would like to make pendants for the widows, I am sure they would be appreciated. I plan to make and donate several myself. Since I have that eccentric pendant jig I can make them interesting ... I hope.

If you are interested in helping, just send me the finished items. My address is in the AAW directory, or, you can message me here and I will email you the address.

Thanks to everyone!!!!

[Curt Fuller]

Dick, my daughter adopted a 4 year old from Ethiopia last May. The situation in Kenya sounds like much the same circumstances in the orphanage in Addis Ababa. My daughter and soninlaw made two trips over there, one to adopt him through the Ethiopian courts and then back several months later to bring him home. After their first trip they told about how the kids had no toys so I actually made some cup and ball toys, tops, and wooden handled jump ropes for them to take back on the second trip. The kids loved them. But my daughter was also told that unless you actually pack the toys, clothes, or whatever you want to give them in your luggage as she was able to do, it's a pretty slim chance that it ever gets into the hands of the kids it was intended for. So it might be a good idea to see if you have a direct way of getting the toys to the school.

BTW, my new grandson, Zemedu is doing fantastic! He came here on May 6 speaking no english at all and started kindergarten a couple weeks ago. It's been one of the most rewarding experiences in my lifetime.

[Dick Gerard]

Curt,
The woman who heads the support group from my wife's church assures me that they will indeed pack the tops and other toys in with their luggage and the other supplies that they hand deliver to the school/clinic/hospital/widows refuge. So far 2 other turners have promised to send some tops my way. Got to get busy, what with seasonal shows before the holidays, then classes, ornaments for another charity event, shows in Feb and April 2013 .... what have I gotten myself into?!?!?

Good to hear about your new grandson. Kids are a blast! Keeps us young and on our toes.