Spring Issue, 2014

SERVICE 100 81 Building an aora siala Next morning we visited the water site where the whole village has gathered, including Erick’s ageing dad who we realised had suffered a debilitating stroke two years back and had lost the ability to speak. The pride in his son was evident and they are clearly very close. It was our first look at the water well, locally called an aora siala , and we saw that was a natural spring but with a stagnant collection point. With the assistance of a local engineer, we designed a five-day programme to desalt it, rearrange the filtering stones, and install a safe cover for the top. As we were also building toilets and bathrooms, we hired some local youths to help out. But we were not just there to help with the water supply. We visited some local schools and donated some story books. At one primary school, we helped to put in windows to protect them from the strong afternoon winds but it was clear this was just a drop in the ocean. Supporting educational dreams We also met 15-year-old Jackline who lost both parents eight years ago to HIV. She and her seven siblings are cared for by her 83-year-old grandmother. Jackline had been the best student at her school in the national exams but her family could not afford the secondary school fees for her to continue her education. Just as in China, going to secondary school then college, makes big difference here in a family’s future. Jackline was lucky though; Erick has been paying her fees using his stipend from HKU with intermittent support from friends. We gave her enough money from our donations for one year’s tuition but wondered how many like her miss out. Over the following days we visited two secondary schools. Kachar Girls we learnt was established a year ago to rescue girls from early pregnancies and marriages, and give them a future. There is only one government teacher; the rest are local volunteers. The 32 girls enrolled here have nothing beyond their meticulous uniforms and our two boxes of books were the start to their library. Kenya is a beautiful country with a rich culture and we departed it with a heavy heart. We had learnt that to truly bridge cultures, we must mix people. The team will return to Kenya in summer 2014. http://uwezopamojatrust.org / ekomolo@hku.hk / info@uwezopamojatrust.org “We helped to put in windows to protect them from the strong afternoon winds but it was clear this was just a drop in the ocean.”