Program:  Kenya in the Eyes of the Conifer Interact Club
 
The students from the Conifer Interact Club joined Carol Carper at the Sasa Harambe project in Kenya where she has devoted herself to improve the lives of the local people.  Their activities during their visit included:
 
  • To fund and build a playground for children with handicaps, prepared the playground area area and built it.  Students from the St. Anthony Uluthe secondary school students worked on this project with our Interact visitors.  
  • To repair “chair tricycles” for handicapped children to give them mobility.
  • They helped paint the equipment at the “small home”.—a home for children with disabilities where they can attend school so that their parents didn’t have to worry about them.
  • They worked with mentors at the secondary school, St. Anthony Uluthe, where they spent time with the students and attended some classes.
  • They played soccer with the students….our kids were not as good but the Kenyan children let them win anyway.  A fun note: the soccer field was “mowed” by a resident cow.
  • They had a field trip with the Uluthe students to Lake Victoria—a first for the Kenyan students, who do not get trips away from their home school.
  • They visited a Sasa Harambe farm where sustainable agriculture is used to teach other farmers successful farming techniques.  They saw the process the farmers are using to grow and cultivate hay for sale for cattle feed.  The farmers are taught to plant grass around cornfields to prevent insects from getting to the corn.
  • They visited a baby home, where they cared for and played with orphan infants and small children.
  • They visited a dispensary/clinic where they observed and helped with the various types of care.  In that area of Kenya, one in four adults is infected with HIV, although malaria is the major killer.
  • They also got to out into the community to test people for malaria. Medication is not easily obtained due to government corruption and misappropriation.
Some interesting observations:
  • Nearly everyone speaks three languages:  their native language, English and Swahili.
  • The Kenyan students were very interested and committed to their education.  They all wear uniforms, which are expensive for families.  Education is compulsory up to eighth grade.
  • Secondary students represent only 6% of the total student population, because secondary education is very expensive.  Families engaged in the Sasa Harambe farming do have enough money to send their children to school.   
 
 
Guests: Carol Carper, Evergreen Rotary
 
Announcements/Business:
 
  • The peach orders are complete!  The Sign Up Genius will be up soon for the distribution of the purchased peaches on Friday August 24th.
  • The Club will try a new meeting schedule September through November.  Morning meetings will be on the first and third Tuesdays, 7am, at the Mountain Resource Center.  Evening meetings will continue on the second and fourth Wednesday evenings, 5:30 pm at St. Laurence Episcopal Church.
  • September 15th is a busy day!!!  The District training workshop will be in Denver; speak to Janine if you can attend this event that is required for Clubs to get District grants. Also, the Club will have a workday at the Mountain Peace Shelter in Bailey.
 
  • Lee received a Most Inspirational Member Award for his work on the Club website.  Thanks, LEE!!!!
 
  • The Back Pack Project starts next week!  The first load of food from Food Bank of the Rockies comes via semi truck to Pine Junction next Thursday at 10 a.m.  Thanks to Marlis and Dean for volunteering to transport to the pantry at St. Laurence Church. Volunteers will be preparing the bags of food for the kids next Thursday afternoon at Deer Creek Elementary (2:30 pm) and Elk Creek Elementary (2:00 pm).