Newbury Freegle - Thank You from Twiga

We were not disappointed when toys and games arrived at Twiga for the children! We will be thanking people personally when we can get the details back, but in the meantime, the children have asked us to say a big thank you to everyone who donated toys, games and clothes.

In particular, we were given a giant snakes and ladders and a junior twister game, both of which were big hits with the whole age-range (3 to 16).

Several of the boys also asked to be taught chess. Many are already accomplished draughts players but as we had been given a set with both games, they wanted to try the game they knew nothing about.

I have to confess that, other than the movement of the pieces, I do not know a lot more than they do. I had to explain that it was a game of strategy, then left them to it. It kept them occupied for hours, with potential players staring over the shoulders of those actually involved in a match.

Toy cars and Barbies were distributed to the younger children. One little girl braided and re-braided the hair on a Barbie, each time running around showing everyone the "new" hairstyle - another hit!

So, all in all, Christmas came early at Twiga. Clothes were given to those most in need and money donated went towards the swing and food.

Oh, and we were also given some vegetable seed. The children were introduced to seed sowing on my last visit, so they attacked the chore with enthusiasm. Before I left, there were peas and bean plants up to 2" tall growing on the Twiga plot.

We also handed out seed to the children who had a plot at their home. I visited them just before I left and saw the loving care these children have put into sowing their seed.

So, this trip was another success. I left a lot of very happy children, which, if you saw the living conditions of some of them, you would wonder just how they survive!

Of course, they survive due to the untiring work of the Twiga volunteers, and Vincent and his wife, Abigael.

Baba Mzungu is Coming

This is probably not as exciting as Santa Claus to the children, but I fear that Father Christmas will not be coming this year, not because the children have been naughty, but because food is too expensive and we cannot afford anything else.

And I know that when David arrives, we will all be very busy starting up the farm, designing water treatment systems and starting an education programme to reduce malaria in our area, and maybe planning the building of our new orphanage.

But I am sure that he will take time off on a Saturday or Sunday and give all the children at Twiga one BIG party!

Now that's something to look forward to, isn't it?

Christmas is Coming

Oh dear. The kids are beginning to ask if they are going to get presents this year.

Last year, because of the elections and the subsequent violence, causing food price rises, they didn't get any - not until the people of Woolton Hill and Highclere villages in southern England held an appeal. The kids, all the kids, got a new pair of school shoes. The also had two parties in March, with food and games.

This year, the global economic crisis has forced the cost of food up again. The price of maize flour, the staple food in Kenya has risen 300%, so it looks as if, once again, there will be no presents under the tree this year.

Luckily, the children understand this. They know that we are struggling just to make sure they have at least one good meal a day, shoes on their feet, a school uniform so they can get an education.

They also know that they are luckier than some. At least they are fed, they have shelter, they have clothes, they have schooling, they have medicine if they are ill. Not all Kenyan children are so lucky.

But it doesn't stop them from asking if they are going to get a present this year. They are, after all, children.