"Welcome to Kibera" Video

Hi Everyone!

Be sure to check out Welcome to Kibera, a short video introduction to life in the Kibera slums of Nairobi, Kenya.

jenn

Construction Has Begun!

Taken from an email written by David Selmer on 29 January, 2009.

...I am the lucky one that gets to start building here in Africa!  Mornings have started at 6am (told you I wasn't on vacation here) and work wraps around 7pm.  Some of the men sleep at the site - I tried it myself a few times before finally realizing that, try as I might, I'm dependent on a shower and bed to function.  The first project I am building is a boundary stone wall.  The work is shoveling all day, masonry, mixing concrete by hand, hauling concrete, lifting 65kg stones... you know, the usual lawyer gig.

The challenges are many, but how cool is it to hire some 30 guys/day to build your own orphanage.  unlike the states, you don't just go to the Home Depot, or order the pre-made materials.  You go to the quarry yourself, hire guys to smooth rocks, hire men to cut down trees and cut trees into timber, hire guys to chip at stone to make ballast, hire guys to sift the river's sand to remove the stones, etc.  There are no machines in these projects either - all digging, hauling, pushing, lifting, is done by man power.  The work mixed with the cheap cheap cost of labor makes me laugh at the fact that I used to pay more to work out at a gym.  $2 buys a good shovel and that's all you need here.

Love to you all - 

David

PS - If any of you were looking to help sponsor a child, please read below:

There is this really amazing kid working with me at the site.  His name is Carisse and he's 15.  He's been an orphan as his parents died of AIDS.  (He is HIV negative, thank God)  He works to earn money to do a term of school, then drops out to earn the money to go back to school.  He's been doing this for some time and only has 3 years left before he gets his diploma of secondary school.  His grades are fantastic despite the rough go he has of trying to find a place to stay, work, food, clothes, etc.  He would like to be an architectural engineer eventually.  Presently I am housing him at the site and he is working with the builders and me to get some experience in building.  I will be sending him to school on Monday for the next term, but am already over-extended in sponsoring kids and cannot take him on for the remaining 3 years.  The cost per year will be about 150,000 Kenyan Shillings (about $165/month) for uniform, school fees, transport, room and board.  I will send you an itemized list if you are interested, and all funds can be sent directly to his school avoiding any complications with taxes or thoughts of misallocation of funds.  The total cost does not have to be carried by just one person -  you can contribute what you can/want and hopefully together there will be enough support to help Carisse out.

If you are interested in helping Carisse, please send an email to lordshouseofhope@gmail.com to be put in contact with David.

A Visit to the Refugee Camp

Taken from an email written by Joe Wilson in September, 2008.

Hello from afar!

Yes, once again the time has come for me to send a little communique to all of you wonderful people that I have the pleasure of knowing back home.  After a great deal of travel to some of the world's most fascinating locations I've now found myself back in a dusty, overcrowded, heavily polluted and 100% McDonald-less corner of the world known as Mother Africa.  It feels so good to be back!

After only being here for a week, I see things so much differently the second time around.  The cultural traditions, the less ambitious pace of life and, most notably, the incredible level of poverty that still exists here - all seems to hit some sort of proverbial "shield of expectation" within me.  Perhaps best compared to the likes of a surgeon who has performed too many unsuccessful ER operations... I feel less affected, on an emotional level, to my surroundings. 

One incredibly strong exception to this has come from what I experienced one day ago, in the city of Nakuru, about 3 hours from Nairobi, Kenya where I'm staying.  About 9 months ago, a corrupt election led to massive violence across the country.  Riots ensued; buildings were burned and ultimately tribal persecution let to genocide.

What remains today in Nakuru is the country's largest refugee camp: over 12,000 people - penny-less families, and what feels like enough orphans to occupy Lambeau Field, all stacked on top of each other in a holding ground that is lacking in every imaginable way.  Living two families per UN donated tent, they receive rations of food once or twice a month, have no electricity, a river of sewage between the tents and one water pump for 12,000 people.  

Even after expecting it, seeing it was hard to take in.

Given the fact that I know many of you want to help the disadvantaged in some sort of way, I've decided to rent a Military Cargo Truck and fill it with as much food as all of your donation dollars can buy.  Whatever you donate in the next two weeks will 100% to toward buying bags of Rice, Flour, Beans, Sugar, Potatoes and other dispensable food for the camp.

Best,

Joe

Joe was able to raise almost $2500 to purchase more than 7 tons of beans, flour, corn, greens and rice for the refugees at the camp.  Go here to see a video of the food distribution.

Purchasing Land

The following is from an email sent by Joe Wilson in September 2008.

Hello everyone...

I wanted to take some time to update all interested parties on what is taking place with the progression of The Lord's House of Hope over here in Kenya.

...My current goal is to find 2 plots of land (1/2 acre) for 1.4 to 1.4 million Kenyan shillings (around $20K).    Each passing day, however, is proving that this may be very difficult to accomplish.  On an additional note, the corruption here leads from the common scam artists all the way up to government within the Ministry of Lands.  the possession of a "Title Deed" here doesn't carry the same piece of mind that it does at home.  Just this morning, after speaking with multiple contacts, I bailed out on an offer that at home in the US would have appeared to be "iron-clad."

Now for some good news regarding our budget: construction costs (mainly labor) are much cheaper here than in the US!  As an example, I met with George, the head of the host family that I stayed with in 2006.  He shared with me the blueprints and cost breakdown for his 4-story, 8-unit residential apartment building that is currently being built in his backyard.  The total cost of land improvements was just over a mere $100K!  This is very encouraging!

George is going to be working with me to make contacts in Kenya so that we can hopefully work with these individuals overseas to have all pre-ground breaking requirements satisfied prior to our groups arrival in the summer of 2009...

...And with that, I will come to a close.  Thank you again to all who are taking the time out of their busy schedules to work through what can only be described as the lower rings in this project's upcoming ascent to greatness.  I appreciate so much the opportunity.  Being here is like an injection of inspiration, remind me of what it feels like to stand up for those who don't yet have a voice in this world.

Best,

Joe Wilson

Joe eventually purchased 1/2 acre of land for Lord's House of Hope in Waithaka, Kenya, just 10 minutes away from the capital city of Nairobi.  A photograph of the site of The Lord's House of Hope - all of the green grass and open air is a far cry from life in the slums!

Karibu!

Welcome to the blog for The Lord's House of Hope, an orphanage being built in Waithaka, Kenya.  The Lord's House of Hope will provide a loving home to over 40 Kenyan slum and refugee orphans.  Thank you for visiting and please check back often for updates on construction, ways to help this cause and volunteer opportunities in Kenya.

Asante!