Kenya Photo Essay

Everyday Survival... Life in Kenya 2007

A letter home

Dearest Family and Friends,
More than a year ago, we set sail to the world claiming, “We will go, where ever the wind blows us.” In that year, the wind blew us through Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, India and Kenya. The year has been more than full and we are more than satisfied with our achievements. Our regrets were only when we wanted to do more for people, and for time lost with family and friends who were left at home. We leave Africa in a couple weeks and look forward to some rest and reflective time in Thailand before continuing our volunteer tour.

We look at what we have done knowing that we have sacrificed everything we knew, just to find something different. Has it been worth it? We hope so, but some needs remain unfulfilled when away from home for so long. It is a constant emotional battle to justify the neglect our own family feels, while we are filling the needs of strangers. We ache to see our children, and regret missing an entire year of our grandchild’s life. Our shoulders have been a continent away from our sick and anguishing friends and family. We have had to convey our encouragement for their joys and success over a distant computer and random phone call. We have lost loved ones and grieved alone, feeling the solitude of a big world.
While overextending ourselves in every stretch of the meaning, we have reshaped our values. We are choosing different paths and are coming out with a different outlook on life, love and our pursuit of happiness. We knew this trip would change us, but didn’t know how. We still have another year to endure, and we are taking a hard look at ourselves, while re-evaluating our motives.

You may ask which experiences have changed us the most, or what will be different when we come home? Besides some physical changes, we are more patient and compassionate people. Having conquered giant obstacles, we have gained an immense amount of confidence while looking to the future with uncertainty. Heart wrenching circumstances have made us more sensitive and at the same time, more calloused people. We are more focused even though it appears we are living on the edge. We have gained a new respect and compassion for people of a different knowing while struggling with antipathy for those who won’t help themselves.
We are still growing, learning and don’t know what the meaning of life really is. But we’re having an amazing time trying to figure it out.

I do know that when we had sacrificed the most and gained the least, we learned to look at life differently. First we had to look within to find our strengths, and admit our weaknesses. Then we looked to each other for support and validation; and finally looked to our environment to find a purpose. We found that we gained a first rate education, from third world countries. We have come to understand ourselves by living with, listening to and sharing with people who are vastly different than us. These people have taught us a new meaning of happiness which excludes monetary possessions and instead puts value in everyday relationships.

We have learned to treasure our friends, loved ones and even the common stranger. We all have a role to fill when we come in contact with each other, whether it is at home or in a foreign country. Each of us determines the future of our life when making daily decisions to engage or disengage with people, projects and careers. There are doors opening and paths to choose every minute of the day. Everyone you meet, greet and share yourself with; will change you and your life.

People make the world go around. I challenge you to see your neighbor, coworker, in-law and stranger in a different light. “Your family will love you, your friends will know you, but a stranger will change you.” Explore life, love and the pursuit of YOUR happiness. Each day, each person, each path, will lead to a different destiny.
Challenging our values and motives, meeting new people, and change has been extremely good for us. Don’t be afraid of change. It is just a part of growing into yourself.

We can not express enough, how grateful we are to those who have sent love, strength and encouragement from home. You have been our life-line to survival. When we couldn’t see it, you have renewed our faith to continue on.
We send an extra special thank you to those who saw and fulfilled our vision to help with deserving projects, and responded with your benevolent support.
We will carry your wish to make a difference in this world. It is your Mission Accomplished!
We keep, keepin’ on… in the pursuit of life, love and happiness

Love to each of you every day,
Brian and Brenda

Thank You to All

Thank you for giving these children a chance at survival. Now they will eat, they will be safe at school, they will learn, they will have supervision, they will have clean clothes and a roof over their head during the day. Together we can help reverse the cycle of hunger and poverty.

Thank you to their Sponsors:

Masudi S,Majaliwa, Halima by Katie Evans-Texas USA

Omari & Riziki by Katie Evans-Texas USA

lil Masudi H. by Filippo Testoni-Abruzzi, Italy

Peter & Warda by Crain Martin-Cairns, Australia

Mwinyi by Dorothy Ellis-California, USA

Siti by The Greiner Family-Washington DC, USA

Rehema by Dr. & Mrs. Nancy Fear-Oregon, USA

Bakari and Zahara by The Gage Family-Oregon, USA

Zawadi by Brian and Brenda-Oregon, USA

Omari by Phil Husky- Oregon, USA

Ibrahim and Rama by Mark Brady-Canada

Fatuma Y. by Jeff and Margaret-Oregon, USA

Pauline by Jack and Darlene Sheridan- Oregon, USA

Mwanakombo by Darlene Greiner-Oregon, USA

Thank you Katie Evans- Texas, USA: For Sponsoring Adult Education Soap Making Business and providing classroom materials. Thank you also for donating funds to purchase adult size table and chairs.

Thank you Craig Martin-Cairnes Australia: For funding to put up gutters to harvest rain water, and plant foliage.

SCHOOL SPONSORSHIPS

Hello Friends and Family,
B&B Relief is beginning a Sponsorship Program for the children of Amani School.
If you would like to sponsor one year of education for a child in the village, than we can show you how.

SPONSORSHIPS- For $150 USD this child will receive:
- One Year of School Registration Fees Paid
- Free Lunch is included with school fees
- A Uniform (shorts and top, or a dress)
- School Shoes and Socks
- The necessary curriculum books for his/her class
- A Book Bag/Back Pack
- The remaining aprox. $25 will go to the general school fund to help pay for school supplies for the classroom. (ie: pencils, paper, colors, teachers ect.)

If you would like to sponsor a child, we can accept your donation through B&B Relief bank account. We will remain in Kenya for 6 weeks to be sure 100% of the funds go directly to the child and school. To make this a more personal relationship, we can photograph and relay information about your sponsored child via the internet while we are still here. You can send photos and letters to your sponsored child via mail after we have left. We hope to open the doors connecting them and you to experience another world of understanding and compassion.

HOW TO:
You can make a donation to B&B Relief at any branch of:
Bank name: US Bank
Account Name: B&B Relief
Account Number: 1536 5700 1902

For donations outside of USA (additional information needed)
Name of account holders: Brian Luzader and Brenda Luzader
Mailing address of account holders: 525 NE South Shore rd, Portland OR 97211
Bank Routing number: 123 000 220
Bank address:1445 N Hayden Island drive Portland, OR 97217
Phone: 503-283-9747 bank managers name: Naoki
Fax: 503-275-5494
Please inform us that you have made a donation and which child/children you would like to sponsor and we will continue our correspondence with follow up pictures and information.
(remember: B&B Relief is not a registered non-profit organization. You will not receive a tax benefit from your donation)

The Next Children up for Sponsorship are:

FATUMA - Age 5 (F)

Lucy- Age 4 (F)

Mwanakombo- Age 4 (F)

Progress Report

“All things are made possible with hard work, perseverance, patience and cold Guinness” Proverbs B:B

We are happy to report that the school building project is going great. Two new permanent classrooms are built. Tables, desks and chairs are filling the empty rooms as well as color posters and learning tools. The dining hall/community center and kitchen are still under construction.
Two new latrines are finished and help improve some of the health and sanitation problems that exist in the village. School has resumed with a lunch program that now feeds 50-60 malnourished children and the student enrollment is climbing each week. The school compound sings out children’s laughter, song, dance and continuous play. In the afternoon, the classes fill with adults who are learning to hold a pencil, read & write, take care of their family and practice commerce. A positive air is blowing through the village.

Upon arrival we had assessed the village and its troubles, seeing a huge dysfunctional crisis with unemployed adults, political tensions with conflicting tribes and un-stimulated children living and schooling in dirty and unsanitary conditions.
We vowed to start anew with providing a safe, clean and stable learning environment for the children. Positive motion has now paved the way for unexpected progress. The adult education classes have expanded to 5 days a week including literacy, a small soap making business and English classes that I am teaching. They are all learning to work together through experience, despite their differences in religion, tribe, age, sex and educational background.


We are also excited that our friends Ami and Arden from the US, have just arrived bringing supplies, to offer art classes. For the next 6 weeks, the Amani School Children will have art/crafts incorporated into their curriculum and Art Workshops will be available to the village on Saturdays.


Some of our best news included a visit from the Bouter family in Holland. They have pledged to finance the building supplies to double the construction project and pay for one year of lunch food for the school children. We are now drawing up plans to add more classrooms, and started digging a well on site. We also contacted a local doctor who has agreed to provide free medical treatment to stabilize the school children’s health. It is all fantastic news for the village of Maweni!

However this expensive, demanding, volunteer workload has just doubled for us. (Personally we had visions of starting the New Year on a beach in Thailand, swinging from a hammock trying to remember an easy, stress free, life.) Instead, we have cancelled those plans and decided to extend our stay in Kenya for two more months.
To see…‘The winds of change’ circle through this little piece of the world.

It was not a difficult decision to make, as it has become impossible to deny these people an opportunity to have a hand in brining their country out of poverty. We can not deny people who want and deserve a better life and are willing to work for it. We can not deny people who want and need change. Our sacrifice is minimal to the overall gain in, raising a village.