Beccky updates on fundraising for St Stephens orphanage

Becky continues her efforts to raise funds for St. Stephens orphanage in Nakuru in Kenya. Becky and Ben Lock are former volunteers who went away with Changing Worlds last year. Becky writes via Facebook:
Hi David,
hope you are well.
Things are going well with fundrasing now.
Myself, Ben Lock and a few friends and family completed the London-Brighton cycle on sunday, it was good but very tough.
Once i have collected my sponsorship from that as well as another event at church i should have around £1000 which is my target to have by july when i go back to kenya for 4 weeks.
I also know that some of the others have had/ have coming up fundraising events for the orphanage and Zoe's Nakuru workers feeding programme.
The only concern that many of us still have with the orphanage is the issue of running it. We dont want to put a few more thousand into the building if there are going to be no children living there but we definitely dont want to waste the money already gone into it.
It is difficult to communicate with Karanja about this because he is so busy do you know any more about this issue?
In addition to this i am in the process of setting up a link between my mums school in worthing and Kiamaina. I did 2 assemblies there yesterday and hopefully the children are going to write letters and raise a bit of money.
Becky
We wish Becky continued good luck with her fundraising. If you feel you would like to mkae a donation, however small, it would be appreciated. Let me know via e-mail to:
david@changingworlds.co.uk

Zoe is jumping from a plane for Kenyan kids!

Zoe Kelland is fund raising for the children at Nakuru Workers. Zoe worked as a volunteer for six months at the school and identified a very important issue.

Zoe writes via Facebook:
Hello!
In May or June I will be skydiving from a plane somewhere above Nottingham and hoping to dear God that I don't just plummet into a tree.
I am doing this for the school in Kenya that I spent 6 months teaching at last year. 70 children at the school only eat one meal a day and I don't think this is fair.

ALL money raised from my skydive will pay for free lunches for these children.

• 25p pays for one child's lunch.
• £15 will feed a child for a term.
• £45 will feed a child for a YEAR.

The kids are the friendliest, loveliest, most hard working people you could ever meet, and they deserve better than one meal per day. The kids who don't eat enough cannot concentrate at school and achieve so much less than they could if fed properly.
Please help them have a fair chance at doing well in school and achieving a better future for themselves.
If you could donate anything you can I, and the children in Kenya, would appreciate that so much. Just the amount we'd spend on a night out makes so much difference. To donate go to http://www.justgiving.com/Zoe-Kelland

Thank you so much :) Zoe xxx

I hope you feel you can make a donation towards Zoe's fundraising efforts. A donation, however small, will be well received.

Zoe is aiming to get UK£1 000 for the children at the school through her sky diving.

Changing Worlds has played our small part by donating UK£45 to the cause - I hope you can too!

I will keep you updated with Zoe's fundraising efforts.

Livvy completes the London Marathon and raises funds for the children in Kenya

Huge congratulations to Livvy Partington for successfully completing the gruelling London Marathon last week.

Livvy writes via Facebook:
Hope you are well, I did the marathon on Sunday and I have got £1000 for the orhanage from it so hopefully with all our fundraising we'll be able to get it off the ground this year! Speak soon, Livvy'

Livvy, a former Rugby School student, went to Nakuru last summer with Changing Worlds. She spent three months working in an orphanage for street children.

Such is the impact these kids had on her life Livvy is determined to not only give her own time but to continue to work for their benefit.

Well done Livvy!

Iwan and Gareth are putting in the new goal posts

You may recall in a previous mail some weeks ago that Iwan and Gareth, two of our volunteers in Nakuru in Kenya, were busying them selves putting in goal posts at one of our orphanages.

I asked for a photo of them in action and here it is:

Iwan, in his Changing Worlds t-shirt, digging!

Can't wait to see the finished product!

Richard asks for help - starting a pen pal scheme!

Richard went to Kenya in September 2008 with Changing Worlds and did some volunteering. He has since this time returned and clearly is keen to keep links with this East African country.

(This is Rich in Kenya!)

He asks for help from our present volunteers based in Nakuru in Kenya. He writes:
Hello,

'I have been talking to David Gill, I am a past volunteer for Changing Worlds and spent my gap year in Kenya aswell. I was a volunteer at Kagoto Primary school and St. Stephens orphanage. I worked there throughout my time in Kenya and since returning home have decided to set up a pen pal scheme between any of the children you are working with in Kenya and children I work with here.

The children and Young people I work with in the UK are all Looked after and in Foster Care of some form. They have all wrote letters, which I will be sending out to Karanja this weekend again as I have a feeling they may have got lost in the post last time I sent them.

I have attached a letter from myself to those letters with a return envelope in with my business address on. I would really appreciate it if one of you does not mind using the letters and getting the Kenyan children to reply to a specific young person and co-ordinate the returns for me.

One other thing, would anyone of you mind writing a letter that gives the YP an idea of what you are doing in Kenya and what life is like? Could you please post it to Richard Hartley, Access Service, East Durham Education Centre, York Road, Peterlee, SR8 2DP, UK as soon as possible please?

I know that’s a lot to ask as I don't even know any of you, but I am really keen to set up a penpal scheme that will enable children on both sides the chance to learn about another culture. I also know that the Kenyan children are forever interested in talking to people from England.

Whoever is interested in doing this or does not mind, could you please reply directly to this email to let me know?

I will ensure all costs are covered so that you do not incur a penny!

I really do appreciate any help you can offer me, please send on my regards to the family/ children and Karanja.

Thanks,

Richard'


Richard is presently work with disadvantaged children in his home town of Durham in the North East of England.


I await a response from our volunteers - what an exciting projects for all those children wherever they are in the World.


Carry on the good work Rich - help make the World a better place!

News Update - read the February 2010 Changing Worlds newsletter

Find out about our exciting new developments at Changing Worlds.

News updates include our new martial arts programme in China and a video of a Great White shark off South Africa.

Find out more at:
http://www.changingworlds.co.uk/Home.aspx?vurl=%2f%2fRoot%2fContent%2fNewsletterFebruary2010

Enjoy!

Iwan and Gareth get working on the soccer field

Iwan and Gareth are clearly working hard in Nakuru in Central Kenya. They are working at a school.

Iwan writes:
Hello David!!!!
Placements are going really well! Gareth and I are buliding goals in pistis this week. We dug the holes on Tuesday and are going to cement and put the posts in tomorrow! weather is a bit iffy at times.
We were wondering last night if there are going to be any new mzungu's joining us in a few months?
All is well apart from that.
(Note: Mzungus = Europeans)

I have had asked for photos taken before and after - I await a response.

Ethical Volunteering Overseas

An advertisement for financial assistance has appeared in the Society Guardian section of the The Guardian newspaper on Tuesday 03 February 2010.

The advert writes:
ETHICAL VOLUNTEERING OVERSEAS
£500 bursaries now available!
ICYE is an international volunteering charity organising placements across the World. Two £500 different bursaries are offered. One is towards the programme fee for a voluntary placement to Latin America and the other will go to a placement in Africa.
Placements must begin on or before 21 June 2010 and last for a minimum of eight weeks.
Application deadline: Monday 08 March 2010
Contact short-term@icye.org.uk or call 0207 681 0983

Claire has success with her fundraising

Claire is off to Kenya shortly. She is going to do some teaching and orphanage work in Nakuru. Claire has worked very hard at her fund raising and writes:
Hi David,
I just thought i would send you a little email to keep you updated on my fundraising. Yesterday morning i held a coffee morning at my church with a raffle and cake sale and raised over £500!!

So thankyou very much for the promotional material you sent me a few weeks ago.

Hope all is well, see you on the 26th/27th!

Many Thanks, Claire Stevens

Well done Claire.

If you are after some help and advice about fund raising then do let me know. Drop me a line to david@changingworlds.co.uk and I will reply with lots of useful ideas.

Abby's Christmas plans in Kenya

This is what Abby is doing for Christmas - certainly different!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TOOOO!!!!

thanks so much for everything, got so much to do before i leave.

Will just let you know what we have been up to, we did a huge street feed for 100 boys 2 days ago, we are taking cookies and presents to all the orphanages we know, we redecorated an orphanage a few weeks ago and we babys at 4 orphans for the night from a lady named sherry who has her own orphanage/rescue home, we plan on taking food to the mums and children on ward 6 on christmas eve too!

xxxxxxxxxx

Carry on the good work Abby and have a wonderful Xmas!

Emma reports from Kenya

Emma has just reported back from Nakuru in Kenya. She sounds like she is very busy. Emma and the others left the UK in mid September. Emma writes:
Hi David!
Just thought i would give you a quick email to let you know how things are going in Kenya!

Everything is going well, so far i have been working at the local hospital in Nakuru (PGH). So far we have visited the abandoned baby ward, pediatrics, maternity, new born baby ward, psychiatric and even theater! I feel it has given me a good insight into medical work and has helped me a lot with medical experiance when i train to be a nurse in 2010.

I have also been working at Workers primary school. I teach Standard 3 Zambia and they are all very nice! My class has 65 students in it and i was very scared when i first went in the classroom and saw loads of little faces looking at me but its going well. I have set up a penpal routine with my local school in England. My class have just sent their letters of so we should recieve letters back from England soon which is very exciting!

ALso since we have been here we have started to paint bedrooms in an orphanage. By ofchance we met a nun called Felistas who is running a childrens orphanage on the outskirts of Nakuru, she has just built and refurbished the orphanage but has run out of money to paint. So we decided to buy it for her and then go and paint it. So far we have completed one room and are yet to complete the other! Its a very bright yellow, the children loved it!

Also Helen, Abbie and myself met an American lady called Sherry. She married a Kenyan man and is know living in Nakuru and has been on and of for 16 years. At her home she has taken in eleven orphans, 6 babies aged from about 0-3 years and 5 teenage girls aged 10-15 one of which being HIV positive. I have been visiting the orphange about 2-3 times a week just giving her a hand and helping her out when she needs it! as you can imagine its quite a hand full to look after eleven children!

As for travelling we have also done quite alot since we have been here. We've visited the giraffe sancutary in Nairobi, elephant orphanage in Nairobi, Carnivore!, Lake Naivasha, Lake Nakuru, Climbed Menengai Crater (second biggest crater in the world!), been to the Maasai Mara!, Hells Gate, Thomson Falls, we visited Karanja's parents in Kinangob recently which was beautiful as its up in the mountains and we have evem been horse riding! But we have so much more to do. My favortie place to visit so far was most probably Thomson falls it was so beautiful! Me, Abbie and Helen are staying with Karanja, Mary and Vanessa! We love it!

Everybody here in Kenya is so lovely and I am having an Amazing time!

Thankyou so much for all your help in planning this for us!

Many thanks
Emma Price
I love the pen pal idea with her local school.

Helen reports back from Nakuru, Kenya on her medical placement

I asked Helen to send me a report of her medical placement in Nakuru in Central Kenya. She writes:

The Medical Placement

The medical placement out here in Kenya has been enjoyable whilst very educational and eye-opening!
Every day we go into the local public hospital and first go to ward six, which is for children aged less than two years old. Here we spend an hour or so washing, weighing, dressing and feeding the abandoned babies. The work we do here is so appreciated as the nurses on this ward are so busy that often the babies go 24hours without being changed or fed.

Unfortunately this work can be tough though as these abandoned babies are mostly neglected of their medical needs, and consequently we have already had two babies die in the last six weeks. However this has not been a deterrent for working in this ward- instead this has motivated us to get up early every morning just so we can care for them!
Then after ward six we have been rotating to different parts of the hospital. The first week we spent in the nursery where there are about 30 babies crammed into a tiny (and really hot) room. These babies all need to be washed, weighed and fed which can be very time-consuming! One of these babies is the son of a woman on the psychiatric ward so this placement also gave us the opportunity to visit there; an experience that is like nothing ever experienced before!

The second week we spent in the maternity watching live births! We then spent a week in theatre where we saw a range of operations such as a gall bladder removal, hip replacements, caesarian sections, bone reconstructions, appendix removals etc… The surgeons were all very accommodating and even let us assist with minor things such as cleaning the area to be operated on.
Other weeks we have spent in orthopaedics, paediatrics (for children over two years old) and the voluntary counseling centre for people with HIV and AIDS. For the remainder of our placement we will be continuing our rotations to other wards such as ICU, gynaecology, the laboratory, the pharmacy, female/male wards and so on…

The medical placement so far has been a truly pleasurable experience that has taught us all about a life in the caring profession. There has been a good mix of practical work and observation time, whilst still allowing us the option to do other placements such as teaching and orphanage work. I speak for the three of us here doing the medical placement when I say that it is a rewarding and challenging experience here in the hospital and definitely not one to be missed!!

By Helen Thomson
Changing Worlds September 2009-January 2010

Thanks Helen. I hope this will inspire more medics to jump on board!

Claire has success with her fundraising

Claire is off to Kenya in January 2010. She has been busy raising money for her trip.

Claire writes:
Hi David, I just thought i would send you a little email to keep you updated on my fundraising. Yesterday morning i held a coffee morning at my church with a raffle and cake sale and raised over £500!!

So thankyou very much for the promotional material you sent me a few weeks ago.

Hope all is well, see you on the 26th/27th!

Many Thanks,
Claire Stevens'
Well done Claire....fund raising in these difficult economic times is never easy so your news is very exciting. I know Claire worked hard to put together this event.

Changing Worlds is happy to help where we can. We have a fund raising pack that includes a letter template, background information and relevant websites that we know are successful. Do contact me at: david@changingworlds.co.uk for more details. Equally do contact Claire via clairestevens_577@hotmail.com for her thoughts.

Do be aware that Changing Worlds does offer bursaries to people who need financial assistance - we take each applicaion on its own merits so there is no harm in finding out more.

Do look at http://www.changingworlds.co.uk/default.aspx?qlink=bursaries

Amy says thanks.

Amy Gallagher recently returned back from Kenya with this lovely message of thanks:
Hi David, How are you and how are the new Kenya crew doing? Not long till they go now :) I just wanted to thank you, as never got round to it before and feel bad about that. I just wanted to thank you for the oppurtunity to go to Kenya. I have to honestly say it was the best experience of my life and will never forget it.

Karanja and Mary were both a big help always and were so nice it was like having another family (along with Mrs Maina too of course) :) If you ever need any help with anything, be it interviews or inductions, just let me know because i promise i'd not run out of things to say - in fact maybe's its not the best idea as i may bore them all to death :)

No but seriously, if there is anything i can do to help you, to pay back my thanks, please just let me know. I hope to go back, with many of the others, next year sometime in July just to visit and hopefully we'll raise some more money for both the orphanage and school, so promise that we will keep you updated.

Baraka was such an amazing placement and absolutly loved volunteers coming over. They took ellen leaving early in good peace and welcomed Ben with open arms on a thursday when he didnt have any lessons at his own school. The teachers were so friendly and i hope that, if there aren't volunteers going this time, that you will seriously consider them for next year because they really are a great school :)

I wish you all the best and as am hoping to take another gap year after uni (if money allows) :), then i will definetly go with your Gap company. Thank you so much again.Amy G xxx

Thank goes to Amy for all her hard work whilst in Kenya.

Launch of the 1st Changing Worlds Competition

Hello all,

We are delighted to announce the launch of the first ever Changing Worlds Photo of the Month Competition!

We have selected 4 photos that have been sent in by past volunteers that we are now asking the general public to vote on. The winning photo will become the face of Changing Worlds for November including Twitter, Facebook, our monthly newsletter and of course a profile of the winner on here.
Just by voting you will be entered into a free prize draw to win a travel guide of your choice. This could be for a trip you are planning or just to provide you with an insight into a country of interest. We don't go anywhere without one!
All you have to do is follow the following link to view the photos in full size and cast your vote.

http://bit.ly/oB3HV

Rebecca provides a wonderful insight to Kenya

Rebecca went to Kenya with Changing Worlds back in January 2009. She was out there for six months and clearly made a huge impact. rebecca and others worked in an orphanage in the Kenyan town of Nakuru.

Rebecca has set up a blog that just about says it all. Do please access it at:

http://www.nakuruchildren.webs.com/

Enjoy!

A big thanks to Rebecca for her amazing contribution!

Ben wanted to say thanks for his time in Kenya

Ben reported back on the Changing Worlds Facebook group to say:

'Just wanted to say a big thankyou to you for everything you have done. I have had the best 6 months of my life in Kenya and will treasure all the memories forever. And im going back in the summer for a month, which im already looking forward to. I had the best time ever So thankyou for everything.'

We hope Ben returns to Kenya soon...

Nick returns from Kenya and says thanks

Hi David, Firstly i just want to apologise for never replying to this email below.

I never actually saw it and only just found it when i was searching for your email address. But ye sure anything i say in emails you can use for your blog or anyother things as i really want to help karanja get more volontears as i know he really enjoys having us out there. Now im finally at home it has finally sunk in that i have left and may not see some of the friends or kids that i met again although i do plan to return next year.

It really was the best six months of my life and i have no regrets about any of it. You meet some amazing friends, the kids provide you with such entertainment and karanja and his extended family really are some of the nicest people i have ever met. I think it is fair to say that i got to know karanja, mary and john better then many of the other volontears and i can say that putting the kids aside they are the people i miss the most. The numerous nights out i had beating karanja and john at pool really were some of most fun and relaxing ways to spend the evenings and i can never remember a bad night with them. They are all now good friends and i really cant wait to see them again.

As for the placements, although i have to be honest at times they can make you sad or challenge you, especially when a child tells you about a problem or something similar, they really are all amazing. Naka primary and pistis academy the two places i worked at have provided me with some of the best moments of my life and saving goodbye to them was one of the worst. The kids are all so nice and in a selfish way when you do something nice to does make you feel very happy inside to see their happiness. The other people that made my time such an amazing expierence were my host family. Nancy and her children were alll so welcoming and i find i have made really good friends there (especially with Eustace, the son, and Nywera, the daughter). They all went out of the way to make us feel welcome and happy and i know its often said but very quickly it felt like another home. I really felt very lucky to expeirence an african family and i will definetely keep in touch with them as they are an amazing family.

Finally i just want to thank you. Without the support and planning of all of the staff in the Uk none of this could have been possible. Maybe my view is slightly biast because of karanja but i can honestly say i dont think there would be a better gap year company then changing worlds. I am trully thankfull for all you guys did making this possible and there is anything i can do in the future(talks or whatever) please let me know as i would be more than happy to help. Please also pass on my thanks to Shirley and everyone else involved.

Thanks again Nick

The Lake Victoria Sunset Birders need some help

A good friend and colleague at Lake Victoria Sunset Birders (LSVB) based in Kisumu in western Kenya has recently been in touch.
He writes:
Dear David,
Hope this finds you ok.
Has been long, thought you'll be in Kenya sometime early this year so you could pay us a visit in vain.
I have attached a few pictures to help you understand some of our new approaches to conservation in the lake victoria region so you could help.
EcoSanitation Concept
this is an approach we are ussing to prevent the alarming pollution levels in Dunga swamp through human waste and the croping up of more farmlands.
EcoSan toilets-as they are popularly called are toilet units which are constructed purposely in areas around Dunga where loose soil cannot allow for sinking of pit latrines thus causing major pollution problems in the wetland. the waste here is disinfected using ash and then used as manure on kitchen gardens (another new concept in the area).through these two ideas, we are managing to pull people out of creating large farms in the wetland at the same time curbing the pollution thus protecting the bird area.one family has completely stopped farming in the wetland through this project.
This is a project that was supported by Friends of Lake Victoria (OSIENALA), a local NGO which is an LVSB partner.

A Communication Media for Schools near Dunga swamp
we have also started an environmental magazine for 10 schools around Kisumu town through which we hope schools will start networking to advocate for environmental conservation in the town thus involving young people in the town in environmental conservation.
OUR REQUEST
we currently are in need of partnerships that can help sustain these programs.this could be not only in terms of finances but most importantly linkages that would provide avenues for knowledge and experience sharing.
If you have any knowledge of small groups in the UK or elsewhere that might have not necessarily similar projects but have related interests and any donor interested in supporting such programs would you link us up or sent us contacts so we see what we can do.
we also believe this new approach will inspire more young people to join LVSB initiatives thus promoting conservation in the region.we have seen what experience sharing through exchange programs can do to conservation through young people that is why we are trying to expand this so that those who come behind us experience what we did to bring LVSB to this level.Hope to hear from you.Thanks. more about LVSB on our website at http://www.lakevictoriasunsetbirders.org/.

As you can read LVSB are doing some very valuable and worhwile conservation work in this reion of Kenya. This is not the 'big game' conservation that demands most of the headlines here in the West but grass roots stuff.
If you feel you would like to contribute in any small way then do let me know. Drop me a line to david@changingworlds.co.uk. I am particularly interested in finding help for the schools project - this really would be a great volunteer experience for the right type of person.

Matt and Kelly buy mattresses for the children

Kelly and Matt, out in Nakuru in Kenya last year, discovered that the children in the orphanage slept three to a bed! They also discovered that the children slept on the wooden slats...they decided that something needed to be done... They contacted their local church group in their home town of Colchester, UK who kindly made a donation for mattresses. This is the story of what happened next!

Thanks to Matt, Kelly, Nyree and Becky for all their hard work.