A Year in Review ~ 2019

As 2019 wraps up, we want to reflect on what we've managed to achieve this year and what we hope for in 2020. 

Before the idea of sayari nyuki was brought to life, Maeve and Zuma had already begun working together on their project Cheti 7. When Zuma first took Maeve to see Cheti 7 in November 2018, it was a blank and empty building. But now, a year on, we have put doors and windows on the school and built a toilet block. We opened the doors to Cheti 7 in January. We are providing an education to 19 children. We have installed 2 water tanks and a guttering system to provide the students with clean and safe drinking water. We plastered and painted the school and have given the students a school uniform and stationary. We provide a teacher with employment and a steady income. It may not seem like much BUT these 19 children now have a safe place to learn about their world and have the prospects of a brighter future. This wasn’t even a possibility one year ago. Thank you to everyone who helped make this happen. 

With the beginning of sayari nyuki in October, we've been able to make real progress on our other projects, specifically supporting the boys orphanage and starting Project Poppy, our girls and women's empowerment project. 

With the support from our donors and fund-raising conducted in the second half of this year, we purchased 200kgs of rice for the boys orphanage, a much needed staple in their diet. To Zuma's great credit, all of the orphans at Cheti went to Tangarie National Park, the home of the tree climbing lion, on Boxing Day as an end of year celebration. We can't wait to be involved in excursions like this in the future!

We have also been able to give three widows in the community a loan of money to assist with them establishing a small business. This is the beginning of Project Poppy. 

With the installation of the water tanks and guttering system at Cheti 7, we have now been able to connect taps at the school and at the local church, so that this rural Maasai community also has access to safe and clean drinking water. This was the initial vision of both Zuma and Maeve's, to connect both the school and the community to a source of water. The importance of water can never be underestimated. 

With that wrap on 2019, we can't wait to see what 2020 brings. Our projects at Cheti Schools and Cheti 7 are already underway, with a new toilet block being built at Cheti 4. Project Poppy is still in it's very early stages, but we can't wait to see it blossom in late 2020. The initial success of the three widows in the community is encouraging and we hope that this can be carried into the building blocks for Project Poppy. 

Thank you so much to all of our supporters and followers. Without you, this wouldn't be possible. To our regular donors, we would not be where we are today without you. Thank you to the Helensburgh and Oak Flats Lions Club's. Thank you to Bulli High School and Glenfield Public School. Thank you to Kids Korner Daycare in Helensburgh.