Dear mentors and supporters,
Greetings from the girls, their families and the PCE Foundation community! We’d like to update you with our latest news and to thank you for your kind support.
End of Term One, Beginning of Term Two
Most of the girls are getting their holidays on the 18th of April (this weekend). The ones in Senior 4 and 6 will remain to study for more two weeks before they break off – this is because the schools want to complete the syllabi for the candidate classes a few months before they sit for national examinations. We have been required to pay extra money for the recess period, but we are not requesting extra support and plan to meet this need locally. All the girls will be issued school report cards. Mentors, if you are interested in receiving a scanned copy of your mentee’s report card, please let me know by May 1.
The second term resumes on the 10th of May and will run through August. Mentors, we would appreciate it if you could wire the funds for this term any time between now and May 15th, for those of you who send the funds per term.
The 14 mentees who are joining the colleges/Universities will begin to apply next week. They will know their application status by June and report to the respective institutions by late August of this year. Their progress is a testament to the success of this program and to the incredible value of your support.
Farming and Agriculture
We have entered the rainy season – the parents and guardians of these mentees and the rest of the community get so excited at such a time because they get back to their gardening work after close to three months of heat and drought. These long dry periods result in many families going hungry because there is nothing to harvest and little in reserve.
Should anyone wish to donate seeds (maize/corn, tomatoes, cabbage, sukumawiki or beans) or pineapple or passion fruit seedlings to the families, you can send funds designated specifically for this purpose in any amount, along with the second term school funds, and we will ensure they are utilized for the purchase of seeds/seedlings.
During the holidays, the mentees will embark on planting the mango seedlings. Every mentee is to plant between 50 and 100 seedlings, which will be a stepping stone towards the independence of every supported household.
Our vision is to empower communities to be self-sufficient and take charge of their own development. Toward this end, we are trying to help the members of the community embrace every opportunity to establish a more stable foundation for sustainably feeding and educating their families. In time, we would like to see families fully and passionately support and finance the education of their children. In the interim, we ask that you please continue to support us as we work to make that transition from dependency to independence.
The Community Library and Meeting Hall Construction
The Community Library and Meeting Hall construction campaign is still ongoing. This funding-raising program was initiated and is being managed by one of our mentors in Sweden – Joana Dias. Please help us reach the goal by donating any amount of money you can afford to – even small donations will help us reach our goal. You can donate here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/a-library-to-lift-up-a-community. You can also help by sharing with others who might be interested in donating.
Portland Nursery and Primary School
In 2012, the community members of Amor village with young children ages 3 to 14 initiated the start of the first and only school in Amor village – a Nursery and Primary School. They too are currently engaged in erecting a building to house the school, which currently meets outside. One kind, anonymous donor purchased 165 bags of cement that took the building from the foundation level to the roofing level. She is unable to finance the roofing, however. They need $5,607 USD to finish the building. This includes buying the iron sheets, timbers, nails, plastering/cement, sand, twisted wires, paints and labor. Should you know anyone or any group of people be willing to support the roofing of the Portland Nursery and Primary School Amor, please drop me an email.
Additionally, this school is also a way of creating employment for the girls and the community.
Several Girls Still Looking for Mentors
On the same note, we still have several deserving girls currently without mentors or sponsors. If you know anyone who might be interested in providing either partial or full support towards their education, please let me know. You can find additional information about them at our Applicants Page.
We also thank you who give extra support to help ease our administrative financial burden throughout the year. May everything you are passionate about, all your work, your health and that of your family come to life and bring you so much joy and peace!
Once again, we appreciate your continued support. May the works of your hands be blessed in every way! Wishing you a fruitful week!
Kind regards,
Beatrice Achieng Nas, Founder & Executive Director