WINGS OF MERCY CHRISTMAS NEWS!!AND OTHER NEWS

• The past few months have been busy ones for Wings of Mercy.A lot of  things  have happened in terms of program, project activities and the on going support for the orphan and vulnerable children.The Neema lands Kings and Queens’s orphanage children are doing well with skills training which was passed on to them by Wings of Mercy, through Christine. They have now been able to make bracelets and necklaces using beads .With time we hope to make this skills training into a big and viable project where the children’s handiwork can be sold to raise money to support the orphanage. Recently during the Christmas season, Christine and Roger, visited the orphanage and gave gifts of teddy bears to the children, they were so delighted. The orphanage has about 40 children and it has the following needs;- requires more beds, need for a proper feeding program, clothes, shoes, school books and other writing materials, and funds to help pay workers and support with the day to day management of the orphanage.
             
                                                                                       
       1) The bracelets- a closer view 2) orphan girl displays her finished  bracelettine with the Orphans.3) The display of bracelets made by the Orphans. 4) Christine and the Orphans

                                

The children receive the                  A group photo with the Orphans

Toys and Teddy bears               

A Gift of football Jersey’s from Rookwood School- Andover-     England
It was Monday the 22nd of December 2008, when I received a call on my cell phone, at first I thought it was my friend and counterpart Debbie in the UK, making one of those surprise calls! only to realize it was a Mrs Scot from Andover in England. I had a busy schedule that day, I was visiting a number of orphans, taking some gifts and presents to them, and that afternoon I was to crown it all with a visit to Neema land Kings and Queens Orphanage. More than a year ago I had visited England with my wife Christine, and we happened to tour various cities, seeking to raise funds and create awareness about Wings of Mercies activities, it was therefore a working holiday for us. During one of those visits, we were invited to speak to children in a private school in Andover- Known as Rook wood school. We got an opportunity to give a talk to one particular class about our work, and also sold some African crafts, etc which we had carried to raise funds. Little did we know that this short visit would leave an indelible mark, in the lives Mrs Scott a Teacher at Rook wood, the husband Mr Scott and their two lovely children Daniel and Georgia (Hope I have spelt her name correctly!).They looked forward to coming for a trip in Africa. Someday, and they felt that the trip would afford them an opportunity to connect with Africa and hence; Wings of Mercy .Mrs Scott was calling to tell me that she was in Nairobi- Kenya, and if I could, would I make an effort to come and see them where they were putting up in a camp in Karen. If you have been in Nairobi in recent Months, you will agree with me traffic, is a real pain and this is something we have to contend with on a day to day basis. I did not want to disappoint this lovely family and thank God I didn’t ! They had brought with them a few football jerseys from Rook wood school, which they wanted Wings of Mercy to donate to some children in one of our schools. In so doing, the jerseys would act as a point of contact and the start of a new relationship with the Rookwood School in England. I was really touched by their very kind gesture. Am sure the few lucky children who receive these football jerseys will be so delighted to put them on. We did exchange some few pleasantries, took some photos together, and bade each other goodbyes. We are hoping that on their return from their Africa trip, there will be further strengthening of ties between Rook wood school and Wings of Mercy which we hope, will bring a very positive impact to the children In England and  much more so the children in Kenya as well.

                                      
         Georgia, Roger and Daniel            Roger and the scotts family

Christmas Party and Prize Giving day – Blue Sky Academy
Blue sky Academy a school situated in a slum known as Maasai village, where many Maasai herdsmen live; held the end of the year Christmas party which was partly sponsored by Wings of Mercy. This was to celebrate the achievements made so far within the year, and also to recognize the efforts of the children, teachers, parents and the school administration for a job well done. Over the past year Wings of Mercy has helped construct a classroom, buy a water tank for the school, begin a chicken project, make a security gate, and at present is planning to donate a number of desks to the school. However the school still has need of additional classes, as the pupils graduate to the next level. With the support of Wings of Mercy, the school has grown from a mere 30 pupil population to over a 100 strong! in a record one year!. The event was quite colourful, as the children recited poems, sang songs and danced together with their teachers. Those who were graduating to the next class, were dressed in gowns and a lovely headgear to match!. A graduand for each class. The parents and teachers were then served with snacks and soft drinks; there were nearly a hundred parents in attendance. The children were then awarded in terms of performance, character and smartness.

       

 

New Light Academy Trip to Wilson Airport and Bomas of Kenya
New light Academy, another of our schools located in the slums of Mukuru, had a trip organized for them by Wings of Mercy which took them on a tour, to one of the busiest airports in East and Central Africa i.e. The Wilson Airport. They also had an opportunity to visit the famed Bomas of Kenya where they had a moment of pleasure; sampling, and feasting their eyes on breathtaking performances by the Bomas Artists.They did really enjoy watching the exotic cultures of Kenya’s tribes, exhibited in Song, drama and Dance. It was a real thrill and  an unforgettable experience for these slum children. It is a trip, which forever will be etched in the minds of these children and their teachers. It’s something which they have desired and dreamt of – but this time, they were actually experiencing it!. We had to hire a Mini bus to be able to carry the nearly 70 pupils and Teachers. Wings of Mercy, looks forward to the time when they will have their own Bus  to be taking these children to these wonderful trips. These trips are so important to the children, as they help to open them up to a world of possibilities, making them realize that they can break out of their limitations, and out of the slum environments and live a better life, helping the children believe in themselves and building self confidence, is key to developing success stories out of them.
At the Airport, the children had a rare encounter of seeing the vice president of the country board a chopper, with two other cabinet ministers, as he waved to them.

               

      

      

Wings of Mercy puts a smile on poor families and orphaned children during the Christmas season

       

 

Other Highlights and Events of the past year 2008  

 

The year 2008 was a very difficult year for Kenya as a country, as it went through a period of turmoil as a result of a flawed election. Due to what I would call Divine intervention and the prayers and support of our friends within the international community, Kenya was able to survive this terrible experience and come out the political and economic quagmire it was sinking into. Things are back to normal, however, their was unprecedented increase in cost of living , as a result of the post election violence i.e. in  terms  a rise in food and commodity prices, which made life very unbearable for most of poor families and those living in the slums. You may not be aware of this fact that about 70% of Nairobi Residents Reside in the slums and that poverty levels are past the 60%mark in the country.   

The worst affected areas that experienced  a lot of may hem, wanton destruction of property, deaths were the slums, and during such moments, women and children were the hardest hit.Kibera slums, where we have  a school that benefits from our support, was the hot bed   of the violence and suffered the brunt of  this carnage. We thank God the school was spared, nevertheless any children and families were affected with many internally displaced to this date. Wings  of  Mercy was able partner with a Churches and the Red Cross  to organize visits to these camps ,where there was  distribution of food, clothes, soap and toiletries, sanitary pads etc.             

 Events in Pictures

 

   

                             

                              

 

                      

               

 

 News by Roger Molera

 Wings of Mercy

                 

                            

                                                                                                              

                                                        

                                  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

 

                            

                                                                           

                                           

VISIT TO NEEMALAND QUEENS AND KINGS ORPHANAGE AND A TRANSFORMATION STORY.

I would like to share two experiences intertwined that have made me realise how small things do make a difference in people’s lives especially lives that have been ravaged by certain situations which make people feel desperate and hopeless.

When Roger and I visited England in July last year, at the invitation of Roger and Debbie Perkins the Wings of Mercy representatives in the UK, we did have an opportunity to  pay John and Mary Home a visit  in Coventry. They had earlier shared with us about a young lady they met in Kenya and mentioned about wanting to assist her daughter through Wings of Mercy.

 

I(Christine) met Rose Ouma and her beautiful daughter Yvonne when John and Mary visited us in March this year. Rose is a beautiful young woman and a single mother who has gone through challenging moments in her life. When John and Mary met her working at some hotel, Rose was a sad and downcast girl who was going through the challenges of life with a young daughter to take care of. She lost her job soon after, some hotel room keys were missing and the manager put the blame on her-she was fired and  the future looked very bleak.

John and Mary decided to support her by sponsoring Yvonne to go to school through Wings of Mercy. During the March visit, Mary brought some Cross Stitch book and materials for Rose to encourage her to do some work that she could sell. She is currently doing some casual job whose future is not assured.

 

During John and Mary’s second visit this August, we linked up with Rose and Yvonne again. They were a happy lot and Yvonne had started opening up never leaving Mary’s side. Rose had produced wonderful cross stitch pieces from the materials that Mary had given her considering that she had never done cross stitch before and trained herself from the books Mary gave her. I was impressed. I thought and shared with Mary that I would like to teach Rose to also make bead jewellery. I invited her to the house one Saturday and we began our project. She was a very fast learner and I could see the eagerness in her face to see the end product.

 

On 13^th September, I invited Rose and Yvonne to visit Neemaland Kings and Queens Orphanage. I had earlier visited this orphanage run by a born again Christian woman called Grace Omundi who was once a destitute woman who had been rejected and thrown out with her 3 children by her family. She has 45 orphans that have all different backgrounds and stories of their lives but all orphaned or abandoned by their families for various reasons. Grace shared her desire to see the children taught some skills apart from among other things that they needed. They had various needs including teachers, books beds, bedding, clothes, shoes, and desks among various needs. I prayed about it and contacted Grace and shared with her that I would like to teach the children to make bead jewellery, knitted and crocheted items start with. She was excited and we set the dates to begin.

 

I met Rose and Yvonne in the City to embark on our journey to the Children’s orphanage. Yvonne was very excited and never left my side. She talked and it was amazing how she has opened up and she held my hand tightly as we shared all the way to the children’s home.

We purchased our beads, tapestry canvas, beading needles and thread. Rose was wearing a very simple and beautiful bracelet that she had made. She also had made a very beautiful necklace. It is just amazing.

 

When we got to the orphanage, the children were very eager to learn. We dealt with the older children. We did not have working surfaces so we used the floor and some papers to put the beads for each child. The pattern we began seemed complicated for the children, so Rose taught a simple pattern. Yvonne was not left behind. She made new friends and was busy with the other children having fun. She also wanted to help in every way. She helped with the thread, wanting to distribute the beads and be useful. I taught the boys to make a mat out of the tapestry canvas. You should have seen the smiles on their faces and the girls excitedly gathering around Rose and calling her, “teacher, teacher, come and see”

We will be going back on 20^th, Rose, Yvonne and I to make a difference…

We look forward to the children completing their first project. I intend to have tags showing who made the necklace and allow the children to sell their items. We took some of the donated knitting needles to the orphanage to encourage them to learn how to knit.

 

Rose is transformed and is making a difference by sharing what she has within her with the orphans. Just like the flower that she is named after, her beautiful petals are blossoming and opening up each day giving a beautiful fragrance of potential and talent that was hidden within- marred by circumstances. She intends to teach them how to cross stitch as we continue learning new beading, knitting, crocheting and cross stitch patterns. It all began by John and Mary picking this starfish along the beach and throwing it back in the sea to give it a second chance and a new lease of life.

 

Last but not least, I would like to thank the entire St. James congregation, John and Mary’s friends that have continually supported Wings of Mercy through their donations in kind and money to make a difference. God bless you very richly. The children are very grateful for the knitting needles and crotchet. They promise to make good use of them as they develop their talents and skills. Thank you so much for the needles, threads, and materials that you have given. THE LORD BLESS THEE AND KEEP THEE AND MAY THE LORD MAKE HIS FACE TO SHINE UPON THEE..

John and Mary Home of Bees Abroad visit with their Grandaughter Becky

The recent successful visit to Kenya by John and Mary Home of Bees Abroad UK, was not without its usual share of challenges, interesting episodes and experiences that anyone coming to Africa usually meets especially when you are visting Kenya. The  Homes’ can  tell you their part of the story! But just to mention one case in point- there was a 

visit to the welding and carpentry workshop

john and mary cutting the tape

john and mary with a sponsored child

“sprint record “ broken by none other than Roger the Wings of Mercy –Founder, as he dashed past Mary! to Evade a bee Sting!, as John in protective gear,carefully and comfortably instructed John and Job,on the art of harvesting honey.You could see the bees were at home with John as he expertly succeeded in  harvesting some honey without stirring too much fury from the African bees!. Mary was standing some safe distance away with an umbrella to shield her from the hot African sun.I presume she also  used the umbrella as a camouflage – as she coolly stood still, as the bee flew past in hot pursuit! .She understood,bees can sense one who is not at home with them.It was such fun for her to see Roger run, she could not help but laugh her heart out!. Do you know why the bees were in hot pursuit, one  ”culprit”, by the name John one of the beekeepers, had sneaked a comb to his beckoning wife across the fence for her to have just a taste of the honey! The bees came calling…!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had gone with John and Mary, to visit  4  of our new trainees for the expanded work in beekeeping as well as assist the current two beekeepers in the area with protective gear and expert advise from John on bee farming and harvesting of honey.

 

Being a first time visit for their granddaughter was certainly an experience any teenager would wish for or dream about. Becky certainly enjoyed her trip to Kenya, as she accompanied her grandparents on a visit to various projects, that John and Mary and Bees Broad have an interest in. The trip took them around various towns and rural villages of Kenya.Roger and Christine of Wings of Mercy, played host to this wonderful family while they were here in Nairobi.

 

The Homes have recently retired from active service. Rather than spend their time enjoying their retirement benefits and holidaying, they have chosen to give their most valued asset i.e. time, energy, skills and resources to help alleviate poverty in Africa.  

 

Wings of Mercy, through John and Mary, have partnered with Bees Abroad, to initiate bee-keeping projects in the surrounding villages, where poverty is rampant. Secondly it is through their efforts that Wings of Mercy Welding and Carpentry project, received an initial donation, which helped buy the first tools to start the Welding and Carpentry Workshop. It should be made worthy of mention that this gift donation was given by Mr Hedley, John’s 96 year old father in-law- Dad to Mary. This gift donation was meant to be his birthday present. Talk of nobility and a heart of Gold, certainly this can be aptly described of Mr Hedley, who the workshop currently has been named in his honour.

 

John and Mary accompanied by their granddaughter also had an opportunity to visit the slums; they were given the onus to open the new Classroom, at Blue Sky. In the words of the Head Teacher Mrs Edna, who wrote a thank you note she said, ” We are touched by your love to us and our school, may God lift you all…!”They later garlanded John and Mary who later cut the tape to officially open the class. The class has been named St James class and it now requires desks, in order to support the growing number of pupils enrolling in the School. We now currently have about 120 children attending school up from 109. The Home’s have also been   instrumental in helping facilitate the funds for the construction of an additional class in partnership with St James Southam and Wings of Mercy -Kenya.

 

 

Wings of Mercy, also does organize visits and tours to various places such as the Giraffe Centre/Sanctuary, (recent visits have been made by Debbie, Nick and Rachael with their sponsored child),the Animal Orphanage, Kazuri the bead place, and the Elephant Orphanage/Sanctuary, the Maasai market and the Bomas of Kenya.Bomas of Kenya for instance is a place,where you have an opportunity to sample the various cultures of Kenya depicted in song and dance, and it also affords you the luxury of seeing the way traditional homes of the various tribes in Kenya look like and the way of life. It is an experience you cannot afford to miss. We are encouraging our visitors, or any other person wanting to go on a Safari or holiday in Kenya, to package their tour through Wings of Mercy, part of the proceeds go towards running Wings of Mercy program activities and projects e.g. providing skills training, feeding program to schools and supporting orphans and vulnerable children in the slums among other related issues.

 

 

Last but not least John,Mary and Becky did also visit,a school in the slums of Kware,where Wings of Mercy,has initiated a tailoring project in partnership with footsteps international – A UK charity.They came to donate tailoring tools and materials,which had been graciously donated,by friends,and members of St James Southam.Wings of Mercy also donated over 20 girls uniforms,to be given to the school.This was a kind donation by Debbie Perkins’ mom,we will be showing in the next news posting,the children wearing those lovely dresses.Wings of Mercy supports some orphaned children in this school known as fair oak school. 

 

Reporting Roger Molera- Wings of Mercy-Kenya

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deworming program-At Blue Sky Academy

It was the first ever deworming program conducted at Blue Sky Academy since its inception.The date was the first of August 2008.It had rained the previous morning,so the whole area was clogged with mud.We thought most likely the exercise would not be as successful as we hoped.However  the parents and children,the pupils at blue sky braved the morning weather conditions of a muddy terrain to come to school for the execise.The School was also closing that day for the second term holidays,so there was a lot of excitement in the air!.At the end of the day,the mothers brought their young ones and the pupils under 5 years of age were given free deworming doses.This is but a sign of things to come,as Wings of Mercy Plans,on organizing such regular programs in the schools they support in the slums.Also in the pipeline when funds and personnel are available ,free medical outreach programs will be conducted using the schools and the churches as centres for this execise.In total we had 106 chidren and pupils receiving deworming treatment.

ADDITIONAL CLASS FOR BLUE SKY

The new class room

blue sky pupils

Wings of mercy has managed to complete an additional classroom, in the slums for Blue Sky Academy-thanks to the wonderful donaton and support from St James Southam-Warwickshire.The community, the teachers and pupils are all  delighted at the new development.This has led to increased pupil enrollment,and this is set to grow further.

There is still a need to construct more additional classes,as the pupils go to the next level and as the school expands.

Debbie Perkin of Wings of Mercy UK Radio Interview

Debbie Perkin, one half of the UK arm of Wings of Mercy was interviewed on http://www.playvybz.com/ an Internet Radio station based in London.

Debbie was interviewed by Talk Show host Esther Austin.Esther is  an Inspirational Speaker, Personal Development Trainer - who also works with Vulnerable Women and Disadvantaged Young People and she is also an Author.To contact her you can use the details below:-
www.emotionsintransit.co.uk
Email: info@emotionsintransit.co.uk

You can hear the last half of the interview here.

www.wings-of-mercy.org/audio.html

Water Tank

It has finaly arrived, after many months of waiting the water tank at Blue Sky school has finally arrived.

It is now filled with water and can provide the children with a clean water supply.

Many thanks to all who contributed to making this happen.

Photos here: http://www.wings-of-mercy.org/images/watertankweb/index.htm

Regards

Roger

Hello world!

Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!