GREAT NEWS for the COMMUNITY GARDEN PROJECT

Ndandini Village WILL have their volunteer community garden!  Because of the success of the well, the support of all the Rotary clubs in our Matching Grant project, and other donors to date, and the willingness of the Ndandini community to work to help themselves, a very generous donor has stepped forward to fund the majority of the cost of the community garden project.  For this we and the villagers are VERY grateful.

Just take a look at the wonderful progress that the school is making with their first tomato and spinach crop, planted less than two months ago!  Already you can see large and small green tomatoes getting ready to ripen on the vines.

It is also wonderful to see the students actively participating in looking after the outside drip-irrigation garden.  Look at the size of those spinach plants!

If you would like to be a part of helping us help these willing villagers and students improve their lives, you can do so by clicking on the "Donate" area at the top right of this blog.  Everyone's contribution helps.  It could be the best Christmas gift that you will give this year.

And if you would like to help us provide scholarships to 20 students at the local high school, you can do that too by visiting our scholarship blog and donating there.  How many of your friends and family would be glad that you helped a student in Ndandini go to school rather than buying that extra little gift that they didn't really need?  You can get a tax receipt (for Canadian tax returns) for either donation.

Go to http://www.ndandini-scholarshipfund.blogspot.com/  to read about the scholarship fund.

Thanks

Terry

Scholarship Fund Launched to Assist Ndandini area students attend Kyaithani Secondary School

Joan Merrick was among the initial visitors to Ndandini in September 2007.   She was impressed by the eagerness of the the women and children to educate themselves and improve their lives and futures.  She was also devastated by the realization that their poverty and the lack of support for the community was dooming them.

Joan became an active supporter of the Ndandini Water Project and in September 2010 revisited Ndandini for the dedication of the now operating well.  While there Joan toured the five primary schools and the one secondary school in the Ndandini area.  She met with many of the students and the principal, Kimali.

Kimali himself was originally a student of this area.  He went on to a teaching career and has now returned to help educate the children of the area.  He has also become the Chairman of the Ndandini Water Project, and is leading an initiative to coordinate the educational activities of the six schools in the area to encourage more students to complete higher levels of learning.

Joan returned to Canada with the desire to organize a scholarship program to help.  We are so happy to see more people taking an active role in helping the Ndandini area.

Please visit the scholarship fund blog for more information about the fund.  I encourage you to spread the word about this worthwhile project. 

Visit  http://www.ndandini-scholarshipfund.blogspot.com/ where you can make a donation and receive a receipt for your Canadian tax return.

This scholarship program is also being supported by the Rotary Clubs of Belleville (Ontario) and Sunshine Coast-Sechelt (BC).

Terry