SAVE THE DATE
The Dr. Bobby MacGuffie Dinner & Golf Annual Fundraiser will be held on September 18, 2023. This is SHARE’s most important fundraising event each year, as well as an opportunity for its supporters to get together and inform each other about SHARE’s activities during the past year. Please mark your calendar to save the date and look for updates over the next few weeks on the details of the program. No need to worry if you do not play golf, the dinner can be a standalone event and we would love to see you there.
EXPANDING SHARE’s EDUCATIONAL REACH
As noted in prior Newsletters, SHARE began our (post high school) Higher Education program in 2022. This year we are supporting over 70 qualifying orphans with their choice of either tuition for their first year of University or up to two years of Vocational School.
The Kenyan national policy has been to provide full tuition loans for years 2 through 4 for students scoring well enough in standardized KCSE tests. Our students tend to perform well above the average rates in qualifying for this University program! For those orphans who do, SHARE offers to provide their first year’s funding (between $1,000 and $2,000 depending on the school), virtually assuring their ability to attend four years of University via SHARE Assistance and the national loan program.
Unfortunately, after the most recent election in Kenya in late 2022, this policy was temporarily suspended for one year. This meant loans for year 2 were not available in 2023 for the 15 qualified SHARE University students with high KCSE scores. We all expect the program to return to normal operations in 2024 and beyond (except perhaps for presidential changeover years). For our 15 SHARE students who have successfully completed their first year of University in 2022 with the aid of SHARE and sponsors, the SHARE board has decided to support their second year of University costs as well, until the program is reinstated. It would be truly heartbreaking to cut off their opportunities to break free of the poverty that has haunted the childhood of these orphans.
Clinton Ogweno – Junior at Nairobi University studying Civil Engineering. SUCCESS STORY!
To give you an idea of the success of our sponsored orphans, here is a quote from a letter recently received by SHARE Board member Rob Burns from the student, Brian that he and his wife Lynda sponsor:
“Dear Rob Burns,
Hello. I hope my letter finds you whole and fine. I was elated when I received your letter but am sorry for the late reply. I was held up in a training, which took my whole times. Most of all I thank the Almighty God for the gift of life he has granted to both of us.
I must confess that I am happy to hear about your family members. I am also pleased by your field of specialization. It was my dream as a young man to become a lawyer, by things did change. When I looked at the era we are in, I decided to pick a science related course – a Bachelor of Microbiology and Biotechnology. I got more interested in sciences and I just had to quench that thirst.
When not in school, I like farming and my hobby of hair dressing. I help my aunt with farm work in the morning and later tend to the animals such as sheep. I also raise doves and other kinds of birds.
I have two brothers who by God’s grace were sponsored by this program and are in the University. My elder brother Moses Gage is pursuing a degree in Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Nairobi, while Fredrick Aramte is pursuing a degree in Bachelor of Education Arts in the same University.
Mr. Burns, I am happy with your continual support to the orphans. I pray God grants you more life that you may lift more needy orphans.”
UPDATE ON THE COMMUNITY WATER PROJECT
As you may have heard, SHARE completed in the last few years their home-based clean water program for Orphan guardians. We have deployed over 150 Uzima Home Water Filters.
SHARE has also been working with rotary for several years to raise funds to provide a well for community water at our sister orphanage, Double Joy. Double Joy has been forced to purchase more and more water during the dry seasons. Kenya is experiencing extended droughts now due to climate change and their current rain-water collection system is no longer practical for large parts of the year. Unfortunately, due to various changes at Rotary, it has proven impossible to proceed as originally planned.
SHARE has, however, been able to obtain sufficient funding for the first part of the well project, which entails digging the bore hole well and providing supplemental water service to the orphanage using their existing tank collection system. We are hopeful that we can obtain additional funding in the future so that phase 2 of the project may be completed. Phase 2 will add new elevated storage tanks, solar power to eliminate the electric pumping costs, additional service to a nearby school the orphans attend, as well as allowing the orphanage enough water to potentially sell it to the wider community in droughts to help support their cause.
We hope to start bore hole drilling this month!
OUR TRANSPORTATION & MOBILE CLINIC VAN
We are in a situation that our 15-year-old van must be replaced soon. We use this van to transport students to and from boarding schools multiple times a year and also for SHARE’s mobile medical services to remote nearby areas. We hope to raise enough funds to purchase the vehicle and modify it for SHARE’s purposes in 2023. At present it is past its useful life, severely impacting both maintenance costs and reliability of service.
As always, your generosity provides help to our sponsored orphans and others in their communities that is beyond anything we can truly imagine. If you can offer assistance in any amount, please see the links below.
Thank you for your continued support! It is because of you SHARE is able to continue the great work in Kenya.
Usha Wright
President