Looking Back on 2017 & Building 2018

YEAR END REPORT: 2017 Successes & 2018 Initiatives


We have accomplished so much in 2017 thanks to the generosity of our supporters. We were able to help the Majengo children grow and thrive, and complete several critical projects at the same time. We could not have done this without YOU.


2017 SUCCESSES:

Clean Drinking Water: We have finally improved our plumbing system at Majengo thanks to a volunteer plumber from Toronto. In November, he tore up and re-did all of the piping and water distribution. We now have water in all of the houses, and special sinks and taps used specifically for drinking water. This will keep all our children safe from water-borne illnesses.


Mark Charak, our volunteer plumber, teaching staff about the new pump-house.

Fourth House:  A new house has been designed and planned, and construction will begin in early 2018. This house will be home for up to 24 children, which will not only help us welcome more children into the centre, but it will also give every child their own space and bed. Currently, our littlest boys and girls are sharing a house, but this new house will allow us to separate them.

Cow, chicken and goat barn construction: In December, we began constructing a new barn to house our goats and chickens, and give us enough space to purchase two cows. The goats and chickens provide meat and eggs for the children and the cows will provide up to 30L of milk every day. These animals will continue to subsidize food costs at Majengo.

Clothes & Dish Washing Sinks:  We installed new sinks to help us wash our clothes and dishes, and help us brush our teeth. The sinks will also ensure that water is properly drained, in order to prevent the occurrence of stagnant water, which encourages mosquitoes to breed, and can cause malaria.


The sink system behind Tiger house being constructed.

Graduations: We had 7 children graduate from Grade 7, and 1 child graduate from Form 4 (which is equivalent to Grade 11) in late 2017. We also had 20 pre-schoolers graduate from the Majengo Pre-School!
All of the Grade 7s have been selected for secondary school and our Form 4 student will be selected for high school or college in the first part of next year.

New Children: We recently invited five new children to Majengo, who were chosen by our social worker as being in need of a safe place to live. Happy (9), Abdul (6), Hussein (5), Ruth (4), and Saida (3) have all settled in well and have been happily welcomed into the Majengo family.

Live-Out Program Expansion: This year, we expanded the Live-Out program, one of our community development programs. This program was originally designed to allow children in the Majengo community to attend school until Grade 7. This year, we have expanded our scope to allow each child to attend school until Form 4 (equivalent to Grade 11). We believe that these 4 additional years of schooling will help the children reach their full potential. In addition, each child will now attend school for at least 11 years, which is much higher than the national average of 8.


Two of our newest Live-Out Program children, Maria and Salim.



PRELIMINARY 2018 PROJECT WISH LIST:

New office: Majengo’s day-to-day management has recently moved on-site, which means we need a new office!  Although we had an improvised office before, the new dedicated office space will allow the management team to meet outside of the children’s space, safely store the children’s files, and keep money and supplies secure.  ($6,500)

Beds and Malaria Nets: This year, we are hoping to buy enough new beds and mattresses that our children can each have their own bed to sleep at night. We also need new mosquito nets to replace our old ones, as they tend to get holes in them over the year. A safe clean bed and net will help prevent malaria and will give each child space to call their own. ($7,200)

Hygiene 3.0 Program: In an effort to continue to improve hygiene and sanitation at Majengo, we are launching our third phase of the WASH (Water And Sanitation for Health) program. This phase will include: the installation of a safe garbage disposal system to help reduce the amount of smoke at the centre from burning waste; an autoclave machine for sterilizing instruments; and tiling all of the floors to prevent pooling water and bacterial growth, as they will be much easier to clean. This program will help us continue on our quest to prevent malaria, communicable diseases, and bacterial infections. ($25,500)  

Gardening program: We have been working hard to expand our garden at Majengo, and we were successful in growing almost all of our own greens this year.   This year, we are planning to expand the garden, by bringing in new soil that is conducive to the growth of all fruits and vegetables! We will grow papaya, oranges, avocados, eggplants, tomatoes, green peppers, and carrots. These new foods will provide the children with additional nutrition, and will also help teach them important lessons about farming and sustainability. ($7,100)

Enhanced Health Program:  While the health program includes all of our basic health care needs, such as vaccinations and deworming, it will also now include special clinics and counselling sessions for some of our chronically ill children. We have also added in training sessions for the children at the centre on health-related topics such as disease prevention and sexual health education.  ($10,000)