Horizons Foundation newsletter – update on the orphanages in Kenya
I just wanted to let you know that many things have been happening at the orphanages in Kenya.
Avis Goodhart and her brother Fred are active, and will remain active in Go Ye Ministries for the foreseeable future.
In the meantime, Avis has added a missionary who accompanied her to Kenya about 5 years ago to the Go Ye Ministries leadership team. Her name is Betty Bartholomew and she is now an active part of Go Ye Ministries.
While Avis was meeting Esther, Betty was meeting with another couple who had started bringing abandoned children into their home closer to Lake Victoria in a place called Kendu Bay. This is several hours away from the orphanage Avis was helping. The man’s name is Washington Amara Ayugi (pronounced eye-you-ga) and Horizons Foundation has been providing a small amount of support for these 64 kids on a monthly basis for almost a year. In 2019 Betty and her husband sold their home in the U.S. and moved to Kenya, purchasing 7 acres of ground about one and one-half miles from Washington’s orphanage. Just as they were awaiting a container of their goods to arrive from the U.S., Covid broke out and all Americans were forced to leave Kenya.
Betty has been working hard to get a 501C3 type organization set up in Kenya. Since I have set up multiple 501C3 organizations, they asked for my help in creating by-laws for this organization. Those by-laws have now been written and approved by everyone in Go Ye Ministries. Next Monday, June 6, Washington will be taking these bylaws to the national Attorney General’s office in Nairobi, Kenya to get their final approval. As soon as the Kenyan national Attorney General’s office gives their approval, their van will be titled in the new 501C3 type organization immediately. Then, later in June,2022, Washington’s home will be transferred and titled in the name of the 501C3 type organization. Then the 7 acres purchased by the Bartholomew’s, will be transferred as funds are gathered to pay for the transfers..
In the last 6 – 8 months I have had many conversations with Avis and Betty including them coming to St Peters in early March 2022. Betty has great organizational skills and has taught someone at the orphanage how to prepare reports in Excel. With God’s help, Betty has raised the funds to feed and clothe the children on a monthly basis, and God has supplied the need to send each child to school. I now have the monthly budgets for supplying the food and clothing for the children. I also have the actual costs associated with sending the kids to school. . In Kenya the January school expenses are about double the cost of a normal semester, as all annual expenses for books and uniforms and shoes are paid in January. The total cost of schooling for all children is about $4000 in January and $2300 for other semesters.
Now all school costs have been paid and all monthly operating expenses have been paid thru May 2022.
The Excel reports have been very helpful in knowing what the budget is for a) food and clothing, b) total medicine and hospital costs for the children ($300 – $500 per mo.), c) and caring for 5 disabled widows near the orphanage ($120 per month),
Their food costs are rising astronomically!
In a report I received just a few days ago, I came across a sentence that just stunned me. Here’s a list of “other foodstuffs bought once in a while when there is money”: Meat, milk, eggs and flour. When I realized these 64 kids are not getting the protein their bodies and brains need, I knew I needed to do more for them. To get them milk every day, it will cost $150 per month. To get them eggs every other day, it will cost $300 per month. To get them meat and flour once every two weeks, it will cost $220 per month. That’s $670 per month to get them these items.
My initial review of their increased costs in food prices from January 2022 to May 2022 was shocking. In four months rice has increased in price by 43%, sugar has increased by 21%, bars of soap have increased by 29% and body oil has increased by 150%!
This has caused their food budget to grow from $2200 per month to over $2800 per month. And that does not allow them to purchase any milk or meat or eggs for the children, at all.
Additionally, I have asked Betty to give me a list of current needs or special projects that Washington needs.
Two of their smaller needs are 1) to start a sewing program with one quality Singer sewing machine for $240, 2) good quality chairs for the orphans, 40 chairs at $12 per chair.
Larger home improvement projects will only be addressed after the properties are titled in the name of the 501C3 type organization. Betty and I have had many conversations regarding prioritizing future projects to build toward self-sufficiency for the orphanage and these will be addressed after the properties are moved into the 501C3 type organization.
Since we have reliable people both here and in Kenya, I know this is an orphanage we will be helping both now and in the future. I will be preparing a list of projects designed to make this orphanage self-sufficient as soon as the Kenyan Attorney General approves our bylaws. Now, we will be addressing the food needs and smaller projects.
Al
Donations may be sent to Horizons Foundation, PO Box 596, St. Peters MO 63376 –
100% of your donation is passed onto the Directors of the orphanage.