Donations Bring Water to Orphans!
The 80 orphans and support workers of Mama Wilfrida’s orphanage now no longer have to travel 30klms to get water! Funds from donations have meant an 80 meter bore has been drilled right on the grounds of the orphanage. Using solar cells, a water pump and a storage tank/tower, there is now plenty of clean water all the time. This opens up huge opportunities for the orphanage, and ensures that conditions can become much more healthy and sustainable.
Mama Wilfrida’s Orphanage and School
Based in Kisumu, south-west of Nairobi, Mama Wilfreda’s Home for Children provides housing, food, education and most importantly, love and hope for over eighty orphans.
In 2009, Droplets in a Stream learnt that the orphanage manager had been travelling several kilometres up to three and four times per day to collect water for cooking, bathing and washing clothes.
In partnership with other charitable organisations in Australia, Droplets in a Stream have recently seen the connection of power to the orphanage and a water bore eighty metres deep drilled, successfully striking water! The required pumps, solar cells, batteries and water storage tower are also now in place, and water is flowing freely.
If you are interested in further helping us provide infrastructure for the orphanage, please contact Droplets in a Stream here.
Nateete Gets Power
In 2008, Droplets in a Stream was able to purchase an electrical reticulation system for the community centre and church at Bridge Christian Ministries run by Haggai and Agnes, replacing an old, noisy, expensive and small generator.
This marks another step in the transformation of this community through reliable and correctly sized power supply as well as the creation of a business opportunity through the potential to generate income through battery charging.
The funding was approved after Droplets in a Stream received a well researched proposal from the community. Thank you to our supporters who generously donated the required funds.
Bwindi Theatre
Bwindi is the home of the now famous Mountain Gorillas and therefore the destination of many tourists. Unfortunately it is also the informal home of many child orphans as a result of tribal and ethnic violence and the prevalence of AIDS. Currently 162 orphans are registered with Bwindi Orphans Development Centre (BODEC).
The construction of the BODEC Theatre in 2007 was an integral part of the plan to transform this community as it provides a permanent structure that the orphans can call their own and also to generate sustainable income.
It is a venue to make and present local items for sale to the tourists and locals alike, hold dance shows as well as providing a protected area for less business orientated activities such as doing homework, basic life skills training and learning to express their culture through music and dance training.
Each afternoon they present dance routines for the tourists and this in turn brings in revenue, removing the need for begging.
BODEC was able to raise in excess of US$20,000 with the aid of supporters like Droplets in a Stream to accomplish the construction of this theatre in less than a year.
Today it, along with the other recently developed infrastructure stands as examples of what can be accomplished in the transformation of a community when provided with the correct assistance.
Droplets in a Stream are currently reviewing how best to effectively support BODEC in delivery of the next steps of their vision so are not currently actively looking for support in this area. Once we have clear direction, we will update the status.
Bwindi Peanut Farms
Self sustaining (subsistence) agriculture is the main source of food for most rural Ugandans as most of the good arable land is owned by large corporations that produce tea and coffee. These farms employ many of the locals but at minimal wage rates allowing them little chance of elevating themselves above the poverty line.
Rob Mallon from Droplets in a Stream (USA) recognised this pattern and after consulting with BODEC researched the possibility of growing peanuts on a commercial scale. Soil samples have been analysed at Makarere University and the findings proven very positive. The initial trial crop is now in the ground and the locals are becoming increasingly excited about the prospect of developing a commercially viable agriculture. The project is being entirely run by locals and the revenue utilised to fund the Bwindi Watoto School, another BODEC project.
Droplets in a Stream are currently reviewing how best to effectively support BODEC in delivery of the next steps of their vision so are not currently actively looking for support in this area. Once we have clear direction, we will update the status.
Bwindi Watoto School
As the Bwindi Orphans Development Centre (BODEC) developed and grew, a need to locally school the supported orphans became a high priority on their community transformation journey. After much fundraising and hard work, BODEC has been able to buy land that had a half-completed building on it and then complete and expand the structure to make a school. They have since gone on to raise regular monthly support to fund the salaries of 13 teachers. Currently 110 pupils attend the school of which 59 are sponsored through organisations like Droplets an a Stream. The school has also been furnished with desks, beds for some boarders and a limited selection of resource books. Each day the children are fed a small breakfast and lunch as many leave their foster homes too early to have breakfast or are simply unable to afford the basics. BODEC now has plans for future expansions to increase the pupil size to 300 and has commenced purchasing materials for this next stage.
Droplets in a Stream are currently reviewing how best to effectively support BODEC in delivery of the next steps of their vision so are not currently actively looking for support in this area. Once we have clear direction, we will update the status.