Once again it is time for the spring edition of our newsletter. There is always so much to report, yet the challenge is to make it interesting and not too long. So please bear with me as I keep you updated on only some of the work of our various projects.
2011 KenCan Team
2011 KenCan Mission
This year we had a total of 34 team members, some from as far away as Alberta and Texas, travelling with the PEI contingent to Kenya.We had a wonderful array of skills, knowledge including a plastic surgeon, two doctors, an accountant, physiotherapist, dentist, optician, farmers, teachers, teachers assist’s, social workers, nurses, recent university graduates, engineer, active businessmen, retired businessman.Most of the team departed from various parts of Canada on February 8 and returned on March 1.As usual we conducted vision, dental and medical clinics in two different locations, namely Kangetta, one of Chalice’s sponsorship sites, and of course in Mikinduri itself.
Vision Team at Work
Grania Scott & Ken Campbell
We spent the first three days in Kangetta, except for the vision team which spent an extra day. There is a regular medical clinic operated there by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd. It was wonderful to work with the Clinic Director and nurse Sister Alex.
In Mikinduri we had six days of clinics, and served 554 Medical patients, 525 Dental patients and provided glasses for 1024 patients. Altogether we took 21 patients on an emergency basis to hospital, and unfortunately two of those patients did not survive. The balance of those hospitalized are in various stages of recovery from operations, heart conditions, broken limbs and serious cancers. Some are infants recovering from severe malnutrition or malaria. When we take people to hospital, not only do we pay for all hospital and drug costs, but we continue to provide support until they have recovered. This is only possible because of the incredible generosity of the volunteers, donors and organizations which support us. I can tell you that it is somewhat unnerving when facing long line ups of 200 or 300 people at our clinics and not knowing how many surprises we will get, as regards the degree of expense related to their conditions. Thankfully, to date we have never had to turn anyone down for lack of resources.
Jenn Morrison & Nancy Allen
Dr. Bill and Nancy Allen continue to lead our dental clinics. As a result of their dedication and four return trips to Mikinduri, they have been successful in attracting 10 local dentists from Meru who take leave from their jobs at the local government hospitals to serve one or two days at our clinics. This leads to some incredible results, in terms of the numbers of people who are seen.
This year Nancy experimented with sealing children’s teeth with a permanent coating which will help prevent cavities. In spite of some technical difficulties with the equipment, Nancy and Bill are optimistic that this can be rectified for future clinics.
One of the special services we were able to provide this year, as a result of having plastic surgeon Dr. Jurgen Kontor on our team, was minor surgeries. This was wonderful because it saved the patients from the rigorous job of having to work their way through the Kenyan Hospital system, which in most cases they would never be able to do.
Our medical vision and dental teams all did incredible work. It is always so heart wrenching to see so many people, some of whom are suffering from serious diseases such as leprosy, malaria and typhoid. When the clinics were over we had treated 2092 people.
Community Based Health Care Meeting
Community Health Care
One of the challenges we face is that when we return home, the level of health care returns to its previous state of nonexistence for those people living in remote areas, which we serve. Therefore our Community Based Healthcare sub-committee, chaired by Dr. Ed Harrison, with committee members Kathy Mutch RN, Dr Jane Farmer, Dr Jan Rogerson, Pharmacist Rebecca Campbell and myself have been working very hard to try to initiate a health care safety net which will catch a lot of the people who normally would fall through the cracks. To that end, Ed, Kathy, Jane and myself have been traveling to Kenya 10 days early for the last couple of years, for the sole purpose of investigating the possibility of forming strategic partnerships with like-minded organizations, both private and government. Thank God our networking efforts have been most fruitful.
During our 2010 visits to Kenya we connected with the Association for the Physically Disabled of Kenyan(APDK), AIC Cure Orthopedic Hospital, Cantelengo Mission Hospital, the Lions Sightfirst Eye Hospital, as well as the Meru General Hospital, and Ripples International. After returning to Canada, we continued to communicate with these organizations in an effort to try to pull together these potential strategic partners. The combined results were more than we dared dream. On February 7, 2011, Mikinduri Children of Hope along with our partnering agency in Mikinduri, known as the Mikinduri Hope Community Development Organization, sponsored the first meeting of 45 representatives from many different sectors. The meeting was held in Mikinduri, at St Massimo’s Church, the only building large enough to host such a meeting, and was attended by representatives from the above listed organizations, as well as headmasters from the local district schools, government chiefs and leaders, the local member of Parliament, the Hon Mr Peter Munya, elected representatives from our Empowerment Farmers Groups, our local board of directors, and finally representatives from Chalice which operates the Mikinduri child sponsorship program. It was a full day of breakout workshops, exploring the difficulties, and potential solutions, to increasing the level of service to the most needy in the Mikinduri area.When the day was finished there was a wonderful sense of cooperation and optimism that various groups could work together, instead of duplicating their efforts. Already we’re seeing some synergy between potential partners.
Child at Clinic.
Clinic for People With Disabilities
The next great accomplishment happened the very next day February 8th, when 219 physically disabled people of all ages came for our first ever clinic specifically for people with disabilities. They arrived in every way imaginable – on the back of bicycles, in ox carts and on crutches. One older lady came in a wheelbarrow and some were carried on a loved ones back, including a full-grown son who was carried by his mother several miles. It was like a scene I imagine from the Bible. When the day was finished, the joint APDK team of nurses, physiotherapist, occupational therapists, and the Mikinduri Children of Hope doctors and nurses treated all 219 people. The breakdown is as follows: 15 patients were measured for and will receive custom fitted wheelchairs, 21 children with disabilities were referred to Meru General Hospital to be reviewed by the surgeons for reconstructive surgery, 17 children were assessed for school placements, and many more were measured for appliances to be fabricated for them in the APDK workshop at Embu. Some will be fitted for Jaipor or kikiyu prosthesis, and finally many other clients were referred for other interventions including attending monthly mobile clinics to be established at the Mikinduri Health Center, which will be conducted by the rehab team from Meru Hospital supported by APDK and MCOH.
The very experienced APDK team were so struck by the incredible need for services in this remote area that they committed to conduct monthly clinics in Mikinduri. Since our return they have already conducted clinics in March, April, and May, specifically for the people with disabilities. In addition they are proposing to government, that a permanent rehab clinic be established in the village of Mikinduri, in partnership with ourselves and our Kenyan organization.
Once again, it is very important that our readers understand that without the commitment of team members to travel to Kenya, using their holiday time, and paying 100% of all expenses, plus the generous donations from our donors, and the wonderful work of our volunteers, this work could not be possible.
Special Vision Clinics
Another wonderful advance made as a result of our networking efforts is in the area of services to people with vision problems. We were graciously received by the Lions Sightfirst Hospital in Nairobi, when we approached them to partner with us for our vision clinics in Mikinduri. They agreed to send a medical team consisting of an ophthalmologist, two nurses, an optician and two other specialists to work with our vision team. The partnership worked very well and 56 people were transported to the Lions Sightfirst Hospital in Nairobi, for cataract surgery. After three days they had received new vision as a result of your generous donations. MCOH were happy to pay the costs for the Lions team to come to Mikinduri as well as paying for everything for the patients, except for the accommodation at the hospital. It was an incredible scene to see six van loads of elderly people, with extremely poor vision, heading off to Nairobi, most of whom had never been outside the boundaries of Mikinduri. Without this service these people would never have recovered their eyesight nor would other very serious diseases have been treated in some of the younger ones who were diagnosed with tumours behind the eyes causing the eyes to be bulging beyond belief.
Patients at Eye Clinic
Dr Khan, the head surgeon, as well as the general manager Mr Shamshoo Datoo, having realized the need, have suggested that we set up actual remote clinics in Mikinduri, where eye surgery can be conducted on-site, two or three times a year. Once again this is a major step forward in our attempts to try to make a difference in the lives of these poor people.
Ted & Libby visiting sponsored children
Sponsored Children
As a result of our partnership with the Chalice, we are fortunate to have approximately 300 children in the Mikinduri area who have generous sponsors from Canada, including some of our team members. It is a truly emotional experience to be able to visit your sponsored child or children in their surroundings and to be able to witness firsthand the result of this partnership. We also got to visit the sponsor children of friends and family and were able to take back personal stories and pictures of these visits to the sponsors.
All of the team members could go on and on with dozens of stories of people we met, people we serve, people who served with us, friends we have made, relationships reinforced, incredible acts of selflessness by caregivers of people with disabilities, vision problems, people suffering from starvation and extreme malnutrition. I believe it is for this reason that 11 of our team members were repeats this year. The list of repeats are Karen and Greg McKenna, who head up our vision clinics, have been there six times, Bill and Nancy Allen four times, Dr. Ed Harrison, Kathy Mutch, Shawna Quinn, Sherry Butt three times and Libby Osgood, Jenny Likely and Tracy Butt twice. I hope I have not overlooked any members, if so I seek your forgiveness.
Fund Raising Events
Because our programs and projects continue to grow, our need for funds grows proportionately and so we strive to discover new ways to attract donations and volunteers to help us. Our fundraising season has already begun with our planning committees headed up by generous individuals who are fully engaged in organizing bigger and better events.
The Giant Yard Sale was coordinated by Marilyn MacKay along with her committee of volunteers. The Charlottetown Civic Center, was packed with thousands of items donated by the public. The result was an amazing $16,300 which surpasses last year’s mark of $14,000. This result was only possible because of the large number of volunteers who had been working for long as months collecting items for sale. This is a great event, loads of fun for the volunteers and a significant source of funds for our projects. Thanks to Marilyn and all of the great volunteers for your dedication again this year.
The Mushroom Compost sale was held once again this year on May 21 at the Williams Murphy MacLeod parking lot on Mount Edward Road. We sold out and generated just over $3000 in net proceeds.
The Perennial Sale, again headed up by Coreen & Mike Conroy, was held on May 28th at the Agricultural Research Station raising over $3500. This is hailed as the best plant sale on PEI.
The Stratford Rotary Run is generously sponsored by the Stratford Rotary club, and headed up by Pres. Stewart McIntosh, will be held on Labor Day weekend on Sunday the 4th. This is a family event, with a 5K run and walk as well as a 10K run and includes African food, and games for the children.
2010 Tip to Tip Group
Our Tip 2 Tip for Africa bike ride on the Confederation Trail is happening on the Thanksgiving weekend October 8-10. This is a great social event which happens to take place on bicycles. It is for bikers of all levels. People can ride at their own pace and complete part of the trail, or all of the trail on any given day. Registration includes great food entertainment and lodging. Last year we had 23 riders – this year our goal is to have 40.The fun starts with training rides which begin in June from the Farmer’s Market .We have had riders of all ages from teenagers to senior citizens so please consider taking part.Check out the Tip to Tip for Africa website.
As I said at the outset, this newsletter is only scratching the surface in terms of advancements made in our various projects such as: water, agriculture, empowerment education and health. The Lord is truly blessing our work.
I want to finish off by thanking the Board of Directors, who provide such great guidance for our organization, as well as many hours of volunteer time on our various fundraising events, etc. Thank you so much for your dedication and hard work.
As well I would like to thank our staff in Mikinduri and those that serve on our Board of Directors for the Mikinduri Hope Community Development Organization there. Thank you for your dedication to helping us deliver our programs to the poor.
Finally I wish to thank all of those great volunteers who show up time after time to help us with all of our events, our donors for their great and consistent generously, partnering organizations who generously donate goods and services, and those churches who conduct various fundraising activities to help us finance our work generally or who had taken on special projects. We are truly blessed to have such a wonderful group of supporters, and we don’t take your support for granted. Thus we continue to work very hard to make sure that all but 5% of all donations go directly into our projects in Kenya.
Sincerely
Ted Grant
MCOH President
Mikinduri Children of Hope | 25 Waterview Drive | Cornwall | Prince Edward Island | C0A 1H0 | Canada
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Writing our newsletters is challenging because I don’t want to be too repetitive, in terms of reveiwing old news in the reporting on our projects. However, since we are always welcoming new subscribers, it’s important to provide a certain degree of background information. I hope you will find the developments in our projects as exciting as I do.
As usual I welcome all comments and suggestions. Please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely
TED Grant
High Lights
As you may have read in the spring newsletter, the February, 2010 KenCan mission included a great team of 31 people from as far away as Arizona, Texas, Manitoba, and Ontario, Nova Scotia and, of course, PEI. We spent three weeks conducting medical, dental and vision clinics in three different parts of the Kenya. Over 4000 people were served.
KenCan 2011 has been in the works now for at least six months, and I am delighted to report that we have 31 people signed on – once again from all across Canada. We have a wonderful mix of professionals, farmers, and recent graduates. With each trip we gain more experience enabling us to fine tune our efforts to serve more people more effectively. We also get to better know our Kenyan partners by working hand-in-hand with them at the clinics.
As mentioned previously, our long-term goal is to establish, with local Kenyans partners, a community based health care system which will provide a healthcare security net for needy patients as well as preventive education. The model provides for a network of trained health care workers, elected by the various remote communities to act as their healthcare leaders. These leaders will be provided with special education in the area of hygiene, nutrition, basic healthcare, maternity, as well as women’s rights. We estimate it will take 5 years to get this program fully operating but we are encouraged by the reception we have received from potential partnering organizations in Kenya.
Major Bad News
Recently we received the news that a large number of homes and shops, not far from
Mlango Market Fire
Mikinduri town, had been completely gutted by fire. Thank God no one was injured but it represented a major catastrophe for approximately 45 families who lost everything they own. Our team on the ground in Mikinduri, headed up by Fr Bernard, Chief Alex, Antony and Cynthia, were quick to respond providing emergency clothing, food and supplies as well as emergency shelter. A substantial fund-raising effort was launched, raising $4500 – which is amazing for the area.
Because of the wonderful generosity of our donors here in Canada, we were able to match that $4500. Thank you for allowing us to be in the financial position to support this very worthy cause. I look forward to taking our team to the site of the new buildings while we are in Mikinduri.
Project Updates
Kagwuru School
As some of you will already know, we have a feeding program at this very r emote school, which provides a nutritious breakfast and lunch each school day for approximately 200 children. Reports from the headmaster tell us that the children are gaining weight and are much more active and engaged at school. We just completed the construction of a new kitchen with three fuel-efficient stoves, called Jeko’s, and built a
Kagwuru Kitchen with Jekos
food storage facility which is rodent and theft proof.
To us these improvements may seem small, but to the local people they are a great source of encourage m ent. They now dare to hope even more for a better future.
With the appointment of a new headmaster after our visit last year and by working hand-in-hand with the regional education office we are attempting to improve the overall level of education for children in this area. One of the special challenges is that of girls leaving school at young ages to get married. Partially, as a result of our presence in the area, the government has provided funds for the construction of a new six room school. The school is very poorly equipped, yet is a major step forward for these students.
Our 9 acres of farm, neighbouring the school compound, is a substantial source of food for the feeding program. Parents and guardians of the children work the land and in return, are introduced to new farming techniques and new varieties of vegetables and livestock. As an example sweet potatoes have been introduced, which are very high in vitamin A. Each member receives potato vines to take home to their own garden. The Moringa tree is another newly introduced species. This incredible tree is great for a whole host of uses. Its leaves, which are great source of many minerals and vitamins, can be eaten raw or put in the local food dishes. They can also be dried and used in tea, made into a paste to be used on infections and other skin ailments. The beans from the pods can be used in traditional dishes while the pods themselves can be mashed and used to purify water.
The pipeline which we built last year has been updated with galvanized pipe in some areas to prevent destruction by fires. The next step in the pipeline project for 2011, will be the construction of a 10,000 gallon masonry storage tank as a means of guaranteeing clean water year-round.
Thank God, we have made great strides in the Kagwuru area, but we still have a long way to go, before the people are assured of a reasonably secure future.
Thuuri Mountain Village
This mountain village of approximately 1000 people was recently added to our list of development projects. You may recall from the spring newsletter, that we hired a qualified teacher to re-open the kindergarten which had shut down for lack of funds. At the same time, we instituted a feeding program for the 33 children attending and are actively working with the community leaders to enlarge the garden to supply vegetables for the children. As usual our Mikinduri staff are using this opportunity to provide agricultural training to the parents and guardians.
We have applied to the Kenya Department of Water for permission to build a pipeline to bring water from the higher mountain spring’s to the school, which is also the center of the community.
The path down the mountainside which leads to the Kagwuru Elementary School has been widened to make it safer for children to make the 1.5 hour long walk to school. Because of the dangers of this path, parents prevent their young children from attending school until they are 10 years of age. Safer foot bridges over the ravines along this path are also needed – which is another 2011 project.
Parents work on Thuuri Path.
Ravine Crossing
Kiguru Water Pipeline
The old pipeline in this community had been poorly constructed and was destroyed in this spring’s rainy season. We have built an intake in the mountains, which collects water, and installed a 1000 gallon storage tank which is necessary to provide sufficient water during heavy use. Both these improvements will offer a supply of clean water. Building the water line is only one aspect of a water project however. The ongoing management & maintenance of the resource is also key. Our Project Director, Antony Kirigia, has done a great job of establishing a locally elected water management committee which is responsible for collecting fees and maintaining the equipment. It is my hope that this pipeline will serve many families for a very long time to come.
New Programs
Kanthange Commercial Land Project We are always on the lookout for new initiatives which will provide employment and/or food security. To that end we have leased 25 acres of land in the Kagwuru/Thuuri area to develop as a profit generating cash crop operation. In addition to providing farm labor jobs, it will serve as an experimentation plot for new crops such as Moringa trees. Moringa seedlings will be propagated both for sale and to be given to local farmers for their own use. Our long-term hope for Moringa is that we can establish a demand for a range of products which will generate cash for local farmers. The profit generated from this commercial enterprise will be used to provide support for other projects in the area, as well as another source of cash for the farmers. Charcoal ProjectIn our ongoing search for simple, inexpensive, but effective innovations we are currently experimenting with making charcoal as a source of fuel. As you know, traditionally everyone uses wood collected by the women through very hard labour in the surrounding hills. The net effect is hills being stripped causing erosion and silt filled rivers. In an attempt to lessen the demand for wood, about three years ago we introduced an inexpensive jeko. These fuel-efficient stoves not only reduce the amount of wood by 75%, but also eliminate the smoke generated – which has been a serious health hazard.As a next step we are now introducing to the local farmers groups a simple inexpensive method of making charcoal from agricultural waste, such as corn cobs. The first test project has been completed with enthusiastic acceptance. In 2011 this project will be rolled out to all 8 farmers groups, totalling approx 200 families. Once again, our goal is to support them to establish a charcoal making business, and all it takes is a 45 gallon drum, and some waste from their farms.
Fundraising
Our Mushroom Compost Sale was canceled last spring due to unavailability of suitable product. Fortunately this situation has been resolved, so we can now add that the fundraiser back onto our spring agenda. The Mikinduri Yard sale was a great success with an increase of 50% in our proceeds. Special thanks to Gary & Sonja Gagnon and their hard-working committee members for the great job. Gary and Sonja have decided that it is time to offer someone else the opportunity to head up this committee. It is a big job but we have a wonderful committee of eight people who are experienced and raring to go. So if you wish to learn more about this opportunity please contact them or myself. The Spring Perennial Plant Sale, as usual, was a great event capably headed up by Coreen and Mike Conroy. The local PEI gardeners are such great support as well to Co and Mike. The Stratford Rotary Run this September was bigger than last year with good weather, lots of prizes, and great results. It is wonderful to team up with such a dedicated group of individuals as the Stratford Rotary Club. Thank you all for your constant and ongoing support. Tip to Tip for Africa was bigger and better this year as well. We had 23 riders and raised approx $18,000, which will be shared with The Township’s Project. It was an event enjoyed by all participants many of whom have vowed to come back next year and bring some friends.
Elmira – Trail’s End
The trail, for those of you who have not had the pleasure of riding from end to end, is truly a PEI jewel, especially in the fall. This is not a competitive event, but rather suitable for people of all biking abilities, (even me). Training rides held during the summer are a great way to get fit and meet fellow participants. Please keep it in mind for Thanksgiving 2011.
Cornwall United Church has kindly committed to fund aise in support of our Education Program – most especially the scholarship fund. I had the pleasure of doing a slide presentation at a Sunday worship service, a few months ago. Thank you so much for your support. We look forward to bringing home some positive reports from Kenya.
Christmas Promotions
Christmas Gift Cards Anyone wishing to make a donation to one of our special funds on behalf of a loved one this Christmas may do so by clicking on our website tab above. What a great way to give a gift to those who simply don’t need anything – which is the case for many of us. You will receive a lovely card to give your friends and relatives signifying that a donation has been made you on their behalf.“Ho Ho Hope for Kenya”Thanks to Greg Butler, owner of Christmas Discounters, we will be raising funds at each of his PEI outlets. Tickets will be sold for two dollars with the winners getting $100 worth of scratch tickets. The lucky winner could get as much as $1,000,000.
Our Roots Are Always Growing
On November 10th and 25th I was delighted to travel to Sir James Dunn Academy in St. Andrews, New Brunswick at the invitation of Kate Harland, a grade 11 student who learned of our organization and felt compelled to try to make a difference. Kate, with the support of fellow students and the school administration, is spearheading a fund-raising initiative on our behalf. They are so passionate that they plan to compose and record a theme song to send to students in Mikinduri. When we are there in Feb, we will record a video of the Kenyan students singing the song in Swahili which I will then present to Sir James Dunn Academy upon our return. As well, they will be sending supplies, photos, ball hats and funds to purchase material for our sewing center to make school uniforms for 200 students. I just wish they could be there to present them. I am delighted once again to be working with the Grade 12 Leadership Class and staff at Bluefield High School. Last year, they raised $5000 over two events. These students are selfless in their efforts to help other young people whom they will never meet. Just like last year, I’m sure they will be sending supplies and letters to the students in Mikinduri. Thank you Bluefield High once again. Your ongoing support is very much appreciated The Butt Sisters, Cheri, Cindy, and Tracy, have all been to Mikinduri at least once, and have been very solid supporters of our projects. In Dec, I will have the opportunity to attend a fund raising event at their church, the Alderwood United Church in Toronto. All proceeds from this dinner and auction will go to MCOH. Thank you girls and Alderwood Parishioners. I am excited about being able to thank you in person.I have been invited to appear on 100 Huntley Street, a national TV program, on thurs Dec 9th, which is Faith oriented program. I am excited about this appearance, because it could translate into more financial support for our programs, as well as volunteers for our Kencan missions.
Thanks to Our Many Supporters
I would be remiss if I didn’t offer a sincere thanks to Rob Lantz, who has been our webmaster for the past 8 years. Thank you Rob for your professional care and attention. Libby Osgood, who was on our last KenCan mission, has taken over and has spent a lot of time upgrading some parts of the site. Thx Libby for your wonderful assistance.A big thank you to our Board of Directors in Mikinduri, as well as our staff lead by Antony Kirigia, and our agricultural consultant, Benard Mware, whose guidance we value. We are forever grateful to our partner organization, Chalice, especially Suzanne, Anne, and Cynthia. It is great to work with you in such a meaningful way. As well the PEI MCOH Board of Directors play such an important role not only in providing guidance and ongoing support but in partaking in our events.We are so blessed to have such great support from those of you who quietly make donations without being asked. It is so uplifting to go to the mail box or the paypal account and find a donation there. Thank you so very much.We also do not take for granted the several churches in Cornwall which are so consistent in their support, especially the United Church, Burnside Presbyterian, and St. Francis. Thank you so much. You are truly making a difference. May you be truly blessed.
At recent meeting of the Rotary Club of Hillsborough President Doug Bridges presented to Ted Grant, Head of the “Children of Hope” Foundation, a donation of $1000 to support the work of the Foundation in Minkinduri, Kenya.
The Foundation, organized and run by Mr. Grant, is a PEI-based charity that helps relieve poverty and sickness in the Minkinduri area. Minkinduri is in a poor rural area of the country where the people make less than $1.00 per day from their labours and must support themselves on a small plot of land. Many of the children are orphaned due to loss of parents to AIDS and suffer from malnutrition and illnesses such as HIV and malaria.
The people are hardworking and strive to make a better life for themselves and their children by working with the Foundation on various projects. The Foundation helps the people by developing feeding programs at local schools, helping to improve education by providing scholarships, and installing wells and pipelines so that the people can have clean water without having to walk miles each day to obtain it. Local volunteers and parents provide most of the labour to run the feeding programs and installation of infrastructure. Volunteers from Canada, who go to Kenya to help complete projects, pay their own way and their own expenses.
In international service, the goals of the Rotary Club of Hillsborough are to support projects that improve skills training, literacy, community health, food sufficiency, and the provision of safe, clean water. The Minkinduri Foundation is doing great work in Kenya and their goals of promotion of health, education and food security are very similar to those of the Rotary Club of Hillsborough.
The Rotary Club of Hillsborough-Charlottetown is very pleased to provide this small donation to assist the Foundation in achieving its goals.
On August 28th, while many were enjoying the Stanley Cup Parade and shaking hands with Adam McQuaid, Mikinduri Children of Hope was serving food. Adam picked MCOH as one of the charities that were allowed to fundraise at the event. Thank you to all of the volunteers and all of the sponsors who donated so much: Cavendish Farms Fries, Farmers Dairy, APM Center, and McCain French Fries! Over $6,000 was raised which will be matched by a very generous donor. See you Sept 4th at the Rotary Run for our next fundraiser!
Karen Mair of Mainstreet CBC Radio interviewed Ted Grant concerning the Stanley Cup Event in which Adam McQuaid picked Mikinduri Children of Hope as one of the charities to raise money at the event. During the event nearly 50 volunteers represented MCOH and served hot dogs, cotton candy, Cavendish French Fries, ice cream, TLC popcorn, and slushies! Nearly $6000 was raised for the poorest of the poor of Mikinduri! Listen to the whole interview here:
Early Bird Registration Draw: Tip 2 Tip for Africa – 3 day bike ride on PEI’s Confederation Trails this October 8-10. Register by September 15th to be entered into a draw to win a great prize! www.tip2tip4africa.org
Stratford Elementary students, staff and the community recently came together to support the Mikinduri Children of Hope ( MCOH) non-profit organization. Recognizing how often people in this part of the world take the basic necessities of life for granted, an effort was made to share resources with those in need, specifically, the people of Mikinduri, Kenya.
The Stratford Community Choir, the school’s children’s choir, the honours vocal ensemble, the teacher’s choir, Rebecca Moore (soprano), rhythmic cup demonstrators and the Grade 6 rock band, Stop, Rock and Roll, as well as Makena Ambassa and her family from Mikinduri who are now residents of the Island, supported this cause by sharing their musical talents.
Following the concert, students Tristan Atkins and Emma Wheeler presented a cheque to Ted Grant, president of the Mikinduri Children of Hope charitable organization, and Ambassa.
“The $675 raised from the concert will be applied to our Kagwuru Feeding Program, where we feed 300 children breakfast and lunch every school day,” said Grant. “Hopefully the students in Stratford will have some sense of the incredible difference they are making in the lives of the children we feed, who otherwise would be hungry. MCOH is very appreciative of this wonderful gift.”
MCOH is a PEI-based charitable organization, whose mission is to assist the poorest of the poor in the Mikinduri area of Kenya to lift themselves out of poverty through the implementation of timely, effective and efficient community-driven programs and projects. It relies on the generosity of its donors and volunteers to raise money for various projects, which include, water, education, agriculture, child sponsorship, empowerment and income generation.
Each year, the group conducts vision, medical, and dental clinics by having professionals travel entirely at their own expense to Mikinduri. This year the team consisted of a total of 34 people. Thousands of patients are served during the two weeks of clinics, with many requiring follow-ups, also provided by MCOH. The group is pleased to be able to work with local schools, churches and organizations as a means of facilitating the raising of the amount of funds required to meet its program needs.
“It was a wonderful surprise to learn that Stratford Elementary School was choosing us as the beneficiary of funds raised during a school concert,” said Grant.
Thanks to Greg Butler, owner of Christmas Discounters, we will be raising funds at each of his PEI outlets. Tickets will be sold for two dollars with the winners getting $100 worth of scratch tickets. The lucky winner could get as much as $1,000,000. 
