Mikinduri Children of Hope

Printed in the Guardian May 2, 2011. Article by Mary MacKay.

GUARDIAN PHOTO BY MARY MACKAY Gary and Sonja Gagnon, past organizers of the Mikinduri Children of Hope Yard Sale, present organizing committee member Marilyn McKay, volunteer Mary Gard and foundation president Ted Grant a few of the donated gems from a Superior Sanitation storage container that will be sold at the upcoming event on May 7.

Volunteers for the Mikinduri Children of Hope yard sale are pulling together the seventh annual 4.5-hour May 7 blowout bash of donated items to raise funds for projects in Kenya

The annual Mikinduri Children of Hope yard sale is an event of major organizational proportions.

But every year a team of dedicated volunteers manages to pull it all together for a massive single-day 4.5-hour blowout sale of recycled and some new items to the public to raise funds for the organization’s projects in Kenya.

“Most of the organization (part of it) is like an iceberg, 90 percent of it takes place before the actual sale,” says sonja Gagnon, who is past organizer of the sale, along with husband Gary Gagnon. There is now a committee of nine organizing the annual event.

Now in its seventh year, the yard sale, which will be held on Saturday, May 7 from 9a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the charlottetown Civic Centre, has become a staple in the minds of economical shoppers and people eager to find a new home for their donated item and help this charitable cause at the same time.

mikinduri children of Hope Foundation president ted Grant remembers when the spring event began.

“When we started we needed to find ways of raising money to start our fledgling operation and one of the things we came up with was a yard sale,” he says.

The first sale was held in Cornwall but the event was eventually moved to the Civic Centre in Charlottetown.

That first year there were about 25 tables filled with donated items for sale.

“In the past four or five years there have been so many things come in that we have not only 150 tables groaning with stuff, but the floor is covered with (items) as well,” says Gary.

The yard sale displays have been refined over the years to include display sections, like one mihgt see in a department store.

“The way it is organized has been built on the (past) suggestions of the volunteers. We have different people who are really, really excellent at organizing. The books are organized; housewares is organized, so everything has a place,” Sonja says.

Because it’s a single-day event everything must run as smoothly as possible to ensure as many things as possible find new homes and that funds are raised to continue the foundation’s work in Kenya.

Mary Gard is the super-efficient volunteer organizer of the  bountiful book section of the yard sale.

“Most book sales you go to the books are just put out according to the size of the book or hard (or soft) covers,” she says.

“But I try to organize it into topics, everything from romance to history to travel, so that when people come they can see the whole sale but if they’re interested in a specific type of book then they can go to that section and find what they’re looking for.”

Lew Black is in charge of the volunteer crew who gather the items from the public if need be and also transport them from various holding facilities and people’s basements and garages to the Civic Centre on the day before the sale.

“It’s a very busy day,” Black admits.

This year, a huge donation of new items from Christmas Discounters in Charlottetown will also be available, along with all the other donated items that are all priced to sell.

“Basically we keep (prices) really low because we want all of this stuff to turn over,” sonja says.

Anything that is not sold is passed on to other fundraising organizations.

The first year the Mikinduri Children of Hope Yard Sale raised $2,000; last year’s total came to about $14,000.

“Over time the yard sale has grown enormously, such that we have all kinds of things from all over the island that people have donated,” Gary says.

Bike Tour, auction raise over $18,000 for Mikinduri

Printed in the The Guardian on October 18, 2010

By Matt Lawrence

Last weekend’s Tip2tip4Africa bicycle ride event was another astounding success, raising approximately $18,000 for Mikinduri Children of Hope, say organizers.

The event calls out to supporters and biking enthusiasts alike to donate and raise funds which will assist projects for a small Kenyan town called Mikinduri. The 273-km ride took about three days. Riders who participated donated $200, then raised $600 individually. Ted Grant, chairman of Mikinduri Children of Hope, said the event was a great time.

“It was just great, there was no ill will anywhere. Everybody was just happy”.  Grant said the event was a relaxing social event more so than a typical competitive bike trek.

“Everybody had a lot of fun. Nobody said they had wish we had done this or if we had done that. Noneo f that.”

Over the years, Grant has always assumed a supervisor role in the event although this year was different. he entered the event as a participant.

“Last year, after seeing the riders and seeing the fun they were having I thought I’m going to see if I could do this.”

Printed in the The Guardian on October 7th, 2010
By Jim Day
Participants George Likely, left, Denise Bustard, second left, Libby Osgood and Ted Grant are set to take part, along with at least another 19 cyclists, in the sixth annual Tip 2 Tip for Africa bicycle ride via the Confederation Trail this weekend.

A jump in participants in an annual Island-wide bike ride should result in a near doubling of funds for humanitarian efforts in Africa, says an organizer.
Twenty-three riders, up from 13 last year, are registered to roll in the sixth annual Tip 2 Tip for Africa bicycle ride via the Confederation Trail over the upcoming long holiday weekend.
Ted Grant, president of Mikinduri Children of Hope, is hoping the event raises $20,000 this year, up from the $13,000 tally in 2009.
Proceeds will be split towards two initiatives. Half the funds will go towards assessing the cost of establishing a community-based medical system in Mikinduri. The remaining 50 per cent will be put towards microlending — giving people the financial tools they need to work their way out of poverty — in South Africa.
A reception and silent auction takes place Sunday from 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at the Quality Inn on the Hill in Charlottetown. The event, which is open to the public, will feature music by Marilyn Barrett and include African art and crafts, as well as locally donated goods and services.
Grant, who will be pedaling for the first time in the annual three-day bike ride, is looking forward to the social side of the fundraiser on wheels.
“It’s a great social event,’’ he said. “This isn’t something where you are competing to get ahead of somebody in a race.’’
The participants will include university students, a social worker, and university administration staff.
Minkinduri Children of Hope is a dedicated group of volunteers based in Prince Edward Island. Makena Ambassa, who moved to P.E.I. from Mikinduri, initiated the group in 2003.
Minkinduri is a small, poor, remote Kenyan village in eastern Africa.
To learn more about the Tip 2 Tip for Africa fundraiser or to make a donation, call Ted Grant at 566-2976.

Two days remaining to register for Tip 2 Tip for Africa bike ride
Annual event supports two charities doing work in Africa
Printed in the The Guardian in October, 2010

Participants have until Oct. 1 to register for the sixth annual Tip 2 Tip for Africa bicycle ride.
The three-day adventure takes participants across P.E.I. via the Confederation Trail, Oct. 9-11, raising funds for Mikinduri Chil¬dren of Hope and The Townships Project.
Registration covers meals and accommodation for three days and two nights, including both a lobster and Thanksgiving dinner, return tral1sportation from Char¬lottetown to the trailhead and evening entertainment. Partici¬pants also raise pledges that sup¬port the two registered Canadian charities doing poverty relief work in Africa.
“We invite anyone with an interest in cycling or fitness to
take this opportunity to enjoy the beautiful scenery from Tignish to Elmira while supporting two great causes;’ says Ted Grant, president of Mikinduri Children of Hope.
“We also invite everyone to come out to our Sunday reception to meet this year’s riders and to learn more about the important work the event supports:’
The reception and silent auc¬tion is on Oct. 10, 8-10:30 p.m., at the Quality Inn on the Hill in Char¬lottetown. The event, which fea¬tures music by Marilyn Barrett, includes African art and crafts, as well as locally donated goods and services and a cash bar.
Admission is by \ donation.
For more information, visit tip2tip4africa.org or call 566¬2043.

Mikinduri Children of Hope chair shows Rotarians what P.E.I. charitable group faces in poor Kenyan village
Printed in the The Guardian on September 1, 2010
By Dave Stewart

Ted Grant, left, chairman and founder of the Mikinduri Children of Hope charitable organization, was the guest speaker at Monday’s Rotary Club of Charlottetown luncheon, which was chaired by Rotarian Greg Scales, right. Grant painted a grim picture of conditions the voluntary organization faces in the poor, remote Kenyan countryside.

Members of the Rotary Club of Charlottetown sat silent at their luncheon Monday – some shook their heads, some gasped, others simply looked on with sad expressions.

Ted Grant, chairman of the Mikinduri Children of Hope, was the guest speaker at Monday’s luncheon, which included a sometimes graphic slide show presentation of what the P.E.I. charitable organization faces in the poor, remote Kenyan village in eastern Africa.

“Poverty, for me, means not having any options,” Grant said, as pictures of unimaginable suffering were displayed behind him.

The people have little opportunity for work, except as labourers on small farms. Like most African countries, Kenya is plagued with the effects of disease and insufficient food.

Some of the children cannot afford school fees, which prevents then from getting an education. Their future is bleak.

Mikinduri Children of Hope is a dedicated group of volunteers based in P.E.I. It was initiated in 2003 by Makena Ambassa, who is from Mikinduri and now lives in the province.

Grant said he and his wife formed the group after hearing about the suffering. Grant said he’s been to Mikinduri 10 times since 2003.

“I go at least once a year. I am blessed to be able to do this. I come home a much more enriched person,” Grant told Rotarians.

Their mission is to work where and with whom the need is greatest in an area with approximately 80,000 people.

The average income is less than $1 per day and they spend about 70 per cent of what money they do make on food.

“These people don’t have any options,” Grant said, explaining that people often die at home because they can’t afford hospital care.

The Mikinduri group is doing what it can – helping feed children, getting them some education and trying to provide clean water (their source of water contains 1,800 times more E.coli than the World Health Organization recommends).

“People have no choice but to drink it because they’ve got nothing else.”

There is one doctor for every 65,000 patients. Most of those who do practice medicine are lured away.

The Mikinduri group also conducts clinics, taking over medical professionals from P.E.I. Grant said they see patients who walk 20 miles to get to their clinics.

Charlottetown Rotarians were given glimpses of some of those patients and they weren’t easy to look at and certainly wouldn’t be pleasant to describe.

The Mikinduri Children of Hope has a website full of information on what the group is doing, how it is helping and how Islanders can chip in.

Printed in the The Guardian on April 15, 2010

Ted Grant, Sonja Gagnon, centre, and Mary Gard are preparing for the annual Mikinduri Children of Hop Gigantic Yard Sale May 1 at the Charlottetown Civic Centre. All proceeds go to continuing projects that are enabling the people of Mikinduri and area to have medical and dental care, nutritious food,, education and self-sustainability.

Four Prince Edward Island teens volunteer for a Mikinduri Children of Hope Foundation session of medical, dental and vision clinics in Kenya and, in doing so, develop a particularly strong connection with children there

Printed in the The Guardian on March 20th, 2010
by Mary MacKay
Teenagers Jordan Jewell, Emily Jewell and Alana Jewell of York and Ryann Jinks of Stratford are back in the chill of P.E.I. weather after nearly three weeks in Kenya volunteering with the Mikinduri Children of Hope Foundation.

Mikinduri Children of Hope volunteers, from front right, Jordan Jewell, Emily Jewell, Alana Jewell, and Ryann Jinks enjoy some in-school time with intermediate level students at a school in Mikinduri. They presented them with one of many soccer balls they took with them from Canada.

Ryann Jinks, left, 14, and Alana Jewell, 13, clean instruments at a dental clinic put on by the Mikinduri Children of Hope Foundation in Mwengi, Kenya.

Emily Jewell, 15, sees to a young patient at a medical clinic during a recent medical, dental and vision clinic mission in Kenya.

Jordan Jewell, 14, of York helps fit a Mikinduri resident with a new pair of eyeglasses.

Alana Jewell, left, and her brother, Jordan, get ready to chow down during a stopover at the Mikinduri Children of Hope in Mikinduri. After the meal, the children san and danced for them.

Alana Jewell of York helps to distribute eyeglasses during a vision clinic in Mikinduri.

A little goodwill goes a long way.
In the case of four Prince Edward Island teenagers, their volunteer gestures of kindness took them all the way to Kenya with the Mikinduri Children of Hope Foundation’s most recent round of medical, dental and vision clinics.
Emily Jewell, 15, her brother Jordan, 14, and sister Alana, 13, of York and their 14-year-old friend Ryann Jinks of Stratford spent nearly three weeks in this African country helping out in various working ways.
In addition, just by the osmosis of age, they acted as goodwill ambassadors to the masses of young children they met, forging an instant connection that no adult could.
“I met a little girl when we were walking down the road (in Mikinduri). Her name was Yvonne,” smiles Alana.
“She was five and I’d meet her walking up the road to go to the clinic in Mikinduri and she’d hold my hand going up the road and then she’d find me when we were walking home and she’d hold my hand going down the road.”
The Jewell children, who travelled with their parents, Edwin and Dawn Jewell, and Ryann, who was with her mother, Dawn Shea, were part of what was the largest contingent to Kenya yet for the Mikinduri Children of Hope Foundation, which is a P.E.I. organization working to help improve the lives of the people in Kenya.
At the highest point, there were 31 people presenting medical, dental and vision clinics in the villages of Mikinduri and Mwengi and in the city of Mombasa, as well as touring some of the foundation’s humanitarian projects.
The team consisted of doctors, nurses, a dentist and other volunteers from P.E.I., as well as from other parts of Canada and the United States. The team also worked closely with medical and dental professionals in Kenya.
In the middle of it all was this wide-eyed quartet of teens.
“These young people were incredible with the children and we saw hundreds, if not thousands, of kids,” says Ted Grant, president of the Mikinduri Children of Hope Foundation.
“The way they embraced the kids, made them feel comfortable and mixed it up with the kids at the schools (was amazing). It broadens (the) people we’re able to connect with and adds a whole new aspect to it, a whole new element of excitement.”
The exciting reality that they were going to Africa really didn’t strike the P.E.I. youth until pretty much the last minute.
“(It hit) on the plane,” remembers Ryann, whose second big-time reality moment came when they were hit with a wall of heat and humidity upon their arrival in Nairobi.
Their first stop on the volunteer mission map was Mikinduri. The nearly 300-kilometre journey from Nairobi to this community was a true eye-opener for the young Islanders.
“We all had our heads stuck out the windows looking at everybody. We passed little groups of kids as young as three walking on the side of the road to get to school and we’d be waving at them and they’d be yelling at us saying ‘White people!’ ” laughs Alana.
On their way to Mikinduri they stopped at the feeding centre which was started by the foundation a number of years ago.
“Mikinduri Children of Hope had set up the feeding centre to feed children every day, but then the parents got better at feeding the children so they feed them once a week on Saturdays. We arrived on Saturday and they greeted us and danced and sang,” Alana says.
“(Some children) walked 12 miles just to get to the feeding centre,” Ryann adds.
They spent much of their volunteer time in the vision clinics in Mikinduri and Mwengi.
“For the most part we were runners, so after the people were done getting tested for reading glasses we’d take them over to the distribution table. Or after distribution we’d take them back outside,” Ryann says.
“But then there were chances when we actually got to test their eyes.”
The attention they attracted was always a bit bewildering when they went out in public, especially in a smaller more rural areas.
“If we stopped at a gas station a crowd of people would (gather) around the combi (van) and they’d be staring at us,” Alana remembers, smiling.
At one primary school, the students were thrilled to have visitors from Canada and especially ones close to their own age.
“We weren’t even in the gates when they came and mobbed us and grabbed our hands,” Emily says, laughing at the memory.
There was no shortage of people who wanted to make use of the medical, dental and vision clinic services.
“When we were in Mwengi we would drive by in the combi and we would see all the people lined up out front and there were a lot of people, and they were there early” Emily remembers.
“You would still see people on the side of the road walking (to the clinic’s location).”
The Island teens’ roles expanded in Mwengi roles.
“We got the chance to work in other departments, too. We got to work with the nurses and with the dentist but just checking blood pressures . . . . It wasn’t anything major. It was just for a change,” Ryann says.
A real-life safari was part of the package for the volunteers who are always given some downtime to regroup and re-energize before they head to the next round of clinics.
“At the safari lodge (in Tsavo National Park) you’d eat your meals and you’d see the watering hole. You could see the zebras, giraffes and baboons (right there) so that was really neat,” Alana says.
One memorable moment happened in Mwengi when they got to experience Kenyan culture first-hand, or in this case, feet first.
“The last day we were in Mwengi they did traditional dances for us and (for the last one) they pulled us all up on stage and they tried to teach us how to do the dance and we were really bad at it,” Ryann says.
“They were all laughing but it was really fun to try,” Alana adds.
Whenever the mission team moved on to Mombasa the children and their parents went on their own and wrapped up their Kenyan journey with a more traditional-style hotel-based experience.
It was difficult to leave the people they’d bonded with during their volunteer time.
“You’re with the same people for two weeks and then you’re on your own. It was (strange),” Emily says.
They all hope to return to Kenya some day, but for now they have the memories of their journey of a lifetime.
“I told my friends about how much the kids liked us and how they’d be stroking your arm because we had arm hair and they didn’t,” Alana laughs.
“And I have a bunch of freckles on my arms so they’d be (tracing) from one freckle to the next. That was really memorable.”
For them it’s sometimes hard to put the whole African experience into words.
“I find when people ask (I say) ‘It was amazing.’ They expect more but there’s just so much to say,” Ryann says.
“You can’t say (just) one thing about it,” Emily adds.
“It just leads to a half-hour long conversation. If they just want a
brief description really the only word you can use is amazing.”
mmackay@theguardian.pe.ca
At a glance
• The 2010 Mikinduri Children of Hope medical, dental and vision clinics served a total of 4,548 people.
• Of the 1,688 in medical, follow-up care in hospitals was provided to 18 patients paying all of their hospital expenses to the tune of $7,000. Some of these patients had very serious health issues, requiring emergency transfer to hospitals.
• A total of $7,000 worth of drugs was purchased in Kenya and used at the clinics.
• The dentists treated 1,008 patients.
• The vision teams treated 3,020 people, providing literally thousands of dollars of free prescription glasses, sunglasses and hats.
• Here at home: The Mikinduri Children of Hope Gigantic Yard Sale is set for Saturday, May 1, 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at the Charlottetown Civic Centre. Organizers are now accepting all types of donations: household items; books; sports equipment; toys; art; plants; jewelry; furniture; tools; glassware; antiques; linens and baby/toddler clothes. Baby furniture, adult clothes/footwear and old computers cannot be accepted. Donations can be dropped off at the Civic Centre on Friday, April 30 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. No deliveries will be accepted on sale day. For help with pick up or storage or to help out as a volunteer, contact 892-6316 or spgagnon@hotmail.com.

Printed in the The Guardian February 8, 2010.
by Guardian Staff

The Mikinduri Children of Hope organization is making another trip to Kenya.
Thirty-one people, all paying their own expenses, are going to work with the Mikinduri community and its surroundings, said the group’s Island ground connection Michelle Leard.
Leard hasn’t been to Kenya, but she volunteers from home and makes sure families can get in contact with the individuals who are helping the African community.
“They help hundreds every day,” Leard said.
Hundreds are also the volunteers who contribute in the annual fundraising activities, she said.
“We have an annual mushroom compost sale, the gigantic yard sale at the Charlottetown Civic Centre, the perennial plants sale, the Stratford Rotary run and blueberry sales.”
The organization conducts medical, vision and dental clinics in which the volunteers are going to be working on, Leard said.
Those who wish to help have the chance to participate in the many annual fundraising activities organized by the Mikinduri Children of Hope organization, she said.
“All of the money goes to the different projects in Kenya.”
Anyone can help. Training sessions are held ahead of time to assure the maximum results once the volunteers reach the community, she said.
“You just need to be willing to help others and experience the Mikinduri community who are wonderful, caring and loving people.”
The organization provides scholarships, food, clean water, economical development and more, Leard said.
And there are no paid employees currently working in Canada, she said. “We are all volunteers.”
Leard said her father and leader of the group, Ted Grant, has already left for Kenya with four other volunteers.
“The rest of the group is leaving Wednesday.” Grant is staying for a month this time, she said. “Most are staying for three, and some for only a few weeks.”
They are divided in groups before they leave and trained in a particular area, she said. “Volunteers don’t have to have any specific profession, all training is done here.”
There will be a dentist, assistant dentists and a doctor, but the rest are people trained to do the job, she said. “They learn how to be efficient so they can help as many people as possible.”