Spring 2009
Spring 2009
Dear Oasis Partners and friends,
We are very excited to share with you the many things that have happened over the last couple of months. This newsletter is appropriately titled "Change your world" as a reminder that the world
for 71 orphans in Kenya is changing due entirely to the support and encouragement that you provide. Also, know that your world is changing too. Many of our sponsors and partners have shared their personal stories of encouragement and hope as a result of being a part of Oasis. We are deeply touched and privileged to serve both you and this community in Kenya. Thank you for joining us in this adventure and for allowing us, to continue doing what we love to do.
Jill Hayward
Trip Journal
by Scott Krzeminski
Our experience with Oasis for Orphans and our trip to Kenya to visit the orphanage have been life-changing experiences for me. Life changing from so many angles that it may be hard to put into words, but I will try.
I began my personal experience with Oasis for Orphans very slowly. My wife began her involvement with OASIS after listening to a photo presentation from Scott and Jill Hayward. She began to tell me about all the great things that this group was doing for orphans in Kenya. My initial reaction was one of disbelief and I thought to myself: "How could people from the United States successfully design, develop and fund a project on the other side of the world?" As I began to get more involved, I learned that this was a unique organization that had a passion for the children's well being and they had a well-orchestrated plan.
The trip to Kenya was unbelievable. I was first amazed with the pure beauty of Africa's landscape. The green mountainsides and the lush vegetation combined with the beautiful weather make the first impression a stunningly positive one. But as you travel into the rural areas (the drive from Nairobi to the orphanage took approximately 7 hours) you begin to see glimpses of the many serious challenges the people face. Poverty is prevalent in most areas -- there is a lack of essential resources and basic life sustaining technology. People use donkeys and travel on foot for long distances. Gathering water requires long walks to fill jugs of dirty water versus just turning on the faucet for clean water. The list goes on and on.
When we reached the orphanage I was amazed at the scope of what Oasis for Orphans has accomplished in four years. We could see the original Children's Home and all around us construction was underway for the expansion. Dozens of kids came running to greet us, which melted our hearts. And as we met each of them, we couldn't help but think about the personal circumstances that led them here. But that quickly gave way to big smiles, introductions, hugs and laughter. Their friendliness and genuine appreciation are just a few things I will never forget.
One moment that I will cherish forever was simply sitting in the grass on the mountainside in the warm Kenyan sun talking with a small group of the kids. They were writing their names in my notebook and laughing as they rubbed my arm, wondering if the white color would come off to reveal I was just like them. We laughed and enjoyed the moment, which transcended the miles between us. Little do they know that I'll treasure that small moment for a long time.
So many people have asked me since we returned home, "Wasn't it sad over there with the orphans?" When I was there I did not feel sad at all... In fact, it was such an uplifting experience to see the children well fed, with a roof over their heads, being educated in a good school and most importantly, just being kids -- playing, laughing and doing all the things that kids do. I can't wait to go back and experience it all over again.
Young Sophia
While we were on The Hill, a young mother named Sophia approached us and asked the Children's Home to care for her 2 year old son Titus.
She is blind, unable to find work and can't afford to feed him. Instead of having the TMD Children's Home take care of her child directly, we came up with a plan to help subsidize her income by having her work at the Children's Home on Saturdays. She brings Titus with her and he participates in the Saturday program with the other children. He is able to stay home with his mother! We had Dr. Mike look at her and found that she had cataracts that developed when she was 12 years old. After doing some research, we have found that this could potentially be corrected by surgery! She may be able to see again! Would you please pray with us that this will be possible! She will be evaluated for this in June. Also, if you would like to contribute financially to this or any other medical initiatives, please let us know!
Health and Hygiene Trip
by Ann Smith
Oasis sponsored the first ever Health and Hygiene trip this past March. Our objectives were many as you will read, but the accomplishments were truly the result of God's provision, answers to prayer and the dedication of the team.
Change for Noah
First and foremost is the story of Noah Leboo. He is an 11 year old boy who was born with a congenital foot defect. After taking on the medical director role for Oasis, I couldn't get Noah out of my mind - literally for days and nights I thought about him and whether or not his foot could be fixed. We were told he had polio but that didn't seem to fit. We requested that he be taken to Kijabe hospital, which specializes in orthopedics. The doctors there confirmed that he had a birth defect and felt that they could repair it. We were thrilled and his surgery was planned for 4 days before we arrived so we could pick him up at the hospital and manage his post-op care the first week on The Hill. When we arrived at Kijabe Hospital to visit him I was amazed at the difference. Here was this beautiful child with a straight foot and walking all around on crutches! He had no complications, virtually no pain, and was smiling ear to ear! We brought him home and he was an instant celebrity! Everyone wanted to hear his story and the entire community came out on Sunday to celebrate what God had done for him. We also had the privilege of bringing pediatric surgical retractors donated by Thompson Surgical to Kijabe Hospital. The surgeons were thrilled to have such high end medical equipment to advance their service to the kids of Kenya.
Medical Exams
I remember early on in our trip planning meetings, Livia (co-medical Director for Oasis) was emphatic about bringing three nurses and a doctor with us. As time went on it looked like only the two of us would comprise the medical team. However, in December my dad, Dr. Mike Matlak, signed on. That provided us with our much needed doctor. In a miraculous answer to prayer, Anita Kaiser, Jill's mom, a registered nurse, signed on two weeks before we traveled. I can't tell you how many times Livia and I looked at each other during the trip and said, "What would we do without them?" Livia and I prescreened all of the kids and took vitals. Nurse Anita assessed the girls while Dr. Mike evaluated the boys. They were heroes! Dr. Mike is the first doctor who has ever visited that community. At the end of the week each child had a complete set of medical records, including full physical exams, hearing screenings done by our audiologist, Danna, and vision tests by our own daughters; Piper, Katie, Katy and Kira. A big thank you to Medline for donating all of the supplies needed to perform the medical exams (wound care supplies, gloves, disinfectants, exam table paper, stethoscopes, blood pressure cuffs)
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Health and Hygiene Teaching
The entire team was also able to go into each of the school classrooms and teach for three days
on health and hygiene issues. The children learned about germs, how to stop germs, how to wash their hands, and how to brush their teeth. The older students were given additional teaching on food preparation, healthy eating choices, and how to make oral rehydration solution (ORS), a solution that prevents dehydration when a person has diarrhea. The people in the community were so excited about this teaching that they set aside a special session on Saturday for the adults in the community! Over 65 people came. Over 500 water bottles, donated by Walgreens and filled with hygiene items, were handed out. We also handed out over 1,000 tooth brushes donated by Schweitzer Family Dental of Grayslake.
Vaccinations
Another answer to prayer came in the form of the typhoid vaccine. While we were there, Livia had a chance to visit the local clinic and discovered that one of the leading killers in the area is typhoid. A simple vaccine prevents this deadly illness and remarkably the clinic had enough for all of the children and staff. Thanks to Frederick School in Grayslake, IL, we had the funding with us to purchase these expensive vaccinations. There are, however, many more vaccinations to give which we hope to administer on our next trip.
"Do you know my sponsor?"
by Danna Herden
"Do you know my sponsor?" The girls at the Children's Home peppered me with this question over and over again one evening as we were in their room to say goodnight. They each quickly grabbed their letters and pictures, which they kept right by their beds, to show me their sponsors. They were so happy when I could assure them that I knew their sponsors, at least in some small way. After leaving that night, I was struck by how important it was to each of those girls that I know not only who they were, but who their sponsor was. To them, their sponsors are a part of who they are because they identify themselves with their sponsors, as a family member! This was something I never expected!
We knew when we launched the sponsorship program that each child would be excited to know that someone in America knew them and cared for them. What we didn't realize was how intimately those children would identify with their sponsors. They truly feel like they are a part of their sponsor's family. Those girls that night wanted to learn anything they could about their sponsors and they wanted to be assured that their sponsors loved them. What a privilege it is to be able to share in the lives of these wonderful children!
Many of you, as sponsors, have already begun a deep, long-lasting relationship with your sponsored child. We are so grateful that you have caught the vision! Others of you, however, may not know how to begin. That's ok, but I want to encourage you to try anyway. Begin by just sharing about yourself, even though it might seem strange or uncomfortable at first. The children don't care how much money you make or how articulate you may be. They just want to know about you. Tell them about yourself, your family, your job, America, or even just talk about the weather! Ask questions about them, such as what they are learning or what they like in school. Find out what they want to be when they grow up. Encourage them in their pursuits and to work hard in school. Let them know that you believe in them! Your relationship with your sponsored child is more important to them than you may ever know!
P.S. Sponsors: We have another trip planned for June 2009. Please set aside some time to write your child. You can mail your correspondence to us at Oasis for Orphans, P.O. Box 524, Wadsworth, IL 60083. We would need to receive them by June 7th to ensure that they get included with our supplies.
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Construction Update
by Scott Hayward
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Building Construction
A lot has happened since the last time we updated everyone on the progress of the construction efforts on the hill. It seems like we have our hard hats on full time. Here is the short story:
Thanks to the generous donation of one of our sponsors, we were able to move forward with the construction of key elements of the orphanage expansion!
In February we awarded a large general contract for all of the major construction elements.
As of early April the foundations have been completed and the walls are starting to take shape.
We have had the opportunity to inspect the progress twice in the last couple of months, once in early March by Nate Kaiser, and again the last week in March by me. Progress has been good, but there have been many challenges, mostly due to the steep nature of our site and the lack of skilled labor. We are working through those challenges with an expected completion target of July.
Deep Well
God has also answered some BIG prayers with the progress on our well. Here are some highlights of this great work.
A sincere Thank You to the many generous givers toward this effort. We especially would like to thank the children's program (TGA) at The Chapel in Grayslake for its campaign at the end of last year. Way to go kids!
We were literally out of options trying to find a qualified driller, when we stumbled across a team that was coming right by our community on the way back to Nairobi. The community watched anxiously as the drillers made great progress, all the way down to 180 meters (590 ft) below the surface. Now that is a deep well!
We had the water tested at a lab in Nairobi and it came back with high marks. I even reviewed the data with some of the pharmaceutical water experts that I work with, and they were very impressed with the results. To summarize, we have high quality drinking water that does not need to be treated in any way
We are currently weighing the different options to provide power to run the pump as well as finalizing the controls and piping design. Our hope is to have water available to the Children's home in the next 2 months.
Due to the large capacity of the aquifer and the quality of the water, we have an opportunity to expand the system so as to provide water to the community. However, we are not budgeted for this expansion (see the Opportunities section for how you can help us meet this immediate need).
Future Expansion
With the end of the current phase of construction in sight, we would be remiss if we gave you the impression that all of the facility needs were met. While the basic needs of cooking, shelter, bathrooms and water are being addressed, we are in a unique position to advance many of the other important programs that would greatly benefit the health and well-being of the community. _ Boys Toilet/Bath house: Provides needed separation for the boys and girls. Current funding only allowed for the construction of one bath house.
Furniture for Dorm II: Bunk beds, tables, chairs, clothing storage, etc.
Courtyard/Gazebo: This is more of a need than a want, as it will manage the water run off from the intense rains as well as provide attractive community meeting places.
Medical Clinic: This will provide an appropriate facility to enable care and treatment for the Children's Home and the community.
Guest House: A great opportunity to facilitate future mission trips as well as provide the local community the chance to host guests and retreats while generating some income.
Power: We are pursuing the introduction of Solar, Wind and Utility power to meet the needs of the Children's home.