Reminder: The Online Shop Will Be Closed In July

Orders placed in our Online Shop by the last day of the month are sent to the school and distributed to students in the following month.  Since our Nairobi Kids will be out of school on term break for part of August, our Online Shop will be closed for the month of July.  Please have all OLS orders in by June 30.  The Online Shop will reopen at the beginning of August. 

~Submitted by Brooke

Child of the Week - Make His Birthday Special

 Meet Stephen- WH499

Birthday – June 18, 1998

Stephen is turning sixteen years old on June 18 and is in Form 1 at Waddington High School.  She lives with his sister and unemployed parents in the slums.  He helps at home by mopping.  Stephen loves to read and his best subject is English.  He earned a 297 on the KCPE Exam, which is a good score.  Stephen hopes to become an engineer one day.  Stephen has been waiting for a sponsor since February.  Are you the sponsor he has been waiting for? 

You can sponsor Stephen for only $12.50 a month on the basic program, or $20 a month on the reduced-cost lunch program.  You will receive an annual photo and at least three letters a year from your sponsored child.  You will also be informed of the child’s grades in school.

For more information, please visit www.plantabook.org or email info@plantabook.org.

Please make a difference in the life of a child today!

~Submitted by Brooke

The Galilee Campus is Getting Greener!

The Kayole-Soweto slums where the GPS/WHS campus is located consists of dirt roads and shacks, and has little greenery.  The campus itself was built on an expanse of dirt, without trees, grass, or flowers to remind the children of nature’s beauty.  A few years ago, donors provided the funds for trees and shrubbery to be planted on the campus in an effort to give the children a more natural environment in which to learn. Those trees and shrubs have grown and provide small amounts of shade and beauty on the campus. 

Recently, the GPS/WHS campus got a little greener when one of our generous sponsors donated three fruit trees to be planted on campus.  The planting effort was undertaken by the WHS Environmental Club, which ensured proper placement, planting, and care of the new trees.  The students look forward to watching these trees grow and bear fruit in the years to come. 

 

~ Submitted by Brooke

Letter of the Month Club

 

Welcome to the Letter of the Month Club (LOTMC)!  This is a monthly feature on the blog that we hope will help you develop a deeper relationship with your sponsored child through letter-writing.  Since we are all in different stages of getting to know our sponsored kids, we have several suggested topics so that you can choose the one that works best for you and your sponsored child.  We have also provided suggestions for “extras” to send along with your letter, and questions to ask your sponsored child.

This Month’s Topics:

Getting to Know You: Your Education

Tell your sponsored child about your own education.  How is the educational system set up in your country (and how does it differ from Kenya’s).  Did you pursue education after secondary school?  What do you value most about your education?

Suggested Extras: A picture of you when you were in school; a sticker or other item with the logo of one of your alma maters.

Questions to Ask: How do you think that your education will change your future?

Topic in Focus: FIFA World Cup 2014

The FIFA World Cup kicks off June 12 in Brazil and goes through July 13.  Football (soccer in the U.S.) is extremely popular in Kenya and our Nairobi Kids will be very interested in the tournament.  Kenya’s national team did not qualify for this year’s World Cup, but they are certain to be following the action closely and would love any information on their sponsor’s national team.

Suggested Extras: News articles about your country’s national team (or the team you root for); FIFA World Cup trading cards (can be found at hobby stores).

Questions to Ask: Who do you hope wins the World Cup this year?  Do you have a favorite player?

Holiday/Seasonal: Flowers

What is your favorite flower?  What do you love about it?  Where does it grow and when does it bloom?

Suggested Extras: Picture or pressed flower (instructions here).

Questions to Ask: What is your favorite flower?

Reminder: The purpose of the LOTMC is to facilitate getting more letters in the mail to our Nairobi Kids, so please do not get bogged down in worrying about writing the perfect letter or gathering the “extras.”  If you are short on time this month, just drop a postcard or greeting card in the mail with a few short lines to let your Nairobi Kids know that you are thinking of them.  

~Submitted by Brooke

Child of the Week

Meet Susan- HH526 

Birthday – Unkown

 

Susan is in Form 1 at Waddington High School and is fourteen years old.  Susan is an orphan whose parents are deceased.  She was living with an older brother who was unemployed and unable to properly care for her, so she was offered a place at Holly House.  Susan did very well on the KCPE Exam, scoring 357 marks!  Susan’s best subject is science and she hopes to be a nurse when she finishes her schooling.  In her free time, Susan enjoys playing volleyball. 

Susan has written the following letter to her future sponsor:

Dear Sponsor,

How do you do?  I hope that you are still going on with your life.  I would like to take this opportunity to inform that … I am still alive and healthy.  I am [Susan] at Lorna Waddington High School in Form 1A.  I am continuing well with my studies and I have realized that Form One is not hard so far.  Lessons are very enjoyable. 

I would like to inform you that in my Primary School I worked hard and smart and scored three hundred and fifty seven marks qualifying to join this school.  I humbly ask for your sponsorship because I am a needy girl who is ready to learn. 

I am planning to work harder so that at the end of the four years, I can get an A in my Kenya Certificate of Education.  Here at school, our teachers are very helpful to us. 

I will be very happy when I find that you are sponsoring me, to get an education and improve the living standards of people in future life.  Otherwise thank you very much, goodbye. 

Yours loving,

Susan [HH526]

You can be the sponsor Susan has been awaiting for only $30 a month.  Sponsorship of a child living at Holly House covers the child’s room, school fees, and three meals a day.  You will receive an annual photo and at least three letters a year from your sponsored child.  You will also be informed of the child’s grades in school.

For more information, please visit www.plantabook.org or email info@plantabook.org.

Please make a difference in the life of a child today!

~Submitted by Brooke