Do Not Conform any Longer

Providence Kenya Team

2009-07-12T11:55:00.000-07:00

The TI Kenya team is anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Providence Kenya team from Pennsylvania. The team will be visiting many TI projects but spending most of their time with the Neema Girl’s Project.

You can follow their trip at www.provinkenya2009.blogspot.com

Rock Youth Team

2009-07-08T11:07:00.000-07:00

ROCK Youth Team

2009-06-29T11:06:00.000-07:00

The Rock Youth Team from NAC, Canada arrived today in Kenya to work with the TI Kenya crew. You can follow their group blog by visiting http://www.teamkenya2009.blogspot.com. We will also be posting some updated with pictures about their adventures over the next 10 days.

Kolongolo Widows Get New Start (Update)

2009-06-14T22:27:00.000-07:00

This past week the TI team traveled to Kolongolo to deliver 32 fifty kg sacks of topdressing to the widows. The women listened intently as Daniel encouraged them to be patient as they watch their food grow and when it is harvested, to take care of it and make it last.

After the widows finish weeding their gardens, they will apply the top dressing. This is the final stage of the process. All that remains before the harvest is the wait.

The rainy season began well, but there hasn’t been rain for over two weeks. The crops are showing first signs of drying. As each rainless day passes, the prayers of these women increase. Their lives literally depend on the success of their crops.

We will continue to bring you updates as the maize grows and is harvested around November.

Neema’s Update – A Year Gone By

2009-06-10T10:04:00.000-07:00

It’s hard to imagine that it has been one year, on June 4^th, 2009 since we started the Neema Project. This has been one of the most challenging and yet one of the most rewarding projectsthat we have ever been a part of.

We started the project in June of 2008 with six girls that we had been building relationships with for over a year. These girls were hard core street girls, living the life of prostitution and had become addicted to shoe repair glue (cheap and easy to access).

We hired the staff, at the time it was just a house mother, Janet and a teacher, Nancy. We decorated the house and brought the girls to their home. Within a month or so, one by one those original six girls began leaving to go back to the streets. It was a life that they had always known and just couldn’t seem to break free from. All but one of those original six girls, left. And it broke our hearts. But we saw the one, Sarah, and focused on her. And shortly after the other girls left, we brought in five new girls. We added a seamstress, Joyce, so now the girls were receiving basic education in the mornings and being taught tailoring in the afternoons.

In December of 2008, Sarah, our original girl, was reunited with her family. She had made amends and decided to go back and be with them. This was what we know as a “happily every after.” And to us, if this was the only “happy ending” that came out of Neema’s, then it would all be worth it to us.

Also, at the end of 2008, we needed to replace the teacher and we wondered how we could find another that would love the girls like we did, that would be patient and understanding of the girl’s struggles of dealing with the past they came from. But our prayers were answered with a wonderful woman, Joan. She started in January and has been an amazing addition to our girls. The girls are speaking, reading and writing in English now. They have far more confidence in themselves, thanks to their house mother, teacher and seamstress.

In May, we again were saddened by the running away of one of girls. She had decided to go back to the streets where she felt she could make money doing what most of the street girls do: prostitution. However, her bed didn’t stay empty for long.

On our one year anniversary, we brought some treats for the girls to celebrate this special day. We started a water balloon fight with the girls, to which they had never played but loved right from the beginning.

Also on our one year anniversary, we were visited by a woman and a younger girl. The woman was the older sister to this young girl, Olivia. Olivia has come from a life of rejection and as her sister talked with us; we all couldn’t help but fall in love with this new girl. And with the unanimous decision of the staff and the current girls living in the home, Olivia was welcomed with open arms to be a part of Neema.

These girls are not just a project; they are part of our family. Their passion to succeed and become strong and self-sufficient women is powerful and huge. Each of these girls has been worth every heartbreak, every sweat and every tear. We are so very proud of our girls and look forward to another year with them.

--Meredith Stewart

When you buy a craft, where does the money go?

2009-05-28T10:07:00.000-07:00

TI has been doing home parties and crafts sales, mostly in the Reno area, for the past two years. The crafts are brought from Kenya and sold in the U.S. and Canada. Some of these crafts are made by the widows TI is working with; all of the crafts are made by people in poverty.

Every craft bought helps two groups; first it helps the person making it. TI buys the craft right from the artist; giving them a very fair price so they can in turn feed their family. Second, all the profit from each craft sold goes right back into helping people in Kenya through TI.

Let me give some examples.

This year, TI is sending 7 orphans through secondary school. 5 students are not sponsored, but supported by the money raised from the crafts sales. It cost over $600 per kid per year for secondary school… that’s a lot of wooden spoons!

Every once in a while, the TI Kenya staff will meet a family in need, but who does not qualify for a TI program. Because of the money from the crafts, we are able to support a family or a child for an extended period of time. In July 2008, TI found a family living in the slums, a single mother with her 6 children. She had a small business, but her meager income was not providing fully for her kids. In fact, the kids weren’t even going to school. TI came in, got all the kids in school, put one of the older daughters in a trade school and helped the mother to expand her business. In the past 10 months, TI has spent over $1500 on food, household items and school fees for this family. That was all money from crafts sold. TI is slowly pulling out assistance to the family as the mother’s business becomes more stable. In only a few months time, the family will be self sustainable. Thanks for buying that carving.

One of the biggest improvements to the HBF children’s home last year was the addition of house parents. The 27 kids only had a house mother who was too busy cooking and cleaning to be able to mother the children. TI kept the old staff and added a husband and wife team as house parents for the home, parents who were able to give the children the love, affection and care they needed. TI did not have their meager combined $150 monthly salary built into the budget, but thanks to the crafts sales, we are able to employ amazing parents for our kids.

These are just a few of the many examples of how the crafts many of you buy change the lives of the people in Kenya. Buying a $5 necklace doesn’t seem like much, but it makes a big difference to someone.

Thank you for the part you play. Thank you also to the amazing team who volunteers countless hours to unpack, label, transport and sell the items. Not only are you a hope for the hopeless, but a voice in the midst of disparity.

The faces of the children at HBF children's home

2009-05-25T23:58:00.000-07:00

Maili Saba Widow’s Project Update

2009-05-17T21:11:00.000-07:00

I was overwhelmed last week as I visited the Maili Saba Widows project TI started in November of last year. I didn’t expect to find the women not only maintaining, but expanding their business.

In November, TI began a widow’s project for 5 young widows, all having school aged children. The project had the women making reusable women’s sanitary products. This proved to be a great success as the widows learned to use the machines.

But the women wanted to do more, to expand their business. Now they are making slips, school uniforms and mending clothes. They open the shop, located in the market, at noon every day and work until 6:00pm. There are now 6 women, proficient in using the 4 sewing machines. They are earning a daily profit and for the first time since they lost their husbands, they are able to provide for their family without depending on handouts from others.

Imagine going from depending on begging for food to making their own money by the work of their hands. Self worth in these women is evident.

The success of this project and the work ethic of the widows have given me a greater hope for the future of Kenya.

Kolongolo Widows Get a New Start

2009-05-12T21:45:00.000-07:00

In the impoverished village of Kolongolo, 31 widows, many caring for their orphaned grandchildren, sat with little hope. Even in their old age, many would work tiresomely, day after day, weeding other people’s land, and at the end of the day, make a little more than 50 cents. Hardly enough to put one meal on the table for herself.

What is unique about these widows is that they all have their own land, uncultivated, year after year. But thanks to Hope 2 Kenya, through TI, these 31 widows were able to plant their own land this growing season.

Each widows planted at least 1 acre. Pending a good rainy season, one acre will produce enough maize to feed the family and have some left over to sell. TI will also be taking two bags from each acre which will, in turn, be sold and the money saved to plant their land the next year.

As we walked through the village last week, seeing the widows and what they had planted, hope was evident on their faces. They were full of thanks as they proudly showed the work of their hands.

In the impoverished village of Kolongolo, 31 widows, many caring for their orphaned grandchildren, sit today with a lot of hope!

TI at the NevAEYC Annual Conference

2009-04-05T22:25:00.000-07:00

On April 3rd and 4th, Transformed International had the privilege of being a part of the Nevada Association for the Education of Young Children annual conference held at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno. TI was given a free booth in the exhibit hall where Kenyan crafts were sold and 100% of the proceeds taken back to helping TI projects in Kenya.

Daniel spoke to the 500 conference attendees about the need to create cultural awareness in the education system. He encouraged the teachers to use their circle of influence to impact and create awareness in the children they reach.

TI thanks the conference organizers who kindly invited TI to be a part of this event and through the crafts sold and awareness of TI that was gained, more orphaned children and widows in Kenya will be helped.

Neema Girl's Update

2009-03-22T16:21:00.001-07:00

It’s been a few months of change in the Neema Girls House, here in Kitale, Kenya. In January, we brought in two new girls and a new teacher.

Our new girls, Elizabeth and Loice (rhymes with noise) have been a warm welcome in to Neema’s. Elizabeth, age 16, comes from a remote village where education for girls her age doesn’t happen and being given away in marriage is the next step in life. Loise, age 15, ran away to the streets to escape the abuse of a step-parent. Both Elizabeth and Loice are very bright, respectful and work hard around the home and in school.

Our new teacher, Joan, is a retired primary school teacher from our community. She has brought so much life and self-esteem to the girls at Neema’s. She also has a background in guidance and counseling, which is what has contributed greatly to the positive self-esteem in these girls’ lives. They are learning their basic education and especially English at a quick rate. It’s been amazing to see the subtle positive changes in the girls.

One of our girls, Sarah, who has been with Neema’s since July 2008, when the program started, has been reunited with her family. Sarah visited with her family during the Christmas holidays and requested that she stay longer with them and after that time, she had worked things out with her family and wanted to remain at her home. This is a wonderful happy ending to our time with her.

This home isn’t just about getting girls off the street and getting them educated and teaching them a trade. It’s also about the healing and forgiving process; forgiving themselves and the one’s who may have hurt them in the past. This project does have it challenges but in the end, the rewards far outweigh the challenges.

- Meredith

Well at HBF Children’s Home is complete

2009-03-19T14:07:00.000-07:00

Only a month behind schedule, the well at the HBF children’s has been complete for the past month and is providing a lot of clean water for the children and nearby community members. Having the well at the home has reduced the labor on the children and home staff as they had to walk several miles, up to 3 times a day, to get water from a river. The kids now have more time to focus on school and “being kids.”

Thanks again to Arrowhead Community Church from California for their financial support in building the well and providing water for Kenyan orphans.

Kolongolo School gets sweaters

2009-03-19T14:02:00.000-07:00

70 sweaters were made by a group of widows in Kitale and passed out to the preschool children in Kolongolo. The Children’s uniforms are now complete.

Thank you Hope 2 Kenya (Canada) for your continued support of the HBF School in Kolongolo.

Guest speaker makes lasting impression on F.J. McElligott students

2009-03-09T20:50:00.000-07:00

By: Cody Lacelle, Riley Clarke, Jessica Groulx, Krysta Warkentin & Ashley Joanisse

After five years of living in Kenya, often in a mud hut with no electricity, Daniel Lipparelli continues to expand his development work abroad by talking to high school students. On Tuesday, February 24th, Lipparelli visited the small Northern Ontario high school of F.J. McElligott.

Lipparelli’s goal was to inspire students and tell them that no matter what age you are, you can make a difference. “I love this age group,” stated Lipparelli. “People constantly tell me that young people can’t make a difference; I know you can!”

Lipparelli went on to say, “Right now you may think, ‘Poor Me,’ I don’t have the nicest house. ‘Poor Me,’ I just broke up with my girlfriend. ‘Poor Me,’ I don’t have the best clothes.” His words were heard clearly by all who attended because they were true. Grade ten student, Riley Clarke, echoed this sentiment, “He meant to show us that if we change our thinking from ‘Poor Me’ into ‘Poor You’, we could help a lot of people.”

Lipparelli’s presentation included poignant pictures and stories to emphasize the work that Transformed International does. Transformed International is the organization Lipparelli founded five years ago. With the help of people like Sandy Foster and her team Hope2Kenya, which included fundraising efforts by F.J. students, the foundation was able to build a school within three months. The pre-school acts as a community center, a church and has been running successfully for two months now.

F.J. students left the presentation motivated once more to raise money. They are hoping to exceed their fundraising efforts from last year. Students are also writing letters to Kenyan high school students to better grasp the reality of life for a teen in Kenya.

As the student body left the presentation, is was evident that Lipparelli’s message was clear when Carrie Resmer exclaimed, “His presentations get better every time.” Students look forward to his next visit.

Woman's international development work adopts new project in Kenya

2009-02-10T05:47:00.000-08:00

After five years of projects and international travel, Sandy Foster is continuing to expand her development work abroad by taking on an entire community.

Having helped build orphanages, women's co-operatives and schools in Kenya, the Callander resident was approached to develop an entire village.

The former child play therapist found her love for Africa when travelling with her husband many years ago. Seeing the number of street kids and the lack of infrastructure pushed her to return for three weeks every fall, bringing school supplies, food and blankets with her.

This past September, Foster made her fourth trip to Kenya along with a group of local residents. Together they travelled to the northwest part of of the country to the village of Kolongola. What they found there was a remote community of 15 women supporting 67 children.

I was very taken with this place," she said.

They started with getting school uniforms for as many children as possible and arranged for a school to be built. The building is now the centre of the community, as a place of worship, a school and a gathering place.

Foster wouldn't have found out about the village had it not been for Daniel Lipparelli. Originally from Nevada, Lipparelli has been living and working in Kenya since 2004, helping to co-ordinate many of Foster's projects and continues them throughout the year.

He is very well respected there and speaks very good Swahili," Foster said.

Lipparelli will be in North Bay Feb. 22 to speak at Trinity United Church at 7 p. m. He plans to share with the community how their contributions have changed people's lives.

We couldn't do what we do without North Bay's support," she said.

Part of what keeps Foster going back is the changes she sees in the people from year to year. Before leaving Kolongola, they helped set up a women's group that makes reusable sanitary napkins out of cloth

If you can't afford to eat, the last thing you'd buy is sanitary napkins," she said.

The project has given the women pride that they can produce a product they can use themselves as well as sell. She hopes to bring back seeds and sewing machines this fall.

The goal is to help the community become self sufficient within three years.

Although her group has made many improvements, she has also seen problems grow.

While AIDS is still widespread, other preventable diseases such as tuberculosis are spreading quickly through children across the country.

This fall, Foster is bringing a nursing student with her to help teach first aid and disease prevention.

Foster understands that poverty isn't just a problem in Africa, it also exists in her own community. But Foster feels that Canadians have so many social services to rely on, while in Kenya there are very little, especially for rural women and children.

We have infrastructure here. There is no reason why people need to go hungry," she said.

She hopes bringing high school students with her in 2010 will help spread the message.

Many area schools have raised thousands of dollars for her over the years and she wants the students to be able to experience what it is like to do development work.

Most people just want to do something to help," she said

North Bay Nugget
February 9, 2009
http://www.nugget.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1426263
Posted By JENNY POTTER, THE NUGGET

February 2009 Update

2009-02-08T12:34:00.000-08:00

Kolongolo School Opens

The new preschool in Kolongolo village opened the first week of January giving education to over 70 poor children living in the village. These children are between the ages of 4 and 7 years old. This past week, TI visited the school to bring new uniforms and shoes for every child. The joy on the children’s faces was overwhelming as some put shoes on for the first time in their life.

These are 70 children who will have a head start in their education and in their fight towards the poverty and hunger that has overtaken most of Kenya.

Thank you to those who have made education possible for these children.

Daniel Lipparelli in Canada and U.S.

I will be leaving Kenya in one week from today to spend 10 weeks in the U.S. and Canada.

I will be in Canada from February 17th to 23rd. Most of my speaking engagements are in NewMarket and North Bay.

I will be in the U.S. from February 24th to April 30th. I will be mostly in the Reno, Nevada area.

If you would like a copy of my speaking schedule or would like me to speak at your church, school, organization, etc, please e-mail me at daniel@transformedinternational.org.

Kenya to declare food emergency

2009-01-14T23:20:00.000-08:00

Kenya is to declare a national emergency because of a drought affecting the East African country.

President Mwai Kibaki's government warned that nearly 10 million people - more than a quarter of the population - were at risk from food shortages.

The government intends to import five million bags of maize, reduce the price of seeds and buy up livestock in drought-hit areas to ease the crisis.

Famine relief packages including maize and beans are also to be distributed.

The decision to declare a national emergency was taken at a food security meeting chaired by President Mwai Kibaki and attended by ministers of his coalition government.

"President Kibaki told the food security committee that the entire government must focus on the urgency of providing food to all Kenyans after the failed rains in the last two seasons and reduced production due to last year's post-election challenges," a government statement said.
Correspondents say Kenya's finances are already under strain because of last year's post-election violence, which badly affected the economy.

From BBC News http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7821260.stm

December 2008 Update

2008-12-20T22:55:00.000-08:00

Thank You!

Thank you to all who gave of their time, finances and prayers to the children and projects of Transformed International. 2008 has been a fantastic year! I’m amazed at what the Lord has done this year. I can’t imagine what 2009 will bring.

TI’s Second Annual Christmas Party

Last week TI held its second annual Christmas party at the TI compound in Kitale. The purpose of the party was to celebrate all that Lord has done within the year and to bring all the different TI projects together.

For most of the children TI supports, this was their first time to meet. The party was a complete success with over 260 people in attendance. The day was full of games, food, presentations of songs and dances by each project and ended with each child getting a gift bag.

A special thanks to Newmarket Alliance Church who made this even possible. Also, thanks to Meredith and the TI Kenya team for all their preparation work.

Well at HBF Children’s Home

Thanks to the contribution of Arrowhead Community Church, the children at HBF children’s home will soon not have to walk over a mile each way to get water. They will have water in their own back yard.

The construction of a shallow well began 2 weeks ago and completion is expected before Christmas.

The well will be about 70 feet deep with cement lined walls and a built in hand pump. The source of clean water will also be made available for community to use.

Kolongolo School

The construction of the Kolongolo school is about complete. The school will offer pre-school education to the needy children and orphans in the community. The final funds have reached Kenya and the school will be finished, complete with desks, before the New Year.

Maili Saba Widow’s Project

The widow’s project in Maili Saba is progressing well. They have almost completed the first batch of products. The women have rented a small store front in the shopping center and are receiving orders for the products. The first set of finished items will be sold the second week of January.

Card Project

Two month’s ago, Lauren started a project with two girls from Shimo slums making greeting cards. Both of these girls, Faith and Jacinta grew up in one of the many slums in Kitale. The girl’s were abandoned by their father when they were young and grew up missing years of school at a time because of lack of school fees or having to work to get food to help their mother feed the 6 kids in the family. The girls, 17 and 20 years old are too old for school. Now, through making the cards and selling them in the U.S. and Canada, the girls will be able to make enough money to go to a trade school of their choice.

The project has been very successful as the girls have already made over 100 cards and are meeting daily to make more. At the same time building a lasting friendship with Lauren as they talk about life issues and making good choices.

Through this project, these girls will be able to pull out of the slum life, being destined for prostitution or early marriage like many of their friends.

Food Crises in Kenya

Due to the current global financial crises, political violence earlier this year and the drastic rise of fertilizer, the price of staple food in Kenya right now is outrageous and the amount of food is dwindling quickly. The government food storages are empty with little hope of filling them. A sack of maize corn that could be bought a year ago at $16 is now costing $30 and expected to rise to $40 by the end of January. By April it will be hard to find any maize at all.

Thanks to the crafts sold at home parties in the U.S. and generous financial donations, TI was able to buy over 260 sacks of maize that is expected to support most TI projects for all of 2009. The Maize is being stored at several different locations across the country. Having this maize in store has offered a great sense of security to TI knowing that we will be able to provide for yet another year.

WCDSS Sales for High School kids in Kenya

Last week, crafts were sold at Washoe County Social Services to raise funds to send kids to high school in Kenya. Secondary education in Kenya is not free and in fact, very costly. Thanks to the sales of Kenyan crafts at WCDSS, TI will be able to send 10 children to high school in 2009.

Thank you WCDSS for opening your doors to TI!

TI Kenya Team in U.S. and Canada

Sean Stewart and Meredith Lopez (TI Kenya Directors) will be leaving Kenya this weekend to return to Canada to prepare for their wedding. They will be there until mid February 2009. If you are interested in meeting with them or having them speak, please contact them at:

meredith@transformedinternational.org
sean@transformedinternational.org

Daniel Lipparelli (International TI Director) will be in Canada from February 17th to 28th and then in the U.S. until the end of April 2009. If you would like to meet with him or have him speak, please contact him at:

daniel@transformedinternational.org

2009 TI Kenya Internship Program

For those who have requested applications for the spring 2009 Kenya Internship Program, applications are due by February 1st 2009. If you would like an application or more info, please contact support@transformedinternational.org or visit the web page http://www.transformedinternational.org/.

November 2008 Updates

2008-11-30T00:26:00.000-08:00

I can’t believe that we are only one month away from the end of another year. It baffles me as to how fast this year has gone by and how much the Lord has done in such a short time. Since the beginning of TI, we, the TI team, have never asked the Lord to bless what we are doing or to bless TI. But rather we have said “Lord, show us where you are alive and doing something and take us there…” That is just what He has done. This is a ministry, an organization that is directed by the Lord and His Will is prevalent.

Meredith Lopez (TI Sponsorship Coordinator) is now engaged to Sean Stewart (TI Canada Board member). Sean and Meredith will be leaving Kenya in three weeks to go back to Canada and prepare for their wedding that will take place in February. They will then come back to Kenya as a married couple and as the Directors of Transformed International Kenya. I’ve had the privilege of working with Meredith in TI for one and a half years, I’ve also become very close to Sean these past 4 months as I’ve been teaching him everything I know about working, living, and loving in Kenya. I have been nothing but impressed by his desire and work ethic. Sean has also added a lot to the leadership of the internship program. I believe that there are no two better people to oversee the work TI is doing in Kenya.

After reading that, some may be wondering where that leaves me… It leaves me available to expand TI to other countries. The model that TI has established for caring for orphans and for the poor is first of all one that not many people are doing and second, it is completely reproducible. It is something that can’t be confined just to Kenya. I don’t know for sure where the Lord will take TI next, maybe to starting something in another country or to work with other organizations who want to establish such models. My goal is not to expand TI, but to expand the number of orphans and poor who are being cared for. The name that is attached to the work doesn’t matter, but only that the work gets done.

I will be traveling to Canada and the US at the end of February and will be there for a few months. I will be speaking at various venues as the doors open. After that I plan to come back to Kenya for a month before exploring the expansion of caring for the poor in other countries.

Internship Program

This fall’s Kenya internship program is coming to an end after three months of life changing experiences. This was the third set of interns to go through the program in the last two years. I am overwhelmed by the growth and maturity seen in each person.

The next program will begin the first week of April 2009 and run for three months. Space is limited to 6 people. If you are interested in an application, please e-mail daniel@transformedinternational.org.

Neema Girl’s Project

The girls at the Neema home are doing great. There is a noticeable change in their hearts from week to week. The girls finished their second term of school and are learning to read and write. They also made their first skirts in their sewing class.

Last month, the girls finished their probation period and as a reward got to have lunch in town and go to the museum. They also got school shoes. Looking at these girls, in their school uniforms, eating lunch like young women, no one would ever believe the past lives they came from. The TI staff was so proud of them.

As the Neema program continues, the system is tweaked and becomes more refined. We are learning a lot. Every month becomes easier. Within a short time, the Neema Girl’s project will be a very successful model for those who want to start programs working with the street girls.

Kolongolo Preschool

The construction of the preschool in Kolongolo village is progressing quickly. The school is expected to be completed by the end of December in order to be able to accommodate 60 children: orphans, children of widowed mothers and those from poor families. The school will educate young children to prepare them for primary school.

TI currently sponsors 8 orphans in the Kolongolo village through home based care. This school will be a huge addition to the village.

The school will also be a church on Sundays and a community center for the widow’s micro businesses.

Kolongolo children get school shoes

Over 30 children, both orphaned and those of widowed mothers, got new school shoes. For most, this was the first pair of shoes they have ever owned. Thank you friends from Canada for making this possible!

Maili Saba Widows Project

Five widows in Maili Saba began a business this month making women’s reusable sanitary products. The women are being taught how to sew and make the product. This last week they were trained in basic business management and marketing. It will be their job to not only make the product, but to market it. The women are very excited about the product because of its practicality and need.

The product should be ready for sale by mid December.

Sponsorship Program

New orphans have been added to the TI web page to be sponsored. If you are interested in sponsoring an orphan, check it out.

HBF

TI welcomes the newest addition to the children’s home, Stewart the cow. Stewart was born this past weekend.

Upcoming Events

December is update month on the children in the sponsorship program. Sponsors, keep a watch for updated pictures, reports and a letter from the child you sponsor.

The Second Annual TI Christmas party will be held on December 12th of this year. Over 200 people have been invited this year.

Money has been donated for a well at Hope Bright Future Children’s Home. This will allow the children to have water on site rather than walking over a mile each way to the nearest water. The project is expected to begin next week and will only take a few weeks to complete.

-Daniel Lipparelli

TI Fall 08 Interns

2008-11-02T19:51:00.000-08:00

TI staff and interns
Back left to right (Sean from Canada, Andrea U.S., Andrew U.S., Daniel U.S.)
Front left to right (Lauren U.S., Nate U.S., Lauren U.S., Ina Finland, Meredith Canada)

We are on week 7 with this group of interns and only 5 more weeks to go. I’m amazed at the growth, unity and maturity of the team.

The purpose of the internship program is not for young adults to come to Kenya to help Kenyans, but to come to Kenya to figure out who they are as individuals and to grow in their relationship with God.

A normal day in the internship program begins with personal devotions at 6:45am followed by group devotions from 7:30am. This group timed normally lasts a few hours. The interns then split up into different groups throughout the rest of the day. Some spend time with the street girls, at the Neema girl’s project, with street kid’s ministries, teaching martial arts to orphans, and leading after school programs in the sloms. The group comes back together in the evening to cook dinner. Evenings are spent often in group discussions, movie nights, or worshiping with guitars outside.

Neema Girl's Project

Nate

Andrea and Andrew

Lauren

Andrea

Don and Nate

Lauren

Andrew

Ina

October Update

2008-10-30T09:09:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks have been quite busy here in Kenya. We had the privilege to host an amazing group from Canada, called Team Tumaini (www.hope2Kenya.org), led by Sandy Foster.

Food Distribution

Team Tumaini, along with the help from TI, distributed over 30,000 lbs of food, such as maize corn and beans and over 450 blankets to 150 families in four different locations around the Kitale area.

Our first location, we were greeted by the beautiful singing voices of grandmothers and widows, thankful and emotional for the fact that their grandchildren and children would not be going to bed hungry that evening. This was our largest distribution, assisting 108 families. It was wonderful to see the smiles on the children’s faces as they received lollypops from the team and seeing the food and blankets that they would be bringing to their homes that evening.

Our second location was to a slum area, just outside of Kitale town. Again, we were greeted by over 50 grandmothers and widows, with their children/grandchildren by their sides. As some of the team members handed out the lollypops to the children, the rest of the team members handed out food and blankets and prayed for each family.

Both of these locations were difficult and emotional for the teams. There were many children with dirty bodies and dirty clothes but the smiles on their faces were wonderful to witness.

Our third location was a small village. Here we assisted three families; two widows and one grandmother.

Our fourth location was one of the most difficult areas we had ever been to. It was deep in the village, over an hour’s drive from Kitale town on dirt, rough roads. This is an area that has been hit hard with HIV/AIDS as well as husbands/fathers dying due to violent clashes with a bordering tribe.

We assisted 15 families in this area, not only with food and blankets but with uniforms so that the children in this community would be able to attend public primary school. This is a completely impoverished area; the women can not afford food, let alone school uniforms and nursery school fees for their children to attend school.

Team Tumaini was so touched by this community that they have decided to purchase 3-acres of land and build a temporary nursery school building so that children have the chance to be able to attend primary school.

The overall experience for the team has been an emotional one, opening up the eyes to the poverty that truly spreads across this country.

Before handing out the food, the TI staff assessed each family to make sure they qualified to receive the food. During this time, TI came across many orphaned children who will fit into the home based care program. Please keep looking back to our webpage for new children that desperately need support.

Thank you Team Tumaini for allowing TI to be a part of this wonderful experience.

Neema Girl’s Project Update

2008-09-28T20:49:00.000-07:00

Last week the Neema Girl’s received a visit from Team Tumaini, the major sponsor of this project.

The girls shared stories from their past, performed traditional dances, demonstrated their knowledge of sewing and academics.

The team played games, did crafts and brought new clothes for the girls.

The girls at the project are doing so well. Every week, the problems decrees greatly and the breakthroughs increase.

Thank you Team Tumaini and the individuals who have helped to change the lives of these young girls.

A little caring can go a long way

2008-09-16T23:28:00.000-07:00

The following article was in the Reno Gazette on September 14th.

If you are in Reno on the 20th of this month, please support Theresa and the team running for TI.

Daniel Lipparelli of Sparks was just looking for an adventure. He wanted to see the world and figure out where he fit in. After attending a presentation about an orphanage in Kenya, the idea of going there personally to help out became a calling.

Daniel worked for an orphanage, lived in a mud hut and saw firsthand the squalor that children there take for granted. He saw corruption beyond his own belief. He saw young girls and boys living on the streets and widows who had lost all hope.

He decided then and there that he could help. He didn't have much money, but he had the will to make it happen. He was transformed, from someone looking for a future to one creating a future for others.

Transformed International is now in its fourth year. It is a nonprofit relief agency that runs an orphanage, a widow's project and a program to get kids off the street and teach them marketable skills. Daniel runs it all on the faith that what he needs will somehow find him. And so far that theory has worked.

In his world, just a little caring saves lives. Lives are lost to the mere lack of immunizations and clean water. His organization provides both, plus feeds and clothes those in his care at the rate of about a dollar per person per day. The African beads that the Widows Project turns out are shipped to the U.S. and sold to make the widows productive and self-sufficient.

His contribution has helped turn oppressive despair into hope for the future. And his story has inspired others to join the team.

Others, like Theresa Long. For years she's been on a personal search, feeling pulled to the same way of helping. And on the 20th of this month, she'll be putting that need into action with 11 other teammates, lacing up her shoes and running in this year's Journal Jog.

This is the 40th year for that fundraiser that focuses on funding literacy and education projects. Runners pay a registration fee that funds the Gazette Foundation. Everyone taking part contributes to the overall cause. Last year, money went to Grace Warner Elementary.

In addition, Theresa and her teammates have gathered pledges of support they hope will get them closer to their goal of buying a truck for Transformed International, which would be used to haul corn. And in many ways it seems like a small contribution. But in the scheme of things, it's that small contribution that can mean so much.

About 1,500 of you will take part in the Journal Jog next weekend ... each of you doing your part to fund community projects here. And among that sea of sneakers will be a dozen pair taking steps to help here and to save lives halfway around the world.

Sometimes your little bit of caring really can go a very long way.

Erin Breen is a Reno freelance writer and anchor of the Channel 2 News This Morning.

Neema Girl’s Project Update

2008-08-31T06:15:00.000-07:00

The girl’s at the Neema Girl’s project are doing wonderful. The group now seems stable and ready to make the effort to change their lives. This month TI hired a part time seamstress to teach the girls several hours a day how to sew. The girls have taken a great interest and want to spend all their free time practicing on the machine.

The goal is to give each girl a skill that will help her in the future to start her own business. Learning to sew, for some, is just a spring board to further things, and for others, it is a skill that will allow them to support themselves and a family some day.

The schools all over Kenya as well as the Neema Girl’s school have been closed for the month of August. They will begin their normal classes on the 8^th of September. The Neema girl’s classes will go from 8:00am to 1:00pm then they will spend their afternoons with the seamstress learning to make dresses. The girl’s have each designed their dress that they want to make.

We continue to learn more and more every day in caring for the ex street girls.

HBF Update

2008-08-17T03:57:00.000-07:00

Hope Bright Future Children’s home is sponsored and supported by Transformed International. I’m excited to bring a few updates about the home. There are currently 24 orphans living here with the most recent addition of House Parents.

TI saw the need for the children to have a mother and father who are not only meeting their basic needs but also their emotional and relational needs. TI is excited to welcome Ben and Virginia and their two sons Elvis and Daniel to the home. After only two weeks of serving as the house parents, I’ve seen a huge change in the children. The home staff now includes the house parents, an assistant mother and cook. In addition, the home is overseen daily be the director and founder.

We are also excited about the Flower, the cow. Flower was added to the family last week. She is pregnant and after giving birth, will be providing milk daily for the children.

The last addition to the home is the “Chepkuba” in the kitchen. This a traditional cooking stove used by those who want to save on the use of fire wood. The 82 year old man who built this one was from the deep village. Already we have seen a reduction in the consumption of fire wood.

The children all closed the school last week and have a month off, to rest and play. They are in great health and doing well.