Thomas Barnardos

November was a busy month with exams and a lot of year end tasks.

Concerts

The children enjoyed a Japanese concert by Mayo Shono and ‘Musicians without Borders’ held on 22nd November 2009 AT our premises. The entertainment was breathtaking as they used Japanese cultural instruments and attires. It was well attended by several children’s homes to name a few; Matumaini, Mama Ngina, Kwetu Home of Peace and other guests.

Our children enjoyed a great show performed by Kenyan’s Gospel artists on 8th November 2009. It was a way of encouraging those with stage fright to have courage.

Tree Planting

In the presence of all the children in the home, Nobel Laureate Professor Wangari Maathai planted a tree during the Mayo Shono concert. The environmentalist set an example on conservation. Mayo Shono also planted a tree.

Adoption Awareness Walk

The children connected with other children of different homes in a successful Adoption awareness walk that was held on 28th November 2009. It was a good chance to demystify adoption myths and fears. Adoptive parents took part.

Another walk by Kenya Paediatric association was held on 21st November 2009, in which some of our children took part.

Community Service

• Half a day was spent by Ole- Frema Secondary school in visiting the home. They are school mates of one of our girls Maggie. Both parties enjoyed each others company.

• Games and songs that kept the children busy with fun filled activities and entertainment by Oshwal Academy gave a great Saturday!

• Our children spent time with Putsun – Investment group that had come for community service.

• With time spent by the children and Catholic University Sociology Club all were pleased to have met new friends.

• Hair design students from Afro college came to visit and some of the children got to see that they can have a career as professional hair designers.

• The children were visited by members of the Help Eliminate Sadness in Children's Hearts group (H.E.S.I.C.H). Their hearts were brightened by the groups warm interacting skills.

Many other visitors called by to see the children.

With the holiday and Festive season ahead our children are looking forward to having a blast!

Shopping spree
On 30th and 31st October we went for a shopping spree at Chandarana supermarkets. Thanks to all those who donated as the items and food will certainly be of benefit. Much appreciation for your kindness.

Activities
The children planted 50 trees in the home as a way of conserving the environment. They learned the importance of the project and understood that nurturing the environment today is important for the future. They have also taken up the responsibility of ensuring that the trees are watered. With the tree donation from Co-operative bank staff it went well.

Children participated in a painting demonstration. They liked what they did as they were happy in being a part of making the home look nice. They also realized that they can do their own painting as work of art can be simple and smart. The paints were donated by Barclays bank of Kenya.

Holiday fun
All the children went for a fun day at Uhuru gardens on 20th October 2009. They had lots of fun activities and ate a nice lunch meal. This was a good break from studying and working hard.

Football match
The under 10 years football team got a stiff competition and were beaten 3-1 by Kibera youth group who came for a friendly match on 4th October 2009.The competition in the under 14 team was tough and our team got defeated by 2-1. A lot of practice is underway for future matches.

Community Service
In the home chores the duties are normally done very early and students from Athi River campus came for community service. They helped the children in general cleaning.

Children took positively encouragement talk with quotes from the Bible, by Nairobi Baptist Church youth group. They were inspired and learned more through the fun sessions.

On the holiday fun day the children played with Kenyatta University welfare group.

Several groups visited the home to see how the children were fairing on.

Project
Children who had earlier participated in adorning one of the Born Free Foundation lions with mosaic designs got the opportunity to visit the Athi River Mining Company – the sponsors of the said lion as well as the Village Market where the lion is on display for the month of October.

Treats
Family units 2 and 8 earned themselves a special meal treat after emerging tops in the recent shopping spree donation activity.
2 families; Mr. Kerai Naran and Mr. Halai Lalji kindly donated food ingredients for all the children on 6th September 2009. The food was prepared in the home kitchen and the families enjoyed dining with the children.

Sports
There was a friendly football match between Riara springs and our football team. Our children lost by one goal, and got challenged to emerge victors in the next match.

Farewell
40 children went to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to bid farewell to Anne, one of our girls who finished form four last year and was proceeding for further studies in the U.K. It was a good opportunity for our children to see the essence of working hard and its rewards.

Community service
We did not get any groups visiting over the September weekends to offer community service or interact with our children. There are however numerous groups planning to come in October.

The children are progressing on well this term.

Project
Children who had earlier participated in adorning one of the Born Free Foundation lions with mosaic designs got the opportunity to visit the Athi River Mining Company – the sponsors of the said lion as well as the Village Market where the lion is on display for the month of October.

Treats
Family units 2 and 8 earned themselves a special meal treat after emerging tops in the recent shopping spree donation activity.
2 families; Mr. Kerai Naran and Mr. Halai Lalji kindly donated food ingredients for all the children on 6th September 2009. The food was prepared in the home kitchen and the families enjoyed dining with the children.

Sports
There was a friendly football match between Riara springs and our football team. Our children lost by one goal, and got challenged to emerge victors in the next match.

Farewell
40 children went to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to bid farewell to Anne, one of our girls who finished form four last year and was proceeding for further studies in the U.K. It was a good opportunity for our children to see the essence of working hard and its rewards.

Community service
We did not get any groups visiting over the September weekends to offer community service or interact with our children. There are however numerous groups planning to come in October.

The children are progressing on well this term.

Holidays are always times of fun and warm reunions with all the members of respective family unit

Visitors
Volunteers from the Hill side Church London visited for 3 weeks. They conducted various fun activities with the children. E.g teaching the children skits, songs and dances that were mostly based on teachings from the Bible and playing various games.

Talents day
The children organized the event and it was a day full of surprises from laid back talented children. Many items were displayed for judgment and the ruling was in favor of those who deserved. They were awarded with winners prizes. The children were given a nice supper meal courtesy of the Bank of Scotland through Paul Mcneal and had a ball afterwards as they danced to their own choice of music.

TBH sports day
The participation by children on the day was great and House 2 and 8 emerged as the winners, first runners up being House 6 & 9 followed by House 1 & 3. The old girls and boys from Barnardo also shone and were not left behind as the latter were position 2 and former position 3.

Suswa sports day
This was held at Soila Maasai Girls Centre field. Guardians turn up was great and they enjoyed the event. Other guests were also present and the guest of honor Ms. Beryl Ouma was impressed by all the activities displayed by the children. The overall winner was Alice Naini who won in many categories.

Mashimoni holiday camp
The Hillside volunteers spent time with the children at Mashimoni as they were on holiday camp. The children’s fun activities made them enjoy the camp more and they also got to learn new Christian songs, skits and dances.

Dental checkup
Dental students from University of Nairobi checked our children and staff teeth and gums free of charge and gave out toothbrushes and toothpastes as a motivational way of getting the children to practice dental hygiene.

Treats
At the Fistula launch in July the choir members’ participation was breathtaking and they were treated to an outing this holiday. Lunch in the town centre followed by attending the ‘Watoto wana say’ festival held at Kenya National theatre. Many items were performed and they got a chance to see what other materials they can add on their dances. House 1 went for a lunch treat courtesy of Angela Graham for Kaloki’s birthday treat. House 6 went for a lunch treat then to Mamba village and had a good time courtesy of Tessa Littlefield for Faith’s birthday treat. The children went for an outing at arboretum as all the house mothers had gone for training. They had a good time as they played many games and ate lots of snacks.

Tour and Other visits
Teens tour to town for familiarization of streets and buildings went well and they were divided into various groups. House 6 went for community service in dream home in Ngong and the initiative helped the children understand the act of giving back to the society.

Wedding Invitation
Nairobi chapel’s Sunday school teacher Charlene invited our children for her wedding at Safari park and they liked it.

Community service
University of Nairobi ministering group and a group of friends from the same campus came for community service. St. Kizito Kayole also came to volunteer for a day and a group from Strathmore University too.

The children are now back to school for term 3. The preparation was calm as they had all done their holiday homework and covered some extra comprehension exercises with their respective house mums.
We trust that they will do well!

Being school term months, more activities were evolved around the home.

Sports
Football and athletics have been sports that our children enjoy and the competition gave children pleasure in early May, as 20 children participated in the Sokotoko race that was organized by the Kenya Wildlife Service. Those who participated did very well and Wilkister of the foundation house won a cash award of 13,000 Shillings for being position 3.

Charity events
Jonathan Gloag Academy enrolled as participants in the Dettol heart run and raised well over ksh 600,000.They also participated in the Diabetes walk. The 2 events were successful.

Treats
All children went for a swimming and lunch treat at Sadili Oval sports complex at the end of April courtesy of the Bank of Scotland through volunteer Emma Pullen. The children had a great time and many seized the opportunity to show off their swimming prowess.
A reward outing for children who showed an improvement in schoolwork and general conduct was organized.
All the children went for a trip to paradise lost courtesy of David Taylor and Catriona Mclean. Boat, camel and horse rides topped the list of favorite activities. Francis Muchoki and Thomas Wambua our college students currently at Perth College, took their former houses 2 and 8 out for a treat to the arboretum.

Invitations
A group of 10 children went for Bible Olympic an invite by Nairobi chapel for a day. They engaged in various Bible sessions and challenges that had good teachings and lessons for the participants. Mamlaka chapel invited our choir members to perform on 3 services that were attributed to honoring the work of Dr. Thomas Barnardo.

Fistula Launch
Our main benefactor Dr. Ann Gloag visited in July for the Freedom From Fistula Foundation launch on 23rd July. Prime Minister’s wife Madam Ida Odinga was the main guest. She was seconded by Miss Kenya, Ruth Kinuthia to launch the new fistula buses. Hotline numbers 0718 100 000 and 0737 100 800 were introduced. This offers a fast and easy way for those afflicted or know somebody who is to get access to the free surgeries arranged for by the foundation. The launch was at Barnardo’s and the choir did a great fistula song led by Hellen Mtawali.

Community service
Churches, Colleges and Schools like Kenya School of Professional Studies, Alliance high schools, Limuru girls, Uzuri college, Kenya Institute of Social Work Community Development, Business Institute College, Augustana college, House of Grace church and Mamlaka chapel came over several weekends to do community service as a way of helping the society.

It’s holiday time now and the children are having a ball!

January/February 2009 Diary

It has been a busy start to the New Year at Thomas Barnardos House. Many visitors have been to visit and the children begun their new year at school.

School Starts

First term commenced on January 6th 2009 with a lot of enthusiasm for both the primary school goers attending Jonathan Gloag Academy and the older children in Boarding Schools away from home.

Teens Volunteer and Community Service

As a show of Valentine on Saturday 14th February the teens at TBH took up different chores around the home to show gratitude to their mothers. They did a great job and left the compound looking clean and sparkling and their mothers were very happy.
House 6 and House 2 visited children’s homes for community service on Sunday 15th February. The objective was to help our children realise that there are other people in society that need help. They were able to contribute to the home by helping out with work and they took some of their own clothes to donate to the children.
Among the many groups that have visited us we had students from Braeburn School visit on the 7th February. They spent the day with the children and brought donations. Thank you to all involved.

Football

On TBH grounds we hosted a friendly football match between male staff and the students from Tool Bench. It was good fun for those involved and those watching. The end score was 4:2 to TBH staff members. Congratulations!
A friendly match was held at Riara school on Saturday 14th February for our football team. This was a Saturday treat which included mixed children from Jonathan Gloag Academy There were two matches with under 12’s and under 14’s. Well done to all those that were involved!

Mid-Term Break

On Friday 20th February the children were sponsored to travel to the Ngong Hills. They had a great time hiking up five of the seven hills enjoying the magnificent views and spending the day in the sun. The brave and adventurous children hiked until they could go no further. They walked into a forest where they saw a small lizard that was big enough to scare them back up the biggest hill. After the hike was over the fun continued. The children played games on the hill top with a beautiful view of The Great Rift Valley. All in all the children had a very active day, which both the children and the house mothers enjoyed. They all deserved a good sleep that night.

Expansion of Kitchen

We are very excited for the expansion of our kitchen which has been under construction over the past month. It was previously a small space for our cooks to work in but now with Balcraig Funding the expansion will enable much more space for our workers.

Turkey’s First Lady

Saturday 21st February was a big day for the children and staff at TBH. The First Lady of Turkey, Mrs H Gull made a very welcomed visit to the home. On hand to meet her and accompany her for the visit was Mrs Ida B Odinga wife of the Prime Minister and Board Members. The first Lady was given a tour of the grounds where she met the children and visited the babies in the nursery. At the end of her stay the older children at the home did a wonderful performance of dancing and singing. The first lady kindly donated clothes to the children, and they look very smart in their new outfits. We were delighted to have her visit us.

The final months of 2008 were busy ones at Thomas Barnardo House, as children and staff got ready for the festive season and the end of the school term.

Out and about
The kids of TBH were lucky enough to be invited out for a number of treats. They swam at Splash pool and Sadili Sports Centre, went to Mamba village at the invite of Apollo Tours and Travel, as well as Belleview Cinema for at the invitation of Mr. Gilbert, a parent at JGA. Tamarind restaurant treated them to lunch at Carnivore, where they also enjoyed dancing and games. Thanks also to Mr Harishan who invited kids from TBH,as well as those from other children's homes in Nairobi, for a day of fun in the Aga Khan area of the city. Entertainment included horse and camel riding, and a bouncing castle. The children who remained in TBH over the Christmas holidays went to Nairobi National Park for a game drive.

Guardian’s Day and holidays
In November, some of the children went for two weeks to visit with Jonathan Gloag Academy parents who had kindly offered to take them for the holidays to their homes. The kids returned on December 5th, and the next day some children went home to stay with known guardians for the Christmas holidays, returning on December 28th in time for New Year. Thanks to all those who looked after the children during the holidays. It was a time to re-establish roots.

Suswa school building opening
On November 10th, Dr Ann Gloag officially opened the new school building at Soila Masai Girls Rescue Centre, in Suswa. The project was a joint effort between Rotary Mission Challenge, including Rotarians and friends from throughout the UK, and Balcraig Foundation. The building will cater for approximately 200 pupils. Thank you to staff and pupils at Suswa for making the opening such a memorable occasion.

Party time
The Christmas Day party at TBH was a great success. The volunteers decorated Sorsbie Hall for the children and staff, who tucked into an excellent lunch of sausages and chips and ice cream for dessert. Special thanks to Nairobi Intercontinental Hotel for kindly donating a Christmas cake. Santa Claus arrived to hand presents, gifted by Catriona Sibbald, to each child, and there was also face painting and a bouncy castle.
In Kibera, Dr Ann Gloag and her family hosted the Christmas party at Mashimoni Squatters School. In the classrooms the children played games including bingo and pass the parcel, whilst outside they danced and competed against each other in races. At the end of the busy day, each child took home a bag of gifts. Earlier in the month Toshiba also hosted a Christmas party in the grounds of the TBH, as did Kenindia Insurance.

Happy New Year!
On December 31st, the children of TBH danced late into the night to celebrate the arrival of 2009. Once again the hall was decorated with banners and streamers and dinner served. Various activities including a dance competition kept the kids busy until the clock chimed midnight, when a firework display lit up the sky. Exhausted by the celebrations, the younger children went to bed for some much needed sleep whilst the older kids had a special treat and camped in the grounds of the home.

Outings and visitors

September and October were busy months for the children of Thomas Barnardo House.
A Talent Show took place on September 1st, where the children sang songs, performed skits and poems and took part in a fashion show.
On September 6th, 20 children went to Phoenix to watch a play, whilst another group was rewarded for good character and performance with a swim at Village Market.
Kwetu Home of Peace invited the children to spend the day on September 20th, and Kariobangi Youth visited the home. Helen Mtawali and her team have also been visiting on Tuesdays to teach the children some songs and dances.

A day at the Arboretum

On October 10th, all the children enjoyed a visit to Nairobi Arboretum, where they played games including football and skipping, enjoyed a walk around the grounds and had a picnic. The sun was shining as they tucked into a tasty lunch and sodas with staff and volunteers.

Swim time!

The children were lucky enough to enjoy another trip this month, this time to Sadili Oval in Langa'ta on October 18th. Once again the sun was out and the kids had great fun swimming and playing. The lunch treat was greatly enjoyed after a tiring day in the water! Thanks to Catriona McLean and David Taylor for organising this outing.

Giving thanks

October came to an exciting close with the 5th Annual School Thanks Giving Service and Prayers for Candidates. The service, which is held in the third school term of Jonathan Gloag Academy every year, saw the Pre-Unit pupils (five to six-year-olds) graduate to Class 1. They were awarded certificates. Prayers were also said for the 42 Class 8 candidates, and thanks given for the year’s blessings. There were 69 graduands this year, and the class 8 pupils were commissioned as the 5th group of Jonathan Gloag Academy Ambassadors. The Presiding Minister was Reverend Ken Kimiywe, of Nairobi Pentecostal Church.

New school building in Suswa

In the past few months, we played host to five Rotary Mission Challenge teams who came from overseas and participated in the construction of a school building for Soila Maasai Girls Centre, in Suswa. The school is nearing completion. The project is a joint effort between Rotary Mission Challenge, including Rotarians and friends from throughout the UK, and Balcraig Foundation.
Final touch-ups to the building should be completed by November 25th when the last Rotary Mission Challenge team will return to the UK. Special thanks go to team leader Harry Nash for all his hard work and organisation.

Guests and volunteers

Many visitors have taken the time to see around the home and meet some of the children, including employees of KLM and Carolyn Glover and friends, from Canada. Thanks to them for their kind donations and interest in the home.
A number of volunteers arrived at the home from all over the world including Canada and Ireland, and the then-host, Nick Milligan, returned to Scotland at the end of September after doing a great job for four months.
One of our volunteers from Bank of Scotland, Ricky Munday, along with friends Ally Maclay and Ian Mackay, organised the ‘Kilts 2 Kenya African 3 Peak Challenge’ to raise money. They climbed Mount Stanley, Mount Kenya and Mount Kilimanjaro in 3 weeks. Their blog and photographs from the trip are at www.kilts2kenya.com. Many thanks for their impressive fundraising efforts.

Holidays!

Being August, all the children were on holiday, enjoying day after day of clubs, games and other treats. Our older children who attend boarding schools were back and it has been great to see them all. They worked around the home every morning, helping staff in the kitchen, grounds, bakery and thrift shop to name just a few. They have really enjoyed doing this and have a good work ethic!

Mashimoni

The pupils at Mashimoni Squatters School in Kibera enjoyed two weeks of craft sessions taken by the volunteers Doris Watt, Pauline Stephens and Puffin Hepworth. The sessions included mask-making, paper sculpture and much more and were enjoyed by all the children and volunteers who were very impressed by the children’s enthusiasm.

Music Boost

Starting Thursday 7th, we were visited by musical director and dance choreographer Hellen Mutawali for a three day instructional course, regarding our children’s music and dance moves. She worked a lot with the choir and taught them to improve their musical production, vocal skills and moves.

Tour to the Town

On Sunday 10th our teenagers took a trip to Nairobi city centre, by public transport to familiarize themselves with the Central Business District. This has taught them some life skills for when they leave KCH. The tour was lead by two of our children who are now through the transitional phase and work in the city. The trip ended with the chapel youth concert: a great treat!

Suswa Sports Day

On the 12th of the month, the Solia Masai Girls Centre held their annual sports day. It was an amazing day, and the 57 girls at the centre were joined by a bus full of helpers and participants from KCH, including 15 girls from Thomas Barnardos House. The races were a great success, they have great athletic abilities! Races included the relay, the dressing-up race, the blindfolded race, tidying up race and many others. The parents and staff also took part in a relay and a tug-of-war. After all the hard work, everyone was treated to rolls and sodas at the centre. All left very happy and impressed!

SALT and church Events

On Tuesday 15th, the SALT group of students from Nairobi University who attend Mamlaka Chapel visited KCH for a three-day event with the children over ten years. They taught very meaningful teachings through playing and having fun. By co-operative games the children learned to share and enjoy each other’s company while serving God. Then on Thursday 14th, Nairobi Baptist Church came to KCH and held a Sunday school event, involving playing games and interaction with each other. The universal peace federation church initiative also placed our children among many children from different children’s homes, a whole day of fun and talent in our Sorsbie Hall. The children had great fun despite the cold weather. On Sunday 31st, all children went for a concert at Don Bosco church. It was put on by the youth of the church and was an excellent afternoon!

Outings

Once again, a group for KCH was invited to watch the Phoenix theatre group perform, this time a comedy. It was very humorous and the children appreciated the outstanding irony of the play. And on the 28th House three went swimming at Sadili Langata. This was possible as it was a donation from Teresa Mwihaki’s sponsor who gave a birthday treat. They had great fun!

Freedom from Fistula

On the 22nd around one hundred children took part in the Freedom from Fistula walk, raising awareness about a week long camp at Kenyatta hospital which was offering free Fistula repair treatment. The event was joined and opened by the Assistant Minister for Health, Mr Mungutana and was a very fun day! All the children really enjoyed the experience and their participation in an event for such a good cause was greatly appreciated.

Adoptive Parent’s Meeting

There was an Adoptive Parent’s Association launch on Saturday 23rd which was a great success. It was even featured on Kenyan national television news! It was a well arranged event that shows the commitment of our very effective adoption society. The director of children’s services, Mr Ahmed Hussein graced the occasion.

Prizegiving

On 29th August, the prizegiving for term two was held, rewarding hard work and achievement from the past few months. Prizes were awarded for improvement in exam marks, good work in the houses, homework, those who received the pizza reward the most often and for the highest performers in the end of term exams. Those who received three or more prizes were invited for a special prize – an outing which they are sure to enjoy after a hard term’s work.

Teenager’s Trips

Also on Friday 29th, our teenagers went on a clean-up of Nairobi River in the morning. It was an activity meant for cleaning up the environment and to raise awareness that people should avoid dirtying and littering the river in future, as it is a health hazard. In the afternoon of the same day, the teens and those who were actively participating in August’s events went to the Bomas of Kenya for the debut of a drummer, at the invite of AMREF. The following day, our teenagers visited Kwetu Children’s Home where they performed community service and were very satisfied by the end of it. The importance of helping others was the point put forward to them as they are growing older.

As you can see it was a busy holiday but very enjoyable!!