Lambo primary school is a school we hve been assisting for several years with school lunch. The proper name is Lambo Estate Primary school -- in spite of the name, it is desperately poor. The name refers to an abandoned sisal plantation; when the plantation ceased production, all the local industry dried up and parents were forced to leave their kids in the village with grandparents or cousins, to seek work in other areas. The village is almost deserted, and the school is very run down. The school has, within the past year, started a preschool, and we agreed to help them with lunch as well.
Preschool kids receive a high protein porridge for lunch -- a combination of soy meal, millet and corn. It is cooked in a large pot on an open flame fire, and the kids sort of drink it from cups. It is sweetened with a tad of honey or sugar, and actually, isn't too bad. The primary school receives the same lunches as Miliesita -- ugali (corn meal porridge) 4 days a week with beans, and rice with beans one day/week. For many of the kids, it is the only meal they receive in the day. Sigh . . . many similarities to the bush schools in Alaska.
We also visited 5 of our micro-loan recipients. They are all doing so well. First is a woman who is gartening, by hand, a garden several acres large. She is growing primarily maize, greens, beans, okra, tomatoes and peppers. In addition to the work of gardening alone, she sometimes has to take her breakfast to the garden, and stay through dinner. Otherwise the baboons from the bordering forest will destroy the garden and eat everything. And we think moose and slugs are bad!
Second loan is to a woman for chickens, ducks and a garden. Both women will sell their produce in the market. This loan also will help cover construction of an expanded chicken pen for her increased number of chickens and ducks. Duck eggs are in demand in the market, and she is going to be able to sell the eggs once the ducks mature.
Glady received a loan to expand her hair salon and purchase a wide variety of hair products to sell. She seems to be doing well, and has a steady clientele. Aparisia has a stationery store, which she stocked with her micro loan. She also has purchased a small copy machine, laminating machine and binding machine. These services are in high demand, as most people don't have electricity, much less access to various office machines. Editha used her loan for expanding her pig pens, to accommodate her growing pig population. Once all the pigs are pregnant and have piglets, she will raise the piglets for 3 or 4 months, and then sell them.
The last loan-lady we visited was Benedicta. She is renting her house, and caring for her sick mother. Her loan is going for goats and chickens and pens for the animals. She is very hard working, and will be successful with her loan repayment. All of these women are such an inspiration. They work hard, are faithful. desire to educate their kids and move forward with their lives. Not so different from our own aspirations.
Tomorrow, to Mwika to visit James and his preschool.
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