Friday 3 October 2014

This week my home was burgled; the burglars made straight for my room and emptied all the draws. As you may know I sell my painting pretty much cash in hand and then send the funds, also through hands to Kenya. Recently I gave to Juliana and Maurine, so I did not have as much cash in my little box but enough to send a few girls to school for a year.  The burglars found my box and it is gone, it was a sad day for my education fund.  I wish I had sent it all, but I have committed to support girls in school, and that is not just a one off commitment I am already planning for the year to come. Maurine and I had discussed this and we are keeping our model to doing it well for a few instead of spreading our reach too far and it not being sustainable.  

Working on the education fund reminds me of  a game of snakes and ladders, when Carole last month gave me some money to help a girl from the goodness of her heart it was a ladder, the burglar was a true long snake.  I am back on down the bottom row but not quite on square one. Maurine posted  this week that with the funds recently received we have helped three orphan girls living with HIV.  It paid their school fees arrears, bought them school uniforms, shoes, books and sanitary towels.  Maurine’s words:  ‘They are now happily back in school and looking forward to a bright future.  These truly are paintings of HOPE’.

I am delighted of the what we have achieved and I thank all those who have supported the work by purchasing a painting from me or helping as they can.  

Before going home this evening Sophie came to see me her words: ‘I want to pay more for the painting I bought off you’  and she gave me the money again, HUGE thank you to Sophie for helping build up the fund agian. It is because of people like here that we can have hope that our world will be a better place. THANK YOU SOPHIE

I want to take a moment to note that sanitary towels are so important for these young girls. Too many young women miss school because they do not have the protection they need to go to school during their period. Today I had a friend request from Jane Anyango from Kiberia.  Jane signed up to a crowed funding site and raised over $2,500 dollars, with it she has provided 800 girls with pads and pants so that they can attended school until January and no longer miss a few days a months.  Another great women doing wonders in keeping girls in school.