Our favourite donation last year

We recently posted a blog about a remarkable man called Patrick Jefwa who is a head waiter in a hotel in South Wales and who saves as much money as possible each year to help the children and people in need in his home village of Marafa in Keyna.

Our Managing Director decided to donate £3,500 to help his cause and after Patrick’s trip to Marafa, he wrote to us to explain how he spent the money and how it helped significantly.

His letter is below;

Good Evening Michael,

This is what I managed to use your donation to the village on, as helping and giving back to the community is something I have done for a long time and it being a long term commitment, I combined what I had saved in the year with your donation as one for the same purpose.

Michael, I will break down the use of the donation as follows approximate to the exchange rate when I was at home.

Education:

Including school fees, uniforms, books, private tuition, pocket money and maintenance.

Sponsoring a child or children through school is a long term commitment which does not stop at paying school fees but also following up to make sure the children are provided for and maintained within their environment, this I do through trust in their parents or appointed guardians on ground.

This doesn’t come cheap but its rewards are worth in the long run as education is the only way to root out poverty from the village.

Over my experience in sponsoring, no school in Kenya is entirely free, not even the government schools. Government schools may look to be the cheaper option but has its add ons in the long run, children mostly are cramped many per class making it hard for the teachers to help and guide slow learners or the weak in class, lack of school facilities and equipment also has driven parents to resort to low cost private schools instead which seem to be better equipped.

I try and put the children in my sponsorship in the low cost private schools (not private as in UK standards) Primary and Secondary. Here we have less pupils per class and teachers can easily identify and guide slower learners through their subjects.

There are 3 terms in a year, cost to educate a child depend on which grade or class the student is in and differs from school to school.

This is what some of the donation was spent on:

Paid from donation: Fees, uniforms, private tuition and books for;

Naila,  at grade 2 lower primary:

> £ 60.00 / term. 2 terms paid for year @ £120.00

Khadija, at upper Primary

> £ 70.00/ term. 2 terms paid for the year 2019 @ £140.00

Kassim, Kadzo, Betty in secondary school

> not in boarding school:

£120/ child for remaining 2 terms @ 360.00

Total for above = £ 620.00 was paid out of the donation, any other ongoing requirements I normally assist with in my ability.

Thank you for assisting in this.

Money used from Donation towards Treatments: 

Getting sick and seeking treatment at the village is always a challenge to the poor.

You would imagine it being straight forward for one to get treatment from the government hospitals,  this has not been the case at most times:

Hospitals lacking medicines or proper diagnostic equipment have pushed patients to seek medical help from privately owned clinics and hospitals, this at most times has turned expensive depending on the nature of sickness. People turn to private Medicare clinics because they are most likely to find treatment from them, of course coming with its cost.

Michael, from the donation, I used some money to pay for:

My own father Mr Jefwa diagnosed with prostate enlargement needed specialized treatment and tests.

A treatment plan is ongoing now and he seems out of danger though is going to be on medication and observation for a long time.

Of the £ 600.00 required to treat him, £350.00 was from your donation and £ 250 from my own means. Thank you Michael.

My mother Mrs Margaret Jefwa, a strong and hard working woman has been weakened with a heart condition which at times has made her have memory lapses, also suffers from duodenal ulcers, She benefitted from you Donation, she had tests done at the Malindi heart clinic and report from her echocardiography showed one of her heart valves didn’t pump blood properly hence deprived her brain of oxygen at times hence the loss of memory at times. Up to £450.00 was paid from your donation for scans including MRI scans, CT scans and medication/ treatment plan.

On a sincere note, I would not have been able to afford treatment for both of my parents if it wasn’t for the donation, I am grateful to see them now managing their situations through treatment.

5 months Timothy, diarrhea and vomiting for 4 days without proper treatment due lack of funds. From your donation I paid for him to be taken to see a pediatrician in Malindi town, proper tests were done and treatment given.

Approximately £110.00 was paid from your donation for transport, tests and medication. Timothy has recovered well. Thank you Michael.

Alfred: suffered bad headaches for some time without proper tests and diagnosis, he put his family first, his wife and 3 children instead paying for his treatment, many people ( mothers and fathers) take this option as funds are limited, Alfred couldn’t afford to pay for his treatment and take care of his family at the same time, when his situation worsened, family and friends fund raised for his treatment, I gave £100.00 from your donation to help. Alfred succumbed to meningitis and passed away on 1/5/2019 leaving his wife and 3 young children.

Ali Mubaruk; a young boy of 11 years also due to delayed treatment due to lack of funds for his treatment lost his life to Aplastic Anemia. For condolences to the family, I gave £70.00 from your donation.

Food aid to different families in the community:

Over the past visits, I have bought and given out seedlings to deprived families to plant in the rain season, this time was different as long season of drought has almost driven families to starvation. Little is better than nothing so I spent approximately £150.00 to buy food and basic house hold items and distributed to those I could reach within my community.

Water storage:

From the donation, a 10,000 litre water reserve tank was acquired. As I am an independent house hold user, the tank is stationed at my homestead open to help any person in the village in times of water shortages which happens a lot. Any water bills are sent to be paid by me.

This Poly tank cost £ 700.00 including its transport and connection of water from the main water supply. Thank you Michael as though expensive this is a long term investment for many in the community.

Church Support: St Peter’s church, Marafa.

This is my local church that struggles for its up keep, I always attend this church on my every visit home. The church building still needs windows and ceiling to be put but worshippers already use it.

From the donation, I spent £300.00 for church maintenance and purchase of fan blades to be installed, fans are of great help especially at this season of hot temperatures.

Summary:

The amount spent from the donation as above total to approximately £ 2850.00, this leaves approximately £650.00 from your donation still in the donation kit which I try and leave for any emergencies.