Welcome to the Peacemakers Christmas e-bulletin. With so much bad news in the world, we hope we can lift your spirits with news of the great things you’re helping us to achieve in Kenya. With all the promise and support given at the end of last year, 2015 has turned out to be a challenging but very rewarding year!

The projects that the French embassy in Kenya contributed to or sponsored, were finished on time with a mammoth effort from Chrissie and the Kenyan Peacemakers team.

The French ambassador to Kenya (above) came to the inauguration ceremony of the I.T. training room, non-lending library, study room, craft room, reception and disabled washroom, on the 5th November.

Disabled access to facilities (above),
  Non-lending library(below)

We’re hoping that the Grand opening of the whole facility will take place in 2016. If you’re able to come along please stay in contact to be advised of the details. It will include the opening of the Restaurant, health Clinic and Cyber café which are just waiting to be furnished with equipment!

These added fantastic facilities will help to further education, equip and empower the local community to becoming even more self supportive, leading to less poverty, healthier and happier lives for young and old.

I.T training room (above),
 Craft room (below)

Christine relaxing for five minutes! To See more photos of the new facilities, click on the "Photo Galleries" menu item or clicking here (this will open a new tab!).

We are so thankful to you all, our friends and supporters, who’ve helped us to achieve these wonderful results in these financially difficult times. Helping the Kenyans work their way out of poverty with these great facilities for their health and education, not to mention fostering a great community spirit! Let’s thank God for his blessings and allowing us to continue being part of the answer to people’s needs.

A Happy Christmas and prosperous new year to you all.
From Brenda & the team.

 The Afternoon Tea and Craft Fund Raiser on 29th July 2015 in Brenda’s garden was a great success and raised £650.  There was over 30 people who came along and were very eager to get down to making decoupage boxes, stones and tins having a break for refreshments.  The comments that were heard was “what a lovely way to spend an afternoon, meeting people and making new “friends”.

 So a BIG THANK YOU to Clare Stokes, Jess Peyton-Jones, Ruth Wheeler and Valerie Adams who helped to organise it, make sandwiches, baked cakes and served.

Great response to funding appeal with supporters giving several years’ worth of donations in advance. This means we’ve been able to provide funds to Chrissie in Kenya to move more quickly in completing the outstanding work on the Resource Centre.  With all the facilities completed this will enable the Centre to increase its income and become self-sufficient sooner than otherwise expected.  If you feel able to advance your future planned donations please contact Brenda.  This additional funding now will be much appreciated and see the projects completed and fully operational in time for the French Embassy to launch the projects that they have sponsored on November 5th 2015.

Reading Project: The French classes’ project held in the Craft room and in schools is now underway with sponsorship from the French Embassy obtained for one year.  This combined with the general reading work reported last month is producing benefits in the community but does need help with more books please!  The Craft Room will also become a non-lending Library, a place where the locals can come to read and study.  This room needs shelving and a lot more books.  Various groups are using the Craft room including the Stress Free Group who are very impoverished.  Most are widows, some have dilapidated houses and some are being pushed off their land by family members. A Knitting project is planned for them and for the youth, whilst single mothers are hoping to start jewellery making, flower decorations and even tailoring once resources allow. Can you help in any way?

 The recent heavy rains have caused a few flooding problems, even though we collect the rainwater for daily use and irrigating plants etc.  The overnight deluges have damaged fencing and is very noisy on the tin roofs.  The Peacemakers’ youths are hoping to construct a small pond for fish in the shamba, at the bottom of the site, where the water collects.  We are also growing much of our own food with some left for selling.  We have greens, maize, tomatoes and passion fruit. We have also planted an area for a tree nursery.  We will use this produce in the Community Restaurant, including the Chickens and Pigs that we are rearing.

Building Progress:  The Community Restaurant roof is now complete it looks great. Kissimani House is now secure, important as there have been reports of break-ins recently.  We now ‘need’ a bread oven (note the pun!) for the Bakery and a proving cabinet. We are also going to require all the other bits and pieces necessary to serve the restaurant and catering for weddings, which currently take place on the site utilising the Prayer House and gardens. When we can supply the catering, it will be a great bonus in helping the resource centre become self-sufficient! 

(The photo shown above was taken before completion.  It looks even more beautiful finished.)

Still to be completed are the Clinic, Craft room and porridge mill / fruit juicer room.  Cyber café; we still need an experienced IT man + computers / laptops.  Some Small repairs need to be made to Kissimani House. The Watchman’s hut is now complete and in use.

The Resource Centre is looking so beautiful I would love you to see it for yourself.  Maybe every volunteer who gave of their time and talents over the years, will consider visiting the Resource Centre sometime next year, when we hope to have the official opening of this incredible project that we have all contributed to.  Thank you, Brenda