Diani Children’s Village - Newsflash, 06/2017

Newsflash Diani Children’s Village
# 06/2017
Strong Hands and Little Steps Forward?..
Strong Hands
Greetings from Diani where our long rains have started and are showing us where we missed a maintenance item or two! Everyone has welcomed the rain and relief it has brought from the blistering temperatures of the end of summer and the still sultry nights as the doldrums passed overhead. Cool winds are now blowing from the South East and will do so until late November.
The change in monsoon means a shift in gear in the way the Home operates. With the ever present threat of our "winter" maladies like flu, malaria and other related diseases, some of the younger children end up in Hospital and have to have an adult from the Home stay with them.
The staff always rise to this challenge with out so much as whisper, and work the extended hours that are needed as the Hospital is not so near. Those left in the House have to take up the duties of their colleague who is on Hospital duty and ensure that all the activities carry on as normal.
What may never be considered is that the extended duty time is time that the staff take from their own family time and personal commitments. This is a true demonstration of their selfless dedication to the Children at the Home. Thank you.
In our August 2016 newsletter, we wrote about the workshop project and we are delighted to report that the showroom extension and finishing room are almost complete! The rains are slowing down the finishing works but by July, it should be fully operational and hopefully the order book will start building up.
The other income generating project that had been put on hold received a generous boost from a couple who have previously supported the Home and the free range chickens are back! It will be a few more months before they begin to lay eggs, but there are many a resident who are looking forward to the delicious eggs that should be produced.
Little Steps...
Grace, who was the very first child to the Home has now graduated from Mombasa Technical Training Institute with a diploma in Tourism Management and is now working on an industrial attachment with the prestigious Ashnil Hotels Group who operate three luxury camps and lodges in Tsavo, Samburu and Maasai Mara Game Reserve.
The middle age group has been taking Taekwando lessons and surprisingly they have taken to the martial art like ducks to water! They have just had their first grading and six of the seven have all achieved yellow belts. Joy, however, has been judged to have made the most progress and has been awarded a blue belt! Congratulations to them all.
The toddlers always seem to emphasise just how quickly time passes;
Hamza, whose parents are incarcerated, is now walking under the watchful eye of his older (but not taller) compatriot Yusuf. They are joy to watch as they muddle around the compound exploring their new playground.
Avigail, who was rescued from human traffickers, has made tremendous progress given that she had broken bones in both her legs as a result of the rough treatment by her traffickers and sadly having the bad luck of the Doctors? strike just when she needed that critical medical attention. She is a now a bouncing little bundle of joy.
Blessing continues to grow and she is the sweetest, gentle and beautiful baby one can imagine.
The Home has just this week received another baby found abandoned in a storm water drain. He has been given the name Moses and is about one month old. He is in good health and has started the rigorous routine to bring him to what is considered normal growth rates.
As one young adult leaves to join the wider society, another child joins the Home! The cycle continues with a tinge of sadness but ever stronger with hope.
Thank you for your support!
Diani Children's Village Support Team Hamza Aviguel Blessings