February 2020 Newsletter
A rainbow above the girl’s house in Kisumu helps us celebrate the news that we were now the owners of a piece of land! Our dream to build the girls’ house is finally taking shape.
It had been a rollercoaster six months with furtive viewings and then visits to the lawyer, pouring over maps at county hall, checking that the correct documents were available and registered. Practice of due diligence in Kenya is equally, if not more important than in other, developed countries.
Finally, after a couple of false starts and respectful withdrawals, our lawyer gave us the go ahead – the documents were in order, the transfer of USD 26,000 had been cleared via our Kenyan Kids account in France and after a long wait of 10 days, the money had finally arrived in the Familia account in Kenya. We breathed a sigh of relief when the lawyer informed us we were extremely lucky that the Central Bank of Kenya had chosen not to withhold this amount for longer while they investigated or even interrogated us about its purpose.
Over the last few weeks, I’d got used to hiding ‘around the corner’ while Small checked out various pieces of land. If he liked one, he would bring me back, usually at dusk, or once the owner had disappeared or gone home. One time, I had to pose as a missionary ‘just visiting’ while Small and his ‘wife’ (our house mum) Sheila, inspected the land and its boundaries. Another time, I had to hide in the seat well of the back seat of the car as the owner did an about turn and started to walk back over to say a final farewell. At this point, any revelation of white money being used to purchase the land could have potentially doubled its cost. Eventually, after excellent negotiation skills by Small, the price was agreed, the relevant families consulted, and the deal was done.
And so, as the day of the rainbow dawned, Small and I were summoned to sign the sale agreement on behalf of the Familia Foundation. In the office, our lawyer confirmed that the owner’s id and photograph corresponded to those held on file with the Revenue Authorities. Most importantly, when he presented himself in the lawyer’s office, it was good to see he was the actual person in the photograph! We breathed another collective sigh of relief although the seller, at this stage, was rather puzzled to see a white woman involved in the purchase of his family land.
Once in the office, it was explained that as soon as the documents had been signed and witnessed, we had only 24 hours for the full transfer of funds to go ahead. If we or the bank were in breach of this payment, then we would risk severe financial penalties. With this we were immediately despatched to the bank to draw out the agreed deposit and to pick up the bank’s guaranteed cheque (which was also made out to cash).
I hadn’t quite understood how much cash we would have to draw out and as we stood in line waiting to see the teller, I realised today, I was carrying the world’s smallest handbag!
Small and I glanced at each other, hastily checking out what pockets we had between us knowing that some of the cash would have to be stuffed into undergarments too! Witnessing our dilemma, the cashier suggested we put the remaining notes in an A4 sized brown envelope.
The route back to the lawyer’s office is a 300 metre stretch along one of the busiest streets in town. Brimming with all the noise and activity of piki piki bikes, tuk tuks, street hawkers and people going about their usual business, there are always numerous groups of street boys hanging out– many high on glue - all of them wised up to the comings and goings of Kisumu life.
As I nonchalantly exited the bank, and said good day to the armed guards, I tried to casually swing the bulging envelope as I began my purposeful walk across the high street, my eyes fixed on the 3 storey building at the far end. Small, street wise as ever, elected to follow behind me at a short distance, keeping a sharp look out for anyone or anything that might prevent me from getting to my destination.
The whole signing process including the visits to the bank took over four hours, a sweaty mix of consternation and eagerness. Emotionally draining as it was, nothing could have dampened our excitement about finally owning the land.
The following weekend, we hired our own matatu (mini bus) and took the girls for a picnic. They had no idea where we were going or why. Twenty minutes past Kisumu’s airport and then a short 5-minute walk from the main road, we started to set up the picnic on one side of a rather muddy field. As it started to pour with rain, we took shelter under a neighbour’s awning and asked everyone to gather around. We talked about the vision we’d held since the start of Familia, how the land would belong to every child that passed through and benefited from the Familia Foundation. It was an emotional time as Sheila said it was an answer to prayer.
As these girls, who all came from the most vulnerable situations, realised what we were saying, they began to race in the downpour from one boundary fence to the other, shouting out and laughing to each other, striding out and claiming their legacy and that of the future of Familia girls.
It was nine years ago, when I first came to Kenya. Visiting a poor rural village, I knew I couldn’t turn my back on what I saw …
We started a feeding program for little children, dug a well and brought a source of clean water to the village. Those first years of getting to know Kenya and her culture were full of challenges and some mistakes yet, we succeeded in fundraising to build a school where upwards of 50 children took their first steps in education, children who wouldn’t have had that chance.
Today our focus has moved to providing full time care and protection for thirteen girls all of whom were destined to become child prostitutes or victims of human trafficking.
Now I am asking for your help again. This time to build a permanent home for them and the girls who will follow in their footsteps.
The first thing to be done is securing a source of water. A structural engineer has already planned the site of our well. A well will be dug and then a water tower constructed.
Once that is in place, the first building to take shape will be a simple corrugated iron structure which will be a home for our ‘farm manager’. He shall start planting maize, beans, sukuma wiki (African kale), tomatoes and onions, all of which will contribute to our monthly food budget. We’ve already had a donation for a ‘tribe’ or ‘trip’ of eleven goats, all individually named by their respective donors. While the farm is being established, we will start fund raising so the building can begin.
Across the dirt road which intersects the land, on the other half of the land, with its view of Lake Victoria, a six bedroomed rescue centre will then be built, each bedroom having the capacity for 4 girls. In time, we hope also to have a separate annex for use by our visiting volunteers.
The team which is Familia are committed to spend whatever time and effort involved in order to achieve this. But at the same time, we have to keep our regular donations coming in too, to support the usual running costs; paying for food, our rented accommodation and school fees.
It’s a big project and I remember how overwhelming it felt when we embarked on our first project, the nursery school. However, this time last year, we couldn’t even imagine where we’d get the funding from to allow us to buy our own land. Now, throughout this coming year we shall be campaigning to make the rescue centre into a reality. And like we did with the nursery school, if it means raising funds to buy a bag of cement or a window frame one at a time – we’ll do it!
Humbly, I am saying thank you for your continuing support and following us on our journey so far. I look forward to your continued support and updating you on our future milestones.
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i
