Self-Sufficiency and Community Development

“The best way to help Africans today is to help them to stand on their own feet. And the best way to do that is by helping to create jobs” – Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (World Bank director)

HTN’s approach to training orphans is unique and so is our self-sufficient model. We know that in order to be effective, we must not only focus on 530 children on our campus, we must invest in the surrounding community. Ultimately, we don’t want to give a hand out to the Nyahururu community. We want to empower them to generate wealth and solve their own problems.

So far this year, 23% of operating costs have been raised through local businesses launched and maintained by HTN. This model represents a new paradigm in orphanage campuses that is incredibly effective.

One great example of a business at HTN is the Agricultural Project. Donors have contributed donations for three greenhouses, encouraging a self-sufficient agricultural model. These greenhouses provide food for the children. Extra produce is sold and money is invested back into the greenhouses, creating jobs for the community. A one-time donation will have ongoing results, money is literally multiplied year after year after year.

Another business (generating over a thousand US dollars a month) is a bus line established from Nairobi to Nyahururu. This bus runs twice a day and allows the Nyahururu community to afford trips to the bigger city to find work, see family, or purchase goods.

These are only two of HTN’s many active businesses. Your support is giving towards a model of self-sufficiency and community development. Thank you!

Greenhouses Provide Food, Answer Drought Crisis

Two new greenhouses on the HTN campuses are allowing donors to multiply their gifts through sustainable agriculture. These greenhouses provide our children with the nutrients they need from fresh fruits and vegetables. Extra produce is sold and money is invested back into the greenhouse. The greenhouses are also helping HTN in the midst of a national crisis.

You may have heard about the recent drought in Eastern Africa. Food prices in some areas have tripled in price, bringing hunger and starvation. We are so grateful for our donor, Rich Blair, who introduced greenhouses to HTN and decided to invest in sustainable agriculture. Now, in the face of drought, HTN has a reliable and consistent source of fresh vegetables.

Even though food prices are extremely high, our children are able to get the vegetables they need on a regular basis.

Extra vegetables from the greenhouse are sold in the local community. The revenue created provides a job for greenhouse staff and pays for the upkeep of the greenhouse. This is truly a sustainable agricultural business model.

HTN now wants to expand this proven model and build two more greenhouses on the campus. If you are interested in multiplying your money through the self-sufficient model of this project, you can GIVE NOW. Your donation will have ongoing results!

Operation: HONOR

For more than 8 years, Weston and Violet have provided a loving home for over 500 children. Meanwhile, they have not been able to provide a permanent residence for their own family. We would like to honor Weston and Violet for their commitment to over 500 children. We are asking that you partner with us in providing a home for them. Weston selected a family home in a warm climate not far from the Heroes campus that is conducive for his long-term health. A generous donor gave half of the needed funds for Weston’s house. The remaining funds are due this month.

From the founding of HTN, 100% of all donated funds have gone to designated projects, ensuring that orphans receive a loving home, excellent education, ongoing care and protection.

This is the first time in HTN history that a fundraiser is being done directly for the Gitonga family.

Will you join with us in honoring Weston and Violet for their years of dedication and service to the orphans of Kenya? This is your chance, Operation: HONOR

GIVE NOW (Designate your gift as Project Honor)

Thank you!

Coastal Tour

Giraffe Kamba Carvings

Our youth traveled all the way to the Kenyan coast in recent weeks for a fun, relaxing trip after finishing their yearly final examinations.  Students gave a sigh of relief upon reaching the beach in Mombasa Kenya.  in Mombasa, Kenya.  There were plenty of laughs and smiles as HTN students and staff alike swam and toured the local town.

Even more excitingly, students gained a greater sense of Kenyan culture during their trip. From Mombasa, our students traveled to the town of Malindi where they visited the Malindi Museum and the Vasco de Gama Pillars.  They also saw a variety of Kamba Carvings during their travels.  These exquisite carvings are made primarily by the Kamba tribe and represent a variety of Kenyan cultural motifs.

We feel blessed to provide such a wonderful opportunity for youth.  Thank you for your continuing support as we strive to enrich the lives of Kenyan youth at Heroes of the Nation.

HTN youth at the Vasco Da Gama Pillar

*Information provided with the support of Ayub Ngure of the HTN Journalism Club.

Child Sponsorship

When I traveled to Kenya in March, I met beautiful children whose faces I had seen in pictures. While interacting with them, sponsorship took on a whole new meaning…

Sponsorship lets me touch the life of one. And that one individual has a future, a hope and a vision. All of the children at Heroes of the Nation have been rescued from intensely difficult situations yet have so much joy and excitement for their future. My sponsorship helps them accomplish their dreams. Additionally, it gives them the knowledge that someone, somewhere, cares for them. Although I couldn’t sponsor all of the children that I met at HTN, I was able to sponsor one child, a little boy named Samuel. I love the relationship that my husband and I can have with him! If you have thought about sponsoring a child, there is no better time to start as the holiday season approaches. I would love for all of our children to receive a Christmas greeting from their sponsor.

We still have over a hundred children in need of a sponsor. Sign up today for a child sponsorship: http://www.htn.org/index.php?page=Give-now.

A few of the children in need of sponsorship:

Serah

Dennis

Winifred

John

Collins

Margret

Virginia

Daniel

Final Test 2

One more time

The Age of Digital Cameras

A long time ago, in another age, the world ran on film cameras. You took 24 pictures, brought the film into a developer, and waited patiently to see the results. Then, when viewing the photos that were taken, you exclaimed: ‘Oh no! Sally had her eyes closed,” or “Dad! Why weren’t you smiling?” or “You messed up the picture with your funny face!”

Then you re-loaded new film into the camera’s canister hoping that, next time, every picture will turn out perfectly.

But now, ladies and gentlemen, we have digital cameras. Take a picture. View it. Trash it or keep it. Although the phenomenon has worn off in the western world, children in Kenya are intrigued by this instantaneous nature of digital cameras. If you bring a camera to Kenya, you will be surrounded by dozens of children wanting their pictures taken. Individuals love to pose and, immediately, look at themselves on the digital screen. I don’t think that film cameras were ever so interesting as digital cameras…viewing oneself whenever one wants.

When we were recently in Kenya, this little boy got got his own personal debut with the camera. I love the evolution of his expressions…cannot decide on my favorite.

[Especially note the little girl in the background who is adorably making her own faces.]

*All photos are taken by our incredible intern and photographer, Dave Staley.

Too much attention...

Introducing Samuel

When Samuel was ten years old, he dropped out of his third grade class in order to take care of his sick mother. He took her to the Kenyatta National Hospital twice a week and became responsible for the household chores. Within six months, all savings were depleted. Samuel struggled to provide food for the family and pay the medical bills.
One of the uncles took the children in, saying that he would care for them. But he forced the children to provide cheap labor in neighboring farms and kept the money for himself. 
Samuel’s mother died, leaving behind the children. A day after her death, relatives sold all of her household items. They also took the money donated by neighbors for her burial. 
Samuel’s grandfather brought the children into his home in the Maina slum but struggled to provide for their basic needs. None of the children were able to attend school during this time. When the grandfather could not care for the children any longer, he brought them to Heroes of the Nation. 
Samuel and his siblings are now thriving in a loving and caring environment. Samuel is a gregarious and fun-loving youth who excels in sports. He recently ran in the 100 and 200 meter race during an athletic competition. He also participated in volleyball and shot-put competitions. Samuel is optimistic that his future is bright for him and his siblings as they study to complete their education.

“I really thank God for you and pray that He may enlarge your territories. You are an important person in my life.”
- Samuel, March 2010

A Million Missing

It is hard to grasp how big a million really is. The number has become part of everyday speech: we give a million thanks, have a million things to do, make a million dollars. But how big is a million?

A million seconds make up eleven and a half days.

A million hours ago, we were in 1896.

There are a million people living in Rhode Island.

And there are a million children in Kenya who are not able to attend school.

The Kenyan government recently introduced free primary education to the country and many families and students have benefited. However, there are still one million children who are not able to attend school. Some of these children are kept at home by parents who need them to scavenge in the trash dump, work in the fields, or beg on the streets. They are increasingly susceptible to child labor, trafficking, and neglect.

When children are given a good education, they are equipped with the skills needed to succeed. They gain a great advantage over many of the young adults their age. Children at Heroes of the Nation will be ensured completion of their high school education with opportunity to attend university, college or vocational training. They will graduate as well-prepared and desirable candidates for employment in various areas of society.

The Department of Education in Kenya recently introduced state-approved textbooks. As you can imagine, purchasing textbooks for 530 students is no small task. Many children, like Samuel, came into Heroes of the Nation after being out of school for years. We are amazed at how our students overcome difficult and adverse backgrounds to excel academically. 
These new textbooks will help our students succeed. The students will be prepared for the country-wide tests and will perform on the level of their peers. This success in school will enable them to pursue a college degree.  Something as simple as a textbook will equip them to succeed in life!

Each student needs textbooks for Kiswahili, English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Religious Education. Thirty dollars gives two students all of the textbooks they need. Go to our website: www.htn.org/givenow to give textbooks.