Ongoing Projects
| Vegetable garden |
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We
have a large vegetable patch, for which gardening duties are shared
between boys and staff. We are grateful for seeds and seedlings from
Bejo Seeds and Longonot Farm. Watering has been the greatest challenge
- the installation of drip line irrigation in 2006, courtesy of Panda
Flowers, has done wonders for production. Potatoes, corn, beans,
pumpkins, carrots, cabbage, squash, spinach, onions, tomatoes, bananas,
pawpaw and pomegranates have all come to the table. |
| Livestock and pets |
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The
presence of animals at the shelter is at once educational and a source
of joy - not to mention the practical benefits. All the boys are
involved in looking after the animals. Simba, Bosco and Panda, our
dogs, have
become mascots and, along with a team of fifteen aggressive geese,
assist with general security, while our cat keeps us
rat free. We have a new poultry project.
The big chicken house was built by
the carpentry department and 400 day old chicks made it their home in
Nov 2008. They started to lay in April an average of 340 eggs a day
which are sold on the local
market after the boys have had their share.
Rabbits donated in
2005 have produced like rabbits and we now have a healthy rabbit
population who contribute to fresh meat in the children’s diet. |
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Two
donkeys and a cart were donated by the Vassen family in 2005, providing
the shelter’s only form of transport up to this year. We were also
given a cow in 2005
to supply milk and help with cutting the grass. The children decided
she was lonely so we got another cow and a baby calf was delivered one
sleepless night in August 2006, so we now have plenty of milk. We now
have 4 cows and a bull but very little grass due to the drought so we
now grow our own fodder. |
| Arts and crafts |
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Here
is where we can see the fruits of the children’s imagination. The boys
take great pride in their work, which includes some wonderful beadwork,
colourful cards, trays, tables, mbao games which are sold at local craft fairs and overseas
to generate income for the shelter. Click here
to see samples of Arts and Crafts on sale. Francis who graduated from
the Shelter is now employed in the beadwork department and he passes on
his amazing skills to the boys. Animals, flowers, insects are just a
few of the amazing things produced. |
| Carpentry and Sewing |
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Carpentry
is taught as part of our curriculum and a lot of the handiwork around
the shelter and particularly in the farmyard is the boys’ own.
Carpentry is one of the most useful vocational skills to help with
getting the boys into the workplace. Our sincere thanks to Thijs of
Grimbergen Noordemeer, who made our large and sophisticated carpentry
department a reality. Many a graduate has been able to leave the
Shelter saying "I can do carpentry" |
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Tailoring
is also part of the curriculum. Bernard, himself a shelter graduate,
has become an expert with the sewing machine and is now passing on his
skills to the boys. A key function is the mending and adjusting of the
boys’ clothing. Presently making pillows for their beds,
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