As time goes on and as we have built enough buildings and income generating businesses our annual work in Kenya will consist more of the following:
1. We want to continue to fund one boy and one girl to University BUT we also want to be careful that they are choosing a major where there is the possibility of a job when they graduate. Not much point in getting a degree and then there are no jobs in what you have learned, We presently have a young man taking a managerial course and a young woman taking a journalism course. We think those are both good majors for future job prospects. The last young woman we put through University who graduated earlier this year was able to get an internship job, but at only $150 a month income and it’s in Nairobi where a rental apartment alone can cost that much.
2. We now want to take care of the more dire needs on a monthly basis as funds permit. First we want to provide gutter systems on roofs of houses where it is possible based on the construction of the house and roof. We will put a 10,000 liter water tank on each of the four corners of the house for the water to drain into. That should provide fresh water for four families at a time. Now they have to take an empty can to a spring or river, fill the and cans and lug them back to their houses and it can be long distances and they can only carry so much water as the cans are heave when filled up.
3. We want to keep on providing each village with the 3 wheeled motorized “SKYGO” vehicle. We insist that the men take the ladies in the SKYGO to cut down branches and collect wood and transport them back to the village so they aren’t bent over double trying to carry heavy fans of water. We told the men they can use the SKYGOs for transporting heavy
material that they need, or even transporting workers to farther out job sites as long as they help the ladies as stated here.
4. In addition to the actual items listed above we are going to start an education program at the various communities we help - there is a serious problem with young girls having babies and not knowing who the father is - so we are going to teach them the consequences and the negative effects on children who never have a father in their lives. We believe we can make a difference in the lives of these girls and their children. We also want to teach them about how the changes in life will require them to be more aware of how they are going to survive in old age. Presently the young men, generally the oldest son of each Maasai man, is required to pay for his siblings to go to school and in one case that I am close to there are 26 siblings, in another there are 11 siblings and in most there are more than 3 or 4 siblings. There is no way one young man can make enough money to fund all these siblings through school which in the primary level costs about one month salary for a year at primary school. We want to teach them the importance of getting a job, having an income and putting some away for old age - yes, that will be extremely difficult but we have to start somewhere so we are prepared.
5. There is a clash of sorts between the younger generation who have gone through school, and the older people who have not and who are illiterate. The latter live as they have lived for centuries - using their cows, sheep and goats as the only source of income they have. When they need money they take an animal to the market and sell it. The problem is now that cows are a major contributor to climate change and eventually these men cannot have 100 cows each when these cows are causing so much problem with the climate. This will be a very long process but we have to start so they can get used to hearing it and plan according.