Give A Child Life

Mother Running Small Businesses.

Yesterday I received the first batch of ledgers from mothers running the small businesses in Kiandutu. A few weeks ago, I spent my last afternoon there helping set up the accounts so they could track their expenses, income and profit. This was a new concept for most of the women, all of whom ran businesses such as selling handfuls of vegetables or candy or pairs of rubber shoes on the street. The one who "got it" best was Zipporah. Her ledger was almost perfect, aside from one math error and a lack of detail for the expenses. But my heart broke when I looked at her profit. For the first two weeks of January, she sold about $20 worth of spinach, $11 worth of mangoes and $10 worth of cabbage. Overall, she took in $66. Buying the food to sell cost her $50. She had a net gain of about $16.

 We're going to keep working with the women and help them track what works best and what doesn't. If you'd like to help, let us know.

Debbie

 

Allan is Now Back With His Family!

 

Note: Three years ago, Give A Child Life found Allan near death at his grandmother's home. With his grandmother carrying him, we took him to a center where he could stay and get food, medicine and other help. Carol, the GCLK program director in Kiandutu, recently updated us on  what happened last weekend.

Baby Allan is reunited back with his family!

News from the elders at Kiandutu came on Monday that baby Allan has been brought back home.

Yesterday I visited Allan at his grandmother's house – Zabina Zaumu- and found him playing with his toy car. He had been bonding with the grandmother and he was so happy though he left the place while still so young.

He is a happy, healthy baby!!

GCL K will continue to assist Allan now that he is back with his family. He will be joining Kiandutu Juniors School nursery level.

Carol

Small Actions Make Huge Differences!

When I was in Kiandutu a few weeks ago, I didn't think Cecilia would make it. She looked so pale and thin. You could hardly tell she was pregnant--even though she was due to deliver any minute. A few days later, she had a lovely baby girl. Look at her smiling! One reason is because GCL provides child care for her two children under age 5.

The same day I saw Cecilia, the village elders asked me to fix the house of another GCL member, Beth. It needed only a few simple repairs to prop up the walls and fill the holes.

Often it's not the big actions that make the most difference. It's the small ones. $3 a month for child care; $3 to buy small bags of flour and beans for dinner; $45 to shore up a house, etc. What matters is that GCL is on the spot when children have a need. Working with Kiandutu's village elders, GCL helps within the hour. Isn't it nice to be a part of it?

Debbie