Construction has Begun!

Thanks to Ben's story on Reddit, donors from around the world have continued their support and we've reached $83,000. Fortunately, Omari works in the construction buisness and has been able to hire the labor and materials for constructing the security wall. Originally, Omari's estimate was $2,000 but now we're thinking it will be more like $10,000 at least. Bookkeeping has been tight, with electronic and hard receipts for every dollar spent. After construction of the wall, in order to purchase the orphanage, we must raise $200,000 so we're a long way away but at the same time almost half way there!

Click this link to donate: http://www.longonoteducation.org/donate.html

Here are some photos of the construction and what we've accomplished so far. Note the fence that was easily broken through by the thieves.



What we've done so far:

1. Replaced all door handles/locks
2. Replaced locks on the padlocks for the outer doors (the thieves had picked the previous locks, but these new ones are more secure)
3. Hired a Maasai guard for the night (with all of the publicity the orphanage is more vulnerable than ever)
4. Purchased cement, balast, sand, and bricks and hired several laborers who've begun construction of the security wall

What will we spend the rest of the money on?

1. Purchase of the property: this is the NUMBER ONE priority after the wall is complete. We've discussed it with the owners already and it will cost about $150,000.
2. Bunk beds for the children (they have mattresses they put on the floor).
3. Other things like food and charcoal, water and electricity, etc.

Faraja Children's Home

Meet Omari.


Omari’s day starts at 4:30 am, when he wakes up to get ready for work. Omari, in his early twenties, works as an engineering intern about an hour and a half away in Nairobi. He returns at 9 in the evening, and his weekends he spends with his mother, their friend, and 37 brothers and sisters whom he lives with, who are all orphans at the Faraja children’s home in Ngong Town, Kenya.

Last week, Omari was woken during the night to the sound of thieves bashing in the doorknob. Armed with only a hammer and a metalic rod, he tried to fend off the three attackers but suffered a severe machete wound to the face before the three perpetrators fled.

I was not the first time they had come. Earlier this month, they broke in and stole the TV and DVD player. This time, we believe they had come to take out Omari, the only person there who could defend the children.

But there is Good news for Omari and the children.

Just before the attack, I met a young man named Ben from New York. He told us he would try to raise some funds for the security wall we were hoping to build, but had only raised $100. What he did was nothing short of a miracle. He posted the story on the popular website reddit.com. He gave intructions on how readers can donate through a secure paypal account of his organization
Longonot Education Initiative.

In just 24 hours, people from around the world felt compassion for Omari and these orphans. At 2 am, the donations starting pouring in. After 24 hours, Ben had reached $50,000. Mom was in tears, and we could not believe this blessing the lord had given us. Now, we have enough to build our security wall and we’ve already hired a night watchman to make sure the children, and that Mom and her son Omari can rest peacefully. This is phenomenal, but here is still much more we can do. After 4 evictions in 7 years, Omari and Mom are finally seeing that their ultimate dream is possible: to buy the orphanage property and no longer worry about paying rent or being evicted.


To achieve this goal we need to raise approximately 200,000 USD. With a small donation, you can be a part of this amazing story, which is already in the national papers, and is being covered by media across the seas (the Associated Press has already come to interview Ben, Mom and Omari).

So how much have people been donating? $10, $5, even just a dollar are typical donations! So even just a little money helps towards achieving our dream.

TO DONATE, CLICK HERE

http://www.longonoteducation.org/donate.html


I will keep you posted with photos and stories of our progress and how the lives of these children are changed over the next few weeks, and you can also follow news on the Longonot Education Initiative website posted by Ben.