Water Is Life - Kenya

More photos from the Handover ceremony!

This incredible donation comes courtesy of our friends at Anderson Foundation! WILK established this relationship and ensured the funds were properly stewarded. Joyce was present at the Handover Ceremony yesterday to partake in this momentous occasion!

REHABILITATING ORARAIT EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER 🔨

We have important work coming up in July. Not only will the opening ceremony of the Orarait Community Borehole take place, but we’ll have visitors—including a delegation from the Diocese of Wilmington—traveling out to Kenya to witness it.

These visitors will also take part in rehabilitating the Early Childhood Center in Orarait. We’ve discussed how the teacher of this center was ready to quit because the water situation in Orarait was so desperate. Now, with clean water on the way, things are looking up—so the school will get a much-needed physical upgrade.

As you can see, there are few chairs and no desks. The center itself is dirty, too, and most of the children have to sit on the floor. There are also small repairs that are needed inside the building itself, such as patching gaps in the ceiling that birds can fly through.

We’re proud to have such selfless volunteers coming to Kenya on this trip. We hope that, along with a nearby clean water source, this rehabilitation project will lift the spirits of those who live in Orarait!

MUSIC, WATER, AND LIFE AT COKESBURY 🎶

On Monday, Joyce gave a concert with our friend Rob Kennan at Cokesbury Village in Hockessin, DE, where she serenaded some of WILK’s most faithful donors.

She sang arias from Carmen and Orfeo as well as some jazz standards. There was also a Maasai sing-along, so everyone was involved! The Maasaai word for song is “arany,” which is the same word for dance, so we made sure people got out of their seats to dance to the music, too!

Everyone had a blast, and we’re so grateful for our friendship with many people at Cokesbury!

TRAINING BEGINS IN ESELENGEI 📈

Earlier this week, training officially began for the women in the Eselengei in our Hope for Widows Program. WILK Co-Founder Joseph Larasha and WILK Field Officer Cate Olegei led the meeting, helping women come up with business ideas and determine their profit potential.

Everyone was so excited, they even got up to sing and dance! We know that enthusiasm will carry over when they get to work later in the year.

BRINGING HOPE TO WIDOWS 🙏

Just this week, women in Eselengei and Osoit met in their respective groups for orientation. In Eselengei, WILK Field Officer Nelson Tinayo spoke to the group and encouraged them to share their experiences. In Osoit, WILK Field Officer Cate Olegei helped the women open up to each other. In this way, both groups will learn to trust each other and the field officers, which is crucial during training.

Today, the Osoit group had its first official training session. WILK Co-Founder Joseph Larasha was there to introduce them to business skills that they’ll learn about in detail during later sessions. We’re eager to see how these women put their new skills into practice later this year!

BRINGING WATER TO ORARAIT 🌊

Our current WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) Project is making progress! We drilled the well in February after some weather delays, thanks to the rainy season. Once test pumping was complete, we waited for the weather to cooperate so we could start construction.

We use high-quality materials and hire skilled workers to complete this part of the project. Pipes and the water pump are now installed, and we'll use concrete to elephant-proof the borehole.

We don't cut corners, which means the community will be set up for success!

THANK YOU FOR TURNING WINE INTO WATER! 🍷➡💧

Last week, we had a lovely night of wine tasting, fellowship, writing Hai-Cows, and raising support for our new campaign: Seeds of Hope and Cows Galore.

The winner of our Hai-Cow drawing was Linda Landis, our long-time board member and friend. Not only was her Hai-Cow picked randomly, but it was also beautiful. Here it is:

Resting in the grass
Hot sun beating on my back
A roar disrupts all

Another one of our favorites came from our dear volunteer, Kathy Hilmer!

A cow in a field
The sweet clover at her hooves
So contended now.

But the Hai-Cow creations didn't stop on Thursday. On Friday morning, we received an email from our dear friend, Cynthia Miller, who dreamed cow-themed dreams. Here is one of her creations:

Some folks sell ploughshares
At WILK, we offer cow shares
Each heifer a blessing!

We're glad so many of you joined us at Deerfield Wines. Thank you for being a part of our community of supporters. We are grateful for you!

DON'T FORGET ABOUT OUR WINE INTO WATER EVENT! 🍷➡💧

We'll be at from 4:00-7:00 TONIGHT! You'll find our team as well as our fabulous Kenyan jewelry and beaded handicrafts.

Say hello to Joyce, meet fellow WILK supporters, enjoy delicious food and drinks, and hear an update about our work in Kenya. 15% of all bottle sales will be donated to WILK.

Please bring a friend! RSVP not required. $10 per person donation is kindly requested. We hope to see you there!