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May 8, 2008: Exciting news from Heroes of the Nation Children's Home! At 3 am on May 7 our Australian Director, David Crawford, received a text message saying the children and staff are very excited because they now have internet access for the 80 computers we installed in February this year. This project has now been officially completed. We then received the first-ever email from the school with photos of the children learning to use the new computers.
HOTN will now be one of the most advanced schools in Kenya, thanks to the opportunity delivered by YOU, our awesome donors. This will bring an increase in the number of tuition-paying students at our high school, bringing it one step closer to self-sufficiency.
Eighty donated computers, complimentary shipping by DHL and expert direction from Sammy Gitonga, head of I.T. at HOTN made this dream come true. This will lead to transformation of life at HOTN for both the 470 children and the local Nyahururu community through vocational training.
We can't thank you enough.
COMPLETED PROJECT: Heroes of the Nation Children’s Home, Nyahururu, Kenya, Kitchen, Cottages, Dorms, & Medical Clinic
What has been accomplished to June 2007
Completed:
It has been continuous building since about December 2005. The Children’s Village is hardly recognizable.
Heroes of the Nation Children’s Village started on 4 acres with a boy’s dorm, a girl’s dorm, a few classrooms, and a small hut which served as the kitchen. With the purchase of a much larger plot of land nearby a goal was set to move all the children to the new site, build the elementary school there, and change the existing site into a high school for both HOTN residents and boarding students from the community.
Dorms
A dorm built for 80 has been completed and now is overcrowded housing 120 young boys.
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| Boys Dorm |
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As well the girl’s dorm followed, providing a home for about 115 girls (although designed for 80).
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| Girls Dorm |
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The new dorms have sinks and toilets so that will be a real blessing (when the water gets turned on).
Cottages for Younger Children
Although many of the older children are housed in dormitories, it has been found that the younger children are best cared for in smaller homes.
Yet another home was built for the smaller children, providing them with a more home-like atmosphere until they are old enough to go into a dorm
Children’s Cottages
Heroes of the Nation have a few of these cottages, with plans to build more.
School
A brand new school, with 8 classrooms was next. All of the elementary children attend this school with its much larger and brighter classrooms.
Heroes of the Nation is in the top 10 of the schools in their region, a real testament to the love and skill of the teachers as most of the children are sick, malnourished and traumatized when they arrive at the Home, and many have been out of school for years.
The Nursery school children are still being bused to the old site, until more classrooms are built for them. The old site is now being prepared for another row of classrooms.
Once the new classrooms and dorms were completed, work turned to renovating the (now called) “old site” to use as a boarding high school. Now completing the first school year of operations, 58 students have enjoyed the facility – 35 children from HOTN and 23 paying students. It still needs some work, such as equipment for the science lab, and computers for the computer lab, but the older students are very proud of their new facility.
High School
Over 50 girls live at the high school site (some younger children are bused to the new site for school), and about 40 boys live in a nearby rented house. The new uniforms for the high school students are a happy “violet” colour, chosen in honor of their beloved “Mommy”, Violet Gitonga, Director of Heroes of the Nation (along with her husband Weston).
CLINIC
The Medical Clinic building is now complete, but there is a need to furnish and equip it.
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| Medical Clinic under construction |
The government has committed to pay for one doctor and one nurse to work part-time.
This will allow the children to be treated without any extra cost to the orphanage and school. This achievement will save both time and money.
Sewage Treatment
A new sewage treatment plant was installed, with a capacity for 1000 people; to provide for the over 400 people who use the site each day.
YOU ARE A HERO
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