Back2School

ESL Students return to Iftin after the April break

The Eastleigh Community Centre was a buzz this week with students returning to the nursery, primary school, and adult literacy programs. While the students of these classes had a break, the women of the first jewelry training cohort have been working hard and have almost completed their training. The women were featured this week in a Kenya Television Network (KTN) about the ministry of Eastleigh Pottery and Eastleigh Jewelry project. We are so proud of them!

Putting It All Together

Erica working on a few designs for her upcoming

jewelry making class with the women

of the Iftin Jewelry Project.

We spent most of today searching out sources for jewelry supplies in Nairobi for the ceramic jewelry project. Erica and the training group will be working closely together to create designs out of the beads that the women are making. Finding supplies here in Kenya is nothing like dropping into Michael's back home in Canada. We are excited to see how the first line of jewelry turns out!

We also shared some time with a Kenyan pastor and his family who are planting a small church near our new home. David works as a part-time gardener in order to support his ministry. As we make the move into a small rental house, he is helping us tame the wild yard and start a small kitchen garden (we are hoping to plant a pumpkin patch). Our move has been delayed because of a leaking roof, but it is a blessing to have rain and to have discovered the leaks before we moved in. We are planning to shift over to the house next week.

We want to thank everyone who has been praying for our family: Emma's chin is healing well after her Easter weekend cut. The stitches came out last Friday, but she'll have to stay out of the water for the next week. Emma is enjoying school and friends as usual! Ava's next court date seems to be on track for May 22nd. We are praying for the health of Sam Mutisya, her guardian ad litum. Sam has been very ill. Ava has been praying for everyone's health lately (even if we aren't sick) with loud and long "Amens". We would appreciate your prayers for Sam as he sees his doctors this week.

Facing Challenges Together

Zahra, Nelius and Erica working through some problems today as we plan for the upcoming term with Iftin.

In July, we will be celebrating the first year of Iftin. We are deeply thankful for God's blessing of Zahra and Nelius who have been working with us and the incredible women of Iftin. It hasn't been an easy journey, but we feel that through faith and determination that obstacles can be overcome.

In Prayer:

* We pray for the desperate need of rain throughout Kenya. Although Eastleigh received a good dosing today, the spring rains have come late and much of the country is extremely dry. As a result, livestock are suffering and crops are withering. Food prices have climbed steadily and the urban poor are among the hardest hit as they try to make their few shillings stretch with the doubling of basic food prices. Canadian Baptist Ministries and Canadian Food Grains Bank are preparing for a major food distribution throughout rural parts of Kenya. Included in this will be a relief aid project in Northeast Province among the Somali communities where the Carlines and Gollos are working. We will be working in Eastleigh to address issues of food security with the families of Iftin.

* We are praying for clean water for the families of Eastleigh. With the generous support of Churches and individuals from Canada, we are preparing to distribute water filtration systems to vulnerable Somali and Oromo families living in Eastleigh and Mathare Valley. We pray that these families will adopt the regular habits needed to maintain clean water and good hygiene that are being taught through the distribution project. Poor sanitation and unclean water are leading causes of child mortality in Eastleigh and throughout the developing world.

* We pray for unity and trust within the community. Many of the women of Iftin have suffered criticism and even persecution for their decision to join Iftin. Traditionally negative views against female education, and the presence of women in public life, make it difficult for individuals who want to break the mold. Over the last month, about a dozen members of Iftin have stopped attending literacy classes due to outside pressure. Pray for us as we struggle to build in roads of trust, while challenging people to value the opportunity for women to learn.

New Beads

Aisha, Hawa, Safio and Erica

taking a close look at the finish of the newest glazes

being used as part of the Eastleigh Ceramic Jewelry Project

A peak into the kiln

Falastin and Aisha forming beads during the morning session of the Eastleigh Pottery training program. The first training cohort will be completing their course in May.

New colours and shapes appearing

The Eastleigh Jewelry Project is the first micro enterprise initiative of Iftin. Thanks to the support of the Eastleigh Community Centre, The Sharing Way/Canadian Baptist Ministries and generous Canadian partners in mission, we are working with the Somali women of Eastleigh to build self help support groups, savings programs, and income generating activities that will enable many of the most vulnerable families to overcome extreme poverty.

The ten women currently training with the ceramic jewelry project have been enthusiastic over the progress and proud of their accomplishments. We are praying that the training and development of the jewelry project will continue to progress and that the marketing and sales of their artwork will generate a sustainable income for these women and their families. Erica and James have been researching opportunities to market the jewelry in Kenya (They were both apart of a large sale this past weekend). We are very thankful for a few friends in Canada who have offered to display and sell the Iftin jewelry. We are praying for other opportunities to export their creations.

The work goes on as Hawa, Aisha, and Safio

laugh together around the central table

in the Eastleigh Pottery workshop.

Beads

The training has begun with the Iftin Jewelry Project.

The ladies began their classes today in ceramic bead making. They were very eager, arriving early to meet their instructors and discover more of what they will be doing in the Jewelry project.

Newly glazed beads must air dry in a rack before they can have excess glaze cleaned from the hole with a bead reamer. These beads will become bright blue and rusty brown in colour once they are fired in the kiln.

James Odera sharing with the Jewelry class.

The ladies will continue to study English in the mornings, with the Iftin classes, and join the pottery unit in the afternoons for ceramic bead training. We thank God for how so many little things have come together to make this project possible. Each of these women represent vulnerable households that are in desperate need of a regular and dependable income. We want to thank everyone who has contributed to The Sharing Way toward the "Eastleigh Urban Development projects". Without such generous support, ministries such as this would not be possible!

Nuts and Bolts

Introducing the first Iftin beads!

Hot from the kiln... we just completed our first experimental batch of ceramic beads with the Eastleigh Jewelry project. While we wait for our first shipment of imported glazes, the pottery team has been working with locally available glazes. The results have been good. Tomorrow we will be interviewing about twenty candidates from the Iftin group to make up the first group of ten participants in the ceramic bead training program -- from this group we will begin the jewelry enterprise.

hammering things out...

Most of the components and tools that we are using in the project are being made in-house. From the fine tools and measuring instruments, to the drying racks and firing bricks. Today we cut high temperature element wire and hammered it into shape to form the pins used for hanging the beads within the kiln. It is a labour intensive job.

Eastleigh made!

Even the components used within the water filtration project are produced on site. From the metal taps and attachments to the filters and housing, each part of the water filters have been designed and made by members of the community centre.

Our friend Nicholas Kamau (the second guy in wearing the blue lab coat) is an instructor with the metal work and construction sections of the Vocational Training Centre (VTC) at the Eastleigh Community Centre. He and his students were working on the metal lathe today used for producing components for the water filtration project. Each of the nine vocational training centres are focused on empowering youth with practical skills in order to help them provide a living and a future for their families. It is amazing to witness the ingenuity and spirit of optimism that people like Nick and his students share.

Back in the pottery section, more experimental glazes.

In Prayer:

* We praise the Lord for the spirit of cooperation and trust growing within the community centre between such a diverse group of people. God is not hindered by ethnic and tribal difference!

* We pray for the on going self help group meetings and for the Somali women who are being pushed further out of their comfort zones as they participate in a system of rotational leadership.

* We pray for wisdom and discernment as the first cohort is selected for the ceramic jewelry training.

* We thank God that even in the midst of our concern for Erica's mom, that it has become an opportunity for the Somali women to come around us in prayer. It has been wonderful to experience the support and empathy of our Somali friends through this time. One of the classes even made a short video to send back to Erica with love and prayers. God is good.

Self Help Groups

Pharis Nyaga with the Somali women of Iftin

Today was the first in a series of workshops for the women of Iftin on building self help groups. Pharis Nyaga is the operations manager for the Eastleigh Community Centre's self help group and community based training programs. He is presently working with over sixty women's self help groups throughout the Eastlands region of Nairobi.

Our hope is that the women of Iftin will pave the way for other Somali women of Eastleigh to become part of a movement that has traditionally empowered women of various Kenyan ethnic groups. Self help groups, like The Sharing Way's "Guardians of Hope", empower women socially, economically, and politically to overcome extreme poverty and to bless their communities -- whether it be helping orphans and vulnerable children or people struggling with disabilities or disease.

Over the next few weeks, Iftin will continue to learn about Self Help Groups and have the opportunity to form groups together that will provide support, training opportunities, a financial savings program, and micro enterprise development support.

Today's gathering was very positive as about 30 women participated in the training and indicated high interest in continuing with the program and inviting friends to join.

In Prayer:

* We pray that the women of Iftin will be protected from forces in their community that would seek to discourage and hinder their full participation in the women's empowerment initiatives of the centre.

* We pray for emerging leaders within the group. May they grow in faith and integrity as they influence other Somali women living in Eastleigh.

* Please continue to uphold Erica and her mom in your prayers. Erica is currently somewhere over the Atlantic ocean en route to Toronto for a connecting flight to Saint John.

Unity Football Club

Aisha, Samiya and Khadija

members of the Friday Unity Football Club

A huge thank you to all the churches who have sent money into The Sharing Way to help support clubs like this one. We thank you and the girls of Iftin thank you! This is the first time that most of the girls have played an organized sport. Your donation for sports equipment is making a huge impact in the lives of many Somali women and children.

First Graduation

Iftin's first graduating class!

Back Row: Leila, Hawa, Samiya, Faiza, Zahra, Safiya and Falastin.

Front Row: Khadija and Aisha.

The teacher's tent!

Erica, Zahra and Nelius at the graduation ceremony held in the Eastleigh Community Centre's vocational training square on Friday morning, February 27th. This was a very special day for us as we were so proud of our students. They have come so far over such short period of time. It was a special honour to have our advanced class receive their certificates as part of the VTC ceremony.

Safiya receiving her level one certificate from Dr. L.O. Lumuba

the honorary guest for the graduation ceremony.

E.C.C. director, Mr. Ehud Gachugu, addressing the

2009 graduating class of the Vocational Training Centre.

The director took the opportunity to challenge the graduates to use the skills, knowledge and experiences of their training to better their lives and to become a part of bettering Kenya. Throughout the ceremony faith and hope were central themes repeated in drama, music, and a challenge given by Rev. Shem Githingi, the pastor of the Eastleigh P.C.E.A. parish church. It was a theme echoed in the words of the Iftin song calling on the Somali women to become light to their nation.

Aaron sharing some words of encouragement to the VTC class, the graduates and the members of Iftin: Reminding them that God is calling each one of us forward towards Himself. As we study and work hard, we not only help ourselves but also our community, our neighbours and our families to move forward. Our prayer is that God will give each of us the sensitivity to hear His call upon our lives and the courage to step into it.




One of the great highlights of the ceremony was a presentation made by the Iftin choir.

Better and better!

A group of young girls from the Eastleigh Community Centre's primary school dropping in for a drink of water at the Eastleigh Pottery ministry this morning.

Throughout the morning, we enjoyed seeing several children slip into the pottery ministry for peek at what we were up to and for a drink of water. Along with the traditional pottery and new ceramic beading project, Eastleigh Pottery has been very busy with producing and distributing ceramic water filters to families within Eastleigh and greater Nairobi. Throughout March, the women of Iftin will be learning about the importance of proper hygiene and clean drinking water as a first defence against common water born illnesses that are especially killing young children in places like Eastleigh and Mathare Valley. We are deeply thankful to the many churches and individuals who are contributing toward the purchase of water filter systems through The Sharing Way. Your gifts are providing clean drinking water to hundreds of people in Eastleigh! Every member of the Iftin self help groups will receive a water filtration system and be trained on how to properly use and maintain their filters over the next two months. Coming from Canada, water seems like such a common thing. But for most of the world, clean drinking water is a rare and highly valued commodity. We want to thank everyone who is making these filters a reality in Eastleigh!

Better beads!

Meanwhile the Eastleigh Jewelry enterprise continues to move ahead with Erica and the pottery crew improving their bead making day by day. We will soon be ready to move into the glazing and finishing steps of the bead production phase. Once we have the complete process ironed out, the Somali women will begin their five week training with Erica and the pottery staff.

Erica and James working on finding the best glazes.

So far all of the raw materials for the beading project have come from Kenya. The one component that we are lacking is the glaze. Kenya produces materials that create a wonderful grey and brown glaze (in fact the pottery ministry has produced some beautiful glazes of its own), but this does not satisfy the range and pallet of colour needed for jewelry. We will be experimenting with glazes that we must import from England. While we await the arrival of these glazes, we will be using some of the Eastleigh Pottery's supply.

In Prayer:

* Please keep our family in prayer as we return to the High Court in Nairobi this Friday for Ava's adoption. We are praying that everyone who needs to be there will make it and that we are not bumped from the list.

New directions!

Mr. Ehud Gachugu, director of the Eastleigh Community Centre, speaking with over forty of the women from the Iftin ESL program at today's vocational skills training seminar.

It was only nine months ago that we first met with young Somali women and mothers at the Eastleigh Community Centre to explore their perceptions and experiences of struggling to survive in Eastleigh. Among the many challenges that they identified that June morning, the ladies emphasized two of highiest priority, namely: a lack of English or Kiswahili (necessary for life in Kenya) and a need to provide a reliable income to support their hungry families living in poverty.

We had the pleasure today of announcing that the first IFTIN class to be receiving a "level one English certificate" will be taking part in the Vocational Training Centre's graduation ceremonies this Friday! As part of the celebration, the Iftin choir will be performing their own song. It will be a very proud day indeed.

We also had the joy of facilitating a vocational skills training seminar with about forty of our most advanced English students. The ECC director, Mr. Ehud Gachugu, spoke passionately about the importance of taking responsibility for one's destiny and of the opportunity for many of the Iftin women to be scholarshipped for practical vocational training through the VTC. Although the unemployment rate is high in Kenya, over 80% of the graduates of the VTC programs consistently find jobs or begin successful businesses. "It does not matter from where you have begun," said the director, "it matters where you end!"

Zahra introducing the program officer of the Eastleigh Community Centre's Vocational Training Centre (VTC), Mr. Joe Karithi.

The women heard first hand stories of the opportunities they have before them to improve their lives and become financially self reliant. "You can become a provider!" cheered Joe as he told the women about ways the VTC seeks to empower individuals to work together to overcome poverty and dependency.

Aaron also reminded the women how far they had come in such a short time. There are many voices of discouragement that each of these women are subject to day after day after day: None of them are free from either criticism or abuse. But despite many obstacles, they have shown their courage -- entering a "Christian" community centre; becoming a student; sticking with their studies; inviting non-Somalis into their homes; becoming friends with women of other clans and tribes; playing sports; talking about difficult issues; and now considering some very non-traditional trades and vocational paths.

Looking Ahead!

Among the responses shared by the women today, about twenty want to enter the ceramic bead training with Erica and the pottery ministry (Many of the women have already completed their scholarship applications and are excited to begin the training in mid March). Another fifteen of the women told us that they were interested in the fashion & design, hair & beauty, catering, and computer technology programs offered at the centre. To our great delight, four of the women shared a desire to enter non-traditional fields of metal work, automotive and electrical trade programs offered at the VTC -- amazing!!!

Please hold the women of Iftin in your prayers as they step forward into a future unlike any their families and community had ever imagined.

Women in Focus

Erica speaking with Tim Bannister and about half of the members of the "Women in Focus" group today at the Eastleigh Community Centre.

The women trying their hand at bead formation
during a short visit to Eastleigh Pottery

It was a great day with some new friends, as we introduced six members of the Canadian "Women in Focus" group to the ladies of Iftin and the ministries of the Eastleigh Community Centre. We were very interested in their observations of current trends in jewelry and ladies fashion back in Canada (Erica and I are a little out of touch). They made some helpful design suggests as we spent some time in the pottery workshop and gave them a chance to shape a few beads. Large beads in bright colours was their recommendation in a nut shell. We are excited to see the completion of our first jewelry line with the women of Iftin. We are very interested in any design suggestions that you might have as well. Please post a comment if you have any recommendations!

Our main focus with Iftin today was exercise: the Women in Focus participated with several of the Somali women in a discussion over the importance and the benefits of regular exercise. It was fun not only to hear the opinions and experiences of all the women, but to get active together -- singing, dancing, playing football, and yes... more dancing!


Two of the Canadian women
joining in on the football game.

Saying good-bye after a wonderful

morning together!

hand made

With our first batch of clay ready,

it was time to get rolling...

Erica and I shared the morning with our friends at Eastleigh Pottery perfecting our bead forming skills and selecting bead designs for our first production with the women of Iftin. The ladies will begin their turn at training in March as we begin the true production phase of the project.

How do they get that hole in the bead?

Knitting needles,.. of course!

The English Literacy program is also doing well; the second class has advanced quickly through their studies and will be writing exams early inorder to move into the new core curriculum with class three. We are very proud of the students and all their hard work!

Last Friday, we briefly met the "Women in Focus" STM upon their arrival from Canada. Part of the group will be joining us in Eastleigh in the morning as we talk about women and sports with the Iftin group. We are excited for the opportunity for the women to come together and share their perspectives on the importance and joy of physical recreation.

On Sunday, we are looking forward to meeting with Carmin MacMillan, the director of Short Term Missions (STM) for Canadian Baptist Ministries. We will be discussing opportunities for future volunteers to join the Somali outreach projects with us in Eastleigh. We are praying for people who will come and share their gifts and talents, and most importantly their love with the women and children of the Eastleigh Community Centre.

IN PRAYER:

* Please continue to uphold our family as February 27th draws near. This will be our third attempt at going before the high court for Ava's adoption. We pray that we will NOT be bumped from the list again.

* Please keep the Iftin women in your prayers. They are, in many respects, breaking the rigid mold of expectations placed upon them by tradition, wagging fingers and scornful eyes. Already some of the girls have been criticized for their involvement in everything from school to the Friday football club. We anticipate further criticism as the women gather this coming Tuesday for a vocational skills training expo that we are having with the Vocational Training Centre (VTC). Many of the women have expressed interest in extremely non-traditional jobs for a Somali women, including automotive and journalism. We pray that God will protect these women as they step forward and in many ways step out before their community.

It only takes a little...

IFTIN's firstever FOOTBALL team

GO IFTEAM!

The English Literacy classes of Iftin run each week from Monday to Thursday at the Eastleigh Community Centre. On Fridays, the women are free to stay home or take part in any number of things from field trips to workshops. Zahra and Nelius came up with a great idea that builds on our current focus on nutrition. Each woman was asked to come with "Only ONE healthy thing" for a stew (or they cold bring a few shillings to contribute). Together the women brought vegetables, meat, and rice to make a huge Somali stew for the days lunch. The also contributed the jiko stove, the charcoal, the pots, bowls and stirring spoon. They worked together to clean, cut and prepare the meal. "It only takes a little!" smiled Nelius.

Zahra challenging the ECC girls varsity

team to a match with our Iftin girls.

We lost ... but we had fun.



Zahra giving the girls a pep talk

Way to go Iftin!!!!

A few boys running the football pitch for PE class.

Step by Step

James Odera, manager of Eastleigh Pottery,

tests the consistency of the new clay body recipe

for making ceramic beads.

The ceramic bead and jewelry production project is moving forward step by step. Today we completed the first batch of our new clay body after nearly six months of research and planning. The pottery staff gathered together at 7:00 am to begin the long days work of mixing, sieving, and preparing the clay for use.

Some of the pottery staff pouring the clay into mess bags. Rather than waiting several weeks for the clay to thicken in the sun, the pottery team are experimenting with hanging the clay in heavy cloth bags where it will shed water much faster than sitting in the usual drying boxes.

A bag of freshly made clay hanging to dry next to a pile of 7 tons of raw clay that our team purchased from Nyeri, near Mt. Kenya.

The project's objective is to provide skills training and employment to vulnerable Somali women in Eastleigh. We hope to begin the training phase of the project with ten women by the middle of March. Until then, we will be taking training ourselves with the pottery staff from a local ceramic beading expert. We are excited to see this enterprise reduce the number of Somali women living in extreme poverty.

Welcome Nelius!

Mike Arnold and Michael Waddel sharing with some of the women of Iftin (Michael's presence certainly set Tunis, one of our friends, giggling)

On Monday, the Midland team joined us in Eastleigh for one of the English literacy classes with Iftin and a tour of the ministries we are a part of within the Eastleigh Community Centre. During the class time, the guys had a chance to hear about the difficulties facing Somali women living in Eastleigh. The ladies enjoyed getting to know our Canadian friends!

On Tuesday, we returned to Eastleigh with Michael Waddel for another ESL class and to go on a home visit with one of the mature students. It was a good opportunity to walk the dusty streets of Eastleigh and to enter into a more intimate setting. The woman we visited lives with her five children, a cousin and her mother in a small two room apartment within one of the many bee hive structures that fill Eastleigh. It was difficult to hear the woman's struggle with deep bitterness and anger over her situation as she struggles to hold on to hope. We pray for tangible ways to encourage her and her family as they face issues of poor health, unemployment and lack of education. We believe that God is in the business of restoring lost hope!

This is also the first week for our new teacher, Nelius! She will be helping us in our growing English Literacy program as we expand to more classes and community development projects with the Iftin group. We are so thankful for God's gift of Nelius as she will bring a new set of skills and her sincere love for vulnerable women into Iftin.

Late Tuesday afternoon, we joined the Carline family for a good-bye pizza picnic at Rosslyn Academy to say farewell to Alden, Bryden, Michael and Mike. It was a time to be thankful. The Midland team had a full and diverse time of ministry, but they all seemed tired and excited to return to see their wives and families. We pray for their safe arrival in Halifax tonight as they will be coming home to a snow storm. Please join us in pray for their journey!