Summer Update 🌿

Dear Ameena Project Friends –

We hope you and your families are healthy and holding up in these very difficult days. As always, we are grateful for your friendship and generosity to Ameena Project. Your financial gifts, words of encouragement and prayers are cherished by us, the board of directors, along with the Ameena Centre school staff, parents and children.

We are writing today with an update on how the Kiang’ombe community is doing months after the coronavirus pandemic arrived on the African continent.

In short, things are dire. Ameena Centre school continues to be closed and our staff is abiding by regional stay-at-home and curfew orders which are being strictly and, in some cases, severely enforced. Food supplies are controlled by the government and aid is in short supply.

Our Ameena Centre staff is finding creative means to assist basic family needs like food, hygiene and cleaning for over 100 Kiang'ombe families. The financial security we’re able to provide the staff at this time will ensure that, once restrictions loosen, they will be ready to reopen and resume learning and regular meals. Now, more than ever, we are grateful that Ameena Project is there.

Asanteni sana,
Anne, Ian, Shari and Tia

P.S. If you are interested, here are a few articles on the state of COVID-19 in Kenya:
New York Times/Coronavirus Accelerates Across Africa
World Health Organization/Kenyan communities taking the lead in curbing COVID-19 spread

Ameena Centre Director Mercy Mukhwana lost her husband, Eric, a few weeks before the coronavirus arrived in Kenya, making 2020 an even more excruciating year for Mercy and her two sons. Mercy is so touched by the kindness of your extra generosity in contributing to a GoFundMe account that has raised to-date $350,000 Kenyan shillings (nearly $3,300 USD) – the equivalent of a year’s worth of her salary. Mercy and her sons draw on these funds to pay for rent and food, a critical safety net for their family. She recently emailed this note of thanks that we wanted to pass onto you: “Thank you to Ameena Project at large for providing a shoulder to lean on during my husband’s demise. Your support both spiritually and financially is a blessing to my family. Thank you and God bless you so much.”