An Orphan

Fate! Fate! Fate!

Tasteless the food you serve,

Unpalatable and bitter.

At dawn you knock,

Sunset take your rounds.

Sound of morning heard,

More orphans produced,

The work of your hand!

An orphan with empty stomach toils,

Never knows a mother's love,

Nor a father's lap.

Living a beggar life,

No home for abode.

Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!

Pathfinder Academy my only hope,

Give me solace.

Give me solace,

My only hope for the future.

Naomi Fadhili
Age 12
2006

 

Miriam
Age 13
June 2005

I am 13 years old girl studying at Pathfinder Academy, I began school when Pathfinder Academy opened its doors in Jan 2002, before that my grandmother had told me I cannot go to school because my young siblings needed my help home to cook, clean, wash and till land. My mother died long ago and since then my brother and sister and I have stayed with my grandmother who has four other kids, our house has two rooms one for my grandmother and the other where all seven of us stand in one corner and shiver until morning.

When Pathfinder Academy started, the director, Mr. Joshua Machinga came to our house to register us, since them my brother and I have been going to school. The other kids are at home because my grandmother cannot afford uniforms and books for all of us. I know we have no beds and sometimes the only meal we get is the one we have at Pathfinder Academy, but with the education and care we get at Pathfinder, one day we will buy our own beds and also help other children in need.

Without this school my grandmother would have already forced me to marry because she started talking about it. Thank you Joshua for establishing Pathfinder Academy and please thank all the supporters for us.

Anne Nanjala
Grade Six
May 2005

My name is Anne Nanjala. I am in grade six at Pathfinder Academy based at Kiminini, in Rift Valley Province, Kenya. I am one of the pupils in my class that was involved in learning and going out to teach, to share what we had learnt at school. At school we were taught how to make compost, prepare planting beds, plant seeds, control insects that eat crops in the shambas and other many interesting topics about farming. Most of the lessons were from the book "How to Grow More Vegetables" by John Jeavons, who lives in America.

After the lessons at school, we were taken to villages at Matunda and Kiminini to teach the widows' groups. At the beginning I was afraid, the mamas were of the age of my mum, and some were older. Other pupils felt the same too.

With courage I started to show the mamas how to make compost. They listened with interest and asked questions, which my classmates answered. We took turns teaching and we felt like teachers. Our school director Mr. Joshua Amwai was always there to guide.

After two months we had helped to prepare 37 compost piles and 73 beds. No rains and therefore the beds have not been planted.

The school gave us seeds that we gave to the mamas to make their own tree nursery beds.

During the training what I liked most was interacting with old mamas, making good stuff like compost from wastes, recycling of plastic sheets and the good food at the community.

When it rains we'll go back to help to help plant the farms.

I would like to be taught on how to use the camera to take pictures for our class and friends.

The ideas we all learnt have helped me in science and social studies.

May God bless Pathfinder Academy, our director Mr. Joshua A. Machinga, teachers, mamas and sponsors for the opportunity.

Esther Wambulwa
Grade Six
May2005

My name is Esther Wambulwa, I am in grade six. I was involved in School-Community Link GROW BIOINTENSIVE project. The project gave us an opportunity to interact with women of different ages at Matunda. The women we worked with are of a group known as Bafubi; most of them are HIV/AIDS positive. We were taught about farming skill, which also passed over to the community as well as our families. We agreed as pupils to also assist our parents and guardians to grow food using the methods learnt at school. This method (Biointensive farming) requires no outside inputs but uses local resources such as plant wastes, kitchen leftovers, manure etc.

I am very happy the ideas are also helping me in my science and social studies lessons in school and providing food to many people.

I hope when I grow up, finish school, I will be able to help more people.

Briner Malanga
Grade Six
April 2005

My name is Briner Malanga. I am in grade six. I learnt to grow food at school in 2004. When opening the school, we received the good news that we had received a donation of US$ 1, 000 for our class to share what we had learnt in school. At first I was nervous about going to the community but after two visits to Bafubi W. Group, I gained courage of working with old ladies who had lost their husbands because illness or other causes. I was touched by the plight of orphans in this community, although I am an orphan myself, I felt very sorry for them. I thank God for my sponsors.

The orphans had no food, shelter, and cloth and were very thin. We shared our food with them. We hope their gardens will provide them with food and will find sponsors to help them go to school like Pathfinder Academy.

This gave me hope that I am not the only one. I will work hard in the school to help others.

This was great to us orphans to have been able to help other people in need.