Kisima Academy

For people who send Kisima Academy donations directly to FTKI, the address has changed. It is now: FTKI, 6614 Van Winkle Dr., Falls Church, VA 22044.



Kisima Academy, a mission of COS, is a Christian orphanage and school in rural western Kenya.


Last year was a time of returning normalcy for Kenyan schools. The national exams took place on schedule for the first time since the pandemic started, paving the way for the new school year to start on time this month. There were major changes in the curriculum and in the school organization, the result of which meant that Kisima was required to add the 9th grade. A new classroom will have to be added as well as some lab equipment.

The crops and gardens provide much of the food for the children. Five acres of maize and beans, the staple foods in Kenya, were supplemented by gardens of kale, watermelons, arrowroot, and squash among other fruits and vegetables. Onions and tomatoes were grown in the greenhouse.

Last year was an election year. Every election since the 2007 election with its resulting wide-spread tribal violence has spawned fears of a repeat. Thanks to God it was peaceful this year. Two-thirds of the 125 orphans at Kisima had lost their parents in the violence. Most of those young people are now in college or vocational school. A few of them have finished and are going out on their own—a cause for celebration for us who have watched them grow. More than that it’s a cause for expressing our sincere gratitude to the sponsors and supporters who have partnered with us to make caring for and educating them possible. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Here are a few of the orphans who are nearly ready to go out on their own.


Victor is finishing studies to become an electrician.

Gloria is finishing a B.A. in English. She will be a teacher.

Mary finished a diploma in human resources.

Titus finished a diploma in automotive repair.


If you would like to help by partially or fully sponsoring a deserving child or by making a donation you can find information at www.friendsofkisima.org. Partial sponsorship is $300/year or $25/month. Full sponsorship depends on the grade level. Of particular need now are sponsorships for the college students. Costs have gone up dra-matically and very few of the college students are fully spon-sored.


Martin recently sent photos of 4th graders enjoying a music lesson. It looks like they’re really having fun!


After another COVID hiatus the soccer club is back in action. They continue to do well and will be competing in the league two-day quarter finals. The whole school will be cheering them on!


Gerda Fink, COS Kisima Committee Chair-person, www.friendsofkisima.org, on Facebook at Friends of Kisima Academy.

update

News From Kisima Academy


Good things have been happening at Kisima Academy lately. Soccer, volleyball, and netball intermural matches are back after their pandemic hiatus. And there’s been time for fun, too!


They’re growing more and more of their food and have some extra to sell as well as the school works toward becom-ing self-supporting. Their traditional diet is maize and beans with kale but they’ve been branching out more and more with additions of fruits and vegetables such as watermelon, on-ions, spinach, and tomatoes. It’s good for the kids to have a hand in the process.


Of course there are challenges as well. Up until this year we have financed college or vocational education for all 48 Kisima kids who have graduated from high school. With 57 more orphans in various high schools it will become more and more difficult for us to raise adequate funds. After much debate our policy for this year is to only finance further edu-cation for orphans receiving a ‘C’ or above on their national exam. Grading is much harder there so a ‘D’ is not terribly unusual. Hopefully, though, the new policy will spur the up-coming students to work harder.


There may be a visit to Kisima next year—the first since the pandemic. Please contact me if you have any interest in going. Besides working at the school we visit an elephant orphanage and a giraffe refuge in Nairobi and go on a short safari in Maasai Mara. Gerda Fink 458-3295 or gerdafink@gmail.com