SOLID/Kenya Partnership – 2012

On April 23^rd  Karen Siu of West Vancouver and Rita Burbulevicius of Salt Spring Island depart the comforts of home, and arrive as ambassadors for SOLID in Kenya,  East Africa. Although these volunteers are providing for their own travel expenses, they will be delivering an impressive collection of donated goods, and making available considerable funds, all generous donations from the Salt Spring community which will benefit a number of projects.

A top priority is the delivery of another 200 goats to HIV+ mothers that have been purchased by islanders since the last goat delivery was completed before Christmas. SOLID has raised enough to provide goats to over 300 women in Kenya since we started partnering on this incredible project. These goats were bought primarily through the SOLID Exchange, which now has a new home in Gasoline Alley, at Unit 100 – 149  Fulford-Ganges Road.

The goats will offer Kenyan women and their families a better quality of life by providing for highly nutritious milk to drink and sell. Also the women can sell the dung or use it to fertilize their own gardens. This initiative gives these women a means of financially sustaining their families, and offers great benefits to their communities. Karen and Rita are thrilled to be delivering these goats at special “Goat–giving Ceremonies’ in Kenya.

The women are also providing over 300 school uniforms, using money raised at a Mother’s Day dinner at All Saints’ by-the-Sea. The reality is that in Kenya no uniform = no education, an equation faced by far too many children.

With additional funds from SOLID and other Salt Spring sources over 600 sanitary kits will be handed out to school girls. These basic but essential kits enable the girls to attend every day of school, despite their monthly menses, which assists them in attaining a much coveted formal education.

Items lovingly made by the Knitwits of Meadowbrook will be handed out to new mothers in 20-30 layettes, and the maternity and pediatric wards of the Kakamega hospital will welcome knitted dolls and toques as they take their new babies home.

Using money raised by the Anglican Parish of Salt Spring and donations from SOLID, they will also ensure the installation of a modern rain collection system in a local Kenyan school, a desperate need in such a water deprived region.

Finally the volunteers will be providing bags of maize and beans to Grace Orphanage in Kakamega to get the children through the annual famine season.  These varied, yet inter-connected projects will surely keep Karen and Rita busy, and provide for a life altering experience before they return home on May 27^th, bringing with them all sorts of unique African crafts for sale at the SOLID Exchange.

SOLID welcomes all interest, volunteers and donations for our partnerships, and we encourage you to come and visit our new SOLID Exchange location for a delightful collection of fair trade and non-profit products. Open Mon – Fri 11-3 and Sat 8-4.