OASIS OF HOPE

December 2018

The month of December this year has been a very profitable one for OoH, and we are very happy with all our cheerful givers.  We have carried through Christmas action of the year on Facebook, resulting in more than NOK 20.000.-.  In addition many people have implemented Facebook collections in connection with their birthdays.  This clearly shows that this is the way to collect money these days.  Like last  year and the year before we have also this year sold Christmas cards.

The collection at the Christmas concert by  Østenstad Sangeri was given to OoH.  This gave us NOK 12.073,-. A result with which we are very pleased.

In Kenya they have started the planning of Graduation for the pupils due to start in 1st form in January .  This is a big day for the school and we look forward to receiving photos from the event.

We have also received confirmation to the effect that Hellen Nyangia, Charles‘ widow, will take over as „main director“ following her husband, and their son, Barkey Jim, joins  the board as „co-director“

Chairman of the board, Mr Miugo, and the two other board members will continue in their posts.  For this we are most grateful.  We now have a stable and well qualified board  which we look forward to cooperating with in the years to come.

November 2018

This month has been a positive one here in Norway.  On 8th and 9th November Hovedgården junior secondary school arranged their campaign days where they collect money for our school.  This year we made yet another record by collecting more than NOK 69,000.-, and small sums keep still coming in.

We have also had income from two Facebook actions organized by kind donors in connection with their birthdays.  In addition we have started a Facebook action ourselves „Christmas action of the year“, and also here money keeps coming in.  At the moment of writing this donors have contributed NOK 15,945,- and the final date to contribute is still far away.  This shows that collection on Facebook is the thing! 

Like last year we sell Christmas cards also this year.

We visited the Y-men club of the Østenstad congregation, presenting our project and thoughts around our work.  This was very well received and we got ideas for further work.

We have also received an offering in Heggedal congregation where we contributed with information on the project.

In expectation of the funeral of our school’s founder, Charles Nyangia, things in Kenya have been at a standstill in November.  He was buried on Thursday 29th November.  We have received reports that all members of the board in Kenya will continue the work in spite of the fact that Charles has passed away.  This we very much appreciate and look forward to continuing the good cooperation.

September 2018

It is with great pleasure and gratitude we can report that this month we have acquired another site!  In August we were informed by  the authorities that our site was too small for both a playground and a school building.  They demanded a bigger area.  This problem has now been solved.  The new site is next to the present school site and has a perfect situation.  We nuat now act wisely by planning and erection of new school building.  Should it have one or two storeys?  Where should the building be placed?  One or more buildings?  These and many more subjects should be seriously discussed in the near future.  We are also extremely grateful for a considerable company donation, which enables us to commence the building works.   This gives us invaluable help in a starting phase.  A regular donar has also contributed with a considerable amount.

The school reports to be in stable operation.

Here in Norway we have had a church offering in Heggedal parish in September.

Furthermore we plan Christmas campaign, both with digital Christmas cards and Christmas gifts from enterprises.

OoH news August 2018

Lately we have met with a few challenges in Kenya.  We have received orders

to start building a permanent school building,  an order we knew would be forthcoming.  However, local authorities now threathen to close our school, as well as many others, if we cannot start the building works immediately.  In addition our playground for the pupils is too small, meaning that we have to look for a larger area in the neighbourhood of the present site.  Yes, the challenges are queueing up, but we shall find a way out!  We have good supporters both in Norway and in Kenya working to maintain our school.

News July 2018

The most important happening this month is our visit to our school in the beginning of the month.

It turned out to be an important and good trip, with  a board meeting and meeting with an engineer  discussing  and planning  the building of a new permanent school building.  Reference is made to the travelogue written by Susanne (teacher at Hovedgården) following the trip.

We also had a good look at the new latrine.  A piece of good work has been done here.

We must not forget to mention that our school has finally been approved as „Education center“.  This means that we are now authorized for exams at 8th level, and the oldest pupils no longer need to look for other schools in order to sit for their final exams after finishing primary school.

May and June news

We have not heard so much from our school in May and June, which is a good sign.  This means that the school is being well run and not meeting with challenges worth mentioning.  What we know is that the digging of latrines is still in process.  A big stone proved a greater challenge to the workers than anticipated. Here in Norway we started collecting training equipment for the pupils in April.  This collection put on speed in May and June, and we have now collected  sufficient to fill our suitcases before taking off for Kenya in July.  It is good to know that we have many good supporters!

Fourth year running Run for Food took place on 6th June.  This event is here stay!  Also this year Kristin U.J. was in full control of preparations and carrying out of theevent.  We could register between 80 and 90 participants, which is a new record.  The total final sum is NOK 19,350.-,  a result we find most satisfactory.

Hovedgården junior secondary school has also this year made a tremendours effort for our school.  Campaign days, bread sale, effort for others and various minor contributions have totally given us 70,767.- during the school year.

We are now planning a new visit to the Oasis of Hope school in July and travelogue will follow. 

March and April

Smooth and stable running of the school is reported in March and April.  During our visit in February it was decided to order a new table for the kitchen and a lockable cupboard for school books, toys and other material.  This has now been purchased and taken into use.  In addition a new  double latrine is now being dug at the school.  The health authorities have for a long time been demanding this and this demand  has to be met before we can apply for «education center» status.

Here in Norway we have many gratifying experiences.  Church offerings, both in Helgerud, Heggedal and Østenstad parishes give us good income.  We have also established a cooperation with «skoleknertene» at Heggedalskogen kindergarten.  They form  part of  «Young entrepreneurship» and have arranged cafe for parents and employees in the kindergarten.  When we visited them to talk to them about OoH we were given NOK 5778.-.

In March we started a collection of track suits for the children at our school.  They have been wanting «sport kit» for many years.  There is much physical activity at the school and since they don’t have suitable clothing for such acitivities they have to use their school uniforms.  It goes without saying that  this makes the uniforms both dirty, sweaty and worn.  Many of the children have only one set of uniform.  By getting  them  clothing for training they can spare their uniform.

January 2018

A new school year has started at the Oasis of Hope school.  10 new kiddies were admitted to Babyclass in January.  It is good that the school management now realizes that the admission of pupils must be limited.

Graduation took place at the school on Wednesday 31st of January.  A big and important day for everybody, where superiors are informed about what happens at the school, they may express themselves and create an owner relationship with the Oasis of Hope school.  But for the children  now leaving preschool for 1st form the day is the greatest – it is their celebration, so this is a memorable day.  This year there were 24 of them.  More than 200 superiors and other invited guests also turned up for speeches, food, entertainment, photography and party.

Here in Norway the sales of Christmas cards reached a new high, a result we find most satisfactory.

The gymbag campaign, which we started last Autumn, did not take off in the beginning, but as people realized that our departure for Kenya was approaching they all of a sudden became more keen, and before we left on 13th  February we  had a whole suitcase loaded with more than 300 gymbags  (19.5 kilos)!  This was PR material from various enterprises and some people had even sat down to sew gymbags for us.  We are grateful for all contributions!

We get constant proofs of the fact that some people are more engaged than others.  This time it was 3rd level at Skogmo school at Ullensaker contributing with 6.000 to our school, and 3IFB at Asker secondary school who arranged  a basketball tournament resulting in a surplus of 3.500.- which was donated to us.  Great young people!

On 13th February Kristin H.S. and Anne Kristi from the Board together with four others set off for Kenya.  It turned out to be a great  trip for all.  We met with dedicated, confident and wise teachers and cooks, smiling and motivated pupils willing to learn, and a board doing a tremendous job  - voluntarily.  The school of course has many challenges, but at the same time we understood that the staff is grateful for the opportunity of working at our school.  They love the children so much and are happy to be a part of our team.  Our goal must now be to become approved as «Education center».  At the same time Kenya has now implemented a new education plan, so there will be some changes during the next years.  We envisage exciting times ahead!

Travelogue from the trip will follow …