Hello, my name is Heather Macfaden. I have been a Canadian supporter of Homes of Joy since 2008, and am a child sponsor for Natasha Tembo. A registered nurse, working in the Birthing Unit in a hospital near my home, I was keen to help when Micaela sent a letter about Homes of Joy. I strongly believe every child should have access to the basics of life; water, food, shelter, education, medical care and loving support.
I had the opportunity to visit Sister Ruby and the girls at Nyumba Yanga orphanage in September 2010, whilst in Africa to climb Mt Kilimanjaro with my friend Suranika Dias. Despite the time being very short due to travel difficulties, we enjoyed our visit. Suranika was able to teach computer skills and give some private tutoring, and I had fun playing with the younger girls not yet old enough to attend school. When the older girls returned from school, after completing chores of washing school uniforms and sweeping the orphanage pathways, we played ballgames, read together or visited the duck pond and rabbits (especially the new baby bunnies). The girls had great fun chasing the turkey because they insisted he needed a bath. Amidst much laughter and screaming (when he chased them), they were very determined and eventually he did run into the pond! Able to meet and spend some time with Natasha, whom I support, I was very impressed when we played netball with how great she is at netting the ball.
Sister Ruby and her fellow sisters have worked hard to improve things at Nyumba Yanga. The garden is now fully irrigated (thanks to funding provided by Homes of Joy and the Norwegian support group), and the girls are often found watering the plants and caring for the garden. The maize crops are also being expanded to bring in some much needed income. The chicken coop is fully enclosed now, so the chickens cannot fly away and they are laying eggs, as are the recently acquired quails. Any food scraps from the girls are recycled to help feed the fowl and animals. The homes have been repainted and the ‘cooking room’ is almost complete, which is expected to help with some income and offer the girls an opportunity for increased skills training in catering.
Nyumba Yanga is a very loving environment, but currently the girls can only stay until finishing grade 9, when they are integrated back into society with foster families. A new project is currently underway to extend a full support system and home with the Sisters of the CIC until the girls can finish school their secondary education. I truly wish I could support every girl; as they all deserve the chance to fulfill their potential.
My personal goal is to climb The Seven Summits (the highest mountain on each continent) and raise funds for disadvantaged women and children, especially orphans. Money raised from the Kilimanjaro climb is for Homes of Joy.
Sincerely,
Heather Macfaden
