Kenyatta National Hospital

This week, the children wanted to visit the Childrens' wards at Kenyatta National Hospital.
Other than lifting the spirits of the sick children, they distributed almost 200 packets of milk and cereal.

Here they are rushing the supplies around on a stretcher:

We started out in the Cancer Ward:

Levi, Karanja and Gitau getting to know their new friends:

Joy and Maureen with Trevor:

Alice speaking to a young boy who was recently amputated:

Singing and dancing with these kids was so much fun, but they were hard to keep up with!

At this point, my phone/camera battery died and they didn't let us take pictures in the other wards anyway.

Thika Falls and Bread Factory

We started out at the animal orphanage at Blue Posts Hotel, Thika

Karanja & Mungai:

Melody:

The Porcupine family:

The little monkey who tried for ages to get into our picnic basket:

The boys:

The girls (and Mungai)

Group shots are impossible with this lot!

I think you can just about see Thika falls in the background:

Chania falls:

Dancing in front of the live band:

Thanks to Niraj for organizing a tour of the Kenblest Bread Factory in Thika

Art Day

This week, Chets and Sona started the Maisha ni Matamu Art Fund which will allow the children to practice art every month.

Art has been shown to instill foundation skills for reasoning, making decisions, thinking creatively, solving problems and visualizing. Art can also help children increase their attention spans, and levels of commitment and tolerance.

Most of the children don't have the opportunity to do any art at their schools.

Former U.S. attorney general Janet Reno said, "Young people who are involved in making something beautiful today are less likely to turn to acts of violence and destruction tomorrow."

The world today doesn't make sense, so why should I paint pictures that do? ~Pablo Picasso

For young people at risk of delinquency, school failure, substance abuse, teen pregnancy and other problems, involvement in the arts can improve academic performance, reduce school truancy, provide positive outlets and build new skills that give them a chance at a better life.

As the sun colors flowers, so does art color life. ~John Lubbock

Art programs targeted toward very young children help prevent negative choices later on.

Arts learning experiences can alter the attitudes young people have about themselves and toward learning.

What art offers is space - a certain breathing room for the spirit.
~John Updike