The Vinani Education Project, Kilifi, Kenya

Vinani, Kilifi, Kenya

  Thanks to the generosity of Holly, a Canadian single mother from Newfoundland, this young boy, Vinani, and his little brother, will be able to go to school for the first time. Their father is dead, and their mother has no money to clothe them properly or even send them to grade one. As a result, they are both illiterate and have no hope for the future. Holly, who read the story of Northern Magic in Reader’s Digest, has decided to sponsor both children as of August, 2002.

 We met Vinani in August, 2001. Herbert and I had just come back from Kilifi town, about a 45 minute walk from where the boat was anchored. We were lugging groceries and were hot and tired. This little boy just came up to us on the beach, and his ankle was bound with an awful filthy rag. He couldn't speak English, but he opened up this rag to reveal just a horrible festering wound
on his ankle underneath. It was just oozing pus and his whole ankle and foot were badly swollen. He could walk only with difficulty. He just opened up this filthy bandage and said nothing, but clearly he was wanting and needing our help.

Herbert and I looked at each other and knew we had no choice but to take him into town, to the doctor. The last thing we felt like doing at 4 in the afternoon was returning once more on that long, dusty walk, but we didn't have a choice. Mark told Vinani to go back to his mother and tell her we were taking him to the doctor. Mark told us something of the boy's family situation, which was grim. He had no father, and his mother had no money, not even though to pay the nominals fees for Vinani and his sister to go to school. Neither of them had shoes, or proper clothing.

  We took the groceries to the boat, and then returned with a pair of Christopher's sandals to give the boy. You can see him wearing those sandals in the photo. So we walked back into Kilifi with little Vinani hobbling beside us, not talking. We took him to the doctor, who said Vinani certainly would have developed tetanus sooner or later, and died. The doctor dressed the wound and put on a fresh bandage, and gave us some antibiotics. The cost of this boy's life was $4.

  So we kept seeing Vinani most days, and changed the dressing since we had no faith that his mother would do it -- considering the state of that awful rag he was wearing when we met him. He followed us around, and you can see him in the right hand edge of the picture of the boys getting to know Magic the Cow (under Hamisi’s Cow Project). Within only about two days the swelling was completely gone. The wound was still there when we left Kilifi, but it was much better and I'm sure it healed fine. We never met his mother, but our friend Mark and his girlfriend Jane said they'd keep an eye on him for us. Now that he has a Canadian friend looking after him and his little brother, Vinani’s world will be looking a lot brighter. Mark has volunteered to oversee this project, and will be taking care of enrolling the children in Fumbini Elementary School.

  Thank you, Holly.