Spring update from Kenya

Greetings from Iten, Kenya!

Things at Simbolei are moving along. The latest information from the Kenya government is that we will be able to admit our first 80 students on July 26. Being fully prepared to provide food, housing and instruction for 80 14-year-old girls is our current race against the clock.

As you can see from the photos, the exterior of the main building is finished. This large building will house classrooms, offices, library, computer lab and temporary dormitory rooms. The kitchen and cafeteria are in a separate building and are also exterior finished.

In the interior picture you can see the newly plastered library with its spacious windows and the floor still wet from curing. Electrical wiring is also in and next will be paint and floor tile. Then we will finally be ready for bookshelves and computers.

Richard and Andrea’s new little home has a roof and is slated for window glass and interior plaster this week. Soon we will have a comfortable place to live and work and also more room for volunteers and other visitors.

On a less happy note, while Kenya was spared some of the worst effects early in the COVID-19 pandemic, it is currently contending with a third wave of infections that seems to cause worse sickness than the first two, with more hospitalizations and more deaths. So, as always, we are following instructions from health authorities and following all recommended precautions. We do not know how further developments might affect our timeline.

Stay well and stay with us as the journey continues!

Simbolei Girls’ Secondary Academy