majimazuri.org

A couple of weeks ago we received a donation, via PayPal, from Bruno Muthamia.  I had never heard his name before, and asked how he knew about Maji Mazuri. This is the wonderful reply that he sent me, below:

Hi,  

You’re so much welcome, I used to live at the same place the center used to be at Mwiki, Kasarani it was around 1993, I was about 7yrs old. At that time there were no buses or good roads and a new pair of shoes was hard to find. I was brought up in a single parenthood setting. I am the youngest of my other three siblings. 

Every evening as I came home from school  I used to walk past Maji Mazuri Center and I used to watch the kids playing, some of them had disabilities, some were orphans they usually seemed so happy and they use to wave at me and I used to wave back at them on the other side of the fence and we all laughed. I grew fond of them or we grew fond of each other and we became good friends. 

I used to be filled with so much sympathy and I used to ask myself a lot of questions and ask God if He would bless me then that I would live to help at least one of these kids. I believe the Lord has fulfilled His promise because He is faithful. Luckily my mum won a the Green card lottery and since I was 20yrs I could come under her status. I've been here for 5yrs now. I  joined the U.S Army was deployed to Iraq came back and right now pursuing Nursing. 

I had to search for the center online. I was not expecting to find it online though. I'm suprised. You guys are doing a wonderful job. May the Lord bless you. I want to be a  member as part this organization and bring change to help and change the lives for these kids.

Thank you.  

In 2005, when we started Maji Mazuri USA, in order to raise funds for the Maji Mazuri projects in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya, we had no idea how generous donors would be!

We projected an income of $7,000 in the first year, but received over $60,000. As of today, less than 7 years later, we have raised over $990,000….. Very soon we will pass the $ 1 million mark, and YOU could be the donor of that millionth dollar, and win a Maji Mazuri T shirt!

More than 900 children depend on Maji Mazuri for their schooling, and many of them for their only healthy meal of the day. And in the Mathare Valley slum, over a hundred families depend on our loans to fund their small businesses.

Please send your check to Maji Mazuri USA at 4783, Summerset Lane, Atlanta, Georgia 30338, or use the  PayPal button on our website: www.majimazuri.org

As always, 100% of your gift goes to Kenya. Our expenses in the US are just 1% of income, and are paid for by our Board Members.

Kevin Corcoran
President, Maji Mazuri USA
September 21st 2011

Update 6/2/2011:

Dear friends and supporters of Maji Mazuri,

It is just two weeks since we launched our appeal for help in meeting dramatically rising food prices in Kenya, and the response has been wonderful!

We have already received over $19,000 from a total of 43 donors. The appeal got a huge boost when one donor sent us $10,000. At the other end of the spectrum, a young person sent us $20.

All gifts are very much welcome. If you have not already made a donation, please think about it now.

Please consider writing a check for whatever your heart moves you to send – $25, or $100 or $1,000! As always, 100% of your gift will go directly to Maji Mazuri’s projects in Kenya.

·         Please make checks payable to Maji Mazuri USA, and send them  to us at 4783 Summerset Lane, Atlanta, Georgia 30338, or

·         Donate here on our web site www.majimazuri.org and use PayPal to send us much needed funds!

Our goal is to see if we can raise $30,000 to guarantee food security for our children in Kenya for the next 12 months.

Thank you in anticipation!

Yours sincerely,

Kevin

Kevin Corcoran

President, Maji Mazuri USA Inc.

Many of us in the US, Canada and Europe have been impacted over the last couple of years by the economic crisis. Some have suffered serious financial setbacks, and most of us have had to tighten our belts somewhat.

But imagine being an average Kenyan, who is already living right at the margin of financial ruin, and is now facing higher food prices, higher gas prices (therefore higher bus fares) and higher unemployment.

Even just this last week, thousands of Kenyan farm workers were going without wages as the chaos in European airspace caused by the Iceland volcano led to the cancellation of dozens of cargo flights from Nairobi loaded with perishable fruits, vegetables and flowers destined for European markets.

You can help by sponsoring a child at one of the Maji Mazuri schools. Just $30 per  month for an elementary school child, or $70 per month for a high school student, covers all their expenses and provides the school with a predictable source of funds.

This is very easy to do - just take a look at our “Become a sponsor” page for more information.

Kevin

Friday April 23rd 2010

I am not very tall – 5 feet 5 inches if I stand up straight! But, for some reason, I have never seen myself as short.  Other people my height appear short to me, but I seem to have exempted myself.  As Wanjiku’s daughter, Wandia Chiuri,  says:  “Life is too short to be small!”

When my wife, Lyny, and I visited the Children’s Centre for the first time we were introduced  to “H” a young boy of 7 who shyly dragged his right leg as he limped across the courtyard to greet us. He had been born with a deformed hip and could not align his leg properly. Wanjiku told us that for a few hundred dollars the problem could be operated on and cured…… now he is a star on the school soccer team!

Back in 1987, my parents-in-law Gordon and Orma Walls spent 2 years working with the Maasai in a community outside Nairobi, Kenya.  They helped build a clinic, school rooms and a demonstration farm. It was there that they  first met Wanjiku Kironyo, who was later  to become the Founder and Director of Maji Mazuri, but was at that time providing counseling and family therapy to the Maasai women.

A firm friendship develop and 17 years later, in 2003, my wife Lyny and I travelled to Kenya to see her parents, who were on one of their many extensive repeat visits to work with their Maasai friends. Gordon introduced us to Wanjiku, and she immediately took us to visit the Maji Mazuri programs.

Lyny and I will never forget our first visit to the Mathare Valley slum to see Maji Mazuri and meet her team; then on to the Children’s Centre in Kasarani which cares for physically or mentally disabled orphans and abandoned children. We were overwhelmed!

Sadly, later that year, Lyny’s father, Gordon Walls, died after a short illness. Although he never said so directly, we felt that he wanted us to continue the family tradition of helping in Africa.

And, that is what we are doing…..