May newsletter/ Update: there are 89 kids now!

The Tony Report: I thank the Lord for allowing me to go to Liberia and visit the kids, work with them, and work on the construction site for 3 weeks. I want to thank our project director Prince Gayetaye as he was there for 5 months working to get the project as far as it is. 20,000 bricks were made by hand to complete the building and the foundation. I am very thankful to the staff and all of the workers in Liberia for their labor. The first brick went into the ground in the first week of February. This amazing project is now at roof level. There are many things that are going well in the organization and the staff deserves much praise. But, we have some concerns and need attention to these things as soon as possible (see below for the list).

5 major needs/concerns:

1st- Medical and Hygiene - The new compound will help with many of the needs as we will have the kids more spread out. Blisters and sores on some of the kids feet, some problems with urinary tract infections are causing problems. Malaria is our #1 battle.

2nd- Water supply – 89 kids plus staff on the compound is causing our water supply to dry up. We would like to build a water tower on the new site as well as finish the current well. The temporary site has a well which gets dried up twice a day with so many kids. We dug a well on the new site, but we will need to add cement rings and a hand pump and desire to add a 1000 gallon water tower tank (possibly two tanks of 1000 each). We are getting an estimate for this project.

3rd- Another temporary school building of the same size that we currently have. We would like to use the Abeka curriculum to teach the kids. We would like to use the Leapfrog learning system for our kindergarten kids. We also desire to add band/music classes (this is more of a wish than a need). Anyone with access to these curriculum that want to donate, please contact us.

4th- When we move on the new land, we would like to see an agricultural program get started. We made a deal to buy more land as we go- as we are able. In the long run we hope to have 5 more acres added to our original 2 acres. Land is on the rise, so the sooner we raise this money the better.

-We saw several fish ponds while in Liberia. They are little concrete ponds where they can raise their own fish to eat. Initially you buy fish to stock the pond and we would have to buy fish food, but this would help us get more protein into the kids’ diets at a lesser cost. Fish and chicken are very high in price. The kids still fight over the fish heads in the soup. They also fight over the chicken bones, nothing goes to waste.

-Plantain trees would be of great value to the diet of the kids. I saw several missions with these trees. Casava can also be planted along with other foods.

-Another part of the agriculture program that we would like to add is a pig barn.

5th- We really need more donors. What I would like to see for our 89 kids, it would be great to have 89 people donate $40 a month. That would help us increase our daily budget for medical, fund some of our new food projects and fund school each year.