Friends of Calvary Zion are people or organisations who have made a commitment to support the Children's Home and the Trust through donations and fundraising. Read their stories here.
Siloam Baptist ChurchThese are a special group of people who have made extra special efforts to support the Children's Home and make life just that much better for the children. Here is the story from Reverend Islwyn Morgan, Christine Rees, and Gillian Lennard of Siloam Baptist Church, Tafarnaubach, Tredegar, Gwent, South Wales. |
Calvary Zion has a loving, disciplined environment, that encourages children to develop and grow to their full potential. The home is very basic with a small sparse sitting room/dining room and kitchen, 4 bedrooms, with 4 bunk beds in each room, where two children sleep on each mattress. They have only two toilets and two showers and these are often out of use due to water shortage. Despite the circumstances the children and their carers find themselves in, the love of God exudes from them, and is evident in their love for one another and for any one who visits the home. Their faces continually beam and they are always grateful for any gift, however small. |
As the current home is rented, the project's priority is to build a new home that will accommodate 70 children, with a much improved environment. This is where our current help is needed; the new building will cost 3,000,000 Kenyan shillings - £240,000. Help us in Siloam to help the children: so far we have a donation of £200 to send them, the offering from the Harvest Service, and intend to donate all future offerings from special services ; for example, with this newsletter, anyone who wishes to help will be given a Calvary Zion Children's Home money donation box. You may be assured that any donations received will be paid directly into the Calvary Zion's bank account which costs £20 each time money is transferred to the account (this will be funded by Siloam)."For more information see Calvary Zion Support Trust's How to help page. |
"In December 2006 Sandra & her family, while on holiday in Mombasa, made a visit to the Children's Home. On her return she told us about the visit and the problems that the children and their carers were encountering. As a result Siloam decided to adopt and support them in any way that we could. So far we have donated £500, offerings from the Harvest, Christmas and St David's singing Festival and a love gift of £2000. Having seen a video recording of the children, Pastor Islwyn, Gill and I (Chris) decided to visit them in Kenya, and did so for 3 weeks from 12th September to 2nd October 2007. 
Before leaving Wales £1040 was donated by various individuals and churches. With this money we were able to meet some of Calvary Zion's needs: a washing machine, cooker, food mixer, two irons, mattresses, mosquito nets, various utensils, toiletries and food items. With emphasis on their needs rather than what we thought that they wanted. Plus 69,000 Kenyan shillings - £552 - to pay for 3 months rent, electricity and water. We just wish that you could have seen their faces when they received the gifts and how overwhelmed and grateful they were.
Andy Thomas and family
Andy has donated £660 to Calvary Zion Childrens' Home Support Trust from the sales of his Yoga book. He runs a yoga school www.shantiyogaschool.com.
Andy has sent this message :
"I started Shanti Yoga School Ltd nearly ten years ago realising a long held dream. This good fortune on top of so much earlier good fortune resulted in the Thomas family visiting Kenya about 3 years ago where Liz had worked for 4 years in a school in Mombassa.
We visited her old friends and asked if we could help local people in some way—actually we asked a Muslim taxi driver who had befriended us—he immediately understood and took us into the bush to meet some seriously disadvantaged people and then on to Calvary Zion Childrens Home. Our Hannah and Sam played with the children and after our lovely visit we got a surprise visit from Jane at our hotel the next day. How had she worked out where we were staying??- amazing—so we asked 'could we help' and of course we then agreed to help via my two companies.
We have so far managed to give several thousand pounds from sales of my books via our web site. All the proceeds of book sales have gone into Pay Pal which is the origin of this current donation . We are delighted to see that the buildings are progressing and we really want to go back and see work in progress if this is possible.
We are delighted to be able to make such contributions and passionate about the prospects for the children—in the light of Hannah,s recent experiences with disadvantaged children in Bangkok during her gap year it would not surprise me to see her offering to work out there for a time.
Love peace and joy to Jane and all helpers as well as those lovely children.
Andy Liz Hannah and Sam THOMAS in Nottingham UKRebecca Hudson
In 2005 I worked with Calvary for a month and a half . On the same day that I started at Calvary a baby also was delivered to the home and it became my desire to look after and nurture him. His name was Prince. I am so fond of this little boy because I felt it was my role to ensure that he was loved and cared for in the first month and a half of his life. At the time he came in he was extremely poorly and under nourished and the staff and myself ensured that he had the best start to life possible.
When I came back to the UK after volunteering in kenya I made a resolve one day that I would go back and ensure that he was put through private school and university so that he had the same chance that I have had as a child. I felt a real maternal bond with him and really think of him as a first child in a way. He has driven me to seek out work in the charity sector and ensures everyday that I check myself and give what I can when I can.
When I returned to the UK I went to university and so therefore was not in a financial position to help. However now I have just got my first job and I am finally able to consider making a contribution to Prince's education. Eventually I would like to contribute the full amount for Prince's education and also aim to contribute at least a quarter of the amount of the £12000 quoted on your website to help the other children have the same opportunity.
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