The
Osiligi Training Centre is one of the ministries of Afri-Lift. Currently we
have 22 boys aged between 15 and 18 who are going through the 2-year program.
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| View of the farm in Kiserian |
Thanks
to our Dutch donors we are in the midst of building a home for Dick, our farm
pastor. Accommodation for our staff is one of our challenges. Right now we have
two married staff whose families live in another town. We hope that as we build
further homes they can be moved onsite. It will also enable our Level 3 students
to have special accommodation before they move to a job placement offsite.
The
students have been learning about Earth Science through one of our volunteers.
They’ve been making volcanoes, artwork about scenery, creating tornadoes and
clouds in bottles and seeing on DVD about the many disasters around the
world. Our students are very practical
learner so we have created an interactive way for them to learn. One of the
highlights was learning how to create lava using vinegar and bicarbonate of
soda.
The business
clubs are where the students are divided into groups of 4/5 and they create
their own gardens. They have a secretary who keeps the accounts and as a group
they decide what vegetables they want to grow and sell to neighbours. It’s a
way for them to earn funds so that when they leave they may have enough funds
for a mattress or bicycle. The clubs are names Neema, Baraka, Faith and Hope,
with the new intake of students the newest club is called Zion. Two times a
week the students spend an afternoon at their business club to develop them. It
is also a good opportunity to work together as a team and see that dedication
to a project can bring about good results.
Osiligi
often gets visitors. As of late we have had a number of New Zealanders,
Australians and Kenyans. The students sometimes perform musical items for our
visitors but there is always a tour. A tour is led by 3 of the students and
includes the dormitories, pig shed, cow shed, shamba (gardens), business clubs
and the sports field. As tour leaders it’s a great opportunity for the students
to show their work and also practise their English skills. Many of the older
students show the younger ones how to host visitors.
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| A tour at the farm |
It’s
only 8 weeks until three of our students sit for the KCPE (Kenya Certificate of
Primary Education). This is the national exams for those who have completed
their primary schooling. For our students it’s a great achievement just to get
to this point. Remember, they’ve come from a slum setting, haven’t finished
school, are not employed, involved with gangs and have no future. Some of those
who come to Osiligi are malnourished, but when they start getting three meals a
day they begin to grow both up and out! Any achievement, any short course they
complete, any time they have a birthday, is a time to celebrate.
We have
a lot to be thankful for about Osiligi but there is also a lot of work to get
done. There is the need for classrooms, a training centre and definitely more
staff housing. Our aim is to get Osiligi to the point of self sustainability.
We are well on the way with our greenhouses and animals. While this is all
important, the most important thing is that Osiligi is a good vehicle as a
discipleship program for young men.
Those
who have completed the program are now employed which is phenomenal in a
country where the unemployment rate is over 40%. Many have come to Christ and
developed their relationship with Him. All are grateful for the opportunity
they were presented with.
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