Bright Star School
Nairobi, Kenya 2003-09

Mission statement:  to provide a safe, productive learning environment for the children of the Fuata Nyayo village of Mukuru slum, to
feed the students a hot lunch, to provide a secure shelter for homeless or orphaned children, and to teach the Word of God to all.*

 

Photos of the Week

 

 

         We need help immediately!  There's a young man named Vincent Achero (not Edwin) who lives in the slum who came to our clinic in June for help.  He needs immediate treatment for a brain tumor (see photos).  He now cannot eat or swallow.  He has already lost one eye because of pressure from the tumor and is in serious danger of losing the other eye.  Can you imagine life in an African slum for a blind person?  He needs surgery right now to save his life, so I've told Pastor John to take him to the hospital and money will be found to pay for the treatment.  Although the exact amount needed is unknown, Pastor says the surgery will be around Ksh50,000 ($700).  There will be hospital room expenses of around Ksh400 ($6) per day but without money for the surgery this boy will not survive.  Donated thus far - $525.
        You can help pay for Vincent's surgery by sending a check to:
                                  Bright Star Foundation
                                  3663 Meadow View Dr.
                                  Kokomo, IN 46902
                         Note on the check "For Vincent."

"It's not about you," you've probably heard said many times.  During my visit in June when Pastor John and I were discussing something that was frustrating me, he said, "When we are angry, God is testing us.  Things happen and God watches to see how we react.  It is about us."  So I guess it really is about you.


Bright Star News

Shutterfly website and photos of activities - May 18 - 29
Photos of activities - June 1 - 15


The girls painted designs on windows to brighten up the school.



Children got undies, pencils, socks, t-shirts, toys, and toothbrushes



Our clinic of June '09
Our new Science lab
June photos of boarders

Sponsor bags were a hit!
'09 Group Accomplishments
Our new computer lab
January '09 Newsletter
Sponsor letter of Feb. 2009
Gladys' Story
Margaret's Story
Kennedy's Story
2008 class photos
What will $100 buy?
Our Micro-finance Project
Kokomo Tribune article 4/08
Kokomo Tribune article 1/08
A day in New Haven!

What does it cost to run the school?
Help needed for dental care

     We have changed our policy and now kindly ask that you not write or send items to Pastor John or the children through the post office.  Getting to the post office is difficult for Pastor John, as those who have visited Kenya are keenly aware.  In addition, if a package is not picked up promptly at the post office, fees are accessed and must be paid before the item can be claimed.  Also, there have been custom duties that we've had to pay to get the items from the post office.  Thus, we ask that no letters or gifts be sent by mail.  If you want to send your letter to me, I'll send it with other letters in one package or I'll deliver it personally on my next trip to the school.

We still have orphans who need a sponsor.
 Would you be willing to help?

See photos of the free mosquito nets we were given by Netting Nations!

Check out our new computer lab furnished by AIESEC

Bright Star Foundation is officially a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.  This means you can now write your checks to:
Bright Star Foundation
3663 Meadow View Dr.
Kokomo, IN 46902


Your donations and sponsorship money are tax deductible.  Checks should no longer be made out to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.

Having food to eat is essential to learning.  Just $20 will buy bananas or oranges for all the students.  With $21 we can buy an individual carton of milk for all 140 lower primary students.

Kibera Mathare d;i, msotpno dvjpp;

Thank you!

to Northwestern's Multicultural Club for their generous donation to help the students at Bright Star.  to Amber Reed for choosing Bright Star as your community project.  Your work is sincerely appreciated. to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church VBS.  Even little children care about the kids at Bright Star.  Your donations will be used to buy food.
to Anoka U.M.C. for your faithful support of the children at Bright Star.  You truly make a difference. to Chris Wolfe - AGAIN - for the clothing.  Lots of Bright Star girls are going to look spiffy. to the Women of the Church of God in Anderson for the money to buy medical supplies.  What a blessing!
to Anza Trail M.S. Honor Society for their hard-earned donation.  Many needs of the children will be met because of your generosity. to Maple Crest M.S. Student Council for once again supporting Bright Star with a generous donation. to Stacey Shell for all the nice clothes you donated to the children.  You're a good person, just like your mother.
to Taylor M.S. 6th graders who donated $110.16 to buy shoes and sweaters for children in need. to Barbara Fort for the sock hats!  They are so soft and warm for the little ones' heads.  What a blessing you are. to my friends who are providing funds for those treated in the clinic who need  extensive medical care.  You are saving their lives and I thank you!
to Shiloh U.M.C.'s Endowment Committee for money to buy medicines and Science lab equipment.  Your faithfulness is sincerely appreciated. to my Rotarian friends for their generous donations and for sponsoring 5 of our new orphans!  And to Diana Tenbrook for putting together the Bright Star display at Rotary's District Conference.  Well done! to Illinois Prairie Painters for all the art supplies.  The students applauded when I handed out the items to their class.
to Faith Presbyterian Church for the "milk money", the personal contributions, the lovely lunch, and the Christian fellowship.  It was a terrific day! to Shiloh U.M.C.'s VBS for the 391 pairs of socks and undies for Bright Star students plus money to buy school shoes. to Laurie Wardrop's co-workers for the multitude of medical supplies.  They are desperately needed.
to St. Joseph Hospital, CVS on W. Sycamore, and Walgreen's on S. Lafaountain for all the medical supplies. to Dr. Robert Dinn, Brent Smelser, and Janet Moore for all the donated medical supplies. to Washington School students, Mrs. Wesche, and Mrs. Shell for all of the colorful jump ropes for the children at Bright Star!  The ropes will be used!
to Taylor Primary School for the $250 to buy vitamins for the children at Bright Star.  Very generous donation! to the Marshall County Reading Council for their generous donation, delicious dinner, and all the bags!  Thanks to you too, Mary Jackson and Alex Molnar. to Shirley, Cinda, and Thelma for making all the beautiful uniforms.
to SonRise Worship Center for your monthly donations to buy food for the kids.  You make a big difference. to Barbara for all of the colored pencils and school supplies.  The kids will have lots of fun with them. to Dr. Donald Fantuzzo for the children's toothbrushes and boxes of toothpaste.
to Ralph and Lois Grotrian for the socks, cards, prayer bracelets, Evangicubes, and undies to take to the kids in May. to my church, Good Shepherd Lutheran, for buying the gifts for the entire school.  How generous and loving you are! to Becky Lewis for all the new posters and charts for Bright Star's classrooms.
to 1st Congregational Church for donating clothing to Bright Star kids. to Velma Hartman for the variety of gifts you've given to the kids. to Kim Kellar for all the cards, craft items, and office supplies.  They'll be put to good use at the school.
to Donna Pfafman for the 100's of New Testaments you're sending to the students. to Galveston Elementary School and Jennifer Sweat for all the educational materials. to Miriam Thomas and her Ivy Tech friends for the clothing to take to the kids.
to Aunt Carmen for buying the textbooks and chairs for our new Form IV class and paying their registration fee for the national exam. to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd of Palos Heights, Illinois, for helping buy food for the students. to Don Holt for money to buy medical supplies.  Don, you're a hoot!
to Delta Kappa Gamma for the money, socks, underwear, and school supplies for the kids. to The Nearly New Shop for crediting donated items to Bright Star's account and for all the items you donate to the school. to Lisa McDonald for all the cards, stationery, and envelopes for the sponsor letters.
to the Anoka U.M.C. for the money to add a bathroom to the girls' dorm (click here to see photos) and for the delicious breakfast you served the community to raise funds for Bright Star. to the anonymous donor who mailed $60 in cash to me for the school.  I'd love to know who you are.  Your generosity is appreciated. to Claudia for the maps, Robbi for the pens, and Cathy for the pens and pencils.  We need them all.
to Dr. Tonya Brown for helping mission group members get their immunizations for the trip to visit Bright Star. to Leslie and to all who donated money for Bright Star at Burger King on East Markland in Kokomo.  The $144.46 was used to buy sewing materials for the new sewing center. to Mrs. Robertson's 5th grade class at Thompson Elementary School in Walton that voted to forego their usual Christmas gift exchange and instead donate their money to Bright Star.
For information about another worthy effort to help orphans in Kenya, click here. For information about a woman helping the handicapped in Sudan, click here. You can visit my personal web page here.

In memory of a dear friend, Cindy Dwyer,
who passed away Tuesday, March 18, 2009.

In memory of a new friend and sponsor, Helen Canfield, who passed away Tuesday, June 9, 2009.

     Here we go again!  When I arrived at the school in May, there was this nameless dog that had wandered into the compound from the slum.  No owner was known.  I didn't want to get attached to him for fear that he'd leave, never to be seen again.

 
This is Simba, Swahili for "lion."

      By the time I returned in June, I'd become attached to this sickly mutt.  The teachers named him Simba, dog food was bought, and the vet was called.  Simba got his shots, he had a wound treated, he was given Frontline Spot to kill the ticks, he was treated for mange,  and he was treated for Nairobi Bleeding Disease, probably the disease that killed Ponch last year.  Simba wouldn't eat Pedigree dog food so we're feeding him dog meat (don't ask me what it is but I think it's the stuff David gave me in the cafeteria).

*No donations are used for his care.


He's asking Daktari Judy for some meds.

*Bright Star Foundation, Inc. is a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible non-profit charity.