Fire in Fuata Nyayo

Pastor John sent this e-mail Sept. 19th:

Dear mum,
   we are safe after the worsed tragedy ever experienced in the slum. t was around 7:50 pm last night when we heard shouts of fire !! fire!! around our school. I ran there only to find over 10 houses on fire at that moment. In spite of the residents efforts to extinguish it ,all was in vein. The fire continued increasing and came very close to our school. The school was almost catching fire. I tried to make a call to you using my mobile phone but I could not get you. I decided to use all the boys to help in the fire fighting by demolishing metal sheet  houses around the school. the fire claimed 2 lives of children and alot of property and 600 houses.
   Girls were fighting the fire by fetching water and pouring in the fire and on neighbouring houses.  We fought with the fire for about one hour and 40 minutes until all our water tanks became empty. The fire brigades came for our rescue but could not cross the bridge with their heavy trucks. They connected water pipes through our school and started counter atacking the fire.
     In the process, our orphans broke their basins, 10 orphans lost their shoes, our security guard was injured by thieves who wanted to enter and still from our school as most thieves take the advantage of such situations., and so I have taken him to hospital for treatment but he is recovering. Our security gurad's house was also burnt to askes and he could not manage to save anything.8 of my church members including my church Deacon who is also our gate keeper during the day lost everything.
     For the orphans and our Security guard's treatment, I need urgently ksh11,200. What is your advice? My eight church members have nothing left.  The red cross people have arrived 1 hour ago but I dont know what they are going to help with.  In fact radios and Televisions in Kenya were broadcasting that 'Bright Star Schools and the slum are on fire". It is only this morning that it has been rectified that the school was not burnt to askes.
     Electricity cables suppying us with electricity were also burnt and so we have no electricity. We need to buy new cables worth ksh8,650.Our dogs are safe.
     The government sent its topmost officials to our school this morning.  They said that, they got the wrong information that 7 students had been burnt to askes and the school. So they actually came from the office of the president to get correct information from the school. The Government said that I let you know that they recognise what you are doing for kenyans especiallyt for Fuata Nyayo slums. They said I tell you that they are thankfull. I have taken a photos of the presence of Goverment officials from State house as they address our students. Have a view of what h as happened.
     At around 1 pm is when we managed to extinguish the fire. We then had 30 minutes of thanksgiving prayers. Many people have said that the God we preach is truely the living God.

Son John.

... The man with the hammer is Albert, the contractor who built our dining room and newer classrooms.	This is another view from the boys' dorm looking back into the slum.	This shot is taken from the roof of our school.	The higher building In the center is our new boys' dorm.
Shem (bodyguard for March group) is in front and Hezekiah (in clinic with broken ankle) is in the back.	Students in thanksgiving prayer after the fire	The guards on left had accompanied the government officials who visited the school.

The day after I received the above e-mail and photos, Pastor John sent the following:

   We are in a state of confusions and frustrations. Can you imagine, another fire broke out last night at 2:20 am and has claimed again 2 boys aged 6 and 13 in Fuata Nyayo slum. This is unbelievable!!!!!!!! Obed called me at that hour of the night and gave me that shocking report. By 5:00 am this morning, I had arrived at school and went to the scene to prove.  It is about 200 meters from our school and over 300 houses have been burnt to ashes.

John

Pastor sent this e-mail with photos on Sept. 21st:

Hi mum,
     Things haven't improved so much because of the disaster we have.  Yesterday, our minister for lands from the Government of Kenya came to visit the school and see how our people were affected.  Am sending more photos of the minister, Honourable Kivutha Kibwana.  He an aged man with gray hair.  Addressing a crowd of over 1000 people at Bright Star school, he said that he was very thankful for our efforts in Educating illiteracy, feeding the children ,clothing them and also said that the Government recognises Janice Hinkle a grandmother of many orphans.  In Kenya for a minister to come to the slum is just a miracle.  Today the minister for health will be coming in the afternoon. I have been honoured to be in charge of Government food, clothings and other supplies brought for the victims. Everything is kept in our Preunit class. We gave out a lot of things from 2 pm to 7 pm yesterday.  The red cross people have also supplied a lot to the victims. Through this disaster, our school has been recognised countrywide and am personally thankful.

The Honorable Kibwana made a rare visit to the slum.	He spoke at the school to the crowd of 1000. You can see Pastor John to the right in the yellow shirt.	In the back you can see our new boys' dorm.

Donations

Almost $4500 was donated for the fire victims of the Fuata Nyayo slum and Bright Star School.  Here's how these generous donations were spent:

$60 for the night watchman's hospital bill
$230 to rebuild his iron sheet home plus $100 to buy household items
$400 to replace school uniforms, shoes, and school materials of the Bright Star students
who lost these things in the fires.
$230 to replace the iron sheet home of our gatekeeper plus $100 to buy household items
$100 to replace the shoes and wash basins of the orphans who tried to put out the fire
$2760 to rebuild the twelve 10x10 iron sheet homes of families of Bright Star students
$100 for each of those families to buy bedding, cooking utensils, etc.
$320 to give 10 people start-up money to rebuilt their vegetable-selling businesses
$133 to replace electrical wires to the school that were burned up

Thank you for caring about these people.

Pastor John sent this e-mail Tuesday, Sept. 25th:

Hi mum,
Recieve our regards in the name of our lord and savior Jesus Christ. We are pretty fine at Bright Star in spite of the fire outbreak.  people in the slum still look  helpless,  hopeless and under tension. Many people have lost what they had invested for years, their small business of selling sukuma wili is no more and now life has been complicated and become worse for many.

I would like to thank you so much for your prayers and financial support you always give Kenyans. I know you have the h eart to help everybody but it is not possible. Tell our friends over there that we are very gratefull.  I dont take it for granted when you struggle with your team to get us some money. May God almighty bless you with what money can not do for you.

Noah's medical bill was ksh4200. He did not rescue anything from his house except his life.

On Sunday my wife and I gave 27 packets of flour and 15 bar soaps to our church members who were affected. We also gave each member ksh100 for sugar, salt and vegetables for the day. We spent ksh5000 on sunday. Church members are doing their contributions on sunday and we are hoping to give the affected used cloths, more food and anything we will get. They look frustrated but we are giving them hope that God will never leave them nor forsake them for His own glory.

For the 8 members of my church if possible I would love to buy each family a bed, a mattress, a bed sheet and cooking utensils. Most of them are n ow sleeping on old sacks or cartons. A budget for each member is ksh 7,000.

Students who come for learning at Bright Star lost their homes and now the red cross h as given those families tents for the roof only. It is very cold at night but we cant help. 12 of our parents were affected and now are  homeless though in tents. If we want to help them buit their metal sheet houses, each family will need ksh15,000 to build a 10 feet x 10 feet  house.

Our students in the slum lost their shoes, writting materials (books), pens and school uniforms and which can be made by Margret and home cloths. Now after my interviews and check ups, found that the students will need ksh25,900.

If I get the donations, I would like to buy each of our affected church member and parents to our students the following:  each family a bed, a mattress, household cooking utensils, and food.  some who lost their businesses and business money to be given ksh1000 to get started again.

Yours son
Pastor John

Pastor John told me that the Kenyan Red Cross gave the fire victims food, tents (for roofs only), soap, basins, plastic plates and cups.