Riziki News – July 2018
Dear All,
Greetings from southern Germany where we are having a few days with our youngest son.  While he is at work there is time to write this newsletter without distractions!

On July 8th, Liz wrote
I pray all is well with everyone. It has been a busy couple of months at Riziki and I am happy to finally get a chance to properly write a detailed email and not just responses.
April was a busy holiday for us; the children were at home for four weeks, during which time we managed to get a lot done. As we had discussed, we engaged with two lady counsellors to help us address some of the counselling needs we have - the holiday period proved to be the best time for non- urgent issues and so we are hoping to continue this in August. 

The children are all well. They just completed a mid-term break. I was not able to spend any time with them as I was at home recovering from a motorbike accident that left me with soft tissue injury on both legs, one more severe than the other. However, I was able to spend some time with Faith this week while she was out of school for two days with Pneumonia. She seems well prepared and ready for the final exams in November and we are very hopeful she will do well. Apart from academics, she has been involved at school in generating ideas for an app. This was a competition, sponsored by Safaricom, and she, together with a few other girls in school, presented ideas for an app that would help patients access fast medical care from doctors. The idea took second place after one for farmers. Faith was very disappointed in this and is very keen on wanting to follow up on this idea after school and see where it goes. I am personally very glad to see her keen on other things outside academics!

We have not settled on a social worker yet and we will be re-advertising the position next week. The one we have currently has health problems that are hindering her from carrying out her job effectively. She disclosed her health problems two days after getting the job and after observing her for two months, she, unfortunately, does not have the energy needed to be responsible for children. So we are back to going through mountains of job applications and interviews.

I am happy to report the water recycling project is going well and we seem to be getting water! It is coming in slowly but it is there. Praise God! I am also very excited about the water surface harvesting and we should have a significant improvement on how we deal with drought months if we get them next year.  A big thank you and God bless you for backing this project.  We needed to do it this year with the heavy rainfalls as we have no guarantee of such heavy long rains next year, Asante sana.

Speaking of rainfall, we are taking advantage of the two seasons of rainfall. After removing beans we planted a crop of maize immediately, just to take advantage of the extra months of rainfall that we don't normally get. The beans harvest was good. Our rough estimate is probably 12-14 bags. We are still cleaning and drying them so we will know the final number when we are ready to store. Moses has taken a break. He took his annual leave from yesterday and went to see his family in Bungoma; he has not been with them for 8 months. Fred is in charge now!

In August we are looking forward to receiving Crystal a volunteer from the United States. She will be staying with the Director, Mr Kivindyo, and spending time with the kids during the day. This August we are also going to the Masai Mara National Reserve!  We have not told the kids yet but am sure we will not be able to contain the excitement. The dates are 16th-19th, Crystal will be joining us.
That is all for now. A big thank you to all involved for all you do.  Asante Sana and a Big God Bless you!
Liz
 
On June 12th Julius wrote
All the children continue to do well in school both primary and secondary, their performance is very encouraging indeed. They are all well except that Phyllis who fell sick complaining of stomachache. She was taken to Kabarak hospital and she was treated.  Next day, while in school, she was still complaining of the same. I was called by the headteacher at around 8pm so I took her to Valley hospital where she was admitted for two days.

On 6th June Liz was hit by a motorbike.  Fortunately her legs were not broken but one needed bandage support and she is recovering.
                                                            
We planted early, before the rains.  This time we decided to plant more beans than maize and we are expecting to harvest quite a number of bags.  Attached are pictures of the beans being dried and also shelling the beans; the other crops are doing well.

In April during the school holiday Liz organised a children church and 280 children of upper primary and secondary from the community attended she had a group youths from happy church who volunteered to help her teach the children and it was wonderful all the children enjoyed very much, Diana's beanbags were used during the games.

We are planning to visit Amy when Liz's leg is able to walk and after the visit we will be in a position to talk about the shoes and the quotation for the cowshed. We plan to take Peter with us for him to see the cowshed and take measurements.

About the cleaning water system.  The construction work is complete.  Now they are removing the poles and timber which were used to support the concrete slab. Then the tank will be cleaned and we will wait for the water to flow through the sand and ballast and into the tank. After that we will install a water pump and the necessary pipes. The fundi said that it will take 2 months for the water to pass through to the tank.

The school van was hit by two tragedies in April.  The gearbox got damaged and we bought a another one and then on the schools opening day the engine seized and we were forced to buy another cylinder head.  These two cost a lot of money  During the repairing of the engine we hired a matatu to transport the children to school for 3 days morning and evening.

July 5th.  The cleaning water system has shown signs of water starting to go through so we wait and see then we will install the water pump and put the system on work.

The surface water dam work started recently and the work of digging is progressing well.  A liner will be installed next week so no water will ever drain in the ground.

Thank you very much for the good work you have continued to do may God bless you all.

Please greet all in the family and friends. We thank you most sincerely for the good work you are all doing for the sake of the children May God bless you all abundantly.
Julius & Esther

Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter.  Your interest in Riziki is much appreciated.  Without your help, Riziki could not exist. 
 
Ian & Diana Hogley
 

Riziki News – May 2018

Dear All,

Greetings to all our readers.  We appreciate your interest in Riziki, your prayers and your financial contributions, without which it would be impossible to give the Riziki children the love, care and education they currently receive.  Our supporters are found from Scotland, to the South East, the South West and Northern Ireland.  There is help from within Kenya and other countries too.  For this support, all involved with Riziki praise God.

When we wrote in March there had been some heavy rain in Nakuru after a very prolonged drought.  That rain has continued over much of Kenya.  Unfortunately there have been severe problems in Nairobi with flooding causing buildings to collapse, and near Nakuru, at Solai, a dam burst caused the deaths of some 47 people.  This was about 30 miles from Riziki which was not affected.  Much further east, on the Tana River, the biggest hydro power dam is overflowing which is a big life threat to the people living on the lower part of Tana River.  The Government has advised them to move to higher ground. 

Unfortunately, our social worker/houseparent had to leave in mid-March and we have not yet found a suitable replacement.  Elizabeth, the cook, and Catherine, the cleaner, are kindly sharing the responsibility of staying at Riziki overnight until a replacement is found. Julius said “God is going to give us a new social worker - we only need to pray and trust.  We know He is able to do all things.

The water-cleaning system is almost complete.   We then need to install a pump and pipes to take the cleaned water to storage. 
 
Another concern is that there is a lot of water flowing into Riziki from the road and we all are of the opinion that we should build a dam to harvest that water which will be of great advantage when the rains are not there. The size will be 20m x 10m x 3m.  It will roughly be Ksh 460,000 (£3000+) for digging of the hole, the materials, the labour and other items.  We have a quotation from G. North & Son the greenhouse people who will supply materials and installation.“   We intend to consider this project further as and when funds are available!  You will appreciate that Kenya, like much of the world, is experiencing more extremes of weather and we are doing our best to work with this.
Compiled from emails from Julius
 
The winter quiz was very popular.  If you would like the answers, please let me know and I will make sure you get them (If you have asked already and not got them then just remind me please!)
 
Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter.  Your interest in Riziki is much appreciated.  Without your help, Riziki could not exist.

If you do not wish to receive this newsletter, please let me know and we will remove you from the mailing list.
                   Ian & Diana Hogley

​Riziki News – March 2018
Dear All,
We returned home from Kenya a few days ago after spending time at Riziki with visits to several children’s homes, other projects and a lovely time of relaxation at the coast.
Julius continues to be totally committed to the children in his care.  One of our girls complained of a painful arm so Julius took her to hospital where she was admitted with cellulitis.  He insisted on visiting her every day she was there which meant a round trip of sixty miles each time.
At Riziki we saw the newly refurbished cottage which is now suitable to house the older boys during school holidays or for simple visitor accomodation at other times.  A tiled floor has been installed and the walls have been plastered and painted.  Further furniture will be added ready for use in the next school holidays.
Liz has supervised improvements in the shamba (garden) with well prepared vegetable beds, deeply dug and manured ready for planting.  This should improve the water retention in the soil and feed the crops.  In spite of the poor rainfall in recent years we have managed to harvest enough maize and beans to fill our silos with sufficient maize to feed the children for at least two years.  This year we intend to grow more cattle feed and less maize.  The children really enjoyed two days of planting beans (first thing in the morning and late afternoon while it was cooler) in anticipation of the rain, which duly arrived.  We pray it will continue to rain. In the last newsletter I mentioned that we grew sorghum for the first time.  This is mixed with dried cassava and sweet potatoes and then ground into flour.  The resulting porridge has proved to be very popular and nutritious.  A good crop of tomatoes in the green- house was just ripening when we left.  It appears to be the best crop ever.  Liz plans to try sun-drying some of our surplus tomatoes and possibly bananas as a means of storing them.  She also reckons that this year’s drought is even worse than last year.  If the weather pattern continues it will be only possible to get one harvest each year instead of two. 
Without prolonged rains Riziki has a major water problem.  It has proved impossible to install a new water pipe from the nearest mains water supply;  drilling down 250 metres also failed to find water and our large underground water tanks (9 000 m³ and 20 000 m³) can only store water when it rains! Guttering on all buildings collects whatever rain falls on them.  During times of drought we have to buy water, delivered by road tankers, costing Ksh 36 000 (about £250) each month.  (Our household bill here is £21 per month!)  Most of the water we use each month is at present thrown away into the cesspit after being used for laundry, personal washing and cooking.  Following a suggestion from the man who empties the cesspit, using a vehicle he calls 'honey sucker', we plan to build a simple filtration system and divert all the waste water (except that which flushes the toilets) through it.  We can then reuse the water many times in the laundry and also in the greenhouse.  We estimate that we can re-use between 50% and 80% of the water we buy!  In addition, the cesspit will only need to be emptied every few years instead of every three months.  This innovation will be phase one of a four phase development plan to try to make Riziki self-sufficient.
As funds become available we hope to move on to further projects in three more phases.
In phase two a new cowshed will be built behind the existing shed, parallel to the greenhouse, next to the water recycling plant. It will be a simple structure, big enough for six or eight cows but able to be extended easily if and when needed. Provision for calves will be included.
Phase three:- After removal of the old cowshed a new barn will be built adjacent to the existing barn which contains the maize and bean storage silos. The new barn will be for storing cattle feed which we plan to grow in larger quantity.  Cattle food gets very expensive in times of drought.
Phase four:- When the new cowshed and the water treatment plant are in use we should have sufficient water and manure to service a biogas plant. This should produce ample gas for our cooking and water heating needs and eliminate the need to buy firewood.
We have planned these structures together as the position of each one affects the others.  It is our vision to see Riziki become self-sufficient while we are still able to be active.  It is a challenge to keep up with changing weather patterns.
Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter.  Your interest in Riziki is much appreciated.  Without your help, Riziki could not exist.                   Ian & Diana Hogley
 
For donations from within UK:-
The best way to make a donation to Riziki is through The Aenon Trust. This a UK charity which facilitates giving to projects including several children's homes in Kenya. Donations by UK taxpayers may be Gift Aided through The Aenon Trust. All such giftings are transferred to the projects in full by the Trust, with no deductions
Cheques should be made payable to The Aenon Trust and sent to:-
Mr A.E.Nicholls MBE FRGS, 137 Belvedere Road, Bexleyheath, Kent, DA7 4PA , with a note saying the gift is for Riziki. Allan's email is nicholls_allan@hotmail.com
Direct payments can be made to:- NATWEST BANK, Bexleyheath, Sort Code 51-70-14, for the credit of The Aenon Trust, Account No 36591483.  If using this method an email should be sent to Allan to let him know the gift is for Riziki. 
If preferred, gifts may be sent through us at Wayfields, Briar Court, HOLMFIRTH, HD9 2JJ.
Donations from outside UK may be sent to either Mr Nicholls or ourselves at the above addresses.
Regular donations can be made by Standing Orders. I can supply Gift Aid declaration forms or Standing Order forms, for regular donations, if desired.
 
Gaggia Caffe Shop, based in Elland has a feature on Riziki on their website.  This can be accessed on www.gaggiacaffe.tv.     Our own Riziki website is accessed on  www.riziki.org.uk.
 
(Ian & Diana Hogley, 'Wayfields', Br iar Court, HOLMFIRTH, HD92JJ, UK.  Tel 01484 680634. hogleyian@gmail.com.)

Dear All,
This is a brief up-date before we visit Kenya next month.  More detailed news and pictures will appear after our return.
 
On Christmas Day Julius wrote:
Merry Christmas to you all.
We thank God for keeping us all safe despite the ups and downs in life but we are not complaining.
Just inform you that the renovation of the old house is now complete and it looks very smart but the shelves for  the store house will be done in January 2018, God willing.
Thanks a lot for everything.  May God bless you all for the good work you have continued to do over the years.
Pictures of the completed work should appear next newsletter.
 
On January 11th Julius wrote again:
Happy New Year 2018
Praise be to the Almighty God. We hope that you are all well. Thanks a lot for your emails and the Riziki Quiz.  It looks very interesting and I hope that many people will take part.  (I have enjoyed a few hours tackling this quiz and almost completed it – about six questions still waiting for what I consider to be satisfactory answers.  Do have a go when you have some spare time. - Ian)
The Riziki children are all well and went back to school on 3rd January 2018
Sorry to inform you that Ann did not perform as well as we had hoped in the KCPE (Kenya Certificate of Primary Education) exams.  She got 248 marks out of 500 and she was not called to any school but we are trying hard to find a school for her.  (In spite of her medical problems, Ann has worked to the best of her ability and deserves to continue her education)
About the cow shed.  It is still needed.  The only thing is that we have not been able to get a planner.  We tried Peter the builder but he was not able to plan a good thing so we are waiting and searching.
Thank you very much indeed for efforts not in vain God bless you all.
Julius & Esther
 
On January 16th Liz wrote:
Hi Ian and Diana
Happy New Year. Its been a busy two weeks getting everyone back to school. The last one being Ann who got a local boarding school that Elizabeth helped us find. She reported on Friday and it was such a hectic, long hot day we forgot to take the pictures😊.
Its hot, dry and everything green is starting to dry up. The tomatoes in the green house are coming up well and we expect to harvest in two weeks or less. 
In good news of the year we were able to harvest one bag (90kg) of sorghum that will see us remove porridge flour from the budget for at least half the year and the next harvest will hopefully see us end the year without buying flour. This was an initiative by Moses that we are proud of.  (Moses is our gardener who works very hard for Riziki.)
In other news we are talking to some people about recycling the waste washing water to see if we can reduce our water consumption, especially in these dry months, but all year generally. Will let you know how it goes.
I am out tomorrow visiting farms to see, and get ideas of, economical cow shed structures.
That's all from my end.😊
 
Blessings
Liz
 
On January 18th Julius wrote again:
Dear Ian & Diana,
Praise be to the Almighty God we all thank Him for keeping us safe. The Riziki children are also well despite a few cases of sickness here and there but none of them is serious.
As Liz mention we managed to get a school for Ann through Elizabeth’s connections and she reported on 12th January 2018
One of the cows gave birth to a male calf a few days ago.  (Our cows seem to have difficulty producing female calves!)
It is too hot, very dusty and very dry but we hope rains will come one day God willing.
Julius & Esther
 
Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter.  Your interest in Riziki is much appreciated.  Without your help, Riziki could not exist.

Riziki News – December 2017
Dear All,
News came from Kenya just after I had sent out the October newsletter, so I include it here:
On October 19th, Julius wrote
All the children continue to do well in school both primary and secondary, their performance is very encouraging indeed.  Ann Wanjiku is sitting for her KCPE exam this year in November 2017 and we hope that she will do well to qualify for secondary school.
Alex Mwaniki fell sick in school on 16th September.  He complained of stomach-ache and was taken to Kabarak.  After a stool test, nothing was found.  Next day, when  I went to Riziki, I found that he was still in pain so I asked Sarah to take him back on the Monday.  At around 11am, Sarah called me from the hospital.  She said Alex's case was an emergency and he needed to be taken to a bigger hospital.  The doctors wanted to call for an ambulance but Sarah told them that I was on the way.
When I arrived I found Alex on a recovery bed with a drip.  After a little chat with the doctor he gave us a written report and we left for St. Mary's hospital where he was admitted after a scan showed that his appendix was swollen and about to burst.  It was removed immediately and he stayed in hospital for 3 days.  The wound is healing, but slowly.  He goes for dressing alternate days at Kabarak.
About my eye: I had an appointment for body tests on 21st September but I postponed because Alex was leaving the hospital on that day. On 22nd  I went and all the tests were done and results were negative.  I was given eye drops to use for 3 days before the surgery which was on 25th.  It was done succesfully and on 26th  I went back for the check up, after which the eye was covered to be opened only when putting medicine in.  I was instructed to avoid computer and any other very bright lights for a period of 2 weeks or so. On 10th October, I went back for check up and the doctors said it was healing well. To my suprise I was told that there was a stitch to be removed from the right eye which was operated on in 2015 and they removed it.
In August during the school holiday Liz organised a children's church and 250 children of upper primary and secondary from the community attended and it was great.
On 24th September the children were invited by a church in Nakuru to join them for a church day out.  They went to Bahati, on the way to Nyahururu, and stayed the whole day.  They were given food and drinks, and enjoyed themselves very much.
On Thursday 5th October 2017 in the afternoon  a group of twelve KPLC (Kenya Power & Light) staff visited Riziki.  They brought with them some gifts and on top of the gifts they cleared a power bill of  KES. 16,000.  They had a good time with the children, who had left school earlier at 3.30pm, immediately after classes, so as to welcome the visitors who had told us they were coming. We thank God for their generousity.
In August the Solar system broke down – the inverter got burnt out and we were forced to buy another one.  In September the house chimney was once again blown by the wind.  A new one has replaced it from the stove inside the kitchen to the top.
In September the Solar batteries stopped to work.  We stayed without the solar until October when we negotiated a deal with Chloride Exide Batteries Nakuru to give us 3 batteries on an invoice to pay after 30 days.  The price is KES.97,200/-, including VAT and installation cable  They said the new batteries will last longer than the normal black batteries.
I have also received the end of year school reports which show that nearly all the children are making very good progress with one being the best in the year and several others in high places

Julius wrote this week (mid-December):-
Praise be to the Almighty God. We hope that you are all well. Thanks a lot for your emails and the Christmas news letter; also thank you for the Christmas card you sent to the children.
We thank God for keeping us all safe despite the many things which have been happening since August 8th 2017 we thank God the country is still calm.
The Riziki children went to their relatives on Sunday the 10th December 2017 and they will come back on 31st December to prepare for school on 3rd January 2018, God willing.
I am pleased to inform you that the outhouse (original buildings) renovation started on 6th December  when the materials were bought but the work commenced on the 7th and is still continuing we hope that the work will be completed next week. 

WE ALL WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR 2018.

Liz wrote also:-   
November was quite busy for us and the children, especially as they were engaged in harvesting the maize. The big boys worked every day from 7am to 1pm cutting maize stalks down while the other children followed from 10am to 1pm removing cobs from the stalks. They worked well together everyday and we were able to get all the maize from the shamba, dry it and store. We successfully stored 33bags of maize in the silos before the children left for home.
All is well with the farm. We have a new crop of tomatoes in the green house waiting for February -March a good market period for tomatoes. We also have some butter nut and potatoes and a small portion of late beans.
We decided to keep the bull and probably slaughter it ourselves for meat. Well, that has not been fully decided yet. We expect a new cow in January and so am really looking forward to the new cowshed and some extra space to store hay.  We have been lucky to have a bit of rain towards end of the year so we were able to store a reasonable amount of hay.
We had an end of year party for the kids. We invited some of the people who have either volunteered or worked with us this year. We had lunch during the day and a brief carol service in the evening, which the kids ran beautifully (considering they had only one week of practice). We had decorations up as well as the tree, which Tony and Richard were responsible for and did an awesome job.
I have pictures but I have been having trouble sending through yahoo some of them don't get through and those that do take too long to load.
All staff are on a break till 29th, except Moses, who is holding the fort. 
That is all from my end. I wish you and all Riziki supporters a Blessed Christmas. We appreciate all of you.
Baraka,
Liz
 
Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter.  Your interest in Riziki is much appreciated.  Without your help, Riziki could not exist.

​Ian & Diana Hogley

​Riziki News – October 2017
Dear All,
For many months, Riziki has faced challenging times.  The lack of rain for a long period led to water shortages for much of Kenya.  In turn, this has meant that crops have failed and the costs of food for people and cattle have rocketed.  Riziki does not have mains water and relies on rain water, collected from the rooves into two large underground tanks, for all its water supplies, needed for irrigation, washing and drinking.  When there is no rain we must buy water delivered by road tankers.  The price of such water increased significantly as the drought became more severe.  In the UK we cannot imagine drought which is experienced regularly in much of Africa, but it leads to severe devastation of the land and all that entails.  We are delighted to hear from Liz that rain has returned to the Nakuru region.
She wrote on October 2nd:
I am writing from Riziki today sitting on the back porch on a nice sunny morning.  Everything is green again (thanks to the rains we have been having) and Moses and Joel are working the machine preparing cow feed for the month.
We thank you all for your prayers that I believe protected our maize crop this year. It survived the long drought and a possible army worm infestation and considering none of our neighbours have a good maize crop, we thank God and are looking forward to harvesting mid to end November.
In the last month and half we have been working hard to fill the freezer with vegetables from the farm and have attempted successfully freezing cabbages, of which we had plenty, and kale. So right now we have cabbages, kale and tomatoes in the freezer ready for the dry Jan-Apr period.
In the last month we have also had dairy cow management training and support from an extension officer (not sure if this is what they call them) from Coopers Kenya (for free) and we are working on a lot of what we learnt. Moses and Joel have given very good support to these changes for which am grateful to God.
All cows are in-calf and we expect three new cows next year.  If all are heifers we will then have six milking cows. This means we need to consider building a more spacious cow shed and hay barn.
We are just finishing a tomato crop in the green house and we plan to turn and treat the soil and have a new crop at the beginning of November.
 
Julius has been having a tough time recently with his health.  His blood pressure has been erratic and he has been waiting for further eye surgery.  He has postponed this several times, putting the needs of the children before his own.  I spoke to him this week, at home, where he is recuperating from the latest surgery.  He is banned from using his computer and we are pleased that it seems he is observing the ban.
Again, Liz said:
All is well with Riziki except for a few illnesses here and there with the children all are fine and doing well in school.  Any more details Mr. Kivindyo will fill you in once he gets better.  He had his eye surgery last week; we thank God that his blood pressure stabilised long enough to allow this, so now he is grounded for another week or so for recovery.
Blessings,  Liz
We are still awaiting the refurbishment of the old houses but again the workman has promised to start imminently.
We were very touched last month by the support and help we received at our fund-raising coffee morning and afternoon tea, held on a rainy day in our rather small house.  Thanks to all who came and made the day so successful by their hard work and/or their donations.
Prayer points
1.    Thanks that crops have grown at Riziki and that the staff have found ways of preserving them.
2.    For Julius' health, especially for complete recovery from his eye surgery.
3.    For peace in Kenya as the re-run of the presidential election draws near, or not.
 
Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter.  Your interest in Riziki is much appreciated.  Without your help, Riziki could not exist.                   Ian & Diana Hogley.
 
 
 
For donations from within UK:-
The best way to make a donation to Riziki is through The Aenon Trust. This a UK charity which facilitates giving to projects including several children's homes in Kenya. Donations by UK taxpayers may be Gift Aided through The Aenon Trust. All such giftings are transferred to the projects in full by the Trust, with no deductions
Cheques should be made payable to The Aenon Trust and sent to:-
Mr A.E.Nicholls MBE FRGS, 137 Belvedere Road, Bexleyheath, Kent, DA7 4PA , with a note saying the gift is for Riziki. Allan's email is nicholls_allan@hotmail.com
Direct payments can be made to:- NATWEST BANK, Bexleyheath, Sort Code 51-70-14, for the credit of The Aenon Trust, Account No 36591483.  If using this method an email should be sent to Allan to let him know the gift is for Riziki. 
If preferred, gifts may be sent through us at Wayfields, Briar Court, HOLMFIRTH, HD9 2JJ.
Donations from outside UK may be sent to either Mr Nicholls or ourselves at the above addresses.
Regular donations can be made by Standing Orders. I can supply Gift Aid declaration forms or Standing Order forms, for regular donations, if desired.
 
Gaggia Caffe Shop, based in Elland has a feature on Riziki on their website.  This can be accessed on www.gaggiacaffe.tv.     Our own Riziki website is accessed on  www.riziki.org.uk.
 
 
 
(Ian & Diana Hogley, 'Wayfields', Br iar Court, HOLMFIRTH, HD92JJ, UK.  Tel 01484 680634. hogleyian@gmail.com.)  
 

Riziki News – July 2017
Dear All,
The latest news from Riziki is not as cheerful as we would like to report.  Life throughout Kenya has become difficult for many people because of the on-going drought.  The last three rainy seasons have been very poor or non-existent in most parts of the country.
On July 9th, Liz wrote:
Drought: The drought has continued and we have only received three days rain in total in the past two weeks following the two weeks we got in April after we planted.  The maize wilted but did not dry up and after the three-day rain the maize seems to be maturing too early.  We are waiting to see whether we will get any cobs.  I must mention that all the maize crop around us (our neighbours) did not survive the drought as well as ours did and we find ours surviving - at whatever state - a miracle.  The beans we had planted (a small portion) also interestingly were able to survive and we believe we will at least get the seed back.  I truly cannot explain it, we only believe this is all the prayer that was made on Riziki's behalf.   A big thank you to all that prayed with us. 
Grass is another issue.   We don't have cow feed and we might need separate funding to buy hay; is this possible?   We have used money we get from milk but it might not be sufficient stock to carry us through this drought however long it is. 
Yusuf, our county coordinator for children’s services, retired on the 30th of June.  There was a send-off party for him on Thursday 6th July and Riziki was represented.  (He was the guest of honour who opened Riziki in 2010. He has been very supportive of Riziki and will be missed. - Ed)    
About the country I truly have nothing to say.  Just continue to keep us in your prayers.
The children are fine; they were on a mid-term break at the end of June and have since gone back to school. On Wednesday 5th July we picked up Faith from school quite sick.  They found Malaria.   She is not back to school yet.
Director: Mr Kivindyo has been unwell for the last two weeks with his blood pressure going up. On Wednesday it was 203 over something I forget but has since come down to 155 over (again can't remember) so keep him in your prayers.
 
The Children were invited to a nearby church for peace Sunday. That will be on 30th July.  It is essentially a Sunday to pray for peace during and after elections. They have been asked to prepare any peace-themed presentation to perform on the day.
 
On June 8th, Julius wrote:
Praise be to the Almighty God, we thank Him for keeping us safe in His mighty hands.
We are all well as a family and the Riziki children are well and doing fine, still working very hard in school.  Their end of May results were very encouraging indeed.  I thank God for I am now feeling far much better compared to what I have been feeling in the whole month of May.  I have been having body weakness and dizziness.  The cause not known because after performing several blood tests and other body tests all the results came out negative, but I have faith in God I will be well.
 
Sorry to say that I was not able to start the renovation project and the store work.  Peter appointed somebody to carry out the work but he has never started.  Although I was not well he showed up only once to take measurements and he never came back, but I will now look for him because I am feeling better.
Antony left hospital on 6th May2017 and stayed home for 2 days before he went back to school and he has recovered well. Kelvin’s operation did not take place because of my poor health;  I plan to take him next week, God willing.  My new eye operation appointment will be worked out after Kelvin’s operation because we don’t know for how long he will stay in hospital.
On 1st May 2017 we held a general birthday party for all the children which they enjoyed very much, together with their friends from the community and a few from their school.
Sorry to say we have no rain but we are hopeful that it will rain before the crops are dead. We are still facing the water shortage.  The greenhouse was once again blown by the wind and it is being repaired.  Turi gave birth on Sunday early morning to a male calf.
Please pass our love and greetings to all in the family.  May God bless you all.
Julius & Esther.
 
On July 21st Julius wrote again:
The children were on school mid-term as Liz had mentioned earlier.  Faith came on 15th June and went back on 19th June, the secondary boys came on 17th June and went back on 21st June and primary ones from 27th June to 3rd July. Their mid- term exam results were good with a few getting over 400 marks. The secondary ones also performed well.
On 5th July Faith was picked up sick from school and was taken to hospital;  she was treated and stayed at home and on 10th July she went back to school feeling well.

On 10th July four children were taken to St. Mary hospital:-
Dennis Kibet‘s toe problem had recurred.  The surgeon decided that it was to be operated on to remove a fungus which had started to grow and it was done on that day.  Thanks to God he is now doing well.
Grace Wanjiku's leg problem had also recurred.  After X-Ray the surgeon said that the problem is on the bone and it needs to be operated on to clean the affected area of the bone.  She will be admitted on 31st July for the operation on 1st August 2017
Kelvin Kipkoech was given an appointment to go back on 13th July and because I was not well Liz took him to hospital.  He was admitted on 13th July, because of his leg problem, and the operation was done next day.  He came out of hospital on 15th July and we thank God he is recovering well
Neema Chebet had stomach problem and after several tests she was put on medication.  Now she is doing very well.
On 14th July Phyllis Nyambura fell sick.  She complained of stomachache and was taken to hospital.  Now she is quite okay, thanks to God.

About my eyes: I wait for Grace's case to be sorted out and at the same time for my body to gain some strength, then I will make a new appointment for the surgery.  I thank God I am getting better day after day
Lucy is well and doing quite okay, working hard at the college.  I keep checking on her from time to time.  It is my prayer that she will be successful in life, God willing.
    
On Tuesday 18th July 2017 the secondary school boys came home because 2 dormitories in the school were burnt down by some of the students; one on Friday the 14th and the other one on Monday 17th very early in the morning.  I called the school director that Tuesday who confirmed the story and he also confirmed to me that our boys were not involved in any way.  (Arson in schools is, unfortunately, not a rare occurance.  It usually stems from a small grievance which could be related to the coming elections or some other matter – Ed)

Some of maize and beans  planted towards the end of March have survived despite the long drought, but now we have had some rain at least for sometime continuously and we hope and trust that it will continue God willing. Most of the maize has come back to life but most of the beans dried up.  There are cabbages and tomatoes in the greenhouse and some outside; the kales (sukuma wiki) are also coming back to life.  This has been the first time for us to buy vegetables.  Thanks to God we usually grow our own food.  We have discovered that many children‘s homes have been badly affected by the food problem in the country.
Our animals and the birds are doing well.

The gardeners keeping coming and going.  Now we have a new one who has been here for two weeks since the previous one left but Moses is still there working very hard.  The rest of the staff are doing well and also trying to work hard.
 
The long drought in Kenya has increased the costs of running Riziki quite significantly and our medical costs have also been high but so far we have just been able to meet these costs and trust that this will continue to be the case.  The children continue to be very appreciative of what they receive at, and from, Riziki.  It is always a joy to spend time with them when we are at Riziki.  This is mainly because Julius and all the team at Riziki really love these young people and Diana and I thank God for all they do at Riziki.


Prayer points
1.    For adequate rain to support the crops, not just at Riziki but throughout East Africa.
2.    For strength for the Riziki staff, especially Julius and his health problems.
3.    Peace over and after the election period.
 
Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter.  Your interest in Riziki is much appreciated.  Without your help, Riziki could not exist.  Ian & Diana Hogley.
 
 
For donations from within UK:-
The best way to make a donation to Riziki is through The Aenon Trust. This a UK charity which facilitates giving to projects including several children's homes in Kenya. Donations by UK taxpayers may be Gift Aided through The Aenon Trust. All such giftings are transferred to the projects in full by the Trust, with no deductions
Cheques should be made payable to The Aenon Trust and sent to:-
Mr A.E.Nicholls MBE FRGS, 137 Belvedere Road, Bexleyheath, Kent, DA7 4PA , with a note saying the gift is for Riziki. Allan's email is nicholls_allan@hotmail.com
Direct payments can be made to:- NATWEST BANK, Bexleyheath, Sort Code 51-70-14, for the credit of The Aenon Trust, Account No 36591483.  If using this method an email should be sent to Allan to let him know the gift is for Riziki.
If preferred, gifts may be sent through us at Wayfields, Briar Court, HOLMFIRTH, HD9 2JJ.
Donations from elsewhere may be sent to either of the above.
Regular donations can be made by Standing Orders. I can supply Gift Aid declaration forms or Standing Order forms, for regular donations, if desired.
 
Gaggia Caffe Shop, based in Elland has a feature on Riziki on their website.  This can be accessed on www.gaggiacaffe.tv.     Our own Riziki website is accessed on http://www.riziki.org.uk.
​

​Riziki News – May 2017 STOP PRESS
Dear All,
We have just received the following news from Liz which we are passing on immediately with minimal editing.
Ian & Diana
 
Hi Ian.
Pray you are all well. We are fine. We have had a couple of days of rain and everything is green now. It finally looks like the Riziki we know and love. We have already started weeding. We finished the beans portion last week, this week maize. Crops in the farm this season are groundnuts, (Moses brought seeds from home), cabbages, butternut, and a small plot of tomatoes. Pray with us concerning the maize crop. There is an army worm scare around the country. It was announced in the local churches last Sunday that they were sighted in Rongai, which as you know is not too far from us. We have also had agricultural officers visit to warn and educate. So keep us in your prayers will be appreciated.  (Details of the army worm infestations are easily found on the internet.  It is potentially very, very serious for the whole of East Africa – Ian)
April saw me and Patrick go to quite a number of farms searching for hay. Our stored hay ran out because of the prolonged drought and we had to go out in search of hay. It was such a gruelling experience as nobody wanted to sell and those that could spare some the prices were shocking. We managed to get some to get us to June. Hopefully by then our grass will help. After this experience, I thought it would be prudent for us to build a large hay store that would help us store enough feed to take us longer than the usual dry spells. I was thinking a structure able to hold 2500-3000 bales of hay. It would be a very simple tall iron sheet structure. Let me know what you think.
Elizabeth was on leave during the April holidays and came back on the 10th of May looking well rested. All is well with the rest of the staff despite the busy holiday. 
We are just about running out of the frozen tomatoes that have seen us through the worst dry season and we are looking to start storing some more in a couple of months. We are looking to increase the amount we store so it can be able to take us longer just like hay. This will mostly mean better use of freezer space any ideas are welcome on this. The dried kales also did very well and am happy to report we are now back to fresh kales.
I finally got to read the last newsletter today, and kindly note and correct that I have no direct dealings with Egerton university on farm issues. I actually am more involved with the ministry of agriculture than Egerton.
That is it from me. Greetings to Diana.
Baraka
Liz

Riziki News – May 2017
Dear All,
This is a continuation of our last newsletter, commenting on situations we saw when we were in Kenya in February and March.
One Saturday in February a group, known as 254 celebrities, came to Riziki to give them a day of entertainment and a meal.  This is a group of young, professional people who give their time and talents and their money to help less fortunate people.  (The name 254 comes from the international dialling code for Kenya!)  One man came all the way from Mombasa for the day!  The Riziki children certainly enjoyed their visit.
While soaking up the sunshine we discussed the separate roles which Julius and Liz each take within Riziki so that we know what each takes responsibility for.
Liz takes responsibility for official dealings with The Children’s Department, The Riziki farm, the management of staff, the stores in general, the regular monthly shopping and anything else as needed at the time!  While referring to dealings with officialdom, she said ‘You have no idea what we have to go through‘.  Our response was ‘Then tell us!‘
Each child is at Riziki following a commital by the courts where Liz has to show why the child needs to be at Riziki and also why Riziki is a fit place for a child to be.  Commitals and registration have to be renewed regularly and Riziki is expected to maintain and increase contact with any relatives and find a way for a child to return to such relatives or to go to foster or adoptive parents, if that becomes a viable option!  Grandparents are encouraged to visit Riziki more so that they don’t lose touch - in preparation for when the child eventually leaves Riziki at age 18, as required by present law.  Sarah, our social worker, is taking a more active part in this too.
Liz takes responsibility for all aspects of the farm, and she is passionate about this, determined to get the very best out of our facilties.  She keeps contact with Egerton University, the premier Agricultural public University in Kenya, who are happy to advise and who often give help with planting.  She tries to understand the staff and their problems, whether they are happy or sad etc.  She tries to make the staff consider what they are achieving at Riziki and why, and whether that aligns to their values.  She discovered recently that Elizabeth, our very loyal cook, was unable to pay her daughter’s school fees due to family circumstances.  This was giving Elizabeth much sadness and worry.  We have been able to find a way to remove that burden for Elizabeth.  We hope that with greater understanding of our staff we will be able to reduce the staff turnover rate.
Liz has started to talk to the girls about adolescence as appropriate and to come up with policies for the future of Riziki, for example, on human resources, volunteers and child protection.  To help with all of these things she visits other children‘s homes in the Nakuru district.
 
Julius takes overall responsibility for Riziki and deals with all matters of finance, school admissions and fees.  He takes children to hospital as and when necessary and councils the children each Sunday afternoon.  He deals with whatever concerns have arisen during the week, from major disciplinary matters (rare) to apparently trivial things, in open discussions with the children, where appropriate.  While we were there a bar of soap had gone missing and could not be found.  After the meeting it somehow re-appeared!   Another time, he had to give a minor reprimand to one of the girls, ‘K‘, who went into major sulks!  Julius asked Neema what was wrong with ‘K‘ and the reply was ‘Pa, Don’t worry about ‘K‘, she is having her adolances (sic)‘.
The renovation of the two old buildings is about to start, and we look forward to seeing pictures as the work goes on.  We hope they will be in the next newsletter.
Our next development project is expected to be the upgrading of the facilities for cattle.  The almost total lack of rain for about a year has shown that we are not likely to be able to grow reliable crops for sale, although with our storage facilities we can achieve self-sufficiency for most of our food for both children and livestock.  There is, apparently, a good market for both milk and meat.  Our large field grows maize for the children (the waste is converted to cattle food) with desmodium and lucerne as protein crops for the cows.  We want to increase our small herd of milk cows but, so far, our cows have a tendency to produce male calves.  We have now decided to keep them and rear them ourselves for meat, rather than sell them early for very little money.  It may be necessary to buy a good cow to increase the milk yield quickly, aiming for 25 to 30 litres per cow per day.
 
News directly from Liz is:-
On March 30th - We did do some planting.  A major part of the shamba was completed.  A good thing, because we have had two days rain since. 254 did not show up to help so we had to deal with the planting on our own (we are used to that).  In the morning, with the kids at school, all staff took to planting. Ruth, Glen and Kevin, the only children not at school on Saturday morning, gave a hand and we were all surprised at how good they were at it and that we got 2hrs of planting from them before they were ready to leave. In the afternoon, the rest helped when they came back from school. We left the shamba at 6:30 - everyone so tired. Precious had a worrying headache after and I suffered a severe sun burn on the back of my neck.  Anyway we are back at it this weekend and we should be able to finish the portion left.
On March 31st - Precious is fine. I was just with her. Yes, it was just dehydration. Left work late today, just got to the house with the evening car.  I was coordinating for tomorrow's planting; I managed to get some 15 young people from the community to volunteer (you met them at the Christmas party - don't know if you remember them).  So tomorrow should go smoothly. 
Children are fine, except Kevin came home sick in the evening; looks like tonsillitis, so hospital tomorrow.
On May 2nd - Sorry for the silence.  It's been quite busy this month with the kids at home and lots of activity.  Kindly bear with us.  We are in 'back to school' mode now, but once they are back, Wednesday, it should slow down a bit and I will be able to sit down and write a proper update.
 
 
 
Julius wrote on May 3rd:-
The children were on April school holiday since 7th April 2017 but the schools were opened today.
Dennis Kibet's leg has improved greatly but he has developed eye problems and after check ups he was given eye glasses and he is now doing well. Kevin Kipkoech has a swelling on his left leg and he is due for an operation next week to remove whatever is there.  Antony Rengei went home for a visit, but when he returned here he was sick,  vomitting blood and with stomach ache.  Yesterday, I took him to St. Mary's hospital where several tests were carried out including scope.  He was found to have Oesophageal varices grade 2 and he lacked blood.  The levels were very low.  He was admitted at 5.30pm so that 3 pints of blood could be added to his body at night. I will visit him today at 4 pm, God willing, after sorting out the other secondary boys to go to school today.
I have been forced by circumstances to call the Eye hospital to postpone my eye clinc, which was supposed to be today, so as to monitor Antony's development.  They agreed to give me another appointment when I am ready.
The fields were planted with maize and beans towards the end of March but there has been no rain.  Now we have had some rain at least for 2 day continuously and we hope and trust that it will continue, God willing. We had planted onions in the greenhouse but they did not do well due to lack of enough water; you know our water problem.
On 15th April, Liz held her usual children‘s church and 210 children from the community attended.
On Monday, 1st May 2017, we held a birthday party for all the children. They had invited their friends from the community both small and youth; also there were 3  children from St. Cecilia, they all enjoyed very much and it rained very hard that day.
Peter has not yet started the renovation.  I talked to him again on Monday and he claimed that he was busy somewhere but he promised to start soon. The gentleman doing the store also promised to start on Monday next week.
On May 4th -  Antony is getting better; he was taken to theatre again today and we trust and believe he will be well soon. 
Please greet all in the family and God bless you abundantly. 
 
News of Sammy
Following our mention in the last newsletter of our friend, Sammy, and his need for chemo for his cancer, I am pleased to say that we have been able to fund about 1½ treatments.  Any further help would be much appreciated.  Sammy acknowleged your help in the email below:-
Hi Ian & Diana
I am doing well in the fourth chemo, and have experienced very good improvement.  We had no rain for a long time but we had very heavy rainfall this afternoon in our village, hope it will continue raining.  Sorry, I failed to tell you that the money you raised to-words my treatment and sent through Riziki/Julius reached me and I will pay for my fifth chemo on Thursday the 20th.  I will keep you informed with the progress, and I would very much like you to believe that I surely appreciated all what you did to raise funds to-words my treatment.  May god bless you and those who answered you and may God add them more and bless the work of their hands.  Give my love Diana and the family.  Sammy
Prayer points
1.    For adequate rain to support the crops, not just at Riziki but throughout East Africa.
2.    For strength for the Riziki staff, especially Julius.
3.    That someone will feel led to join Diana and me so that there is good continuity with Riziki in preparation for the time when we are no longer able to do it.
 
 
 
For donations from within UK:-
The best way to make a donation to Riziki is through The Aenon Trust. This a UK charity which facilitates giving to projects including several children's homes in Kenya. Donations by UK taxpayers may be Gift Aided through The Aenon Trust. All such giftings are transferred to the projects in full by the Trust, with no deductions
Cheques should be made payable to The Aenon Trust and sent to:-
Mr A.E.Nicholls MBE FRGS, 137 Belvedere Road, Bexleyheath, Kent, DA7 4PA , with a note saying the gift is for Riziki. Allan's email is nicholls_allan@hotmail.com
Direct payments can be made to:- NATWEST BANK, Bexleyheath, Sort Code 51-70-14, for the credit of The Aenon Trust, Account No 36591483.  If using this method an email should be sent to Allan to let him know the gift is for Riziki.
If preferred, gifts may be sent through us at Wayfields, Briar Court, HOLMFIRTH, HD9 2JJ.
Donations from elsewhere may be sent to either of the above.
Regular donations can be made by Standing Orders. I can supply Gift Aid declaration forms or Standing Order forms, for regular donations, if desired.
 
 
Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter.  Your interest in Riziki is much appreciated.  Without your help, Riziki could not exist.  Ian & Diana Hogley.



Gaggia Caffe Shop, based in Elland has a feature on Riziki on their website.  This can be accessed on www.gaggiacaffe.tv.     Our own Riziki website is accessed on http://www.riziki.org.uk.
​

Riziki News – January 2017
Dear All,
This is a short newsletter based on recent emails received from Julius.  Diana and I will be going to Kenya soon and expect to produce a longer epistle on our return.  Since our November newsletter Julius has been extremely busy with the additional work of looking after Lucy and finding suitable secondary school places for three of our boys who have just completed primary school.  We are very grateful that Julius has been able to keep us informed during this time.  On behalf of all involved with Riziki I would like to give sincere thanks to all our supporters, in Kenya, the U.K. and elsewhere for remembering Riziki in prayer and through donations.  Without your support Riziki could not continue to give a future to the young people who are the Riziki family.  
 
Lucy – a brief summary!
As you all read in the last Newsletter, Lucy fell sick with appendicitis in October and she was admitted to hospital from October 19th to 31st.  She was discharged, although not fully recovered, to enable her to sit for her KCSE (Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education).  She continued to go for cleaning and dressing everyday in the afternoon after sitting for the exam in the morning.
Lucy sat for her last paper, biology practical, on November 28th morning, completing her secondary education. 
On November 29th she was readmitted to St. Mary’s hospital and was finally discharged on December 22nd.  Julius has visited daily and after leaving hospital the wound continued to heal.  Lucy has has a really hard time.  We thank God the wound now is almost healed and she is feeling well.
When the exam results were announced, Lucy was awarded a grade D which was lower than we had hoped but fully understandable under the circumstances.  We are trying to get her a college where she can take a course of her choice; we pray and trust that we will be able to get one, God willing.
 
Other news
Grace and Dennis have both recovered from their medical problems.
The children hospitals expenses from September to November 2016 are KES. 141,480/- (about £1200) but I do not know how much it will be for costs since then.
The results are out for the three boys who sat for KCPE (Kenya Certificate of Primary Education) early in November and they performed well so we trust that they well get good schools.  Benson got 357 marks out of 500, Antony, 336 marks and Richard, 328 marks.  Therefore, next year, God willing, we will have five children in secondary school, two in form 3 and three in form 1.
Unfortunately, the Maasai Mara safari has been postponed to a later date due to unavoidable circumstances.
The Riziki children went to their relatives on December 9th and came back on January 2nd 2017 before the schools open on January 4th.
Antony, Benson and Richard started secondary school on January 11th.   All three boys were originally posted, by the Ministry of Education, to secondary day schools far away from Riziki, so Julius has spent a lot of time finding a Nakuru boarding school where all three boys could be accommodated.  He has been successful in finding places for them at Anestar Boys High School, Nakuru.
Faith and Collins also performed well in their 3rd term 2016 exams. They went back to school on January 4th.
In the gardens there were tomatoes in the greenhouse but they became infected by insects and the plants were removed.  However, both cows are doing well, still giving milk, and the two young ones are growing.  Unfortunately both gardeners, Daniel and Dennis left Riziki, Dennis in November and Daniel early this month.
On November 19th,  AIC Milimani Choir visited the Riziki children; they ate lunch together and afterwards they entertained the children with gospel music and dance.  Later they cut a cake and gave the children presents, they all enjoyed the occasion very much.
On December 7th, We held a thanksgiving party to thank God for enabling the three boys to pass the KCPE exam.  The party also served as an early Christmas for the children before going to their relatives over the Christmas period.  We did not invite many people because it was at night in the house.  We only invited Rev. Jones of AIC Milimani to conduct the prayers and we also prayed for Lucy who was still in hospital.  We all had a good time and thanked God for everything.
The children sent greetings.   Julius & Esther
 
Short term hopes
1.    We still need to renovate the two small outhouses for the older young people to sleep in.
2.    We need to establish a viable flock of chickens to supply eggs for Riziki and to sell.
Prayer points
1.    Thanks for Lucy’s continued return to full health.
2.    For adequate rain to support the crops, not just at Riziki but throughout East Africa.
3.    For strength for the Riziki staff, especially Julius.
4.    For safety, especially on the roads as we travel in Kenya.
5.    That someone will feel led to join Diana and me so that there is good continuity with Riziki in preparation for the time when we are no longer able to do it.
 
We have not mentioned how to donate to Riziki for some time.  Here are the easiest ways to do so.
For donations from within UK:-
The best way to make a donation to Riziki is through The Aenon Trust. This a UK charity which facilitates giving to projects including several children's homes in Kenya. Donations by UK taxpayers may be Gift Aided through The Aenon Trust. All such giftings are transferred to the projects in full by the Trust, with no deductions
Cheques should be made payable to The Aenon Trust and sent to:-
Mr A.E.Nicholls MBE FRGS, 137 Belvedere Road, Bexleyheath, Kent, DA7 4PA , with a note saying the gift is for Riziki. Allan's email is nicholls_allan@hotmail.com
Direct payments can be made to:- NATWEST BANK, Bexleyheath, Sort Code 51-70-14, for the credit of The Aenon Trust, Account No 36591483.  If using this method an email should be sent to Allan to let him know the gift is for Riziki.
If preferred, gifts may be sent through us at Wayfields, Briar Court, HOLMFIRTH, HD9 2JJ.
Donations from elsewhere may be sent to either of the above.
Regular donations can be made by Standing Orders. I can supply Gift Aid declaration forms or Standing Order forms, for regular donations, if desired.
 
Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter.  Your interest in Riziki is much appreciated.  Ian & Diana Hogley.


Gaggia Caffe Shop, based in Elland has a feature on Riziki on their website.  This can be accessed on www.gaggiacaffe.tv.     Our own Riziki website is accessed on http://www.riziki.org.uk.
​