To our beloved friends and partners!
I send warm greetings from our spring season! We are very grateful that your generosity during our winter holiday fundraiser has assured us another year of running our programs! Our school continues to grow with the addition of 9thgrade (a government mandated move from high school). Our health clinic continues to support the health of the children and staff, especially with treatment of malaria, colds and flu. We have a new science program and we are the only school in the region with a computer lab. These are thanks to donations by Roseville and Point West Rotaries in California. Education and health, a dream for so many, is a reality for our students.
With much love,
Leonard Muyelele
Chief Executive Officer,
The Star of Hope Centre, Bungoma, Kenya
You may have read that Kenya is struggling with its worst drought in 40 years. Government water lines have been shut down and we drained our storage tanks months ago forcing us to purchase water from a private source. But there is good news! Selah Brown, Chair of Stella Blue High School (our sister school), spearheaded an amazing undertaking involving Leonard Muyelele, a group of Seattle-area Rotary Clubs, a Kenyan Rotary, and a host of water experts, who have spent a year working on an aquifer well project.
Melap, front row, second from the right, in class.
Students help unload the drilling equipment as work on the new well begins.
It was a monumental effort of research, testing, and fundraising.
The drilling hit water the last week of March and the water quality is safe for human consumption with no additional filtration needed. We will be approaching the final phase of the project by early May. Once completed, the well will be able to dispense up to 4,500 liters per day. We’ll refill our water tanks and be able to plant new crops; the land has been fallow during the drought.
This is great news for both schools AND there will be enough water to help the village. Water will be more reliable and considerably cheaper than the government provides.
Leonard and some students unpacking one of the new computers!
Rest assured, people who cannot afford to pay will not be turned away. Profits will go towards maintaining the system. The engineering company will train Leonard and a committee of women on how to provide preventive maintenance and will teach them a system for dispensing the water. Community Action… in action!
Meet Melap Atieno, a 16-year-old orphan in Grade 9. She has a delightful personality, she’s sharp in class, and is an all-around character who brings light to those around her. When she joined Star of Hope, she was living with her maternal grandma. Unfortunately, the grandma passed late last year and Melap became fully dependent on the Star of Hope support systems. Because of your support, Star of Hope offers kids like Melap a family, hope and a future.
starofhope@starofhopecentre.org
Star of Hope Centre USA
5015 Magnolia Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368
501(c)3 Tax ID: #45-3605509
Hoping the seeds of love and health are growing for you and yours,
from the whole Star of Hope Family,
Leonard, Gladwell, the teachers and staff in Kenya, the USA Board
(Vicki, Dana, Marsha and Bill), and most of all, the children.
starofhopecentre.org
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April 2025 Newsletter