A mission trip is an experience that every one should have in their lifetime. They are an amazing, exciting adventure and always a faith building experience. This year's trip - the fifth - to work alongside the members of the Boscovet Project in western Kenya was no exception. I was a part of a team of five members - two veterinarians and three lay people - that brought with them donated clothes,
shoes, soccer balls, children's books, veterinary drugs, suckers, toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste and left with memories and a stronger faith that will grow and be shared with friends and family for quite a long time. After 36 hours of travel the first week started off with a church service in the new building that is still under construction and when finished will serve as the church and primary school for the Masongo community. It was only the fourth service that had been held there and the protection against the hot sun was provided by a temporary canopy tent. The 40 or so person congregation will grow considerably over the next twelve months and it will be interesting to see how large it is next year when we return. The community is so excited to have a primary school (to be named the Boscovet Academy) so close that there children aged 5 - 12 years will be able to attend. Scholarships will be provided to the lowest income families (all families are low income) so that all children will be able to afford a good education. Some of the local public schools have class sizes of 45-50 children resulting in a diminished quality of learning. Currently, construction has been placed on hold until further funding is obtained to finish the walls, trusses, roof, doors, windows and purchase supplies and desks. Last year, the Boscovet Project was able to purchase the piece of land, fence it and put in an access road to it. In the future, we would like to buy an adjoining parcel so the members could use it as a organic gardening training center and train the community on methods to increase crop yields. The sales from these vegetables would go to provide the daily necessities for the families that participate. Already the training of key members has resulted in increased yields through better planting methods and organic compost. We vaccinated and/or dewormed nearly 500 cows (ngombe) and goats (mbuzi) in the surrounding communities during the two weeks. Some animals were brought to central locations for vaccination while others were only vaccinated because the veterinarians and assistants hiked up and down the hilly countryside to reach out to individual farmers with anywhere from 1 to 4 animals. The elevation in the area was over a mile high and in the 90 degree heat, it became a challenge to keep going for 7 hours. Daily, education took place at individual farms on ways to better feed the growing stock and the milking goats and cows. During our travels to visit member homes to vaccinate and deworm their animals we also were able to see 4 of the 9 wells that have been placed into operation over the past three years. The families that live near these wells benefit greatly through clean water for drinking and cooking and save more than 6 hours per day in water hauling time per family. An average of 70 people use the water from each well meaning that for a little under $13 per person, generations to come can have safe, clean water. The 10th well that has already been funded is planned for the new Masongo school. When combined with the gutters and cisterns placed on 28 homes last year to collect the rain water, the children have more time for their studies and the adults have more time to concentrate on raising their crops or pursuing small business opportunities created through the microfinance program. One exciting development over the past year has been the implementation of a microfinance program. It has been augmented by a savings and loan feature whereby members are encouraged to save a small amount in their account which can be borrowed against in the future. Loans can be taken out by individuals or groups to finance small business ideas. A training session and workshop was held this year led by one of the team members, Joyce Zeigen, to show the members how cooperation and coordination amongst themselves could result in developing and implementing a money making venture by presenting a viable small business idea to the Boscovet board of directors. The board would then make a decision based on the merits of the idea and the "credit score" of the individual(s) involved. The loan amounts are small to begin with but could grow as the pool of available money grows and loans are repaid on a timely basis. The Project's association with the One Acre Fund has already resulted in a doubling of maize yields through low interest loans to purchase improved seed and fertilizer as well as training in better planting methods, Our team member, Ric Shallow, also obtained 12 pounds of donated seeds to bring over to create a more diverse and unique vegetable crop for the members to sell in the market. Throughout the next year we will continue to correspond with the Boscovet Project and help in any way we can until our team returns next January. Many times we are asked why we don't just send the money over that it costs to make these trips. It is an easy question to answer once you have been on one of these mission trips. Far more important than the money are the personal relationships you develop with people halfway around the world giving them encouragement and empowerment through a hand up and not a hand out. It takes more than one visit for that to happen. Only then can sustainable development take place. That is what we are all trying to do in our own small way in this remote corner of the world. After all, in trying to save us all, God didn't send money or a check - he sent his Son. However, prayers and donations to the Boscovet Project are appreciated and accepted in any amount and with any frequency. Be assured that 100% of your donation will go towards the project's various initiatives - wells, microfinance, finishing the church/school, school materials, gutters and cisterns for new member homes and other various project outreach.
