Pembe Sends a Big “THANK YOU” for His New Prosthetic Foot!

Pembe is one of Daylight’s shining stars! He is an inspiration to all the children and staff because he has overcome every obstacle life has thrown at him. Four years ago he came to Daylight only speaking his tribal language, Pokot. But right away he set his mind to learning Swahili AND became a top student in the process!

His parents and siblings still live in the village, but he was unable to live out there due to an accident as an infant that took his left foot. Unable to herd cows like his brothers, he was sent to live in the dormitories with the hope he would learn job skills.

Pembe has never allowed his disability to hold him back. He plays futbol (soccer) along with the other children. He walks shoulder to shoulder with his classmates.

But this fall Pembe began to mention that his ankle was hurting. That he was having leg pain. So Daylight rallied the funds and Pembe was fitted for a prosthetic foot.20151020_083315 (1)

He is excited and wants to say THANK YOU, ASANTI SANA!

Not just for his new foot, but for making his education possible. His parents and family are so proud of him, and they want to express their gratitude as well.

Help us Continue to Make Children’s Dreams come true. Make a Pledge for the 2016 School year!

Last year U.S. Partners gave approximately $95,000 but we need to support our Kenya Partners with $135,000 in 2016. With YOUR help Daylight can raise the additional $40,000 it takes to feed, educate and house the young leaders of Daylight School and Center…

You can make a pledge for 2016 by filling out this form online or printing it an mailing it to:
Daylight Center and School
PO Box 40533
Saint Paul, MN 55104

As you consider making a pledge for the 2016 school year, remember that you are a part of a circle, a big circle, reaching all the way around the world.

Sincerely,
Nathan Roberts
Daylight U.S. Director

Share

Kenyan Partners gave $250,000+ in bricks, time, and resources

Daylight School is a partnership between local Kenyan community and International partners. This is vital to Daylights growth and sustainability. People working together to help children.
Partnerships with Local Businesses and Community members 
A great example of this partnership is the new Girls Dormitory. Partners from Minnesota donated resources and came and roofed the dorm. Relatives of Daylight students, local businesses, and neighbors also donate hand made bricks (see the pile!) and then volunteered to help construct it. 
Each month local Kenyan supporters donate around $1,200 in corn, beans, rice and bricks. DSC_2704The local businesses give Daylight reduced rates because they believe in the work we are doing.
The Construction Delivery Truck company reduces their typical fees by $250 each month.
We have Amazing Staff!

Our 4 school cooks have children who attend Daylight! So after feeding and cleaning up 300 bowls they donate several hours each week to the school.

These hours equal $400 per month!

Many of Daylight Teachers are young people who have recently graduated college. And like the US Program Teach for America, they volunteer to help the children at Daylight at only a fraction of a usual teacher’s pay.  This passion made Daylight the #3 school in the district of 150 school.  Daylight was the only top performing school that served children who could not pay school fees.

In 2015, 15 teachers donated $15,000 in volunteer hours per month! 

DSC_2876

Daylight is also a working Farm! DSC_2551 With an eye towards sustainability Daylight’s Dan Chumba  manages several corn fields which produce over 3 tons of corn each year.

Daylight also has 5 cows. 

Daylight harvests $200 per month in corn and $50 per month in milk. DSC_2604

In 2015, local Kenyan partners, staff, and businesses donated over $250,000 in volunteer labor and in-kind donations. They believe in Daylight and they want these children to learn.

Will you Join them?

Make a Pledge for the 2016 School year!ast year U.S. Partners gave approximately $95,000 but we need to support our Kenya Partners with $135,000 in 2016. With YOUR help Daylight can raise the additional $40,000 it takes to feed, educate and house the young leaders of Daylight School and Center…

You can make a pledge for 2016 by filling out this form online or printing it an mailing it to:
Daylight Center and School
PO Box 40533
Saint Paul, MN 55104

As you consider making a pledge for the 2016 school year, remember that you are a part of a circle, a big circle, reaching all the way around the world.

Sincerely,
Nathan Roberts
Daylight U.S. Director

Share

Join Our Circle of Support in 2016

Thank you for your contributions this year to Daylight Center and School! Your gifts have helped Daylight to educate and grow the young leaders of Kenya, but Daylight continues to grow… Will you grow with Daylight?
The vision for the future of Daylight is bright. We continue to serve 400+ students, support staff, and are a pillar of hope for the community. This year we are excited to open a high school, a clinic, and finish the dorms.

These dreams are big, but we know that we can accomplish them with your help! It will take all the hard work, donations, prayers, and encouragement of our community, both in Kenya and the U.S., to support this dream in 2016.

Carmen Barker Lemay went to Daylight with Lynnhurst Church and learned a lesson about how we do this work together.

This is her story:“When I visited Daylight in July of this year, I was struck that whenever the younger children were outside, they had a very effective, and equitable, way of organizing themselves. They would grab hands and begin to chant, “Make a circle….make a big circle,” while moving forward in a circle. As others heard the chanting, they’d come running, grab a hand as the circle kept growing larger. If I, or another Lynnhurst visitor appeared, we would be drawn into the circle, sometimes with 2-3 kids holding each hand. One was never too late, too young or too old, too anything, to be in the circle.circle

When I recall the playground of my childhood I remember sides or teams, and the agony of being chosen, ideally chosen early lest you awkwardly stood there believing you’d be last chosen or worse, odd man out given a certain rigidity about equal numbers on teams. And when a game began you had to be on a side or wait until the next round, which often meant the next day. The Daylight kids showed me a different way of being. “Make a circle….make a big circle.”

Make a Pledge for the 2016 School year!
You can make a pledge for 2016 by filling out this form online or printing it an mailing it to:
Daylight Center and School
PO Box 40533
Saint Paul, MN 55104

As you consider making a pledge for the 2016 school year, remember that you are a part of a circle,  a big circle, reaching all the way around the world.

Sincerely,
Nathan Roberts
Daylight U.S. Director

Share

SUPER CUTE Pre-School Graduation Pictures & INSPIRING 8th Grade Interviews

We had an another inspiring graduation ceremony for the over 40 Pre-School students who are getting ready for 1st grade in January 2016!IMG-20151114-WA00002016 is an especially exciting new school year because our first class of Daylight students are graduating 8th grade and going on to DAYLIGHT HIGH SCHOOL!

They prepared this amazing video to tell the world about how they came to Daylight, why they love Daylight, and what they want to be when they grow up. And with these amazing role models our 1st grade class is sure to be another generation of leaders as well!

On the other side of the world there was a benefit concert to raise support for Daylight and say:congratsThank you for being a part of this global partnership and helping make students’ dreams come true.

 

Share

Daylight celebrates & mourns the passing of 13 yr old student Nancy Chepoisho

It is with a heavy heart we inform you of the death of our dear friend 13 year old Daylight student Nancy Chepoisho. 
Nancy was a warm and wonderful young woman who brought much joy to her friends, family, and classmates. She passed last week in the night, after having a slight fever before bed. It is unclear what disease caused her death, but all too often it is like that here in rural Kenya. 20151020_072759
The whole community, the staff, and children of Daylight gathered nearby to bury Nancy and pay their respects to her family. It was a beautiful time of coming together for the family and sharing stories about Nancy.
We know that the children, especially the 4th graders, are mourning her loss. Many of them have already lost so many family members and friends. Please keep the children and staff in your thoughts and prayers.  Children who have seen so much tragedy often remember other traumatic events after a death and it can be so challenging for them.
Even the angels in heaven are surely weeping for these children, but now we trust Nancy to God’s good care.
Michael Kimpur

 

Share