CUSP 2011 Visit Updates
From Karen Claeys and Mary Rittman
Sent: Monday, August 01, 2011
Subject: Jambo!
Just a quick note to let you know that we are well and doing fine with all of our tasks. Every day is busy and very long.
We have completed all of our school visits and are moving through home visits. Today we conducted the Photo Club meeting, which went very well. We have more home visits, 2 days of fund disbursements, Kids' Club, and Academic Day. So the schedule remains busy to the end of the week.
We are well, safe, and very happy to be here. We have met many old friends and are making many new ones along the way. The weather is very cooperative - the only rain comes at night with a few periods of drizzle during the day here and there.
Many thanks for your continued prayers - we are most grateful.
Much love,
mary and karen
Sent: Wednesday, August 03, 2011
Subject: Jambo again!
Hello to everyone from Upendo Village! All continues to go well for us. On Tuesday we began meeting with parents and guardians for the monthly Fund Distribution Days; we conducted 49 meetings for 73 sponsored children. We are attempting to update our records with each person, which is a challenge due to language barriers. But everyone has expressed gratitude as best they can to us, with many handshakes and hugs and words of thanks. Today is the end of Fund Distribution as well as Kids' Club for the children who are HIV+. Tomorrow we visit the last of the homes we will see, and Friday is Academic Day, which promises to be wild! All the kids we have seen look well and are happy to see us, especially if they have met us on previous trips. Sandra is busy in the library, and she will be wrapping it up today as well. Many thanks for your support, prayers, and positive thoughts as we continue our work on your behalf- Mary
Hi everyone - I just wanted to add a note onto Mary's - We had such a wonderful time listening to the children sing today at Kid's Club. They are gaining so much knowledge about how to deal with their HIV. After a large group gathering, they breakup into age-appropriate groups. You can imagine the topics necessary for the children who are approaching their teen years, and on into high school. It is a real blessing for them to have this guidance. Sandra has been putting pockets and cards into the covers of each of the library books and stamping them with Upendo Village stamp. We can not wait to see the children's faces on Friday when they see all the newly donated books which we carried from Chicago! We are taking a million photos, and will do a newsletter and a big mailing of term reports and letters from the children when we return. We think of you all every day, and include you in the intentions in our hearts! -- you guys are the best!! Thanks for all you do for these families! - Karen
Sent: Sunday, August 07, 2011
Subject: Jambo from Amboseli!
Hello, everyone! We finished up our work at Upendo Village on Friday, which was Academic Day - the one day each term when all the sponsored kids and their guardians come for the whole day. It was too much to describe here, but we will tell you that about 250 people showed up! We have lots of photos to share when we get home. The day ended with our farewells to the Upendo staff and thanks for all their hard work to make our visit so successful.
All continues to go well for us, thanks to blessings from above and all of your supportive thoughts and prayers. We are most grateful!
Baraka (blessings) to you,
Mary and Karen
Third Annual Upendo Village Jewelry & Handcrafts Event
A benefit for Upendo Village in Kenya
The Rotary Club of Naperville & Meson Sabika proudly present an evening of tapas and sangria.
Monday, June 6, 2011
5:30pm-7:30pm
Meson Sabika
1025 Aurora Avenue
Naperville, IL
Greetings by Sister Florence, founder of Upendo Village, and Sister Francisca of Upendo Village
Upendo Village's microenterprise goods will again be available: handmade jewelry, scarves, handbags and flip flops
Reservations are suggested for this popular event. To RSVP please call 630-983-3000 ext. 2
$20 per person includes tapas and sangria
For updates check back here, follow us on twitter @UpendoVillage, or find us on Facebook Upendo Village, NFP
Sister Florence and Sister Francisca Schedule of Events
Sister Florence and Sister Francisca will be in America through May and June. Here is a list of a few up and coming opportunities to hear the Sisters speak of their life-giving mission, and interact with them. A more comprehensive list of events, and details about their visit will be posted soon.
If you have questions on any of the events, please call 630-909-6604.
Update: Robbery Recovery Project
Healing and Rebuilding Upendo Village
April 1,,2011
Hello Friends of Upendo Village! Firstly, thank you all so much for the support and prayers in the past few weeks, especially after the robbery that occurred February 22. We'd like to share some of the actions that have been taken since then.
Healing
The Sisters at the site conducted a cleansing ceremony that has helped the entire staff continue healing from the traumatic experience. Sister Francisca wrote:
Dear Friends of Upendo Village,
Greetings from the Upendo Village staff! We are grateful for the great support you have shown us, we feel loved and cared for. Thanks for the many masses and prayers done for us. We are much better now and busy in our daily activities. A million thanks to Sister Rose Marie for the beautiful suggestion of a cleansing ceremony. We had the cleansing ceremony on Monday, the 21st of March during our morning prayers as we started the week. We had a beautiful morning procession from the Hall with lighted candles, burning incense and singing hymns as we walked to the area that the intruders passed through. Where we had our first station, we read the prayer, "let us cleanse this area of the energy that doesn’t contribute to the life and mission of Upendo Village”, and read John 10:1-4. We had a short reflection and the response was, "We bring here the life and love of the divine”. After a shared petition, we walked to the second station at the Main Gate and read John 10:5, 7-9. Then we walked to the third station in the Dispensary and read John 10:11-14. Then we walked to fourth station, the convent at the entrance. Sister Florence incensed all the rooms and then the staff and read from John 10:15-18, concluding with our Lord's Prayer with joint hands. Our morning business was done there and we went to our various duties feeling joyful and healed. It was a healing experience that many shared.
Thanks again.
Sr. Francisca
Rebuilding
Improving security at Upendo Village has become a priority paralleling intense daily activities of the Village. The Robbery Recovery Project is progressing by leaps and bounds thanks to your support.
In summary, the losses and expenses totaled $37,669 which includes stolen personal items, property damage, security improvements in lieu of replacement, and heightened operating cost due to the security improvements that the Sisters and staff, with consultants have decided would serve Upendo Village best. Personal items stolen include cash, a computer with various accessories, cell phones to sustain daily operation and communication, and two digital cameras. Damage to the property included the electric fence, gate keys, several doors, windows, locks and flooring.
Due to the nature of the intrusion and the damage made, the Sister’s have chosen to make the following replacements and improvements. All of the doors in each building will be replaced with more durable and secure material and design. The Sister’s residence will now have a security system in addition to the replacement of the doors which will include motion detection, vibration sensors, remote emergency buttons, sirens and a control panel. For the site as a whole, the electric fence has been upgraded to a more sensitive trigger system and a watch dog and handler have been added to the staff. The Sisters are also taking steps towards further protecting data and valuables.
The Robbery Recovery Project proved to be a huge undertaking, but thanks to generous donations and pledges made from friends of Upendo Village, and notable generosity of those listed below, the estimated goal has been exceeded! The additional proceeds will be used to offset added ongoing operating expenses related to improved safety and security in other areas of need within Upendo Village.
Special thanks to:
Johnson & Johnson
Dr. Bartolone
The Ochylski Foundation
The Diocese of Joliet
The Franciscan Sisters of Chicago
Who can measure our depth of gratitude to all of those who have prayed for Upendo Village and have donated to the Robbery Recovery Fund! As Sister Florence says, God is good – all the time!
Peace and Blessings,
Theresa Langfield, O.S.F. (Wheaton)
Executive Director
Upendo Village
Urgent News: Break-in at Upendo Village Compound
We will continue to post updates as information comes in.
March 2,,2011
Greetings from all the members of Upendo Village
We take this opportunity to thank you for your emails , prayers , concern , care and support you have shown us during this time we are shaken up.
We thanks God we were not hurt at all. We are trying to pick up slowly though we are still busy in our activities. We are trying to encourage each other and especially when the night falls. It was a very bad experience but we thank God we are letting it go slowly and slowly while still praying for them.
We would like you to let everybody know that we are appreciating your prayers and concern.
We are doing the repairs now as we strengthen the weaker parts. We are gaining strength everyday as we recall everything that happened. We are not taking things for granted but we have seen Gods miracle in our lives. God loves us more than we can imagine.
We are still waiting for Police report.
Love and prayers,
from Sr. Florence, Sr. Agnes and Sr. Juliana
March 1, 2011
Dear friends of Upendo Village,
Greetings from Sister Florence and her staff! By now many have heard about the traumatic robbery at Upendo Village. News is reaching us gradually, so I will share what we know so far. On February 22 near midnight, a large gang of robbers breached the electrified wall that surrounds the property, bound the security guard, and invaded the convent and clinic.
Sisters Florence, Francisca, Juliana, and Agnes were each startled awake in their rooms by several armed robbers with flashlights. The Sisters were told that they would not be harmed if they handed over valuables. Thankfully, they were not harmed physically at all. Among their losses were their cell phones, cash, and Sister Florence’s laptop and back-up drive (a devastating blow). One can only imagine the Sisters’ terror, and then think about the loss of years of files, work, references, and contacts in the laptop, including Sr. Florence’s doctoral studies in Peace-making!
The Sisters, guard, and staff are in shock as they regroup, assess the extent of the damages and losses, and evaluate how to enhance their security.
The robbers also broke into the clinic. It will be costly to repair damage in the buildings and the wall, and to replace (insofar as possible) items that were taken.* However we pray in thanksgiving that all lives were spared and we are reminded of Sister Florence’s constant prayer, “God is good all the time.” She and her staff are faithfully moving on with determination to continue God’s work.
We ask for your prayers for the Sisters, staff and clients of Upendo Village. We are grateful for your care and ongoing support in too many ways to count.
Peace and blessing,
Theresa Langfield, O.S.F. (Wheaton)
Executive Director
Upendo Village
*If you wish to make a tax-deductible donation to help with repairs and replacement of losses, please click here.
February 22, 2011
We have just learned that on February 22, thieves broke in to the Upendo Village compound, ransacking the clinic and Sisters' living quarters. We've been told no one was hurt, but the monetary loss is devastating although not yet fully quantified.
Supplies were stolen from the clinic, and from the Sisters' home including cell phones and some computers. Most devastating is the loss of Sr. Florence's laptop which contains vital information regarding her work at Upendo Village as well as the research she has been engaged in most recently towards earning a Ph.D. in Peacemaking.
Worst of all, the Sisters have been traumatized by this forced intrusion into their home, which happened in the night while they slept.
The only communication device not stolen was the desktop belonging to Sr. Florence's administrative assistant, Georgina.
Of course, Upendo Village has been secured and an investigation is underway. To reassure all of our donors, please know that all U.S. donor financial information and contact records are maintained securely only in the United States. The finance records in Kenya related to operations are also intact.
Significant security systems have always been in place at the compound. Sr. Florence and her staff will undertake a thorough assessment of security and identify ways to further enhance the safety of the staff, complex, and clients of Upendo Village.
As we learn more, updates will be posted here and on our Facebook page. If you haven't already done so, please join us on Facebook using the link in the left hand column.
Please consider making a donation now to Upendo Village to aid in replacing lost equipment and supplies, to enhance security, and to make necessary repairs related to the break in. (Use the link in the left hand column to access our online donation site.)
Most importantly, please pray for healing and strength for all involved. The staff and clients of Upendo Village are truly grateful for your support.