Final Report

September 13, 2011

To:  Donors to the Marathoning for Meru Project

Subject: Final Report

Dear Donors,

In October 2010, you generously gave your support to me and David as we participated in the Chicago Marathon and raised funds for the community service work in Meru, Kenya. We wanted to give you a brief report of how your funds impacted so many lives in Africa through the community service work of the local Adventist church.

With your collective donations, we raised $829.00, which converted to approximately 59,700 Kenya Shillings (Kshs).  With those funds, 6,300 Ksh went towards purchasing Adventist books for the prison library, including Ministry of Healing and Steps to Christ. 

Prisoners with the books purchased with your donation 

39,400 Kshs went directly to assist community members. Assistance ranged from sending a beneficiary to job training, helping others with the start-up costs for their own businesses (fruit stands, etc.), and helping with school clothing needs, food, school and medication costs. In all, 15 beneficiaries were assisted because of your generous donation. 

Pheneas Mwiti

Pheneas Mwiti, of whom I wrote to you earlier, was an individual I had particular interest in. Pheneas was in need of a wooden leg after a bad car accident.  Your collective donation of 10,000 Kshs was eventually matched by another donor, fulfilling the funds needed to purchase and fit him with a wooden leg. 

Here is a note from Pheneas:

Dear Donors,

I greatly appreciate your help, which I received through Elder Tom. I could have not made it if it were not for you. I had lost hope in life but your donation of 10,000 Kshs encouraged me a lot. At least now I will live like any other child.

Once more I thank you very much. May God bless you mightily.

Pheneas Mwiti

Pheneas with his wooden leg, made possible through your donations

Another beneficiary was Joyce Kagwiria Ntere, a mother of three children.  Joyce has faced numerous struggles in life from living with an abusive husband. She has been struggling to provide for her three children after her husband left her. Your donation provided her with the resources to start her own business of selling soy products.

Then there is Eunice Kaimuri. Your donation allowed her to pay for a study course in the secretarial field and computer training. With that training, she has secured a job at a local hotel.  Eunice comes from a family affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Her father died in 1998, leaving her mother with four children, of which Eunice is the oldest. Her mother lives off income generated by selling potatoes. Because of the low and unsteady income, Eunice was forced to drop out of school numerous times, due to the inability to pay school fees.  Your donation gave her the invaluable resource of education, debt free. 

Eunice writes:

Thank you so much for the support you granted me.

I was so pleased to receive 5000 Kshs from you through Mr. Tom Samson which indeed was used to clear my course in secretarial field and computer training.

Having adequate knowledge in computer packages (i.e. Introduction to computer, Word, Windows, Excel, Access, Power point, Page maker and Internet, E-mail) has enabled me to secure a job as a casual worker in the Meru County Hotel.

But before that, I was able to be attached to the same hotel for a period of two months through Tom Samson. During my attachment I got adequate exposure in the following areas: Housekeeping, Laundry, Front office.

Thank you very much for your support that as brought me this far.

May God bless you abundantly and those who contributed towards this project.

Yours faithfully,

Eunice Kaimuri Catherine

The Lord only knows how far-reaching the dollars you gave went in reaching souls for God’s kingdom. I know that each and every person is forever grateful for your generosity. 
Thank you for giving to a project that is near and dear to my heart. 
Thank you for investing in God’s kingdom.