Uniform making in progress!!!!!!!!

All photos in this blog are the exclusive copyrighted property of Nazareth House Media, a division of Nazareth House Apostolate and can not be duplicated or used without permission.

Report by James Mansaray, Freetown:

(Pictures of this post are of the beginning of the tasks of tye dying the uniforms)

As the preparation continues for the soon to be opened Nazareth House Apostolate school in Kabala, generous friends abroad have been contributing immensely to meet the 2 sets of uniforms needed for each student for the first academic year. A choice of green, white and blue representing the Sierra Leone National Flag was chosen to be the wearing attire for our precious children. To make it much easier and less expensive, we here at St. Laurence House, with the aid of Foday, a Tye Dye Specialist, we did it in our own way with the factory right at St. Laurence house and it we must say, they turned out quite well.

AS Foday was tearing off the huge pieces to yards, Kadijah was busy boiling up some hot water to mix the starch and ink. Whilst Foday was wrapping of the materials to meet the green, white and blue colour, I was busy washing the first set. With Lucy trying to dry the already processed material in the sun, Ann Marie was busy fixing lunch for us all. Simba and ROO kept messing around making it easy and fun for us all. It was a big mess at St. Laurence house for the last two days but it work out well and everybody seems to like it. Thanks to Guma Water Company for giving us enough water to do all this exercise. See pictures............

We are still in need of more donations to provide for all of our students. Thanks to you all who had contributed so far and we hope others will want to collect the rest very soon. We don't any child to be left without a uniform.

HAVE A BLESSED DAY.

James.

NHA Kabala School Uniforms

James in Freetown reports to me early this morning that he has purchased the material for some of the uniforms (as we continue to collect for the remainder - $25 buys 2 uniforms per child). He and his family are dying the material the mingled colors of the Sierra Leone Flag (blue, green & white) today. He promises pictures of this activity. We are making progress, please continue to spread the love, tell your friends, co-workers, family...invite them to be a part of this great work.

President Koroma in Kabala, Sierra Leone

Photos property of Nazareth House Media, JBM, 2008

REPORT FROM JAMES MANSARAY, FREETOWN:

As the school construction draws near to conclusion, I have been spending more time in Kabala - not only to help them finish the work but also getting the students ready, finding the right seamstress who will do the uniforms properly, and again meeting our new President in Kabala for the second time. Unfortunately, one of our contractors, Mr. Foray Kamara, happened to lose his two year old child to illness in a nearby village so I had to spend more days waiting and have the other workers continue from where he stopped.

With the windows and doors all ready, Joseph, our long gone Carpenter (he made our altar at St. Laurence House), happened to visit Kabala so he, too, now is playing his own part - doing the whole ceiling of the school as part of his own contribution - letting the other guys concentrating on final touching and maintenance on this huge structure. I promise it will be all done soon. We are all ready for it.

Since Fr. Seraphim (Hicks) and I met the then Opposition Leader and now Head of State, His Excellency Ernest Bai Koroma, a little over a year ago at the Parliament Building, I had been longing to meet him again. Fortunately for me this time, I had another chance and it happened in Kabala where Nazareth House Apostolate is building a school. He was opening a new community bank and as usual calling on all to work together to help build this nation. Speaking in our local dialect (Krio) at the Kabala Community Centre, the new President seems to be doing what Father Seraphim told him some time ago - bringing himself to the poorest of the poor. Kabala needs help like what we all have been doing and this was part of the President speech. Oh how I wish Father Seraphim was in Kabala at this particular time, but Fr. Seraphim & I look forward to greet him again in the next visit.

Thanks to you all for your relentless support and prayers while I was away. And to you, Mama Vicki, I must commend you for all the phone calls checking on my welfare. I must say this time I returned with less trouble only a bad flu, continuous fever and a few aches in my stomach. Not too sure what it is, I guess from a cup of water that I drank. Pa Foday recovering from his illness and with my presence there has more time (for him) in his farm planting rice.

Back home at St. Laurence house all seems well. ROO looks much healthy and happier than ever. This is how it should go - not only for ROO -- but for all poor kids here in Salone.

With part of uniform money in, I now start working on that project, too before the week ends. I get back to you all soon.

Once more - thanks to you all.

James.

NHA Kabala School Building Contractor loses child to malaria

Dear Friends,
I bring sad news from Kabala. I received an update today that the building Contractor of our school, Foray returned to his family this weekend to find out that his 2 year old child has died. Foray Kamara lives in a village many miles away from the NHA School building site in Kabala. He stays at the site during the week, working tirelessly constructing the school and returns home on weekends to his family. This weekend he was met with the sad, sad news. While he is tending to his child's funeral in his hometown village, a friend of ours, Joseph, the carpenter who made our altar at St. Laurence House, is offering his services free to complete the building. Please pray for Mr. Foray and his family, as well as all of those involved in working on the School.

It is my understanding from the phone call I received (reception is difficult) that the school windows and doors are completed (update July 20th: Windows done, doors almost). The ceiling is being worked on presently. I will confirm that when I receive my next report.

Please continue to ask everyone you come in contact for donations for the uniforms - we want to make sure that no child goes without a uniform. All they can say is no and you might be surprised at who says yes! It is a worthy cause...one that the results will be evident by photos of the child who received a gift from a caring donor. $25 buys two uniforms per child.

Sorry for the silence....

I apologize for the delay in updates but NHA has been very busy.

I thank you for your donations and please keep spreading the word. We must involve everyone we can in making a difference in the lives of those who have NOTHING. Those we serve in Sierra Leone are in a critical stage of need and we must do all that we can to come to their assistance. There are many souls suffering of hunger, illness and other poverty related situations -- Nazareth House is their only source of aid. I am happy to report that we have successfully obtained medications to treat internal parasites, which is a great accomplishment.

The school building in Kabala has only a few incidental construction ends to wrap up before it is totally completed. This is going on as you read this. The children are currently being measured for uniforms and we have raised enough for 85 students to be clothed so far. Less than Two hundred more to go...sigh...don't despair, we can do it! Our children at the school have so very little clothing, this is such a great gift for these children to receive as they start the new school year in a brand new building- a gift from the Nazareth House Family - all of us working together to provide. $25 provides two uniforms per child. This alleviates the child from wearing the same uniform all week long in scorching heat or in the down-pouring, mud-soaked rainy season. Each donor will receive a picture of the child in which they provided a set of uniforms. A special thank you to Addresser Based Systems in Cincinnati who donated 20 uniforms. Have you asked the Company you work for or your church, or social organization if they'd like to donate a few uniforms????

NHA welcomes the latest addition to the Nazareth House family, The Church of The Holy Comforter, Montevallo, Alabama.

Now that we have a good bit of the supplies on hand; we must personally deliver them to St. Laurence House in Freetown. Many items are being shipped, but the desperately required items must be walked in and it is now time for us to go. We are presently collecting for travel funds and on the ground "cash". On the ground cash enables us to fill a need as we happen upon it, i.e. if a family has a leaking roof, we fix it. It allows us to provide staple household goods, food and whatever the need for those in our path as we search out those living in the cracks...hidden from most humanitarian aid supply. I have found some cheaper airfares that hopefully (if we collect fast enough) we can take advantage and save a lot. Airfare has been running about $5,000 per person (fuel costs have risen, of course) but I have found much better deals if we act fast. In fact, if I had $3,500 today, I could book both of our flights and that would cover it!!!! A $6,500 difference in travel costs!!!!

I know that I am always asking for money and I apologize for that...but I must continue. Lives are at stake. For every pair of begging eyes that flash over and over in my heart, my soul and my dreams at night - I will continue. If I had a million bucks I'd do it all myself, but I don't, you don't and therefore we must all pull it together little by little - each giving as they can. The people we serve have so little and we have so much in comparison. Raising funds is the fuel of humanitarian aid. It is what makes possible the gift - a gift of hope. We can make a difference, we can change lives -together! Give today!

Nazareth House Apostolate
2216 Goldsmith Lane
Louisville, KY 40218

Can you imagine fixing dinner in the conditions as the lady in the photo above is doing??

Roo investigates

Where else but in Sierra Leone does a child receive so much joy out of getting a bottle of pediatric diarrhea medication? Roo certainly is enjoying himself!

Kabala Hospital Medicine & Supplies arrive

3 out of 4 boxes in last shipment have arrived at St. Laurence House in Freetown, Sierra Leone. In these photos above, James shows the contents which also included his Official Press Photographer vest. There are several toothpastes (thank you Jim & Glenda) to distribute as well as hospital supplies (from our doc & Eric & Aleica) that will go to Kabala as soon as possible. Our staff works hard to help those in need, everyday so I threw in some jiffy pop for the staff at St. Laurence House to enjoy and Fr. Haux sent some DVD movies. Maybe tonight they will have Popcorn and a movie!