The year 2003 was a great year for us here at Kids Home International. We were able to accomplish a remarkable number of goals that we had set the previous year. A lot of gratitude goes out to all the donors (Individuals & groups) that have enabled us accomplish so much in a short period of time.

Kids Home International leadership both in USA and Kenya once again demonstrated how much stretching the scant resources available can go a along way in ensuring our children have a chance to live normal productive lives. It has been a truly collaborative effort amongst churches on the ground, Local Kenyan government and the Kenyan Social Services Ministry who accorded us custody of the children who are currently in our care. With the local community embracing our mission and taking upon themselves to ensure the continual success of our programs, we can be confident as we look forward to expanding our programs to outlying areas and also bringing in more to our Kericho KHI Mercy Children’s Home .

We continue to look for your support to ensure quality living for our children. Our pledge to the community remains the same. We will not relent in efforts to provide the highest possible quality of programs and at the same time building on our current and past successes .

November 15^, 2003 was our first annual fund-raising dinner. The event was held at Hamline University. The keynote speaker for the event was former Governor Al Quie. Other featured speakers included Susan McDonald, a staff member from Senator Coleman’s office who delivered a speech on behalf of Senator Coleman, Minnesota US Senator.

Preparations are underway to establish a clinic in Kericho that would serve our children and the community as whole. We are currently working in close collaborations with Carelift International, Project CURE, and Rotary Hospital Medical Supplies for International Distribution (ROHMSID) and Allina Hospitals and Clinics to set up the clinic in Kenya. So far, we have been able to identify, and have collected some medical equipment and that would be essential in the initial stages. We do hope to have the clinic up and running by this fall.

The clinic will be equipped to handle both pediatric and adult cases. Its capabilities will be unmatched in the region and perhaps the entire country. Our mission is simple; save lives by providing highest quality healthcare possible in an efficient, safe, reliable and cost effective manner. We will achieve this objective by utilizing a combination of volunteer professionals, donated equipment and supplies and keeping costs to a minimum while not compromising quality.

As with any project, there are always costs associated with attaining stated objects. For a successful implementation of this project, we would need to ship the medical equipment from the US to our offices in Kericho, Kenya. Since the equipment is donated, the only costs would be shipping, handling and Clinic set up. We would need to raise a total of $6,000 to cover these costs. We continue to appeal to donors; groups, individuals etc. to step in and make this effort a reality. Donations can be made on-line via our website.

Kericho KHI Mercy Children’s Home opened its doors to children in the year 2003. Such a home was a welcome move in the community. They openly embraced us claiming such a home is long overdue. We opened our doors to about 20 watoto (children) and the number continues to grow as support and space become available. We do look forward for your continued support.

Two mothers cook, clean and take care of the children. The children were recently fitted with local school uniforms. That was a reason for excitement and euphoria! This experience especially taught us a number of things; that children appreciate the simplest of things. Things that you and I would not consider that important. Secondly, that we were able to put smiles on their faces was such a humbling experience for all of us. This particular example is perhaps an illustration of our mission, a mission based on hope. We all have a role to play in this effort.

This year offers new challenges, challenges that have to be met head on. Never before has there been need to encourage meaningful collaborations. As the AIDS continues to ravage Kenya and other poor countries, Kids Home International has to continue to re-assert its role in the global fight against the epidemic.

I had the rare privilege of attending a Town Hall Meeting held on April 2, 2004 hosted by The University of Minnesota Schools of Medicine and Public Health & Physicians for Human Rights .It was held at the McNamara Alumni Center. Among the speakers were:

• Ashley T.Haase, Professor of Microbiology and Professor of Medicine at the University of Minnesota.
• Joia Murkherjee, MD, MPH. Dr. Murkherjee is trained in Infectious Disease, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. She is a consultant for the World Health Organization in the areas of multi-drug resistant in tuberculosis and the use of antiretroviral therapy in poor countries. She serves on the board of the Health Action AIDS, a campaign of Physicians for Human Rights, and is on the faculty at Harvard Medical School where she teaches social medicine and infectious disease.
• The Honorable Norm Coleman, a first term Senator in the United States Congress. Senator Coleman serves as the Chairman of senate Governmental Affairs Committee. He also serves as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In his capacity he has traveled to numerous countries and Africa more recently to see first hand the destruction of African AIDS epidemic. Senator Coleman supported a major long-term initiative to combat HIV/AIDS in the African continent.

Three key points were raised; first the poverty level as a contributing factor to the growing epidemic, secondly the need for wealthy nations to contribute their fair share towards the Global fund and finally the affordability of the AIDS drugs. It emerged from the meeting also that there needs to be an increased mobilization of health professionals to engage in the fight against HIV/AIDS through training and education programs and work to stop human rights abuses, particularly gender-based discrimination, that fuels the spread of the disease. Until we all join hands in the fight, there is a whole lot of work left to be done.

Sincerely,

Eric Chesimet
Executive Director