Charles Pfeifle

Author's posts

Nov 07 2017

Joyce

Joyce and her brothers were some of the first kids at Matunda. Her mother died and her father is not able to take care of them. Her younger brother Michael, one of the youngest and longest at Matunda, actually laid the first stone of the new building, together with the founder, Fredrick Mukolwe. Their names …

Nov 05 2017

Elijah

He was a cute little guy, just turned one in September. Always busy trying out new toys – pieces of wood or plastic, hammers – anything he could find around the building site of Matunda. Always smiling, following everything, wanting to follow you, get picked up. A really likeable little guy. About two weeks ago, …

Nov 04 2017

Mitchell

One of our newest additions to Matunda is Mitchell. A shy little girl of eight, she started with us the beginning of this year, as her single mother can’t take care of her. She’s quite sociable, well-liked by the other kids, and easy to get along with. As we had a sponsor for her, she …

Nov 03 2017

A borehole

Some time ago, the World Bank financed water and sewer systems in our area. There already was access to electricity (for those who could pay for it), but water and sewer are an important part of good hygiene and disease prevention. So that’s good news, right? Sure for the sewer system; that is going well. …

Nov 01 2017

Cleaning up the neighborhood

We started this program last year and restarted again this year – cleaning up the streets of the neighborhood. (Check out the story from last year.) Inspired by a group led by several Australians, who started a large project (usually around 25 young local people working), they have been cleaning for a few years now. …

Oct 30 2017

Tour of the building

Things are finishing up here as far as the building goes. And as far as the money goes. The plumbing, roof (it’s not leaking anymore!), electrical work, and plastering are all done. The painter can now finish up his work. The outside wall is done, and it’s just some ceilings to be finished that were …

Oct 29 2017

What’s in it for me?

Why do I do this? Why do I regularly go (often with Marianne/Jo) to a country that is poor, although better than many African countries? If the government or the rich Kenyans would take of these people, I wouldn’t be needed. (This is actually true of richer countries, as well!) And there are so many poor …

Oct 24 2017

Escape from the slum

When you grow up in the slums (61% of people in Nairobi do), life is hard. No job, no schooling, no future. Unemployment is high (youth around 70 %!), as is crime, alcoholism, and child prostitution. Skills and simple, I call it common sense, isn’t developed. They learn at best basic skills for a ‘profession’ …

Oct 21 2017

Lucy

Lucy started at Matunda in 2011 together with her brothers. She went to school, was a good student and had a future in her last year of grade school (Kenyans have eight grades of primary school). We had just finished a course in sex education, among other relevant items for young people, and then …

Oct 13 2017

Anxiety in Kenya

Three people were killed again today and many injured in protests against the election board here and existing president Uhuru Kenyata. Many have been killed that since the presidential election in August. The election was orderly and correctly done according to international observers, but it seemed they didn’t look any farther than the voting centers. …