In the picture, below, are from left to right:
Pat Lockhart of the Boimah Cooper Fund assisting children in Liberia, www.boimah.com. In front is Pat’s daughter, a native of Liberia, Latta. Please read this heart warming story and see the work Pat does.
Irene Kabot of Wells of Love and Hope, www.wellsofloveandhope.org working in coordination with Honorable Agnes Ndetei(not in photo), building wells and planting trees in the drought effect regions of Kibwezi, Kenya
Dena Florczyk, founder of the Nigerian School Project. At www.nigerianschoolproject.org you can see the wonderful work Dena has done building 5 schools and more.

All these people are committed to helping the people in Africa, especially the orphaned children. Go to any of these non-for-profit sites and contribute to help the earth and her children who suffer in Liberia, Tanzania, Nigeria or Kenya. Clothing, other supplies and monetary donation may be accepted, please visit each site for more specific information.

If you area project founder or member and would like to share your story and get support, become a member of the African Peace Coalition by emailing Irene@wellsofloveandhope.org .
Feel free to share all of this information.

Lberia, Kenya, Nigeria and Tanzania represented

The beautiful Pelham/Split Rock Golf Club, located at 870 Shore Road, Bronx, NY was alive in festive seasonal colors and decorations. The hearts of everyone present were wide open to enjoy the music, food and dancing, lead by our own “Rockin’” Mike Sgobbo. Shoes were plied high so the participant could get all they could by freeing their little feet.
Good conversation and hope abound.
Yet, the most impressive occurance was, by far, the undivided attention the children gave to the video of the Ward Student Council singing Mrs. De Groats “Kenyan Song” …with Wells of Love and Hope dig the wells for Life… and footage of our brothers and sisters and their lifestyle in their school and villages in the Kibwezi region of Kenya.

It was all very inspirational and given a special boost of intent when our New Rochelle Superintendent of Schools, Richard Organisciak christened this celebration as the”First Annual Family Banquet”.

Donations from this dinner and the fund raising of the High School Students of Our Lady of Good Counsel in White Plains, NY has brought us the ability to build a third well!

click on the DONATION button to participate in the good being done here!

The 2nd well will require a special water pump which costs about $500. It will be used to irrigate over 10 acres of farm land where our trees are planted. 400 trees cannot be watered by hand. Agnes expects completion of this well by March 2010.

I am so exited!!! I want to show you all the good that you have done in your generosity, so my daughter Laurie (age 22) and I will be going back to visit Agnes this summer. Any support you can give us will be most greatly appreciated and perfectly utilized. Each ticket cost $1,200 right now. My ticket cost $1,800 back in 2008 but I was blessed with a $1,000 contribution form a very generous Ward parent and others.
When you donate for the trip please state it so I can use the money as intended. I do not take money earmarked for wells or trees for my trip to Kenya.
The interface with the people and the video of our projects are very important to keep the project alive.

WE ARE THEIR HOPE! YOU ARE THEIR HOPE!
Asante Sana! Thank you very much!

Thursday, Dec 17th 4-7pm
Cocktail Hour and Full Buffet Dinner
music, dancing, sing along
$42 per person
click on the DONATION button to pay online

All Children must be accompanied by an Adult

BUCKETS OF LOVE AND HOPE are being brought up every day by the students, teachers and local villagers around the Utini primary School. The first water well of William B. Ward Elementary School is real!

Tuesday, March 31 was Agnes Ndetei’s birthday, and when I called her that morning, to convey my very best wishes, she gave me the most wonderful gift. “The well is bringing up 50 gallons of water a day”, she said. “What?” I said, thinking I had a bad connection. “The well… at Utini… we hit water”, she said. I cried. (duh)

I couldn’t speak but I could think (barely) and my brain said, IT”S REAL!!! IT”S REALLY REAL”!
We did it. We brought them water. OMG!

It’s only 1 well and they need so much more but it is making a real difference in their lives. Thank you God!
And thank you, all the loving people who have made this REAL!

The well needs to be dug deeper than it’s present 22ft. to become a sustainable water supply. Then it will be tested for health standards. There are no contaminants from industry and it is so much cleaner that the stagnant supply they are using now but it will be tested and a filter will be added if necessary. Then capped to keep out animals and debris. Then the pump will be added for more efficient drawing.

I expect it will be a free flowing water supply by the time I see it in August. Don’t worry I’ll show you the pics when I get back.
Asante sana! Thank you very much!

So? You say. No big deal you say. Until you live without it.
Wash you hands in ice cold water; the rush you feel is one of deep resentment because you have been made uncomfortable by the inconsiderate lack of warm water. And you deserve what you have always had, warm water!
Now go the sink and get no water, not cold, not hot, not even murky. NADA, nothing, zilch. What level of resentment will you be dealing with then? And you know what?  There’s no water tomorrow either. Or the day after that. Or the day after that.
Don’t want to go there do you?
Me, either.

Well I don’t have that problem, you say.  No thank God, you do not. But others do, others just as worthy of a water supply as you are, as we are, as I am. It’s water! For Goodness’s sake. Why don’t we all have water!

We have the opportunity to give that gift, that right of water to others; easily, to the whole world. If we, as a nation of individuals, pooled our resources for just one day we could bring water equity to the planet.

This has been the goal of the United Nations since 2005 when then clean water initiative was undertaken. Clean water everywhere by 2015.

We are far behind, but we don’t need to be.
Give the gift of water today! Go to the UN World Water Day site or donate here at Wells of Love and Hope.
If you can’t pour someone a glass of water then send them a buck so they can pour their own. Send more if you are so guided, but do something. It’s water for Goodness’s sake!

Responsibility is the ability to respond.
Thank you,
Irene

On Friday Jan. 30,  at the conference for teachers called (CTAUN) Committee on Teaching About the United Nations, Ms. Irene Kabot received for William B. Ward Elementary School the “Best Practices Award” for their Wells of Love and Hope peace project. (in picture, Phyllis Hickey left, presenting award to Ms. Irene Kabot on right)

I got back to the conference room after lunch and didn’t see Phyllis (the Best Practices director). I sat down in the auditorium and very soon noticed that she and others were on the dais. On THE dais? At the UN? Oh, my…and I was late.

They started speaking and I scooted over to the side with our Administrative Assistant Cynthia Barr-Pfeffer. Then when there seemed to be a break I walked up to Ann Marie Carlson (director of CTAUN) and pointed to myself and then the dais to ask “Do I belong up there?” she nodded yes and I sheepishly walked up, sat at the dais and very nervously awaited my turn.
I had two minutes to tell 800 of my peers, of all the good the children, teachers, parents, friends and staff have done over the one year that the Wells of Love and Hope Project has been active.
All I remember is muttering something about Children Helping Children. Rotary. Magic tricks. And What have you done with Justin? Then I was given the very lovely Award certificate and it seemed many teachers complimented me on my enthusiasm as I walked back to my seat, shakily and very thirsty for some water.
I do remember showing them our new T-shirts, wrist bands and telling them that we are digging a well, planting tees and writing letters to the children at the at Utini Primary school. I do remember getting a note from Phyllis reminding me that I was running over my two minutes.
I wanted to tell them of all the love and compassion and generosity the Ward community has shown the people of Kibwezi; children and adults they have never met.
I am so proud of all of us at William B. Ward. I hope it showed.
Watch my speech at he CTAUN conference and see for yourself.
With much peace and love,
Irene Kabot

The 55 member student council, moderated by our Asst. prin.  John Fogliano,  has not only re-adopted Wells of Love and Hope for their Peace Project this year but the incoming Student Council president, Sammy Stone, ran his campaign on building another well in Kenya.

I finally met with the student council to explain more of the wells project to them and once again was met and uplifted by the joyful enthusiasm of  ” young hearts doing good”.  They are ready to make posters, hold bake sales and this year due to the drive of the new president we will be selling Wells of Love and Hope wrist bands.

Yes, Sammy Stone was proud to announce that his grandfather was donating all the wristband we could sell for our Ward School Project Peace: Wells of Love and Hope.  We decided to go with two different colors: blue for water/wells and gold/yellow for Hope.

Now I am jumping on board and have completed the Kenya Movie from my trip this August to show the children next week.

Also the T shirt logo contest winners are in and the winning logos are being prepared.  One for “Wells of Love and Hope” and one for “Seedling for Sustainability”, our tree planting project.  We expect to sell many of them after the presentation next week and after the evening performance fund raiser.

Date of he evening fund raiser TBA.

Irene Kabot

When we had our African Cook Out on June 21st, it was just a segue into my plans for my trip to Kenya in August, especially since half my trip had just been funded by a very generous parent!

I spoke to Agnes, Anele, and Maluki. I sought out advice from a teacher in Staten Island who had been to Liberia on  a cause of her own. Great story see www.Boimah.com. And I generally kept in the swing of Wells and Kenya.  The week I returned, I presented our Peace Project pictures to a local New Rochelle assisted Living residence of Willow Towers… and so on.

The point being, I never stopped to see the end and the beginning that everyone else saw.  I jumped right into September with running start, never acknowledging the accomplishments of the past school season. I apologize!

THANK YOU!            THANK YOU!         THANK YOU!    ASANTE SANA!  (which means Thank You Very Much)

This week at Ward School we are placing a huge sheet of brown rolled paper on the bulletin board outside the auditorium with the help of one of our art teachers, Ms. Patti Kenny. All who have contributed in any way will be invited to sign the Thank You Note!

Sometimes you need to take a deep breathe and appreciate where you are!

Last year at this time we had just accepted the Wells of Love and Hope as our Ward School Project Peace for 2007-08 and now we are digging a well, planting trees and writing to our Peace Pals.

I am planning to add a scroll to the website so anyone who contributes can sign in and be recognized.  I will speak to my gifted “Tech” Suzanne owner of www.vassistantsvcs.com, with whom I have been blessed!

THANK YOU ALL!

22 members of the Ward School community have jumped on board to plant mango seedlings in Kenya. Planting trees in the deforested areas of the world like Kibwezi in Kenya, Africa can slowly but surely reestablish some balance in the ecology in the local area and the world.

8 year old Justin touted ” When one part of the world is struggling and out of balance, the whole world is struggling and out of balance and we need to fix it!”

$20 will buy a seedling and send motivational school supplies to the seedlings’ student guardian.  Agnes or someone she trains will check on the “health” of the seedling and reward the caretaker with a school supply.

Wells provide local water supply, for general health improvement and greater  opportunity for children to go to school. Then water supply for plants and animals to reestablish ecologic and economic balance.

See the United Nations Millennium Development Goals www.UN.org and note that this Wells of Love and Hope project addresses 7 out of 8 of the MDGs.