Kids Across Cultures

Three Miles of Pipe=Clean Water

dave — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 22:38:55 +0000

A team of 10 is headed to the far reaches of SW China early March 4 in hopes of bringing clean water to two Hani villages. It is going to be a big, or rather looooooong project, as over 3 miles of pipe will be laid. It’s great that we will have the help of may village men. In addition, educational clinics promoting basic hygiene and health care practices will also take place. Several hundred toothbrushes will be distributed along the way. After all, what’s clean water without clean teeth! We’ll update you on how goes. Thanks for your support that makes going, befriending, and helping possible.

Plenty of Help & Heat in Zanzibar

dave — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 22:30:20 +0000

The fact that there hasn’t been electricity on the island of Zanzibar the last three months, hasn’t stopped KAC from helping those in need. Our Executive Director at KAC made the trip a couple of weeks ago, and was excited to see the extent of work done on the island. Fukuchani, a village where an extensive malaria prevention campaign was undertaken in 2008, is still reporting no known cases of malaria in their village since that time. It was exciting to see the total utilization of the 3000+ mosquito nets distributed. It has made the difference! The village of Shakani also expressed gratitude for the net distribution that took place in their village at the end of 2009. Again, no reports of malaria since that time!

KAC is also undertaking several projects involving severely handicapped children. These children are often forgotten by all but immediate family. We are working with these children to provide practical helps to improve their quality of life, provide support to the family, and just be a friend.

It was nice to find the occasional cold Stoney Tangawezi (local ginger ale), and we hope the electricity returns soon. For the team on the ground…think cool!

Into the Copper Canyon

dave — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:20:29 +0000

Two of us from KAC along with three other partners made the long and arduous drive and trek into Mexico’s Copper Canyon just before Christmas to assess some of the village needs of Tarahumara we have sought to relate to in the past. Sorry for not being able to give the “feel good post” of the year, but it was hard to be encouraged. On top of all the other struggles that the Tarahumara Indian and their culture face, the drug trade has flooded their remote villages. Taking their land in exchange for $5 a day, has many Tarahumarans abandoning the planting of their own crops to tend to the cultivation of some drug lord’s marijuana. The dynamics of this development threatens the Tarahumara on many fronts. We are hopeful of placing personnel in Mexico and continuing to work alongside other partners to give the Tarahumara choices that will enhance life and not invade, threaten, and erode.

A Fresh Look!

dave — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:43:24 +0000

Creating change in the lives of kids is what we’re most passionate about at KAC, but change doesn’t stop there.With the launch of our updated website, we hope to expose, mobilize and educate in ways we haven’t before. We think you’ll like the change. Check it out and let us hear what you think. We encourage you to post KAC on your facebook page, and help get the word out about KAC. Special thanks to our friends at Three Stream Web design. These guys do great work and are all about KAC causes.

Clean Water & Old Friends

michelle — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:41:39 +0000

This month found us in a very remote area of Southwest Yunnan. We went to a little village where we’ve been before, with the objective of repairing a water spring we had tapped a couple of years ago. We are trying to maximize the amount of drinkable water to the village so that there is enough water for them year around.

It was a great time reuniting with the village and as always we feel at home with these old friends. We had several of the village men working with us, even though many villagers were busy harvesting rice and wheat crops. It was great to reconnect with these folks and to see how our community development efforts have made such a difference. It is really their efforts that have made the biggest difference. They continue to make their village a better place for their children by encouraging them to be healthy and to get an education. The closest school is about 4 KM away, but the kids gladly make the daily hike.

Over the last three years we have helped to provide clean accessible drinking water, provide basic health care training and assist with development strategies for the village. Our goals for the near future are to continue giving nutritional training to young mothers and children. We also are hoping to begin some micro enterprise opportunities for the village in order to help raise their income to a more reasonable level.