Christmas 2008 Newsletter

News from Doublejoy

Our dear friends,

Get warm greetings from all of us here hoping that you are all fine. Here at Double Joy all is well.

Despite the fact that we started the year very badly due to political unrest in our country, God has been very gracious to us. Our children are in their 3rd term in school and many of them are doing their final national exams this year. Two boys started their form four national exams on 21.10.08 which will run into the month of November. Twelve of our Polytechnic children are also due for their Trade Test national exams in December this year. Also due for end of Primary school national exams in November are 14 of our children who are in standard 8 at the moment. We all hope that all our candidates will do well in their national exams.

We wish to thank you all once again for your generous donations to our institution. It is because of your generosity that we have been able to provide all our orphaned children with education and all basic human needs which otherwise would have been impossible. Thank you very much indeed.

May God grant you peace and showers of blessings. 

With lots of love and gratitude from all of us here.

From Stephen Onyang' - Manager Double Joy

Visitors’ News

I visited Double Joy in late May/early June this year. After the post-election violence at the beginning of the year I was keen to see how things were. It was a great a relief to see that Kisumu, the nearest city to DJ, was largely back on its feet again except for a scattering of burnt out buildings that remained empty shells. The tenacity and resilience of people I met was truly inspiring.

However, valuable supplies had been destroyed leaving maize, the main food crop, in scarce supply and double the cost and the cost of fuel up by 50%.

Despite such a tough start to the year, I found the morale at Double Joy high. The staff were working well together and the children seemed secure and settled. 

Football Fever has taken root and all the children at DJ from the small tots to the older girls and boys are now spending all their Games time playing football. As Rose Adhiambo, one of older girls said, “When we play football we pretend that we are international players from different teams.”

I was also keen to explore how confident people felt about the future of DJ, when Mary Hinde (Mum) is no longer able to oversee things. A positive development is that Double Joy Children’s Farm now has a local team of trustees who hold influential positions in the community. They are very keen for it to continue to thrive. This, combined with the cohesive teamwork of staff on the ground, and the close links with trustees and friends in UK should, we hope, ensure the long-term future of DJ. 

Chrissie Hinde

Young and Old Suffer

Rose Adhiambo was admitted to Double Joy on 1 August 1998, at the age of 5, together with her brother Stephen aged 8. Their father had died in 1994 and their mother in 1995. When their parents died, Rose and Stephen, were left in the care of their paternal grandmother, who was herself frail and elderly, barely able to care for herself.

Rose, Stephen and their Gran were all left in need when the lives of the generation in between were taken by AIDS.

The Christian Foundation for Children and Aging, used a building at the bottom of the Double Joy games field to meet needy people from around, especially the elderly, and listen to their problems, discuss the solution and take action to end the suffering. It was a place of blessing. 

In June, the funding for this office was removed in cutbacks and staff moved to an office 20 miles away, leaving many frail, elderly people without help.

Mary Hinde, founder of Double Joy, is acutely aware of the suffering this loss has caused and feels that she has been called by God to respond to the need. She’s drawn up plans to convert the building into an old people’s home.

Such a venture is not part of the charitable objects of FODJ, which exists solely for benefit of the children. If you’d like to know more about Mary’s proposal and possibly support it, please contact: 

Eric Roseden
24 Knowe Hill Crescent
Lancaster LA1 4JY
Email: ericroseden@yahoo.co.uk

Note: Donations to FODJ cannot be directed for this purpose.

Gifts

Only send books please! At this time of year, as we buy gifts for family and friends at home, our thoughts go out to the Double Joy family too and we may consider sending gifts there. Please be aware that any gifts you send to Double Joy will incur duty and actually cost them money to receive.

The one exception is books, which are duty free and can be sent by sea at a special rate for printed material.

Trustee News

The FODJ trustees and family members have just returned from a (self-funded) weekend at Rookhow in South Cumbria, looking at Double Joy matters in more detail than our twice yearly meetings allow and working together on some tasks. Chrissie and Eric brought us up to date on happenings in Kenya, Eric showed slides and video clips and we had our trustee meeting.

We also enjoyed a lovely walk in the autumn sunshine, fun and games in the woods with trustees’ children and some delicious food. All in all, it was a lovely weekend and I was inspired by the energy, skills and experience my fellow trustees bring to FODJ.

Wendy Pattinson

Fit for Fundraising!

Thank you to the people who go to the ‘Exercise and Dance for the over 50s class at Barton Road Community Centre in Lancaster. They collected £178 last term and have collected £136 to date this term. Well done! 

Pauline

Supporters’ News Please! 

As I send out this newsletter, I know it goes to our supporters all over the UK, and even to a few abroad. Your support for Double Joy, by making donations or running events, raises enough money to cover most of DJ’s costs, supporting 90 children, staff and polytechnic students.

I’d love to include more news from more supporters, about fundraising events and activities as these can inspire us all. I’d also like to include more supporter profiles. So please share your inspiration!

Wendy Pattinson
9 Colchester Avenue
Lancaster LA1 4AX
Email: wpattinson@yahoo.co.uk (Any time, but 30th April for summer edition please.)

Gifts

Donation Cards

The cards feature one of three delightful photos. They’re blank inside for your message, with information about Double Joy on the back. Please send your donation payable to FODJ, to Pauline Brennan, 25 Watery Lane, Lancaster, LA1 2SQ 

Bead Ear-rings

Bead Ear-rings in a variety of colours and styles, made by Roisin Brennan. Examples are shown on the website. Email: brenfamp@hotmail.co.uk. Tel: 01524 845495.

Hand-made Silver Jewellery

Mary Stone makes silver brooches, pendants and ear-rings and sells them in aid of Double Joy. All profit, at least 50% of the price, goes to FODJ. To order, or obtain a flyer with more designs, contact Mary Stone, 23 Priory Crescent, Kents Bank, Grange-over-Sands, LA11 7BL, Tel. 01539 534443.

Tree Pendant £16	Children Brooch £16	Celtic Pendant £16

Charity Flowers and Chocolates

This company will send flowers or chocolates, together with a brief message. You can buy with a credit/debit card over the phone and choose FODJ from the list of charities registered with the site, to receive 15% of the order price. The flowers, starting at £14:99 are dispatched from Guernsey, packed in a box, and arrive in good condition. Chocolates start at £12:99.

Call: 0870 5300 600, or order on-line at www.charityflowers.co.uk

STOP PRESS! Son of Kenyan Elected President of USA

As news comes in that Barack Obama has been elected president of the USA, there’s widespread rejoicing in Kenya and a public holiday has been declared. Obama’s father is from Kogelo, near Double Joy and celebrations are taking place in the streets of Kisumu.

Treasurer’s Thanks

We are especially thankful to all of you who have started or increased Standing Orders this year as this helps us to budget for the ongoing costs at DJ. Please contact me if you’d like to support DJ via standing order, however small.

I’ll give a fuller account of our finances in the next newsletter. 

Chrissie Hinde
FODJ
66 Sydney Road
Sheffield, S6 3GH
Tel: 0114 221 4377 
Email: chrissiehinde@onetel.com

Supporter Profile

The Brennan family have been Double Joy supporters for several years and Pauline became a trustee in 2006.

I became interested in Double Joy when my two girls started writing to the children. We kept the letters and made notes of their interests so as to have something to write about. It isn't always easy to know what to write - it made us think a lot. The letter that made most impression was early on when we were told by a child that they now had a cow and would soon have milk.

We wanted to help in some way and organised some sales at Lancaster Friends Meeting House - this was easy to do as Lancaster Friends supported Double Joy. I also make greetings cards with my younger daughter Heather, which are sold at Lancaster Friends Meeting and at Single Step.

My husband Tom mentioned Double Joy to a friend at work and was told to apply to the post Office Social Club which was looking for charities to donate access funds to. He got a donation sent. 

My older daughter Roisin makes jewellery and has just organised a fair trade fashion show at Lancaster and Morecambe College where she had a display and raffle for Double Joy.

I found it a great privilege to be asked to serve as a trustee. 

Pauline Brennan.