The Poultry Project...and the Inadequacy of Canada Post

So it's been a while...and honestly with good reason.  I kept hoping to come back with some fantastic news, or great pictures to display of the projects I've been working on...but really, I have little of that.  The good news is that because of the money raised in the past months, a water tank project was finished successfully in Selena's village.  Hiring locals, and using volunteers, a cement platform was built next to an existing building in the village, eaves trough were installed, and a 5000 litre tank was set up to collect rain water during the rainy seasons.  This will provide much needed clean water for the village.  Really great news!  The bad news, despite efforts, I still have no visual proof of the project for your viewing, or mine.  Really frustrating actually.  But, Selena's daughter has been out to the village, has seen the project, and has assured me that it is complete, and that the villagers are very happy with the outcome.  Now if only it would rain...
And now for the not so good news...
The two boxes of sporting equipment I sent to Al-Huda Primary School via Canada Post have still not arrived.  They said it would take 3-6 weeks...and I sent them on March 19th so you would think (nearly 5 months later) they would be there.  But no.  And when I put in an official inquiry, their response was, "An agent will contact you in 60-90 days."  "Will contact you"...not, will have tracked down and delivered the packages, just "contact" me.  And guess who went on strike 3 days later?  So I received a letter in the mail today, stating that "Sarah from Kenya"...says that it takes "3-6 MONTHS for a ground package to be delivered from Canada to Kenya".  Well... I'm so glad that Canada Post has insider information from people like "Sarah from Kenya".  Now I can rest easy!  So now Canada Post will only let me make another inquiry after September 2011, because of the new 3-6 month timeline they are now allowing for.  Fantastic.  Because if I knew it was going to take 6 months, I would have taken my chances, strapped the packages to a blind, one-legged monkey, pointed him in the general direction of Kenya, and he probably still would have gotten the packages there before Canada Post... Are you picking up on the bitter sarcasm?  'cause I'm laying it on pretty thick.  Moving on...
So I am developing a new project for Al-Huda Primary School.  (Thanks to my sister Dana, who came up with the fantastic idea in the first place.)  The goal is to build and run a small poultry farm at the school.  The students will learn and be a part of raising and selling the chickens and/or eggs as a part of the school curriculum.  This has the potential to provide the school with money to build a sustainable farm, provide food for the children and their families, as well as giving students relevant training and skills for future use.  I have the Principal of Al-Huda, Ahamed Musa, as well as Lucy (a teacher at the school) working with me on this one to make this project sustainable and successful.  The initial projections for the cost was around $6000 CAD, but I have asked Mr. Musa and Lucy if we can begin on a smaller scale, so we can raise the money and begin the project sooner.  I have approx. $1200 still in the Collecting 4 Kenya fund, so at least that's a start.  But once again I am calling on all of you for help.  Bottles, cans, any beverage container...I will come and pick them up from you!  I will also be accepting cash donations for the project, realizing that it would take a collection of 48,000 small beverage containers to make up what I lack in funds. That could take longer to collect than it takes Canada Post to deliver a package!
It is important to me that this project gets put into action quickly.  The famine in East Africa is affecting millions, Kenya included.  I ache for these people, and hope that this can in some way, help at least some.  Sustainability is the key, and I think this poultry project has the potential to help not only the nearly 1000 students at the school, but their families (present and future) and potentially the whole town of Kajiado.  Let's do something guys!