Hello friends and supporters of ICO’s Bondo School Sponsorships (and Family Support) Initiative, it is again the end of yet another year that we were all able to keep supporting the children, THANK YOU! Here are some updates since our last posting in July.

The primary and secondary students had a jam packed year with an extra semester (4 instead of 3) to catch up from the COVID delays. This way, all will now start Term 1 of their next year in January, as per normal.

We now have 18 children remaining in the program. The youngest, Faith, will go into Class 6 at Wango Academy, along with her brother Samuel in Class 7, Clement in Class 7, and Mary in Class 8. This means that in 3 years time everyone will have completed primary school.

George just finished primary school with a great result of 390 out of 500, along with John Pieter with 375/500, and Sarah with 286/500. The 3 of them will now move on to Secondary School for the next 4 years and we wish them well.

Roselyn has finished second year of high school and will move on to the third year, and Sheryl is entering her final year of high school and is doing very well and hopes to do something in the medical field.

Susan finished high school and we will discuss what she wants to do next. Kerry finished high school and is starting a 4 year plumbing program in January. His brother Syprian Derick has also finished high school and is starting a 3 year community health and development program in January. Their sister Beatrice continues to do a community health and development program. Brenda also finished high school and has started a community health and development program. This is great as these kids know where they came from and what would be needed in their communities – we are grateful that they chose professions that give back.

John O. just finished his first 4 month plumbing apprenticeship and will go into his second year of plumbing.

Barack was not able to get to Baylor University in Texas due to visa problems – he and we were beyond disappointed. However, he is now starting a 6 year medical studies program at the University of Nairobi, sponsored by Jennifer. We wish him all the best.

ICO students and their families also continued to be supported as required with medical and food security costs, and some with rental costs. A water catchment system was installed at Pere’s home (mother of ICO students) for both drinking water and irrigation purposes. Two sets of bunk beds with mattresses were purchased for Karen’s family (ICO students) so that they no longer had to sleep on the floor of their small one-room rental unit. The same had been done previously for John, Brenda, and their siblings.

A water catchment system was installed at Pere’s home (mother of ICO students) for both drinking water and irrigation purposes.

Two sets of bunk beds with mattresses were purchased for Karen’s family (ICO students) so that they no longer had to sleep on the floor of their small one-room rental unit.

That’s all for now, thanks so much for your continued support in 2022! New donations are always appreciated and can be made at Donate to ICO Initiatives – InnovativeCommunities.Org Foundation. We wish you all the best for 2023 and we will provide another update mid year.

Best regards,

Jennifer and Mark
Halifax, NS
Canada