Dear Ron,i have been getting difficulties in finding your posts but all over sudden i have know how to go about it.Seen your plan attached and its good.However i would like to take the part of future Funding with the help of my Facilitator and the community of Matopeni.Ildiko what do you think?Also about the Building preparation i wish we had and Engineer among us.Its unfortunate that the only one we had is not responding to my emails.May be if we could contact Rafael to do this for us.
Hi Estelle,i visited the Salvation Army church at their Headquarter here in Nairobi and they told me to wait until they call me.May be they will donate to us.
Thanking you in advance,
Stephen.
I do hope you are well - as are all the children you are doing so much for, so heroically. Do you not think, Stephen, that it might very well be, that the students of the faculties of architecture and engineering, at Kenyatta University, might welcome the opportunity, to help those less fortunate than themselves - and contribute their knowledge and skills, to enable us complete Matopeni's classroom building project?
It would be a marvelous opportunity for them to do some practical work too, I should imagine. I'd be happy to draft a letter (which, naturally, other neighbours could also help improve: should they so wish!), which you could then take along, to the deans of the two faculties. What do you think? Regards to all our neighbours! And may today, and the rest of the week, be full of positive outcomes, for us all.
Thank you very much brother Kofi.I know the students will help us a great deal should they accept to work on our project.Drafting a letter will be a good idea so that ican take it to them,
Stephen
Do have a look at this draft - to which other neighbours could also add their ideas. It is meant for both the engineering and architecture faculties - so just write one for each faculty! Please fill in the gaps, where needed. And dont forget to add a date when you finally write it!
The Dean,
Faculty of Architecture,
Kenyatta University,
Nairobi.
Dear Dean
Re: Assistance For Matopeni School Building Project
We are writing to seek your assistance, for a classroom building, which the .......of Matopeni, is planning to put up - to enable more of the orphaned children in the community, attend school.
Luckily for us, our proposed building project, has been adopted by an online volunteer organisation, which is headquatered in the Netherlands, www.nabuur.com - and volunteers from all over the world, are assisting us, to ensure that the project succeeds.
We believe that the online platform, offers your faculty the opportunity, to showcase what is a true centre of excellence, in African academia - your faculty, Dean. The project will provide your undergraduates the opportunity to undertake practical work, in addition to their theoretical studies.
There have been instances of students of faculties of architecture from various European universities, volunteering to take part in www.nabuur.com building projects, in Africa. Perhaps, the participation in our project, by your faculty, could even lead to students from EU universities, deciding to establish exchange programmes, between their faculties and yours, Dean.
Would you be willing to partner our community, both on the ground in Matopeni, and our larger virtual community, www.nabuur.com? Please share this with your colleagues and students - and do let us know if we can count on your faculty, to assist us, going forward. Thank you in advance, Dean. We will end here and look forward to a positive response from you soon!
Best wishes,
Stephen Okwaro
(Local Representative,Matopeni/Nabuur.com)
May I propose that we get the Dean's name and then use it in the address and salutation. For example Dear Dean Okara.
It makes the letter look less like a 'mail circular' and more individual, in my opinion.
Also I am not sure that having Dean in every one of the last three paragraphs is neccessary. Once is good but more than makes the letter a bit repetitive.
Otherwise it is a good letter in my opinion.
Ron.
ps Don't forget your own address so he/she can reply!
Brilliant thinking - please complete it for Steven. As someone used to meeting daily deadlines for the submission of articles, before newspapers go to bed, I simply cannot abide the fact that most tasks, on our otherwise excellent online volunteer platform, take forever, to be completed.
So please complete it for Stephen - who I am sure will get the names of the two deans of the respective faculties: and hand-deliver the letters. Then we can all say we have completed yet another task - and congratulate ourselves!
Best wishes,
Kofi.
PS May I know your adoring canine friend's name? He or she can't take his/her eyes off you. Aren't they marvelous - so different from most humans: loyal and always faithful to one!
Thank you Kofi for the excellent letter! And Ron, I agree with your changes that we better use Dean's whole name and that "Dean" isn't necessary in the last three paragraphs. Otherwise the letter is just splended! It is completed to send.
Just to let you know that I am still a neighbour of Matopeni village. A few minutes ago, as I was in the process of removing the Nigerian village, Mgbala Agwa, from the list of villages, which I am a member of, I inadvertently removed Matopeni, instead!
But I am still very much a neighbour of Matopeni - so if you notice that my name has been 'removed' from the list of neighbours of Matopeni, you know why - and should disregard it!
Hello,Ron,Kofi,Ildiko and all,
Happy to see the letter Kofi has drafted it looks very good i will be getting intouch with the Kenyata University management soon of course i will update you once am done.
Good work
Stephen.
I gather you are in Western Kenya at the moment, with your family. I am pleased you can be with them, for a change - they must miss you terribly, I guess. All my own children and grandchildren, live in the UK and Japan - so I know just how much one can miss one's nearest and dearest, when they live far away, from one, too!
But it would be a great help, Stephen, if you could go to the Australian High Commission, before the end of this year - so that Matopeni will be included in the list of applications for funded-projects, next year. I trust all the family (and you, of course!), are well. Take care and God bless.
A happy new year to everyone in the Team. Matopeni!http://www.nabuur.com/uploads/smil3dbd4d4e4c4f2.gif
I have being looking at the outline plan I produced an published a month or so back. It is due to start within a couple of days and I want to share a few concerns that I have with you.
I have been involved with Matopeni for about a year and a half now and we have not laid a single stone. This is, I know not for a lack of will, but for a lack of money! We have to raise the money or provide a work-around. Our success will only come if we ALL agree to the plan and actively work at it. If we do not, we will be sat here next new year still without a stone laid!.
Does everyone agree that the plan is achievable? It is enclosed below. Please take a look. We have to start in just 2 days time so please make certain you ALL agree with it. Tell Ildiko or Stephen Yes I agree, or No I do not agree. There should be at least 20 responses.
Next thing please look at the initials after the activities bars and you can see that the only allocated resource so far is Jacqueline (JC). That means she has to do all the fundraising by herself? I do not think that is at all reasonable, she needs help so Who is going to help her? Names to me please and I will add them to the plan. Remember we have to raise many 1000's within weeks if this school is to become a reality and not just a dream. (Jacqueline please contact me with regards to fund raising milestones in the plan.)
We have 20 members listed in the 'our neighbours' section and we have many activities that have not been allocated resources. In our words nothing is going to happen because no-one has accepted the responsibility for it! So what are You going to do? What activity are you going to put your name against? Names to me please and I will add them to the plan. This needs to be done now when you read this - not next week.
No Names = No Progress is possible on the activity.
Named Resource = Somebody is accountable for the activity and has to deliver.
We need to re-energize this project as at the moment it is just drifting along and not being driven. Remember when the plan has a Resource name against each activity and that has to happen within 2 days, the clock on the plan will start running!
I will be tracking progress and reporting back when we slip or fail, that is my job as project manager. Some of you might recall I will not hesitate to point out when we are at fault.
OK folks are we going to really do something this year or just write about? Are you up for a challenge or is this just a talking shop?
I can, and will do, the PM bits but others with other skills have to get moving, give me there names to be added to the plan, and then we can start 2008 at full throttle.
you probably follow the news. It was general elections in Kenya on 27th December. The results are not really clear yet and as you know the situation is very unsecure in the country right now. There are demonstrations and fights in many plays. I have received very bad news from a children center in Kisumu there I have friends. It is fire on the roads, the people don't dare go out. This night the orphanage has been robbed, the watch dog died by shot, the watchman tied and taken away for several miles from the orphanage. The staff are closed together with the children in the orphanage. The supermarkets and banks are looting.
I haven't heart from Stephen yet, he should have came back to Matopeni yesterday.
We must hope that he has a safe journay back. My thoughts are with him, his family and also with our Matopeni children. Keep pray for a better end of this year and for a better future for Kenya.
Otherwise I wish you all a very Happy New Year, I wish that the school building can at least be started to build during 2008.
Stephen,
No name is given on the website. I suppose you just ask for whoever is in charge of donations.
Sincerely,
Estelle
Stephen,
Please see the enclosed .pdf
Ron.
Dear Ron,i have been getting difficulties in finding your posts but all over sudden i have know how to go about it.Seen your plan attached and its good.However i would like to take the part of future Funding with the help of my Facilitator and the community of Matopeni.Ildiko what do you think?Also about the Building preparation i wish we had and Engineer among us.Its unfortunate that the only one we had is not responding to my emails.May be if we could contact Rafael to do this for us.
Hi Estelle,i visited the Salvation Army church at their Headquarter here in Nairobi and they told me to wait until they call me.May be they will donate to us.
Thanking you in advance,
Stephen.
Hello Stephen,
I do hope you are well - as are all the children you are doing so much for, so heroically. Do you not think, Stephen, that it might very well be, that the students of the faculties of architecture and engineering, at Kenyatta University, might welcome the opportunity, to help those less fortunate than themselves - and contribute their knowledge and skills, to enable us complete Matopeni's classroom building project?
It would be a marvelous opportunity for them to do some practical work too, I should imagine. I'd be happy to draft a letter (which, naturally, other neighbours could also help improve: should they so wish!), which you could then take along, to the deans of the two faculties. What do you think? Regards to all our neighbours! And may today, and the rest of the week, be full of positive outcomes, for us all.
Best wishes,
Kofi.
Thank you very much brother Kofi.I know the students will help us a great deal should they accept to work on our project.Drafting a letter will be a good idea so that ican take it to them,
Stephen
Hello Stephen,
Do have a look at this draft - to which other neighbours could also add their ideas. It is meant for both the engineering and architecture faculties - so just write one for each faculty! Please fill in the gaps, where needed. And dont forget to add a date when you finally write it!
The Dean,
Faculty of Architecture,
Kenyatta University,
Nairobi.
Dear Dean
Re: Assistance For Matopeni School Building Project
We are writing to seek your assistance, for a classroom building, which the .......of Matopeni, is planning to put up - to enable more of the orphaned children in the community, attend school.
Luckily for us, our proposed building project, has been adopted by an online volunteer organisation, which is headquatered in the Netherlands, www.nabuur.com - and volunteers from all over the world, are assisting us, to ensure that the project succeeds.
We believe that the online platform, offers your faculty the opportunity, to showcase what is a true centre of excellence, in African academia - your faculty, Dean. The project will provide your undergraduates the opportunity to undertake practical work, in addition to their theoretical studies.
There have been instances of students of faculties of architecture from various European universities, volunteering to take part in www.nabuur.com building projects, in Africa. Perhaps, the participation in our project, by your faculty, could even lead to students from EU universities, deciding to establish exchange programmes, between their faculties and yours, Dean.
Would you be willing to partner our community, both on the ground in Matopeni, and our larger virtual community, www.nabuur.com? Please share this with your colleagues and students - and do let us know if we can count on your faculty, to assist us, going forward. Thank you in advance, Dean. We will end here and look forward to a positive response from you soon!
Best wishes,
Stephen Okwaro
(Local Representative,Matopeni/Nabuur.com)
Kofi, Stephen,
May I propose that we get the Dean's name and then use it in the address and salutation. For example Dear Dean Okara.
It makes the letter look less like a 'mail circular' and more individual, in my opinion.
Also I am not sure that having Dean in every one of the last three paragraphs is neccessary. Once is good but more than makes the letter a bit repetitive.
Otherwise it is a good letter in my opinion.
Ron.
ps Don't forget your own address so he/she can reply!
Hello Ron
Brilliant thinking - please complete it for Steven
Hello Ron,
Brilliant thinking - please complete it for Steven. As someone used to meeting daily deadlines for the submission of articles, before newspapers go to bed, I simply cannot abide the fact that most tasks, on our otherwise excellent online volunteer platform, take forever, to be completed.
So please complete it for Stephen - who I am sure will get the names of the two deans of the respective faculties: and hand-deliver the letters. Then we can all say we have completed yet another task - and congratulate ourselves!
Best wishes,
Kofi.
PS May I know your adoring canine friend's name? He or she can't take his/her eyes off you. Aren't they marvelous - so different from most humans: loyal and always faithful to one!
Dear Kofi, Ron and Stephen!
Thank you Kofi for the excellent letter! And Ron, I agree with your changes that we better use Dean's whole name and that "Dean" isn't necessary in the last three paragraphs. Otherwise the letter is just splended! It is completed to send.
Thank you for a fantastic work!
Greetings from Ildikó
Hello Stephen and Ildiko,
Just to let you know that I am still a neighbour of Matopeni village. A few minutes ago, as I was in the process of removing the Nigerian village, Mgbala Agwa, from the list of villages, which I am a member of, I inadvertently removed Matopeni, instead!
But I am still very much a neighbour of Matopeni - so if you notice that my name has been 'removed' from the list of neighbours of Matopeni, you know why - and should disregard it!
Warmest regards,
Kofi.
Hello,Ron,Kofi,Ildiko and all,
Happy to see the letter Kofi has drafted it looks very good i will be getting intouch with the Kenyata University management soon of course i will update you once am done.
Good work
Stephen.
Hello Stephen,
I gather you are in Western Kenya at the moment, with your family. I am pleased you can be with them, for a change - they must miss you terribly, I guess. All my own children and grandchildren, live in the UK and Japan - so I know just how much one can miss one's nearest and dearest, when they live far away, from one, too!
But it would be a great help, Stephen, if you could go to the Australian High Commission, before the end of this year - so that Matopeni will be included in the list of applications for funded-projects, next year. I trust all the family (and you, of course!), are well. Take care and God bless.
Warmest regards,
Kofi.
All,
A happy new year to everyone in the Team. Matopeni!http://www.nabuur.com/uploads/smil3dbd4d4e4c4f2.gif
I have being looking at the outline plan I produced an published a month or so back. It is due to start within a couple of days and I want to share a few concerns that I have with you.
I have been involved with Matopeni for about a year and a half now and we have not laid a single stone. This is, I know not for a lack of will, but for a lack of money! We have to raise the money or provide a work-around. Our success will only come if we ALL agree to the plan and actively work at it. If we do not, we will be sat here next new year still without a stone laid!.
Does everyone agree that the plan is achievable? It is enclosed below. Please take a look. We have to start in just 2 days time so please make certain you ALL agree with it. Tell Ildiko or Stephen Yes I agree, or No I do not agree. There should be at least 20 responses.
Next thing please look at the initials after the activities bars and you can see that the only allocated resource so far is Jacqueline (JC). That means she has to do all the fundraising by herself? I do not think that is at all reasonable, she needs help so Who is going to help her? Names to me please and I will add them to the plan. Remember we have to raise many 1000's within weeks if this school is to become a reality and not just a dream. (Jacqueline please contact me with regards to fund raising milestones in the plan.)
We have 20 members listed in the 'our neighbours' section and we have many activities that have not been allocated resources. In our words nothing is going to happen because no-one has accepted the responsibility for it! So what are You going to do? What activity are you going to put your name against? Names to me please and I will add them to the plan. This needs to be done now when you read this - not next week.
No Names = No Progress is possible on the activity.
Named Resource = Somebody is accountable for the activity and has to deliver.
We need to re-energize this project as at the moment it is just drifting along and not being driven. Remember when the plan has a Resource name against each activity and that has to happen within 2 days, the clock on the plan will start running!
I will be tracking progress and reporting back when we slip or fail, that is my job as project manager. Some of you might recall I will not hesitate to point out when we are at fault.
Sorry if this sounds a bit Bossy or Grumpy but those of you who know my inputs from the past will probably agree it had to be said. http://www.nabuur.com/uploads/smil3dbd4dcd7b9f4.gif
OK folks are we going to really do something this year or just write about? Are you up for a challenge or is this just a talking shop?
I can, and will do, the PM bits but others with other skills have to get moving, give me there names to be added to the plan, and then we can start 2008 at full throttle.
Best Wishes for the New Year,
Ron.
Dear Neighbours,
you probably follow the news. It was general elections in Kenya on 27th December. The results are not really clear yet and as you know the situation is very unsecure in the country right now. There are demonstrations and fights in many plays. I have received very bad news from a children center in Kisumu there I have friends. It is fire on the roads, the people don't dare go out. This night the orphanage has been robbed, the watch dog died by shot, the watchman tied and taken away for several miles from the orphanage. The staff are closed together with the children in the orphanage. The supermarkets and banks are looting.
I haven't heart from Stephen yet, he should have came back to Matopeni yesterday.
We must hope that he has a safe journay back. My thoughts are with him, his family and also with our Matopeni children. Keep pray for a better end of this year and for a better future for Kenya.
Otherwise I wish you all a very Happy New Year, I wish that the school building can at least be started to build during 2008.
Have a blessed day!
Ildikó Stormbom
Facilitator in Matopeni