Africa bound by September.

Hello everyone!
It's been quite a while since my last update and I apologize for that. Too many things going on with the whole graduating college thing. I'll be officially done in July by the way!

So, to clue everyone in on what's going on...I'm not in Africa yet. It looks like I'll be hanging out till September. By late September, Jessica Shepley will be joining me on my journey. Dad met her at a golf tournament and realized we had a lot in common. Jessica received a journalism degree from UT just a few years ago, and expressed a desire to volunteer in Africa. We started e-mailing and she decided to come with me.

What's the plan right now? We'll be traveling around Ghana mostly, volunteering at orphanages and filming a documentary about our experience. I'm hoping to focus on water sanitation and planting gardens so the orphanages can be more self-sufficient. Water sanitation is also very important because diarhhea actually kills more people annually than HIV/AIDS and malaria combined. Bottom line, clean water is essential to good health and can save a lot of lives.

I'm really excited about the trip, but there's still a lot of work to be done. I will be viciously fundraising for the next couple of months. If you're interested in donating to the Peace & Love Project, please let me know. There is still a lot of money left to raise.

Also, contact me with any thoughts, questions or suggestions. My e-mail address is kimberly.foli@yhoo.com. Thanks everyone!

P.S. Check out the Peace & Love Project's official site here.

k.foli

Missing my kids.

It's days like today, when the sun shines a little brighter, that bring me back to that place. I can hear their laughter and feel their little hands as they run up to embrace me. "Kimba," they say excitedly. They're looking for the candy I always bring them in my purse. 

But things are different now, and their sweet faces have seen more than they let on. When I asked them about their lives, they left out the sad parts. They covered their bruises with smiles and allowed me to sleep at ease in the night. 

I know better now. And I haven't forgotten them. 

My plans now include the possibility of starting an organization for orphanage reform. I hope to return next summer to make a documentary, my first freelance project. If you're interested in helping me out with this endeavor, e-mail me. I need to raise a lot of money still. It costs $2,000 to get there. 

Not so much peace and love at the orphanage...

The e-mails have been pouring in lately, so I decided to go ahead and update everyone on what's going on at Peace and Love. The details I'm getting have been varied, so I'm not sure what exactly is going on. But from what I understand, earlier this year (late January-early February) the Peace and Love Orphanage was closed down because of abuse. They evidently had a food shortage and when some of the children were removed, it was discovered that a 6 month old baby boy was sodomized several times by an 8-year-old boy. I've also heard that some other children had been raped and the oldest victim was 18th months old. I'm quite certain that baby boy was Blessing, a fact that has caused me much grief. The children have been moved to the Kinder Paradise orphanage in Prampram, the Osu Children's Home in Osu and Beacon House in Legon.

Because of all of the things going on, I've decided to postpone my trip until next summer. This will allow me to plan accordingly with the changes as well as raise more money. If anyone has any questions or more information about this, please e-mail me at kimberly.foli@yahoo.com.

Some links to news articles about it: http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=157347

http://allafrica.com/stories/200902060813.html

peace & love,
Kimberly

An update from Adenta!

Cassie went by the orphanage a few weeks ago and took pictures for me. I thought I'd share them with my ever-so-faithful blog-readers! The photo immediately above is of Cassie and Blessing. He is getting so big! Right above that is Grace. She is getting more and more beautiful every day. In the photo at the top you can see the tile floor that your donations made possible!

My fundraiser at Leadvale Baptist Church was very successful. A big shout out to all of those who came to hear me speak and watch the film. I still have a long way to go though and have a few more fundraising ideas in mind. I am always accepting donations through the mail by the way. If you're interested in donating that way, just send a check to my address:

Kimberly Foli

2214 S. Greenwood Dr. apt 3

Johnson City, TN 37604

A few more thank-yous...Travis Brown finished the film (which I showed at Leadvale)...and it's amazing! Thank you! And also to Justin Fields who is working on a website for me right now. Once it's completed I'll be sure to post the link on here. People will be able to donate money via paypal on this site, as well as view photos and leave comments, etc.

I'm getting really excited about the return trip! If anyone has any questions, feel free to email me at kimberly.foli@yahoo.com.

Mamee.

I've had this picture of Mamee on my laptop's background for about a week now.

Her eyes are piercing, yet inviting. The words "I am fine," spoken ever so softly are under her tongue, and she is urging me to come back. Her gentle spirit encompasses everything a little girl should be. I miss her.

Fundraiser Deux

Hello again...it's been a while.  As some of you may know, I am planning on returning to Ghana late next summer, armed with a small team of people who want to help. I have an education student interested as well as a pre-med student. I was hoping so have at least one person from both of those fields so that those kids can get medical check-ups as well as help with their homework. This week I received a check for $500 and another donation worth $300. That brings me to $800...not a bad start! 

I have a lot of ideas floating around in my head about what fundraisers I would like to do around Johnson City. Benefit concert, pancake breakfast, bake sale, etc...

A flight to Ghana costs somewhere around $2,000. We still have a long way to go.

If anyone has any ideas, please let me know! 

An update from Peace and Love Orphanage.

Just wanted to let everyone know that Madame Sala e-mailed me and said that Blessing is doing great. He had some boils on his head that I was concerned about, but they are gone now. She also said that Kofi came by and installed the last of the fans, and the roofing I purchased has now been installed. No more rain coming through the living room!