Mogra Baby House Complete!

I would like to present to you - the result of your hard work and determination. Many people chipping in has resulted in this amazing Baby Suite, literally changing the quality of these children's lives and providing a home to many others!

Thanks to the assistance of the Linked Through Love Foundation and some super awesome people across Canada, we were able to raise over $7600 to complete the Baby House at Mogra! This is over the $2600, that we raised while we were in Kenya!

The new baby unit has allowed Mogra to separate the babies from the younger children, allowing the babies to safely have floor time where they can learn to sit, crawl, walk, and stimulate their minds. The children are no longer forced to share beds with up to 5 other children at a time, and the caregivers are also given adequate sleeping quarters as well. Hygiene has improved, making it easier to isolate and reduce the spreading of illnesses. Best of all, it means that Mogra is able to accept more children, saving more lives.

The cloth diaper collection that I started so many years ago is finally in full swing. The donation of some washing machines, and the funding to finally be able to install them, means they can easily implement cloth diapers in their routine. This not only saves money, but it also means that they are not needing to burn those diapers, poisoning the air they breathe.

One year ago, this project seemed way over my head! We started with baby steps, collecting diapers, purchasing Kenyan goods for Dan to take back to Canada to sell, slugging bags of mortar up those stairs (okay, well... Dan did that!), etc. Then, when got our feet back on Canadian soil, we were so fortunate to be approached by Linked Through Love. We got to work, spreading the word and organizing fundraisers. People from all over jumped on board. Silent auctions, dessert events, face painting booths, birthday parties, Christmas card sales... you name it. We all came together and made it happen! I am so proud of what we achieved together! Thank you all so much!

Enjoy these pictures of what you helped create... and the happy faces that resulted from it!

Diapers have landed in Kenya!

A couple weeks ago, I sorted out the best AIO's and Motherease cloth diapers (about 50) from the stash that you all have kindly donated.

We boxed them up...

Drove them across the border into the US.

And shipped them off the Kenya via USPS. Sorry Canada Post - you are way too expensive! $55 priority is what it cost for 20lbs, and they were there within a week! Next time I will ship Regular Parcel for $25.

Metaline Falls is about an hour away from us. Apparently, you can drive a golf cart to work, ...  while the rest of the town sleeps or is just completely vacant. A ghost town... or Twilight Zone... There were vehicles, but not a soul in sight.

So, we figured since the entire town (with the exception of the lady at the Post Office) was gobbled up by aliens, that no one would mind if we just moved on in to this cute little cottage that was for sale.

But, as it appears, the aliens took the keys too! ;)

KEEP SENDING THOSE DIAPERS!

I have many more to ship, and have been in contact with a few orphanages who are very much in need.

AIO's or fitteds is what will work best for these homes. So if you have some that are in good shape to spare, please send them our way so we can at least help keep a baby dry at night.

Threads of love....

Check it out!

This is the start of what will be 100's of wipes, and just under a hundred large receiving blankets!! A wonderful friend of mine has generously offered to not only purchase the fabric, but to sew them as well! AND she has rounded up donations to cover the cost of shipping to get them safely to Kenya!

These blankets and wipes will accompany the cloth diapers that we are collecting for orphans and babies of new Mothers in Kenya.

More info, here, here and here.

The love that you all have shown is inspiring. Thank you for your donations, and a special thank you to Susan Toews for these amazing blankets and wipes!

(Yes, we are still collecting cloth diapers!! email me at thompsontreehouse at gmail dot com for more info ;)

Diaper Love Kits

Your diaper donations are making their way here from all over Canada! Diapers that once lovingly covered your little one's tooshies, are now being prepared to be sent to babies in need in Kenya. How fantastic is that!?

Here are just a few photos of the diapers you have donated... ;)

Together, we are providing these Mothers and Caregivers a baby essential to improve sanitary and health conditions, but as a bonus - we are also helping to eliminate the waste caused by the disposable diapers and the bags etc used for 'make shift' diapers.

In addition to outfitting an orphanage with diaper love, we would also like to bundle up some diaper love kits for new Mother's in the slums. These diaper love kits will consist of a supply of cloth diapers, handmade cloth wipes, an outfit, and a bar of soap (and perhaps a toy/stuffy) wrapped up in a lovely brand new, large, handmade receiving blanket... hopefully, placed in a wet bucket. (If we can source some out in Kenya.) We are still ironing out details. You all are supplying the diapers, I have a wonderful friend who has offered to make and donate the blankets and wipes... and the rest will soon fall in place!

Our current challenges...

We cannot just hand these kits out and expect that they will know how to use them. They will need instruction and follow up. We are currently on the look out for a diagram instruction pamphlet etc. for cloth diaper use. If you have or know of one, please let me know!

Shipping. I have 1 suitcase set aside to fill with cloth diapers, and I am donating 5% of our adoption bracelet fundraiser sales to cover 3 box shipments. I hope to collect and ship more than that however! In the up coming month or so, we will have a better picture of what shipping costs we can realistically expect.

Many of you have generously asked if you can donate, clothing, toys, blankets, etc... Many of you, I have had to turn down. The reason is the shipping cost. We are limited with shipping funds, so we feel it's best to utilize the space with the priority items. IF - you are interested in filling a box with some love and you can also provide the cost of shipping, I would love to assist you with that. We have a fellow adoptive Mother who is currently living in Nairobi and has graciously offered to accept our shipments at her secure address. She will store the donations for us, until we arrive. Please feel free to contact me at thompsontreehouse at gmail dot com, or find me on facebook - from the link on the right!

Some of you amazing Mom's are starting collections in your communities and shipping them, and others are posting me a diaper or 2 that you have in your stash that don't currently work for you. It all helps... every single diaper is a diaper closer to providing a stash for a baby in need. Thank you all so much for your kind support and generosity... keep those diapers coming in! (And feel free to share this post on your blog or facebook!)