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PROJECTS

Cura Orphanage

August, 2008
A NOTE FROM CURA ORPHANAGE'S OPEN ARTS INITIATIVE

I hope this finds you well. I wanted to give you an update of how it is going here and with Open Arts.

It has been a great, very inspiring experience being in Cura already. I have never met such kind, well behaved, sweet and fun kids. I am smitten. We are having a great time, painting, dancing doing some theatre games etc. The kids are teaching me Kikuyu so I am trying to learn that and some Swahili too!

I must admit it was quite a shock to the system the first day or two in terms of adapting to the cold weather, the "african bathing," the basic food, etc. - but I am happy to be staying there as I am already pretty used to it and it would not get to know the kids and their life as well were I not waking up with them, eating with them, dancing and singing before bed etc. I just came to Nairobi for a couple of days to organise some things (including an excusion to the National Museum which I think will be a huge treat!) and am kind of going through a reverse culture shock being in a big city with fancy things. The kids made me cry when they told me they would miss me and I them!

I have some great pictures but have not had strong enough internet yet to upload them.

Also the people in the community in general are so lovely and I am getting to know a lot of the neighbors.

Aside from working with the Open Arts aspect I am working on identifying what is needed in the school, the clinic and other aspects of the home so as then to see if I can come up with some of my own ideas for solutions and strategies to raise necessary funds. One is that some of the kids at the school apparently come to school without lunch so I am going to workout a budget and logistics with the headmaster to have a free lunch for all the kids every school day.

Another is that, from my perspective, the kids don't eat nearly enough vegetables - even though they have the kale etc. growing outside. Part of it is a cultural issue. I was thinking of creating some kind of training of the housemothers to show them the benefits of various foods and perhaps how to grow more. Today I met a chef named Neil and was telling him about this and he told me his wife, Tara, does exactly this! And that she is a good friend of yours! So we are planning to talk about it when she is back in Nairobi in a couple of weeks.

Nicole, volunteering at CURA

Special Project — Amy and Jon's Wedding
Cura Orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya

Amy Eldon Turteltaub's father, Mike Eldon and step-mother, Evelyn Mungai, have created a project in the village of Cura (pronounced "Shor-uh") outside of Nairobi. In this community, there are enormous numbers of kids confronting extreme poverty, many of whom have been orphaned by AIDS.

Six-hundred dollars pays all the expenses to house, feed and clothe a child for an entire year. One child who would normally be left on her own will now be able to have a home, medical care, excellent nutrition, and a safe place to be... and we can be the ones to make that happen. Furthermore, an endowment of several thousand dollars will ensure support for several children.

Make an online donation with a message that it is earmarked for the Cura Orphanage.

Or send a check to us (or bring one to the wedding) made out to Creative Visions with a memo for the Cura Orphanage.

Please send checks to:
Amy Eldon
Creative Visions Foundation
1223 Sunset Plaza Drive
West Hollywood, CA 90069
310.456.5222

Jon and Amy thank you for your kind contribution to the Cura Orphange in Kenya. Jon and Amy will be matching whatever amount is raised by our friends and family, ensuring that their wedding will result in the creation of this fund.