Kip Karen Krafters
Kip Karen Krafters were newly organized and formed o­n our trip to Kenya.  After meeting with the women, many who were previous papermakers, they made it very clear to our Heavenly Treasures staff that they were in need of an  o­ngoing livelihood project.  The need in Kenya is great especially with the most recent drought.  After 4 years of training the women are now ready to go to the next level of  micro enterprise development!  We were thrilled to see how they were so hungry to learn and organize themselves.  Heavenly Treasures helps communities to develop God centered income producing projects based o­n the indigenous needs and abilities.  The women formed 5 groups, each focusing o­n a local craft combining their expertise and HT design support. 

Heavenly Treasures staff worked with the women and met with them 8 times in 10 days!! This work was very intense but the results were:
1. Formal organization under the name "Chebaigaa" meaning
2. Leaders were elected by the women
3. Bylaws were drawn up by all the participants
4. A bank account was established
5. 5 groups of 5 women were formed as core groups
6. Spiritual development needs were identified

What a blessing to see something developed out of a vision and a dream.  God is to be glorified as HE works in a mighty way in this remote village in Kenya!

School Of Old
Project:  Kip Karen Krafters (KENYA)
Date Posted:  May 08, 2007

Since 2000, we have made some dear friends, the ladies that we call the "Kip Karen Krafters".  Even though the decorative gourds that they make are o­nly sold in small quantities at the San Diego Zoo gift shops, they make all of the gift bags for the wooden salad servers that are sold to benefit the Kamba Kids, Kenyan orphans. 

WE have had the joy of supplying a pastor to disciple these women for the past three years... Pastor James has been reporting o­n their progress and recently wrote
"The meeting started at 3:50 PM with the word of prayer from Milly Tarus and the word of encouragement from Pastor Ngetich. The school of old is where the ladies who had not chance to go and write. During the meeting the ladies requested that we organize for them a seminar, they said that they are visiting for it, the living with HIV/AIDS, widows and the sick.  They suggested that they will be visiting them with anything they have e.g. maize, beans, soap, money and etc.  they requested your support and prayers, we ended the meeting with the word of prayer from Marta Sigei.  The members present were 22."

David Tarus recently shared that these women saw the children coming to their new school and wanted to be educated as well!  The women are so thankful for the 'school of old' so that they are learning to write their names and are really working to be able to read their bibles!

Changed lives are being transformed each day!! We are excited to visit them this summer!!