Ariel Ministries has now assumed responsibility for a project that has been very dear to the heart of our founder, Nick Harris. The project is a small clinic located in the desert at the foot of Mount Kenya in the region known as Tharaka. Along with his friends, Cal and Linda McCarter, this clinic was established in 1984. The goal in the next several months is to convert the clinic into a maternity facility, which is urgently needed in this area at the time. The staff for the clinic and their salaries is as follows: Jane Karimi (clerk) - $73/month Peter Murithi (nurse) - $225/month Tabitha Muthoni (Lab technician) - $80/month Elijah Majari (housekeeping) - $36/month Grace Marete (nurse) - $175/month Faith Mukembu (Lab assistant) - $44/month New Maternity Nurse (yet to be hired) - $180/month New Maternity Nurse (yet to be hired) - $180/month Total $993/month The Situation: At the present time, our compound well is dry, and we are having to send staff personnel to a well a half a mile away to bring cans of water in wheelbarrows. We are now in negotiations to dig a deeper well on our property, but we do not have the money at this time to drill. This area has not had rain for over two years and the water table has dropped dramatically. The people have not been able to bring in a crop for almost three years. These people are starving. We are now feeding between 200 and 600 people every day. To add to the dilemma 38% of the people in the Tharaka tribe are HIV positive, and are dying every day. The Challenge: For $30 a month we can feed an AIDS orphan two hot meals a day, provide him/her with medical care, clothe him/her, and provide school fees. At the present time, we have 20 AIDS orphans under our care and the number is growing exponentially. Other Outreaches: Mother’s Clubs---Village women come to the compound weekly for check-ups, fellowship Bible studies, and to sing praise (you have never heard praise until you have heard African women sing). There are sixty of these clubs. Mobile Medical Clinic---Perhaps our most important ministry is the Mobile Clinic. The further one goes from our compound toward the east, the more remote the area becomes. Our there, in the deep desert, there are no medical facilities and the people are too far away to come to us, so we go to them, taking nurses, medicine, and vaccines. This is the only source of treatment for thousands of people. Free Mosquito Netting---We recently purchased 2000 mosquito nets and have distributed 1600 of them. Our on-site evangelists go out into the villages and share the gospel, then personally hang mosquito nets in the homes of those who do not have them. Mosquito-borne malaria is a major killer in this area. On-site Primary School---We have opened a primary school on the property and recently Ariel was able to send the last $2000 in the name of our friend, and long-time supporter, Bill Gaskins, to build a school building at the compound. Eighty children are now attending the school. We have two qualified teachers who are being paid at the present time by the small fees paid the parents of the children. Our Two Greatest Needs: We are in desperate need of a new vehicle. We now have just one vehicle, a 1967 Land Rover. It was 17 years old when we purchased it 23 years ago. Since we have had this vehicle it was had four rebuilt engines and four rebuilt transmissions. We desperately need a four-wheel drive Toyota vehicle to facilitate our mobile clinic. It would cost at least $35,000 for a good used Toyota truck in Kenya. There are many Toyota dealerships in Kenya, which could keep such a vehicle running. We also need to complete our worship tabernacle, and reroof the building we will use as the birthing center. The total cost of both projects will be $5000. Our Support Staff at the Compound and Their Salaries: Sammy Josphat (project manager) - $309/month Julius Mategi (evangelist) - $115/month Daniel Nthiga (evangelist) - $ 94/month Francis Nthiga (labor) - $ 36/month Julius Mgubi (watchman) - $ 72/month Simon Kinyua (driver) - $ 72/month Solomon Kinthaka (chaplin) - $ 58/month Joyce Chibari (clinic staff) - $ 72/month Anastacia Ciandia (cook) - $ 44/month Peter Gitongo (asst. cook) - $ 36/month Nicolas Kimenete (watchman) - $ 65/month Regina Sammy (hostess) - $ 58/month Peter Kiria (week-end watchman) - $ 18/month Samuel Kinetu (day labor) - $ 32/month Total $1081/month On-going Costs: Food for one year $25,000 Fuel $ 5,000 Salaries including maternity clinic $24,000 Pharmaceuticals $10,000 Total $64,000