New York New York!

New York City

(The Big Apple lived up to its name in my book!)

HEART Logo in Times Square!

I am back in Kenya after one month in the USA. One event that was not on my calendar when I began this month was a stopover in New York City (NYC) for two nights before the journey across the ocean back to Africa! Steve Werner is a Rotary friend of mine. Steve and Pat, his wife, have done some amazing things in Kenya including building a school and helping raise over $60,000 for our Freedom for Girls project.

In March Steve told me he was applying for an award with  Invest In Others Charitable Foundation, and asked me to write a reference letter for his work with us in FFG and that he wanted to use  HEART as his chosen Charity to receive the award if he won. See their Mission Statement and a photo gallery of the event at www.investinothers.org. 

Steve was chosen out of 300 applicants to be a finalist! He invited me, as the President of HEART to share the evening and honor. Everything about the event was remarkable; from the limo ride, to downtown Manhattan, to photo shoot at the end of the evening!

I was staying near the airport at a hotel which Steve and Pat paid for. They also paid for limo services and I was picked by Mohamed, originally from Pakistan; it was really nice – my first such ride! On my way I shared with Mohamed  the story of  our work and what HEART and Steve Werner were doing together. As I explained the power of a dollar and how for $5 a school girl can get  a year supply of feminine products, to help ensure she can stay in school.  He asked about the drought in Kenya, so  I told him about the greenhouses we were doing with Lift Up Africa and the help this had been to the people.

When we arrived to meet Steve, he escorted me to the front door and gave me a hug and a kiss on each cheek. As I was giving him a tip he said, "You explained what $5 dollars can do in Africa, use this money to help the girls, it is my small part to help”.  I thought to myself, this is going to be a great evening!

The event was hosted at the “Cipriani” directly across from Steve’s hotel, the Grand Hyatt. It was elaborately decorated and very elegant . I felt like Alice in Wonderland as I tried  to act like “oh yes, I come to such events all the time!” It was definitely “by invitation only” event and had security men in dark suits at the door and everywhere. I wish I could share each of the wonderful four hours with you but let me try to hit the highlights.

The keynote speaker was “Chef Jeff” Henderson; “Cooked: From the Streets to the Stove” the power of change. He is an award winning chef, food network television personality and New York Times bestselling author. He has an amazing story of beginning his cooking career in prison and now helping other “at risk” kids learn his trade.

The award ceremony began, and whereas Steve did not win the Global Community Service award, his being a finalist won a $5,000 award to HEART for his work. Our table of ten consisted of his financial associates from Cetera Financial Group, including their Chief Executive Officer, Valerie Brown.  They came to support Steve as a surprise to him. One of these gentlemen, Steve Richman, told a very interesting story of his longtime relationship with Mohamed Ali.  He said he wanted to do something special to help HEART and right at our table he auctioned off an original signed picture of Mohamed Ali!  Valerie left as the winner of this picture, with others donating on top till he had raised $5,600 at our table!  Like I said this was a great evening!

After dinner there was a photo session for the finalists and  I was asked if I wanted a picture of me taken alone. As I was getting my picture taken, Chef Jeff jumped into the spot light and said, “I must have a picture with Vickie.” (we had talked earlier and I had invited him to Africa HEART – which he has promised to come) After the picture had been taken he said,  “this week this picture will be hung in my ‘mother-land’”.  The photographer was great, Sasha Gitin, I also invited him to come to Kenya … click his link to see pictures of Steve, Pat,  Chef Jeff and me! http://www.sashagitin.com/sg/review/invest-in-others/invest%20in%20others/

It was truly a night to remember! On my way back to the hotel, a song of thanksgiving arose in my heart unto the Lord Jesus Christ for making this night possible. Have you heard the song, “Give thanks with a grateful heart”?

Well just when I thought it could not get better , Steve called me, he was at Times Square where the “Invest in Others” had been the openers of the New York Stock Exchange that morning. See the video clip and the attached picture of  HEART logo on this NASDAQ  screen, which is seven stories tall in Times Square New York!  http://www.nasdaq.com/marketsite/marketsite_events.stm  

Steve wrote to his friends, "We were honored by Invest In Others for the work done for Freedom For Girls. HEART was awarded $5,000.00 USD to help continue their work”!

Many are asking me, “how was your trip to the US”?  What can I say?

Awesome, exciting, rewarding, fun, encouraging,  strengthening …thank you Lord! 

I traveled to Northern CA, where my family and our US Board of Directors reside (had three Board meetings – 2 of them at 6 AM in the morning!) Talk about a committed Board!  Also traveled to Southern CA to visit and speak at Pastors Gary and Debbie Hornsby church, then to CO to speak at three Rotary Clubs and had a HEART Friends event at Matt Vansistein’s “loft”. Reacquainting myself with friends and squeezing out time for family.

Charles Obes, our Lodge Manager, was with me on this trip and had the chance to see so many people that have stayed at HEART … Now he saw them in the USA! Our Board was so gracious to Charles and took him to see sights and experience America! He will write about his journey in another letter.

So many stories to share; all the teams that visited Kenya this year and built homes  for grandmothers in our Kids for School project.

Through Lift Up Africa’s donation and the help of friends and Rotary clubs we now have 12 greenhouses throughout Kenya helping with the hunger situation due to the current draught . In 2008 when we had a severe draught and got the vision for the greenhouses, we delivered food relief to six areas.  This year, we continue to raise money for relief food and deliver to only two areas because the others have green houses. These two areas we cannot have greenhouses YET because there is no water.  I am talking to other NGO’s  and Rotary clubs  helping with digging wells and believe we will have our first solar powered well dug and functioning by the end of the year in a drought infested area where we serve orphans in the Kids for School project! 

Back in Kenya

We have already had an amazing three days … hard to share all the news!  I do not want to bomb bard you with news but honestly this journey is so exciting.

Alice Litton is here and attended a lovely Hindu function yesterday, 19th September 2011 where my Rotary friend Sudesh presented HEART with a check for 75,000 Kshs ( $834) for Freedom for Girls! It will go to Namelok, a Maasai village where we have 600 girls awaiting this year’s supply of sanitary towels. The amount donated will help provide sanitary towels for 188 of these girls!

Dave Lowe is also here and helping us with plans for a new addition on the HEART Lodge. We turned away 976 people from mid-May – mid-August to other guest houses just because we did not have rooms to accommodate them!  Without the USAID funding this year, our Lodge has become one of our major source of continuing our work and becoming more self sustainable. We are praying for people to “invest in the HEART of Kenya” and help us build this addition.

Another Mission staff member Katherine Ruben arrives tonight. She has been to HEART once and retired from 26 years of working in an HIV clinic in Chico, CA to come and dedicate herself to work here at HEART!

The second Bayside Granite Bay Church team arrives on Thursday 28th September, 13 women that will wind up their 8 days here helping us with our WEEP graduation – 33 ladies will graduate and be launched into their own businesses.

HEART still needs your support to ensure that more people are reached by our programs. Any support is highly appreciated.

If life got any more exciting I could not contain it!!

My love and gratefulness for your friendship!

Vickie Winkler
HEART President/Executive Director