kitchen improvements

I am pleased to announce that the Change the Truth Board has approved a major new project for St. Mary Kevin. The kitchen is going to get a facelift!

In 2006, when I first visited SMK, the orphans had their own small area for preparing food. The kids were in charge of preparing the meals. I watched as they chopped wood (while barefoot), lit fires, cooked the food and then scooped it into their own cups and bowls.

By 2007 the orphans had become more integrated into the overall fabric of SMK boarding school, and they were no longer preparing their own meals. The porridge and posho were cooked in an open area by staff members, and all the children lined up there to receive their portions.

Soon after that, a kitchen was built. Inside the covered area was a fire pit and a grate that held three large pots for cooking. That's the kitchen that still exists today. If you've ever been to SMK, you know first hand how smoky that kitchen is. It's hard to stay in there for more than a few minutes at a time; the smoke stings your eyes and also makes it hard to breath.

With a generous grant from CTT, the current kitchen will soon undergo a remodel. Energy saving stoves will be installed, the smoke will be redirected (out) and the surfaces will be more difficult for young ones to reach, hence protecting them from potential burns. The kitchen and food storage area will also be expanded. Overall, it will become a more energy efficient and safer place.

Great news, don't you agree?