The Great Kindness Challenge

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The Great Kindness Challenge Kind Coins for Kenya Video Frequently Asked Questions About Life in Mikei, Kenya 1. What kind of food do the people of Mikei eat? A staple dish of all homes is ugali (a stiff cornmeal porridge), which is served with meat (chicken, goat or beef), fish or vegetable stews (e.g. beans and spinach). 2. Where does the drinking and usable water come from? Villagers collect rainwater in large rain barrels and they use that water for drinking, cooking, washing, etc. Visitors from other countries buy bottled water at markets in the larger towns to bring to Mikei. 3. There is no electricity in the village, how did the Kids for Peace people charge their phones to film in Mikei? The phones were charged at night in hotels in the larger town, however, in the village, the local barber had a car battery rigged to be able to charge cell phones and other electric equipment. 4. Why are there so many orphans in Kenya? AIDS and conflicts have left many children in Kenya without one or both parents. When this happens, it is the responsibility of the remaining family members (aunts, uncles, etc.) to adopt the child(ren). If there are no family members to adopt the child(ren), they are sent to an orphanage. 5. What is the weather like in Kenya? Mikei is at an elevation of about 5,000 feet. It is on the equator but because of the elevation, it is cooler and temperate. 6. Do the people in Mikei have money to buy things? The people in the village often trade or barter for the items they need. They also use coins, called Kenyan shillings. 7. Is there a store in the village to buy food or clothes? There is a very small store in the village. As you can see in the video it has only the most needed items.

The Great Kindness Challenge Kind Coins for Kenya Video Frequently Asked Questions About Life in Mikei, Kenya (cont’d) 8. What modes of transportation do they have in Mikei? In the village of Mikei, there are no cars or bicycles. Walking is the main mode of transportation. There are drivers on motorbikes that people can “hire” to drive them places. It is not uncommon to see 3-4 people on a motorbike. 9. In the video there are kids in a school, why will Kind Coins for Kenya build another school? Each year, Kids for Peace sponsors 160 children with a meal, uniform and 50% of the tuition to go to school. However, the school must move to wherever there is room available. For example, this year, the school was held in a horse barn with a mud floor, no water and classes were held in stalls. Through Kind Coins for Kenya, a permanent school building will be built, along with chairs and desks, and even a large rainwater barrel to provide water for the students. 10. Why are the children in the video wearing uniforms or the girls wearing fancy dresses? The children of Mikei typically have only their school uniform that they wear each day to school and one other outfit. They are very proud to wear their school uniform! The clothes you see the children in the video wearing came from a clothing drive done by a Kids for Peace school chapter, so many children received a new T-shirt or dress last summer. It was very exciting for them! 11. Do the people in Kenya celebrate holidays? The people of Kenya do celebrate world holidays like Christmas, but they do not receive toys and gifts like many do in other countries. They do not celebrate birthdays. 12. Why do the boys and girls have short haircuts? The children of Mikei keep their hair short mostly because when it grows out it is very curly and coarse and difficult to maintain. This haircut is just one way of keeping things simple! 13. How many days a week do the children to go to school? The children of Mikei go to school 6 days a week, including Saturday. 14. Do the children play sports? The children of Mikei like playing sports but they don’t have sports equipment. They often climb trees or they play with old tires and sticks like you have seen in the video. 15. Do the families have pets? The families do not have pets, but some have farm animals.