Join the mission!

Thank you all so much for being a part of this journey! As this trip comes to end, I wanted to share with you three ways that you can help us at Knowledge!

First, we are looking for two types of sponsors:

1. We need people to sponsor our teachers and social workers at both of the centres. They work tirelessly day in and day out to create a safe and healthy environment for so many children of the Kware and Gataka areas.

All it takes is $60 per month. This will go towards their rent, food and other basic necessities.

2. We need people to sponsor our students that are ready for school outside the centre. Currently we have 40 students in school and we would love to grow that. We are putting these students in some of the best schools in the region. It's an amazing opportunity!

All it takes is approximately $250 every quarter (every 3 months). The money would go directly to school fees, uniforms, and all other items necessary for the student to attend the schools.

Second, we need people to help us purchase a van. We are looking to raise $30,ooo. This money would be used to purchase a van for the CWWC that would be used at both centres. It would allow the teachers and social workers to take the students to different events, the doctor's and help prepare students for boarding school.

Third, we are looking for general donations to Knowledge is the Cure that will allows us to continue this mission. There are several administrative cost as we grow in order to continue doing what we are doing.

Knowledge is the Cure is a 501 (c)(3). If you are interested in joining the mission in any of these capacities, please email Nick at nicholas.mustakas@gmail.com or call his cell at (718) 406-1179.

Thank you for all the support and prayers! We look forward to partnering with you!

Nick

My last day in Kenya

It has been an incredible trip. Thank you so much for following my journey and for all the support and prayers. I fall more in love with this place every time I come back. The people are amazing. It has been a blessing to be back and be able to share this whole journey with you via this site. Personally God has stretched, grown me, and made me even more excited to serve people. As for Knowledge, I feel a renewed and fresh vision. I am excited for where we are going from here. It's just after 5pm(9am EST) on Saturday. I depart for Amsterdam tomorrow morning at 8:30am(12:30am EST). I land aroud 3pm(9am EST) and I depart on my flight to NYC around 5:45pm(11:45pm EST) landing in New York around 8pm (EST). I will see you all soon!

Enjoy some pictures from my last day in Kenya!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2052747&id=47100202&l=83352e9f9e

It was almost 2 years ago...

It was almost 2 years ago since I have visited this school. It was so cool to get to go back. Today, Maureen, Meshack and I took a ride to visit some of our students who are at boarding schools not too far away.

The day started nicely. I woke up and had breakfast with Peter. We ended up talking for while. He is the dad of this house and it’s amazing how big his heart is for his whole family and all the people of the centres. After this Mary, the founder of the centres, spent almost an hour sharing her heart and vision with me. It was a blessing to get to sit down with them both. It’s really exciting to see what is going on here and to see how God is working in each of their lives.

Around 11am Maureen, Meshack and I headed out on the road. The first school we stopped at was the school where I helped Maureen, James and Josephine bring several students to back in May of 2008. I remember how excited those students were at that time. They were reporting for the first time ever to a boarding school. A place where they could get away from everything and learn and grow. It’s an all girl’s school. When we got there, the 9 girls, one by one ran up to me and said, “Hi Nick!” That made my day, that they remembered me. It was so great to see them and see that they are doing so well. I met the headmaster and then we were back on the road. We traveled a bit further and then stopped at St. Anne’s Boarding School, where it was visiting day. We were here to visit Kenneth. Maureen packed a lunch and she brought his medication that he needed. It was so nice to see all the families together with the students. It was such a fun day and I am really glad that I got to see all these students and all of this!

Field Day at Gataka!!

Need I say more? It was so much fun!! Check out pictures from our day, at

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2052739&id=47100202&l=35d508342f

Much Love, Nick

Gataka, my last day...

So today was my last day teaching in Gataka and it was so much fun. I am definitely going to miss these children. They are so wonderful and enjoyable to be around. It's exciting to see them light up in the classroom and watch them run tirelessly around the centre on their breaks. Each child holds some sort of memory for me and I am so happy I got to be a part of their lives for the past two weeks.

We got to Gataka around 9am. We took a few to rest and then John and I gathered all of our students to review their homework. Immediately after that, all the children gathered in the lower classroom for the Friday Morning Service. Nancy led them in praise and worship and prayer. And then I got to share from the book of Genesis. It was so much fun getting to do this with the children. Then after this, we had our porridge break and at about 11:30 we began our hike to the field that they go to every friday. We have to cross a river, rock climb and hike up this hill to reach the field. Its quite the experience, especially with 50 children in tow. But there is something about how their faces light up that makes it all worth it. They wait for this all week. When we got to the field, we had a run and did warm-up exercises and then all the boys and male teachers played a big game of soccer. It was quite the workout, but so much fun. After this we took a quick rest and headed back to the centre. We shared lunch together and they had recess and then the day was done.

Today we finished a bunch of the snacks from the party as well, which made today even more exciting for the children. It has been a great experience getting to teach, getting to invest personally in these children's lives and just getting to be around them and all the other teachers who work day in and day out to care for all the needs of these children. It has been such a blessing getting to spend this time with these children and definitely something I will remember. They made my last day at the centre so special!

Tomorrow is my last day in Kenya and I am going to visit a student with Maureen. I'll keep you posted!

Much Love, Nick

Pictures from the party at Gataka!

We partied like it was 2010 in Kenya! Enjoy the pictures! The links are below:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2052724&id=47100202&l=74125de36d

and http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2052725&id=47100202&l=d1001445b7

Party! Gataka Style!

Today we had our second party! It was held in Gataka, where I have been volunteering as a teacher. Yesterday's party was amazing but this was even more incredible because I have bonded with so many of these children. It was so great to share this with them today!

We began the day as we usually do. We reviewed their homework and then John went over Kiswahilli words with them. Then at 10:30, they had their break for porridge. Then we get all the students, from both classes, together in the lower classroom at 11:30. We did puzzles, card games and coloring! It was a lot of fun and then at 12:30pm the festivities began!

Mary, Susan, Nancy, John, David, and Peter came down to the centre and prepared quite the feast for these kids. Our meal included a meat stew, chipotes, and white rice. Then after that the children got to enjoy recess. Then we gathered them back into the lower classroom and gave them juice, biscuits (cookies), crisps (chips) and popcorn!

Most of these children rarely eat this food and sadly, if it wasn't for the 2 daily meals at the centre, some of these children wouldn't have anything to eat. The situation in Gataka can be worse than the situation in Kware. It was such a blessing and a whole lot of fun to see the smiles that came from such a party as this!

I love these children and I am excited to have one more day with them! Some of them have grabbed my heart in such a way that I can't forget them- especially Derek, Christopher and Cosmus. It is so much fun getting up everyday and teaching them!

I'll keep you posted! Much Love, Nick