Updates
Letters to Supporters
Periodically, we’ve sent letters to our community regarding developments affecting Shitungu Village. Below ↓ is an archive of update letters (from newest to oldest) sent to our supporters.
Check this page from time to time for new updates.
Letters to Supporters
Summaries are shown. Click a letter’s date to see the full letter.
↑ Click dates to read full letters
Web page
Make a ​real difference this holiday season by joining KVEO in partnering with the familiues of Shitungu Village, to help them build a future rooted in dignity and self-sufficiency.
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KVEO’s generous donors have already helped families experience improved food security, children remain in school with tuition assistance, and households generate meaningful income through participation in a community-run soap-making project. Donors will receive digital holiday cards featuring artwork created by Shitungu children. More…
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Web page
The Shitungu Village community is currently battling two major challenges: improving food stability, and ensuring access to education. To fight hunger, villagers are expanding the communal gardens, even adopting clever methods like vertical gardening using recycled materials to keep food growing even during harsh weather. Thanks to the generosity of KVEO’s supporters, we are also able to provide a monthly food stipend to ensure the 120 residents receive basic, essential nutrition.
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There is no free public schooling in Kenya. KVEO supporters can help provide education for the village’s 68 students, a key path out of poverty. The community contributes through proceeds from soap production and day labor, but those efforts don’t cover the full cost of student education. More…
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PDF, 484 KB
With the cancellation of U.S. AID support, Shitungu basic health-care services are severely diminished. The KVEO-supplied First Aid Corner has been more crucial than ever, and a donation of toothbrushes has helped. A village art project is thriving, as is democratic decision-making in Shitungu Village. More…
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After a successful harvest, Shitungu Village is strategically using its resources to build self-sufficiency. Community members are expanding their soap-production business to create income, and prioritizing education as a path out of poverty. But many families still need help covering tuition, uniforms, and books. Join us in making sure 46 children can complete the school year. Donate today. More…
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The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has been virtually closed down, and other foreign aid has also been cut. Although Shitungu Village wasn’t directly receiving those funds, the effects of those cuts, coupled with political turmoil in Kenya, have triggered a sharp rise in food prices. Yet Shitungu Villagers continue to work toward self-sufficiency through projects including vertical gardening, soap manufacture, tuition assistance, artwork, and pooling of resources. KVEO continues to support these efforts, and now has a presence in social media, including Facebook and Instagram. More…
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Shitungu villagers have limited resources, but they find strength in cooperation. The community garden will be harvested in late August, helping protect against food inflation, and recent vertical gardening efforts look promising. KVEO’s tuition subsidies will enable 46 children to return to school. (The country has no free public education.) Whether you can contribute $5 or $500 or more, your support can help Shitungu Village thrive. More…
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This update celebrates self-sufficiency in the form of First Aid Training recently completed by villagers; abundance provided by community gardening; growth in the village's soap-production operation; and hard work undertaken in the local rock quarry, a major employer in the village. More…
PDF, 4.7 MB
The Kenya Village Empowerment Organization (KVEO) supports the Shitungu community in Kenya, focusing on food, education, and work. Recent cuts to USAID funding have impacted the community’s access to healthcare and other essential services. Donations are needed to help meet the community’s immediate needs. More…
PDF, 14.6 MB
The Kenya Village Empowerment Organization (KVEO) supports the residents of Shitungu, Kenya, in achieving self-sustainability. In 2025, KVEO will focus on addressing hunger, providing tuition support, and growing self-sustaining businesses. More…
PDF, 2.6 MB
Due to political unrest, KVEO, with support from donors and a grant, has provided emergency food supplies to 20 Shitungu families twice in the past eight weeks. Medical equipment and first-aid supplies were also sent to the Shitungu community. KVEO, now a registered non-profit, aims to establish food stability, meet educational needs, and foster the goal of economic self-sufficiency in Shitungu. More…
PDF, 34.6 MB
Political violence in Kenya, particularly in Kakamega, has impacted Shitungu, causing school and work cancellations and disrupting the local economy. Because of these challenges, the Kenya Village Empowerment Organization (KVEO) has been formed to provide increased financial and structural support to the community, with a focus on education and economic independence. Donations are welcome and can be made to KVEO to support immediate needs like food, healthcare, and education. More…
PDF, 6.2 MB
The community of Shitungu, Kenya is facing a crisis due to flooding, requiring urgent financial assistance for food and repairs. Despite this setback, the community celebrates that the pump for the well is undamaged, providing a secure water source. More…
PDF, 83.7 MB
The Shitungu community continues to make significant progress in improving soap production. Community members participated in first aid training and adult education opportunities. Recent needs include solar batteries for ten additional families ($100 each). Support for tuition fees for primary to university levels is also needed, with costs ranging from $39 to $688 per year. More…
PDF, 31.0 MB
Joyce Lisbin provides an update on the Shitungu community’s progress, highlighting the community decision-making process and ongoing projects. The soap-making project provides a small but important supplemental income for the families. A water pump was installed at the well to improve safety and efficiency. Support for children’s education, with varying annual fees depending on the level of schooling, is ongoing, and is KVEO’s fundamental priority.
PDF, 27.0 MB
Joyce is returning to Africa on October 17th for a safari in Botswana and a visit to the village of Shitungu on November 6th. The primary goal is to assess the village’s situation and determine the next priority project.
PDF, 8.4 MB
The Shitungu community installed 20 solar battery units and eliminated monthly expenses for kerosene and cell phone charging. Despite ongoing drought and food shortages, the community remains focused on education and projects that will improve everyone’s future.
PDF, 40.2 MB
Solar batteries have significantly improved lives of all residents of Shitungu, Kenya. Light bulbs enable children to study in the evening, and expenses for kerosene and phone charging are significantly reduced. The community is hopeful that these benefits will lead to improved academic performance, better nutrition, and a stronger sense of community. Additionally, a wheelchair was gifted to an elderly woman in a neighboring village, showcasing the community’s generosity.
PDF, 102.0 KB
Joyce Lisbin requests donations for the HOPE BLESSED ESTATE SELF HELP GROUP (HBESHG) in Kenya, which provides educational and vocational opportunities for children and youth, support for abandoned teenage mothers and their children, and assistance for abandoned elderly. Donations will help with tuition, school supplies, books, uniforms, digging a well, installing solar panels, and building additional housing units.
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In Shitungu Village, many families are moving beyond simply struggling to survive by owning and caring for livestock. The village has launched a new green fuel project, making recycled charcoal briquettes to replace wood for fuel. A new building is dedicated to the growing soap production business, with proceeds supporting vertical gardening and other avenues toward economic independence. But challenges remain, including scarcer and more expensive health care (only partly alleviated by the first-aid center stocked with help from KVEO), and a continuing strike among university lecturers. More…​