May 2026 Trip Recap - Part 2
JUNE 2026
Trip Recap Part 2
The new kitchen has been completed! We started the building process in September 2025 to try to comply with government regulations. The finishing step of painting the interior and exterior was being completed during our visit, and we had the opportunity to help. Westin was able to cut the ribbon at the entry way to the kitchen.
There are 72 children being fed daily at the orphanage. This includes 12 children of the workers. Then there are also 2 cooks, a matron, and a patron. So the total being fed daily is 76. It costs approximately $4.63 for 3 meals per person per day. So the total cost for food daily is approx $352. Such a large quantity of food to prepare! There are still days that the children go without food, and sometimes church members and locals will donate small amounts of food to help.
The next big project that is now underway is a new dining hall. Here is the current dining hall, and pictured below is the cleared area for the new one. Ben broke ground and we were able to lay the initial foundation pieces. This project will be done in stages as funding allows, and total approximate cost is $20k.
This top picture shows the current dining hall (right) and on the left is the big open area (pictured below) that will be the future site of the dining hall.
Once again, we brought supplies to make bracelets and it was a HUGE hit. All 7 of us worked for a long time to try to keep up with the bracelet making demand.
