Kenya / Western - CROSSROADS SPRINGS CARE CENTER

Orchard Park Friends Meeting welcomes inquiries and financial contributions for Crossroads Springs. All funds are transferred directly to CSI in Kenya.

Checks may be written to:
Crossroads Springs/Orchard Park Quaker Meeting

C/o Clerk, Orchard Park Quaker Meeting

6924 East Quaker Road

Orchard Park, NY 14127

Crossroads Springs Institute, Hamisi, Kenya, is an orphanage and school for children whose parents have died of HIV/AIDS. It was founded in 2004 and currently cares for 135 boys and girls aged 4 ½ to 9 in Early Childhood classes through Standard IV. Food, clothing, health check-ups, loving care, and schooling are provided. Dr. Meshack Isiaho, founder, is assisted by a director, head teacher, assistant teachers, cooks, cleaners and watchmen. When dormitory rooms are completed, 100 children will be in residence and overnight care provided.

Orchard Park Friends Meeting has partnered with Crossroads Springs since the beginning, receiving contributions and establishing a separate bank account for making transfers to the designated CSI bank account in Kenya. Monthly financial reports and annual audits are sent from CSI via e-mail to an Orchard park Friend who reports to Monthly Meeting. Friends write acknowledgements for contributions and do a newsletter mailing twice a year to donors. OPFM Peace and Social Action Committee makes Crossroads Springs a priority, initiating activities such as making a local newspaper appeal for gifts in honor of mothers on Mothers’ Day and collecting gifts in a hollow gourd for mosquito nets

We encourage visits to CSI. In September 2004 a work group from US and Canada, including three from our Meeting, spent 2 weeks at CS, helping rebuild a partially finished building for the orphanage. They met children, teachers and community members, attended Gavudunyi and Kakamega Quaker Meetings. They were warmly welcomed and learned a great deal. The following April a member of that group returned to CSI for a few days. A group from Western New York visited in March 2006 and will return in November this year. In June 2006 Deb Naybor, executive director of Both Your Hands, spent a few days, working with 100 widows, widowers, and guardians to establish 7 small businesses with micro loans. Our visitation is not a “system,” but rather a matter of keeping connected in friendship and support, as well as receiving progress reports.

Dr. Isiaho is a Quaker, member of Gavudunyi Monthly Meeting. We would think he would welcome visitors and observers from NYYM and wider Quaker groups. He has met with Eden and James Grace, and John Muhanji at FUM office in Kisumu.

Please visit the Crossroads Springs website at

Orchard Park Friends Meeting welcomes inquiries and financial contributions for Crossroads Springs. All funds are transferred directly to CSI in Kenya. Checks may be written to:

Crossroads Springs/Orchard Park Quaker Meeting

C/o Clerk, Orchard Park Quaker Meeting

6924 East Quaker Road

Orchard Park, NY 14127

Please go to the Crossroads Springs website for Vision, Mission, Strategy, photos, and newsletters. www.crossroadssprings.org