After a prolonged dry spell, and as the temperature continues to rise, hopefully the rains are near.

We are competing with herds of cattle and goats as all of the water catchment areas are dry. As I (Stephen) sit under a tree near Seren attempting to extract water from a borehole, a youth outreach event involving four teams is presently underway in the area.

The adult seminar earlier in the week attracted a larger number of participants than usual. Lessons focused on the grace of God and the whole topic of boundaries and land ownership. Land is still mostly unregistered and if an investor comes in seeking to acquire licences for mineral rights, the locals have nothing to prove ancestral ownership. Illiterate communities are particularly vulnerable.

Next year will see a double intake of students to Tuum Secondary School as government led curriculum reforms within the education sector begin to take place. In order to support curriculum reform, the government has instigated the building of 10,000 classrooms throughout Kenya, and the addition to Tuum Girls’ School is currently under construction. Unfortunately the government grant is insufficient to meet the costs involved in remote areas, even before taking into account the effect of the price increases due to the war in Ukraine. Hopefully the government will review its grant aid plan.

In the lead up to the commencement of the academic year in May, many parents are wondering how they will finance their children’s education. The ongoing drought has resulted in weakened and reduced livestock – the main source of income for many – and a lack of forward planning coupled with ongoing cultural demands has significantly reduced family income.

• Pray for the youth camps which are due to take place in Tuum from 10 to 20 April, now that all restrictions are lifted.
• Pray for the local church leadership in their endeavour to uphold and promote high Christian standards which would be visible to the growing number of young people.
• Pray that stimulating educational packages designed for mobile phones would encourage adults to address the issue of their illiteracy