Reaching across the globe to help others

Harold Ewell holds a hand-carved giraffe from Kenya and Carol holds a Zulu basket. The latter is made from reeds of the Ilala Palm that grows along the Ungeni River. It is so tightly woven that it can be used to hold liquid. Photograph by Walter Horylev.

Ernestine Mkhize (left) is a retired nurse and past parish council chairperson of Bethlehem Catholic Church in the Valley of 1,000 Hills, near Durban, South Africa. She works with Pat Chadwick (right) on the Poverty, Unemployment & AIDS Committee of sister church, St. Dominic’s. During their visit in October 2005, Harry (center) and Carol Ewell presented donated supplies they had carried from the USA. Submitted photo.

Harry and Carol Ewell in front of Nile Road Special School sign: "Education for All" ~ Nairobi, Kenya ~ May, 2005. This school in Nairobi, Kenya, is attended by about 85 students with various challenges: from severe ADD to autism, from deafness to Down’s syndrome, and cerebral palsy and polio. In May, 2005, the school received a personal computer and All-in-One printer, a donation from the Kiwanis Club of Spencerport in collaboration with the Kiwanis Club of Nairobi. Future plans are to provide “a window on the world” via an ISP, and manage an income-generating cyber café. More great news: the Kiwanis Club of Aniston, Alabama, met President Patrick Kifolo when he was visiting the USA last year, and has matched the Spencerport Club’s donation with a second computer. Submitted photo

Carol Nellis-Ewell with Vihiga orphans - rural Western Kenya.The 80+ orphans at Vihiga Children’s Home, in the rural village of Vihiga, in Western Kenya, have lost their parents to AIDS. Now they live together as a big family with caregivers in basic dormitories: eating, going to school and church, doing chores and homework and playing when they can. They plan to return in Spring 2006 to purchase a crossbred cow for milk, and to teach them how to make cheese and yogurt. They are also assisted by the new Kiwanis Club of Vihiga. The Ewells and others have contributed clothing, books and new pencils, the latter of which the children have never seen. The Ewells plan a spring 2006 trip to Africa. Submitted photo.

Reaching across the globe to help others

In 1989, Harry and Carol Ewell wanted to go on an African safari as a lifetime adventure,… But instead of a one-time adventure, they fell in love with the country and saw a need to help the people of Africa long term.

Residents of Spencerport for 20 years, Harry and Carol Ewell had retired from Eastman Kodak Company after working for 29 and 34 years, respectively. “We hoped for meaningful years (after retirement), but never thought our time would be spent in Africa,” Harry said.

Their mission to help began after a trip in 1991 to Zambia and Zimbabwe. They returned to Kenya in 1993 with a passion and joined an organization called Earth Watch. The goal of this organization is ongoing; volunteers teach Kenyans a skill that they in turn can pass on and teach fellow Kenyans the same skill. As Earth Watch volunteers, the Ewells trained for one week at the Nairobi University with 12 other people from around the world. With $16 in materials, the Ewells learned how to build a solar oven without the help of power tools. “Our task was to go into a rural Kenyan area and train Kenyans how to build these ovens. This is how we got to know the people and we saw the vast needs of the people of Africa,” Harry said.

The Kiwanis connection
During a return trip in 1996, the Ewells traveled to Africa with a group from the Christian Relief Services (CRS) and met Olympic runner Kip Keino, a spokesperson for CRS. As he was building a school in Kenya, Keino saw the desperate life most of the children were living and adopted 75 children. The Ewells visited this school with Keino. “We saw the immediate need and we contributed clothing, school supplies and medicine for the children.” This friendship with Keino “kept us going, we knew we had to continue our mission to help these people,” said Harry.

During their African travels, the Ewells made many other friends including Patrick Kifolo, a Kenyan. It was through many conversations and encouragement from the Ewells that Kifolo began a Kiwanis Club in Kenya with Kiwanis Club of Spencerport acting as sponsoring club for the new African Kiwanis Club. “When Harry joined the Spencerport Kiwanis Club, he proposed the idea of helping to create a Kiwanis Club in Kenya. We thought we could create a diplomacy connection. With the help of other area Kiwanis Clubs, the Spencerport Kiwanis brought this new Kenyan Kiwanis Club to fruition,” said Keith Ryan, secretary of the Spencerport Kiwanis.

And so began a global union to lend a hand to those in need.

Recent fundraising efforts by the Spencerport Kiwanis resulted in the purchase of a computer system for the Nile Road Special School for Handicapped Children. During their last trip, Harry and Carol delivered the computer to the school along with financial support from the Spencerport Kiwanis Club.

“When we arrived at the school on a Sunday, all of the children were dressed in their uniforms waiting for us. I commented to the headmaster how nice all the children looked and he told me their uniforms are the only clothes these children have,” Carol said.

Besides the high unemployment and poverty rates, the people of Africa face other problems including the fight against Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). The AIDS epidemic still rages in Africa to the point where many children are left homeless because their parents fall victim to AIDS. “This home has 85 children, all left without parents because of AIDS,” said Carol.

Spencerport resident Heidi Reinschmidt met the Ewells at a Kiwanis meeting when the couple was describing the plight of AIDS orphans. Reinschmidt knew that with the combined efforts of many friends, they could help the Ewells and the people of Africa.

“What started out as a simple project of collecting stuffed animals snowballed into collecting books, school supplies and clothing,” said Reinschmidt. “We had a packing party at my house and we finished with 17 boxes of goods to send to this home in Africa for AIDS orphans, a school for disabled children and also to help any other people in desperate need of help,” she explained.

But the project was not complete. These women knew they needed to send these boxes to Africa. And so began another project to raise money for shipping. They organized a garage sale and were overwhelmed by the success of the sale, raising enough money to ship the boxes and also to purchase a cow to supply milk for this children’s home. “This has been a heartwarming but sad project. We never realized how desperate these people really are,” said Reinschmidt.

This home is also a priority project for the Kenyan Kiwanis Club.

Helping Africa in the United States
It was during their 1993 visit that the Ewells saw the true level of poverty in Africa. “The unemployment rate in Africa is between 30 to 40 percent. You see people with university degrees carving giraffes,” explained Harry. While the Ewells discovered the true scope of poverty, they also saw the craftsmanship and skills of the people and envisioned another way they could help. They decided they could sell these goods in the United States. “We started our business, Afrikamba, Curios ... Cultural Tours & Travel, and operated out of our home for awhile,” Harry said. This humanitarian business sells African carvings, art and jewelry and also provides travel and tour arrangements to Africa. The shop is now located in Spencer’s Landing in Spencerport, next to the gazebo in the village. “We buy these products for a fair price from the African people, and once they are sold here, we give back a percentage of profits,” said Harry.

The Ewells are modest about their humanitarian efforts. Carol said their work and purpose is to leave kind footprints on earth. While their passion is clear, they also applaud the efforts of local organizations like the Spencerport Kiwanis and a special friend and former Spencerport resident, Patricia Chadwick, in their outreach efforts. “Pat came with us on one of our trips and was so moved by what she saw. In 2003, she sold all of her belongings, from sofas to Hummels, and at age 64 she moved to South Africa. Pat now works in South Africa as an advocate for women and helps teach women skills so they can feed their families,” Carol said.

Spencerport resident Jane Maitland-Moran traveled twice to Africa with the Ewells and said she is amazed by their work. “Harry and Carol know so many people in Africa because of their good works. When and wherever they travel, they bring extra suitcases packed with clothing and donations. Every place we went to, they would leave behind a suitcase that would help someone. Their good deeds are incredible,” said Maitland-Moran.

The Ewells realize that “the more we go to Africa, the more we know we are going back. The people are so grateful when we deliver the simple donations of books and clothes and even soap. Most people in Africa do not know what a full size bar of soap looks like. They only can afford to buy a sliver of soap at the market,” said Carol.

The Ewells’ mission to help the African people also continues at home with their membership in the East African Wildlife Society, an organization dedicated to preserving and protecting endangered and threatened species and habitats in East Africa. “Our role is to promote the society here in the United States. We give talks to students in area schools and other community organizations, we solicit donations and we distribute brochures in our store,” Harry said.

The Ewells have made over 20 visits to Africa and, according to Carol, “We continue to be humbled.”

Note: Afrikamba Curios is open various hours weekdays. Call 585-349-2999 for information or visit afrikam-ba@msn.com. To donate clothing of all sizes and suitable to all ages, contact the Ewells at the shop. Other needs include books for school-age children, school supplies, stuffed animals, health and toiletry items, soap, linens and towels. Financial support is also accepted.