Pennies for Kenya

Princess number three is headed to Kenya in July to do a service mission with a youth service group. She has to do 100 service hours locally before she can get a partial sponsorship to go.



She has collected money to pay for the flight and mission and is now working on the projects and gifts she will be taking to share in Kenya. She will be teaching a math class. She was also told she can take gifts for the children she meets. However, since we have been to Peru several times doing similar things, we realized that if you give a gift to one child, someone always feels left out because there are so many children in need.



I pondered on this situation and the limitations of taking gifts due to luggage size and weight restrictions. I also thought what my children enjoy receiving from other countries. We came up with the idea to give them coins. My children have always enjoyed coins from other countries so I thought we could give them each a coin. Also, knowing that they may have no pockets, it would be hard to not lose a loose coin so we thought we could make necklaces and drill a penny and give them each a coin necklace.




I was thinking about options on the necklace part thinking I would find some black twine or something and started looking. I also knew I needed a ring so that the penny would lay flat rather than on end. I went to a craft store and knowing we needed 200 necklaces so each child would get one, I figured it was going to be a bit more expensive than I liked by the time I found rings and twine for 200.




I said a prayer and pondered on it. I looked at what I had and didn't find anything that would work. At church on Sunday, I was greeted by a man who has a drill press and has helped me with a jewelry project in the past. I had thought to ask another neighbor to help with the pennies but as I saw this man, I thought I should ask him. I asked if he would be willing to allow me to use his drill if I brought over some drill bits and 200 pennies. He told me he would use his bit and would do the work. I thanked him and told him I would deliver the pennies one day that week.


I had company coming for a few days so I figured I would get that over and then take the pennies over. Tuesday morning, he drops off 20 shiny new pennies drilled and on a wire. He went to the bank and got the new style pennies with the crest on the back because he thought all the kids would want the same style and he wanted them to be new. I was so thrilled with that as I hadn't seen the new style penny and was just going to raid my change jar for 200 pennies.



I told him I would go get more pennies and he told me he would get them. I dropped off some money the next morning and his wife said he was almost done. He showed up Wednesday afternoon with the rest of the pennies drilled and ready for use.



I was blessed with inspiration about the cords. I remembered my sister had a pile of them she purchased a few years ago bulk and took the clasps off to use for another project. I called her about it and she said she had about 100 blue and 100 black that I could have. She also had "jump" rings which would attach the penny to the necklace.



Now all I had to do was figure out clasps for them. My company was watching me put the pennies on the cords and we were brainstorming with my sister about the clasps. I had wire out but it wasn't strong enough and I didn't want to give the kids something they would lose. My company suggested that I use a paper clip. So, I messed around for a few minutes trying to figure out the best way to use them to keep them from falling off or the child getting their hair pulled or getting poked.




I finally found a way to cut the paperclip in half and use each half for a clasp which will close fairly well and not allow the necklace to slip off and it wouldn't poke them. Best of all, I already had the paper clips and when my neighbor dropped off the pennies, he gave me back my money in a few choice words about not wanting my #*$& money. :-) So, in the end, after my sister donated the necklaces, my neighbor donating the pennies and the drilling and my house guest suggesting the clasp, I ended up with 200 free gifts for the school children in Africa and my daughter will use coins to teach her math lesson and each will get to keep an American coin!



The best part for me is that my neighbor didn't want to drill a hole in the top because of the words, "In God We Trust." So, on his own, he drilled the hole on the side. As you know, if you read my blog more than a few days, this was exactly how I would have done it. So, the best part is that each little Kenya child with have "In God We Trust" hanging around their necks. Isn't that as it should be? Blue for the girls and black for the boys. I don't think it could have gone any better. How blessed we are! Kenya, here she comes!