29 th February 2012 Leap Year Fast

1. 29th February 2012 Leap Year Fast Most years you eat 365 days a year. This year there are 366 days. On 29th February 2012 join the Christian Aid Leap Year Fast and raise money for children like Muli from Kenya. For more information please contact our office on 01 611 0801 or Email dublin@christian-aid.org www.christianaid.ie

2. Muli’s Story Muli (on the right in picture) lives in Machakos, Kenya. He is now 16 years old and is the head of his household, since both of his parents died due to HIV. When his parents died, Muli was left to look after his two younger brothers and younger sister. He continued going to school where he received a free school lunch. He used to pack this into a box and sneak home to share the lunch with his brothers and sister. This was often the only meal they would have each day. Christian Aid’s Kenyan partner BIDII work with orphans and vulnerable children like Muli and his family. They have helped the children secure the rights to the land that Muli’s home is built on and have replaced the small mud house that the children were living in with a larger brick building (which you can see in the background of the photo) with separate bedrooms for the brothers and their sister. BIDII also provided clothes and school uniforms for the children. They have linked Muli and his brothers and sister with a local “savings and loans association”, a community group set up by BIDII. The group will support the children and make sure that their basic needs are met. As well as helping children like Muli, BIDII also supports elderly people who are looking after orphans and teach people in the local community about HIV to reduce the number of people becoming HIV positive and to stop the stigma and discrimination that people living with HIV often face.

3. How to do a Leap Year Fast Ugali: Ingredients (4 servings)4 cups water4 cups maize meal or corn meal flour Bring water to the boil in a pan. Add the corn or maize meal and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture is thick and smooth. Make sure it is not too stiff. Add boiling water if it is too thick. Gather the mixture in the middle of the pan and turn the heat to low. Cover the pan and leave it on low heat for 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally. Flip the ugali onto a plate and, after it cools a bit, form it into a "cake". Serve with green vegetables or beans. In Kenya it is served with Kale. Option 1: Have a simple meal on 29th February and each person taking part makes a donation of what they would have spent on their usual meal. You could have soup and bread or if you are feeling adventurous you could even make a traditional Kenyan meal like Muli might eat, such as Ugali and Beans. Option 2: Skip a meal on the 29th February and each person taking part in the fast asks family and friends to sponsor them. A sponsor form should be enclosed with this pack. If not phone Christian Aid on (01) 611 0801 to request a form. The sponsor form can be photocopied.

4. What to do after the Fast Collect in the money raised and send a cheque made payable to Christian Aid Ireland quoting reference number AIRL000422: Leap Year Fast Christian Aid 17 Clanwilliam Terrace Dublin 2 01 611 0801 Send us your pictures: If you have any pictures of the fast participants then we would love to feature some of them in our magazine. Please send them to dthomas@christian-aid.org For further information: If you would like any further information or to request a speaker contact Jennifer or Peter on (01) 611 0801 or email dublin@christian-aid.org Republic of Ireland Charity number CHY 6998 Company number 426928