Welcome to Patricia's web site

Read here for news of our volunteer work in East Africa.

(These links below will take you to the topic. Click on the graphic. Warning: some are under construction)

If you are interested in my fiction, click here

	Water
	Microfinance
	Tembo Kenya
	Adopt a village (content to come)
	Virtues
	Pictures, jewelry articles, HIV
	Meet the people(content to come)

With my husband Rod, an engineer, I have been volunteering in Kenya for six months every year since 2001. I am Education Secretary for the Anglican diocese of Maseno North and work with 48 primary and 14 secondary schools in Western Kenya, a poor rural area. We have been involved in educational projects, the installation of simple wells, scholarships and microfinance. With the help of donations and some Rotary International grants as well as self-financing, we have been able to make a difference to some lives. Our intention this year as we return to Africa at the end of September is to work with the community of Emmaloba to begin to create income generating opportunities which we can then move to other communities. To follow what we are doing week by week, go to www.blogtembokenya.blogspot.com 

We find that we are more and more involved with community projects and have formed a non-profit society to help manage the work.

TEMBO-KENYA stands for Teaching-Empowering-Mentoring-Building Opportunities

We chose the logo of the elephant because these wonderful animals live in powerful groups and look after each other. Moreover, the herd is usually directed by a female and we find the women of Kenya long to improve their lives by determination and hard work.

To see more about TEMBO KENYA and the scope of the work and how you might donate  click here

To follow our work during 2008-2009 go to www.patandrodkenya.blogspot.com

Rod is anxious to use the research he has been doing in Canada to begin making building materials from agricultural waste. We have taught how to make cow-dung fuel and liquid soap and these are providing income for a few people. Our other projects will include cell phone charging, adult literacy, a poultry project and a tree nursery. We have funding either to install three wells or protect some springs.

   During our last six months, we were able to put in three new wells and protect one spring. We have a list of thirteen sites requesting water.

For just about  $2500 we can bring safe, clean water to a rural community. I have added a report on the  wells we installed in rural villages and a description of the communities awaiting a well. Protecting a spring can be done for about $500.

KENYA IN TURMOIL

We worked in Kakamega for three months in 2007. We left Kenya over Christmas 2007 and returned on December 31 to chaos after the elections. This picture is of a road block in Kisumu--our destination on January 1st, 2008. We had to wait 6 days in Nairobi while we decided what to do. Eventually we returned to Kakamega with an armed escort, but things remained volatile.

To read the newsletters I sent home, click here

To see pictures of Kakamega and the violence, click here.

We are hoping that tensions will not increase as Kenya faces its worst drought in ten years. Hunger is widespread and we know we will be faced with some difficult choices over the next few months.

We have been experimenting an HIV/AIDS awareness curriculum. It is hard to believe that Kenya has no time in the curriculum for direct teaching to young people on this topic, although the government has done a good job of training teachers. Here is a picture of the teachers who are working with me.

In January 2007 these teachers conducted a successful seminar for their colleagues. We plan to do more this coming year.

Click here for the news I sent home during our previous  times in Africa.  

Click for more shots and here for a link to African jewelry by Julius

Julius  creates his wonderful designs in the area where I work in Africa. I sell his jewelry to raise funds. Here is his picture in his work hut. Click to enlarge it.

If you click here, you will find an article on strange marriage customs in Kenya

And this link will take you to an article about Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Warning: not for the faint at heart.

Last update: September 2009

Patricia welcomes you to her website and the best of spicy romance,

sprinkled with reluctant time travelers, determined ghosts,

mystery and suspense. 

Click here to go to my fiction books.

'Beloved Stranger' became available on

August 10, 2006 as an e book and went to print in August 2007

Paranormal romance

ISBN 1-4199-0679-8

An old house in the Ontario woods, a mysterious stranger who seems eerily
familiar, an ancient murder that must be solved. . .

Click on the cover to read the first chapter

****

Journey's End  

time travel romance:

now available  in electronic and print formats

 ISBN 1-4199-0322-5.

Can a doctor from modern times find love and happiness with a maverick time traveler when they meet in Tudor England? Click on the cover to enlarge it. Click here to read the first chapter

For details about my new books, or new editions, go to the foot of this page to enter the website and click on the book which interests you

RECENT RELEASES:

A SUITABLE FATHER (JUNE 2004); DANCING WITH THE DEVIL (JUNE, 2004) ; JOURNEYS END (SEPT, 2005)

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                Patricia Crossley. Nothing may be copied from these pages without the permission of the author

ENTER Romance pages.