Want To Help?

Oh, friends. I have been longing to write for weeks! So many little things have reminded me of Kenya. I hope to return to this blog soon... but first I have a question for you.

I have been asked to find sponsors for two young girls, Irene and Kate, in Kenya. Don’t look at their photos just yet – because I want you to know more about where they live in the second largest slum in Nairobi.

The slums are called Kawangware, and they are just as you might imagine. Your senses are assaulted in waves – at one moment the smell of corn roasting over a pot of coals, or the plastic bin of tiny dried fish on which hundreds of flies swarm, or the open sewer carved out of rock over which this woman has built her stand... powerful images and aromas, powerful examples of poverty and ingenuity in one.

To be honest, I had a hard time recognizing my surroundings – I was so intent on not losing my balance and tumbling into the black muck that signified the pathway. Yet for as much as I was aware of my footing, I also noticed the shoes lined outside people’s homes. Even though these small homes were cobbled together out of plastic and tin, the inhabitants had enough pride of place to remove their shoes before entering.

The few times I did look up, I noticed the high-rise apartment buildings surrounding Kawangware. A stark contrast with their concrete walls, glass windows, and satellite dishes, but some commonalities, too: mostly the laundry drying in the sun. What must these residents think as they gaze on one another? Do they trade despair for disgust? 

We walked through Kawangware because Mission of Mercy supports a school there, the World Hope Academy. It is quite literally the only hope children from Kawangware have for an education. We were there on a Saturday, but it seemed hundreds of children teemed the school grounds for an Awana Bible program. As we entered, the children were shrieking and cheering for teammates during a relay race, but they cheered even more loudly when Hapi, our country director, took a turn, running haphazardly with the pile of beanbags on his head. That is one of the amazing things about the areas Mission of Mercy serves – no matter where they are, these programs give children a chance to escape for a bit and become children again. It is quite possible that I saw these two girls among the crowd. Many of the girls were quite shy and hid behind siblings and friends when we approached.

But others young ones ran right to us, calling howareYOU?howareYOU? in the sweetest high-pitched of voices as they scrambled over fences and out of holes in the patchwork tin walls to come close to us. They were our ambassadors as we made our way through Kawangware. This little boy grabbed my hand and did not let go for the next 20 minutes, peeking shyly at me but obviously proud that he was the one to guide me through his neighborhood.

We are looking for more sponsors for these children because the Mission of Mercy program at the World Hope Academy is thriving. It is our largest program in Kenya, and already children who have been able to enroll early are excelling in school, passing the government exams, and earning places in secondary schools – things that are crucial for breaking out of the poverty that surrounds them. Many of the staff members and Awana leaders are graduates of World Hope or other similar programs run by other ministries – they know the power of this opportunity, and they want the children to see that a different life is possible.

In a way, that’s why I’m asking for your help with Kate and Irene. These two precious girls were able to enroll at World Hope because we had enough sponsors to begin extending invitations to more children. Your support helps offset the cost of their education, provides nutritious meals, and enables them to attend programs like Awana, where they learn about Jesus and how much God loves them. Their teachers and the Awana leaders are positive role models who will notice when they’re not feeling well or when they’ve missed a few days. In a way, they act as the safety net that these girls may have never had.

Sponsoring a child is $34 a month. As a sponsor, your biggest gift to the child is to write encouraging letters -- and if you have a smart phone or an iPad, you can write to them from your device using Mission of Mercy’s new app, One Child. I can tell you more about that if you’re interested, but in the meantime, let me introduce to Irene and Kate:

Irene is 10 years old and lives with her mother, brother, and sister in a simple cinderblock home with a metal roof. They cook over a wood fire and gather water from a community tap. Irene helps her mother by sweeping the floors. Her favorite class in school is Swahili, and she dreams of becoming a doctor. She regularly attends Sunday school with her siblings. She loves to read story books at school.

Kate is 4 years old and loves her art class at the World Hope Academy. She lives with her parents and her sister in a simple cinderblock home with a metal roof. Kate’s responsibility is to wash the dishes after a meal. She regularly attends the Christian activities at the academy and is learning about Jesus through Bible stories. She dreams of becoming a nurse one day. 

If you're interested in sponsoring either of these girls, please email me as soon as possible so we can get things set up. And if you have any questions, please let me know! And thank you for indulging me with all these stories. I've found it's taking me longer than I expected to process everything, but I hope to write more soon.