Missions Outreach - Christmas in Kenya 2014

Hello friends,

It has been awhile since I wrote of the outreach to the humble villagers in Kenya. You can read more about our plans for Christmas Outreach here.

Photo credits:  All photos in this post belong to Jonah of Missions of Hope, Kenya

The outreach was a modest effort funded by myself and one other blogging friend.  In Kenya, my friends donated their time and energy to helping identify costs, shopping for all the refreshments and food, travelling to the Internally Displaced People's Camp and otherwise making it all happen.

I just want to say that  my friends and I do not do good works while thinking of a reward in Heaven some day (scripture verse in above photo). We do it because we love people and hate to see them suffering.  The scripture teaches that whoever does not love does not know God for God is love  (1 John 4:8). The scripture is also clear that there is a reward some day for those that are God's disciples and do his will as in Matthew 10:42.  When that day comes I certainly won't be turning any reward away if there is indeed one coming. Life in eternity is an awful long time *smile.

I recognize that there are also good people in the world of other faiths and some who have no religious affiliation whatsoever. I applaud you if you are a person who cares for your fellow man, woman and child regardless of the faith issue. Life would be so much better for more people on earth if we all had this view. Now more about the outreach itself and the context within which it was undertaken.

Though our efforts were modest compared to many ministries around the globe, I know for certain that the people we helped would not have received help from any where else.  It was important for me to let them
know that especially at Christmas, someone was remembering them.

Life is very hard in much of Kenya.  Things were already very difficult before the global recession and rise in terrorist attacks.  Both of these events have put the country's economy in a downward tilt and negatively affected the tourist industry which formerly brought in a lot of money to the Kenyan economy.Though there are many, many rich people in Kenya, there are many, many more who not have adequate food, clothing, shelter and medical care.

There are about 46 percent of Kenyans living below the poverty line and there isn't enough work for those who want to work.  Last Fall, I read that university graduates take upwards of 5 years to find work upon graduation. Even then they get meager pay and often have to eke out a living with small businesses they create themselves.  There isn't a robust social security system either though slowly, slowly the government is implementing a few social programs.  These are primarily for young school children to have free education, a real God send and change from several years ago, and for some of the elderly who receive a small pension. The pension program started as a trial about one year ago and I hear is now going to be implemented on a broader basis. These are all starts in the right direction.

The government simply doesn't have the money to broaden it's efforts to include a wide range of social programming.   They are currently trying to improve things on a number of fronts: building better infrastructure, dealing with graft & corruption, including within government, coping with terrorism and the weak economy.  The tourist industry has had a very tough time of things since 2008.  The government is also spending a lot of time trying to better contain the government's budgets in a time of devolution to county governments.  They also appear to be dealing with various land scandals that impact on the security of land tenure for individuals, school and such like.  When citizens and businesses of any country don't have secure land tenure it affects support for their governments and Kenya is no exception.  There are many challenges in trying to move forward

There have also been recent change to the operation of Non-Government Organizations (NGOs). There are thousands of NGOs in Kenya and many of those are run by foreigners from all around the globe.   To date most of them seem to have operated without full accountability though certainly not all of them.  For example, lots of them do not keep up their filing of annual statements.  The government has become concerned about some NGOs being a front for terrorist sponsored activities.  As a result the government recently froze the bank accounts of a multitude of NGOs and a time line for rectifying irregularities. I don't know exactly how this all transpired but it seems a large number of  bank accounts have been not only been frozen but seized by the government in it's recent crackdown on non-compliant NGOs.  The ramifications of this action are still too early to assess.

I sincerely hope all these actions will benefit people on the ground and that graft and corruption whoever commits it will ultimately be controlled. In the meantime, there is still much work to be done to help our brothers and sisters in Kenya.

These pictures show my very small efforts toward doing just that. I want to acknowledge and thank all those of my readers who have contributed both financially and through prayer support to helping Kenyans.  Your  contributions are not in vain.

In 2014, we had a multi-pronged approach to Christmas outreach.  We wanted to feed or have a small party for as many orphans, villagers, and Internally Displaced Peoples as we could.  Despite our modest means we were able to do just that.

Friends, one thing I want you to notice is that there are very few, if any smiles on the faces of these people.  Instead what you see are faced lined with hardship.  It pains me to see people with such hardship.  Life is just that difficult in many places in Kenya. Even when you have an outreach, people take it very seriously lest they miss out on their one chance to get something to eat or drink. I am not being dramatic here folks, I am simply stating the facts of life if you are a poor person in Kenya.  One thing that saddened me very greatly and in fact distressed me when I've travelled to Kenya is the blatant disparity between those that work in NGOs that serve the poor and the poor themselves when there are so  many poor who have nothing to eat.  But that is another matter for another day.

Restaurant Meals

Some of the people who are getting the restaurant meal are homeless or orphans. My friends organized those they thought needed a blessing.  You can see a mother and several children as well as some orphans.

One might ask why give a restaurant meal to such people. I say "why not?" People deserve to be treated now and then to things they may never otherwise experience.  Christmas is a special time of year when  most of us get to share a meal with loved ones. If you are homeless or an orphan you can't even share a meal with loved ones in a family home.

Village Church Party

We also had a food distribution at a one of the village churches I had the pleasure of attending when I was in Kenya. My friends wanted to host a bit of  party with biscuits and sodas.  Just a simple affair to contain the costs.  Though they tried hard to keep the plans quiet until the day of the party some other local churches got wind of it.  Many more people came out than anticipated.  My friends did not have the heart to turn them away; especially the children.

Initially sodas were provided because this is a rare treat for people in the village.  It quickly became apparent that a new strategy had to be employed in order to contain the budget and sodas were replaced with juices. My friends also rightly assessed that it was too difficult to keep track of all the soda bottles with so many people in attendance.  Soda bottles all have to be recovered and returned to the vendor.  With such a crowd of people, it was too difficult to make sure the bottles could be recovered.

You can see all the empty crates where food and drink were stored before distribution.

 Distribution to Internally Displaced Peoples

Every year my friends like to help a small group of largely forgotten internally displaced peoples (IDPs).  This year they especially wanted to provide sanitary napkins to the women.  Environmentally friendly napkins or reusable ones were not an option because of the lack of washing facilities where the IDPs live.

We were able to provide a very small amount of refreshment and dried foods like flour to make chapati, in  addition to providing sanitary napkins At other times of the year, whenever we can, we try to do a special food run to these people but it is difficult to do unless we get extra donations because there are a few hundred people at the camp. They need food all year round as they have lost everything: homes, jobs, land, etc. when they had to flee for their safety during the post -election violence in 2007. Many are still displaced and waiting for compensation or relocation.

 

We didn't have quite enough funds to provide sanitary pads for the women for a 3 month period. My friends did very well to purchase wholesale supplies and thus and were able to stretch the funds.

Women can you imagine not having any sanitary pads when you need them each month? 

Can you imagine not having water to bath when you need it?

That is just the daily reality of so many people in Kenya. Not just in IDP camps but also in villages all across the nation.

That concludes Christmas outreach for another year. 

If any of you wish to have more information or want to donate to future endeavours then please do not hesitate to be in touch. 

Blessings!

Christmas Plans for 2014

Hello friends,

I hope you've all been doing well and keeping warm.

Since I last posted here it has been cold with a light snow fall some of which remains on the floor of my patio. It is rather early for us to have snow. Normally we have rain at this time of year but in late Fall we've been having a lot of sunshine and cold weather. It warms up when the rains fall.

A typical Kenyan village hut.

I have been under the weather again. I seem to be under the weather a lot during our rainy season. I get very tired and my body seems to be "fighting" off  a cold all the time. At least this year I haven't felt cold indoors as I often do and I'm so grateful for that. I'm working on improving my circulation and I think it's working.  One big noticeable difference is that my lower limbs aren't numb and cold as they usually are (more about all this in a future post).

I'm gearing up for Christmas both here and for sending Christmas cheer to Kenyans.  I've been discussing my ideas with my friends as to what we can do for the people in one village near Kericho and for internally displaced peoples in a small IDP camp.

My friend said that for 500 shillings (about $6.50 Canadian), we can buy rice, cooking oil & flour so that the people can make chapati (a type of Indian flat bread). This is the normal diet of the villagers. The hard part is they cannot always afford to eat a meal each and every day.  There are approximately 50 families in this one church in the village that  I would like to help. Total - $350.

These village ladies were so happy with the food supply on one of my Kenyan visits.

It would be nice to add a bit more money ($50)  so that some candy or sweets and sodas can be purchased. My friends could then call all the villagers together after church or on another day and distributes the food to the villagers in one central location.  The extra funds will provide a bit of a party/celebration.  Whether I can host a small party like this remains to be seen. TOTAL $400.

Children everywhere love a small treat especially when it is rare.

I also want to give about 10,000 shillings (approximately $130 Canadian) to a woman name Grace. She looks after about 20 orphans on her family compound.  She does it out of the goodness of her heart through her own funds as well as on land she has donated.  She has enormous needs for food and a better  dwelling for the children.  I can't help with the dwelling but I can help a bit with food this Christmas.  The funds will cover  3-4 weeks of very basic food needs. TOTAL NEED $130.

When I got to Kenya there were so many women that wanted to meet. Before arriving in Kenya my friends in Kenya helped coordinate the building of new jiko stoves for each household.

Last, but not least, are the Internally Displaced Peoples (IDPs). They need many things.  My friend tells me that the ladies in particular need sanitary and hygiene products.  There is no water at the camp but there are latrines so disposable products need to be purchased.  These kinds of things are a real luxury for women and girls in so many Kenyan communities. Lack of such supplies affects girls and their education because they have to stay home at that time of the month. It also affects women who are often the sole economic providers for their families.  It will cost about $200 minimum to provide one or two month supplies for the girls and women in the camp.

This is one example of the difficult conditions of IDPs. It really is important to try and help them.

It would be good to provide the IDPs with a bit of food too. There are 28 families in the small IDP camp.  If we provide the same food as for the villagers, it will cost approximately $181.00. Canadian. It would also cost a modest sum to pay for fuel for those who will transport the goods to the camp ($13.00)  TOTAL $394.

The photo above shows the distribution to the IDP camp in Christmas 2013. You can see that some of them are so joyful.

I don't actually know if I can fund all the needs I've described but I would sure like to try.

I will simply ask each of you to pray for these needs to be met.

Some difficult decisions may need to be made about what can be funded and what can't. It is hard to make such decisions when you see the true needs that exist.

I'm hoping to an post a report here about the distributions once they are made. Timing for that will be closer to Christmas.

Decorations I made for mail exchange last year with Tammy in Texas.

In the meantime, I am preparing to visit my mom at Christmas and have a lot to do before then. Several family members will be joining me for the out of town journey. We expect to have a good time and my mother is looking forward to the visits.

Do any of you send cards anymore? I've cut way back. This year I'm not sure I'm organized enough to send cards on time.

My friend, her sister and I will attend one of the free showings of the Annual Singing Christmas Tree this year. This extremely popular concert is  performed by the good people of the Broadway Church in the city.

 

God bless you as you begin to prepare for your Christmas.

If anyone reading this wants to contribute to the needs I've described in Kenya, please let me know.

Stay safe and stay warm. 

Gearing Up for Christmas

Hello friends,

I hope you are doing fine on this blessed Sunday. It has been awhile since I've posted. I've been feeling very tired this week so have been trying to get as much rest as possible.

Yesterday was the day of our civic elections and voting was very brisk. I went out to cast my vote  just a few hours before the voting stations closed. I overheard a number of the workers telling voters that the turn out for voting was very good and that there had been long line-ups much of the day.Later, on the news I heard the same report about long line-ups at many other voting stations. So that is the good news.

I cast my vote for mayor, city council, school trustees and the parks board. We were also asked to vote "yes" or "no" to a variety of big spending schemes. I didn't get the results I wanted but that is okay. I am just glad that so many turned out to vote.  We will see where we are at in 4 years time and in the meantime, I hope our city gets the kind of leadership and vision that we need and deserve.

Weather here has turned very nippy. Last night as I went out to vote at the station a few blocks from where I live, I ran into my neighbour who was coming back from work. She said it was very cold. As I got out and started walking I could see that the ground was covered in a lot of frost. We had frost earlier in the week but it has gotten even colder. I was properly dressed with scarf, gloves and warm jacket.

A few posts ago I said I would share some old videos I had made and so today I'm sharing one I made years ago.

It is just a very short clip of street boys near Kericho, Kenya at a Rehabilitation Center. These are young boys that get into trouble and most have no parents. My friend Jonah worked with them a lot over the years and would bring Vacation Bible School (VBS) to the children.

I would sponsor the event and helped pay the teachers who Jonah would recruit from the local Bible school and make sure they had food to eat for the week of the VSB as well as teaching materials and small gifts for the children to be handed out during the closing ceremonies. On the day in the video, I had made a trip to Kenya while the VSB was being held and I was attending the closing. I was so touched by these children and their heartfelt singing.  My short clip was taken on my digital camera in the days when the pixels were still not that large so forgive the quality.

Christmas is drawing near once again, I would like to do something for the orphans or the community of needy people in and near Kericho, Kenya.

One year I sponsored a small, fun outing for village children to join festivities in town.

 

In another, we took Christmas to the local prisons.

Jonah meeting and greeting one of the prison heads.

Men at the prison gathering.

Women at the prison gathering.

Another year Jonah brought cheer to the local hospital.

 

In Kenya when you are in hospital, you have to have family help you and make sure they bring you food. Jonah and helpers were taking different food treats to the patients.

For several years we brought Christmas cheer to the internally displaced people of Kenya.

 These are Kenyan who lost their homes and material possessions through civic strife after one of the elections.

These small shelters are how they have to live. There is no protection.

A close up of one of the shelters.

 It is heartbreaking to see the conditions in which the people have to live while they wait for justice. . They have been waiting years for new land where they can live safely. 

No child or grandchild should have to live like this but what choice do the parents have?

Each and every day and every year there are so many ways that one can help the people of Kenya. Christmas is an especially good time to remember them.

I will remember them this year once again and would be so pleased if you could join me.

I can assure you the funds will be put to good use. 

(You can find my email on my profile page if you would like to help out).

God bless. xx

An Update on Mama Linet

My friend visited Mama Linet on December 12, 2011 to take her some support I sent to try and help her get on her feet.  Some of you remember me writing about Mama Linet before. She is the young mother with the little girl named Linet who has a cleft palate.

I came to know of Mama Linet through my friend Jonah.  He found this little family while on a medical mission.  On that mission he learned about the little girl Linet who was rapidly losing weight and could not eat.  He felt led to help her get some medical attention and the right food to help her get stronger.  He was so gratified and excited when the little girl stopped losing weight and started to get healthier. Now the little girl is thriving, running around, playing and drawing.  She still needs cleft palate surgery and hopefully she will be able to get it some day.

In the meantime, we also wanted to help this mother try to provide for her family since times are very hard in Kenya with runaway inflation and poor maize prices.  Initially, the young mom thought she would like to try and start a beauty salon.  After she thought about it some more, she decided to start a  charcoal business instead.  I do hope and pray that she will make a success of it for the future of herself and her children.

(Click photos to enlarge)

Here is Mama Linet with her children and the charcoal she is now selling.

My friend also visited some Internally Displaced People (IDP) in early December.  He returned to see them on December 24, 2011, to take food.  I wrote about this in my last two posts in case you are interested in reading more about this. It will bless you so much to see that someone's Christmas was brightened.

Jonah has visited the IDP Camp whenever he can to try to encourage the people and bring them hope. He tries to take blankets and mosquito nets whenever he can purchase them.  These IDPs are Kenyans and they were displaced about 4 years ago from their homes.  They lost everything and escaped with their lives after the ugly violence that erupted soon after the last national election in Kenya.

Here is Jonah distributing candy and medicine to the children as well as mosquito nets to some of the elderly.

These are the living conditions at the IDP camp.

We know that most people will never get a chance to go and visit these places.
We want to show you the conditions the people live in so you can determine whether you can share whatever you have to help these people.

Even a little goes a long way but we don't want anyone to give what they cannot afford. We only want you to give if you have enough food and if you are thankful for what you have.
We want you to give if you feel blessed enough to help someone else and have faith that your future needs will be met.

If you can help, you can do so here.

God bless.

Photo credits:  Jonah, Missions of Hope

Visiting the Dispossessed

My friend, Pastor Jonah in Kenya visited a camp for internally

displaced persons

recently. Here is his story.

*****************************************************************************
Our visit to the Internally Displaced Persons IDPs Center was quite devastating. The IDPs have experienced so much loss to their lives and personal dignity.



We were without words as we visited this place. I have uploaded a lot of pictures here of all the parts of the Center that we visited so that you can see what it is really like.













I am now trying to implement what I learned at the Amahoro Gathering I attended the week before last in Hekspoort, South Africa; teachings about community building and reconciliation. We Christians are called to be peace makers.

God bless.
Jonah
Missions of Hope