Grateful Children and Cake

As with all good parties, we had cake. We fed the children (literally) tiny bites of cake in celebration of our partnership.

One cake, and about 300 kids. You do the math – this is going to be interesting! They were all so grateful for any gift that came their way. It was precious, had I not experienced it, I would not have believed such young children could be so patient and so grateful, for a few crumbs of cake.

Now, serving the children.

So grateful...

Vanessa

Our afternoon is filled with celebration!!  Vanessa, one of our team, is getting baptized Kenya-style. Which means in ice cold water in a blow up pool (we vetoed the river - seriously, leeches, parasites, black mambas... We are in Kenya after all!)  

Blow up pool and all, it was spectacular! A long awaited experience for Vanessa and a momentous occasion for Madoya and all the children who looked on.

The school has put together a fantastic celebration. They sing, dance, try to get us mzungus to dance (I'm not sure we fared all that well!), gave us gifts and shared cake. 

What hospitality and what a gift to share in this moving experience. Oh the things we could learn by expressing gratitude as often and as abundantly!!

Unexpected Visitors

All week we have been talking about the children and how we can help more of them have access to education and the hope it provides for their future. Several on our team have already made decisions to sponsor children (essentially monthly support so they can go to school) and, specifically, to work with children in a new, under-supported community of Korogocho. What a delight to learn that MOHI has already found children on the waiting list for us to support, and brought them to Madoya so we could meet them!!

I cannot explain the anticipation to meet 'my child' Michelle. I was anticipating the gift, and the responsibility, yet had hardly a moment to prepare for the experience I was to encounter.

Then, here she is. So precious, innocent, beautiful. Full of hopes, dreams and potential - as we all are at 6 years old!

  
A sudden and intense feeling of responsibility, and love, washed over me, I dropped to my knees and extended my hands. Michelle grabbed hold and locked eyes. In that moment, I felt (as close as a non-parent can I suppose) the sense of anything and everything she needs, I am here, I got it, I will do it. It was moving. I wanted to do it all in that moment, fix everything, provide for every need. Yet, I was also keenly aware of my inability to do anything to actually solve her challenges or change her circumstances. Indeed, my best and only gift in that moment was to look into her eyes and convey love for her, specifically, uniquely for her.

Our meeting was brief and filled with silent smiles as our language barrier limited our spoken conversation. Her clinging to both of my hands, staring into my face and big eyes full of hope and curiosity spoke volumes.

 It is overwhelming to think of 300,000 children in the slums. 

 It is moving to hold onto one and know that I can help - at least one - have hope of a different future.

How Do You Pray?

We are not long back at the Madoya school before Fred returns and invited us back out for another visit. This time we encounter Monica's cousin, Helen, who is quite receptive to our conversation. 

Monica (left) and Helen (right)

She’s inquisitive, seeking and hungry for something larger than this physical life. She asks us, “how do you pray?” which leads into a deeply spiritual conversation. We connect with her on a number of levels, pray with her and she accepts Christ with us in her presence. What an experience, what a day!

HIV Outreach & Lost in Madoya

In our first home, I am able to share the HIV information with Mary, Steven and Evelyn. Steven (a high school age boy) asked many questions about HIV and water purification. It was great to see him engaged, seeking to understand and knowing that he will be putting the information to good use!

Kids ~ everywhere along our journey

Our next visit is with Monica and Jacklyn - two single moms struggling to make life work. Fred (Kenyan Pastor) and Tim (American missionary) left Katie, Vanessa and I to have "girl talk" and support these women in any way that we could. Honestly, it was difficult to relate to their path. We spoke of common temptations - peer pressure, smoking, drinking - essentially the lure of these things to fill idle time. They knew there was something more to life, yet had not found it. I hope our conversation encouraged them to seek after it.

Sarah, Monica & Katie

Wrapping with the girls, we stepped out of the small home, through the dripping laundry and back to the street only to discover Fred and Tim are nowhere to be seen. 



This is our first (and only) time to be deep in the slum and without clear direction on how to get back. Suddenly we are aware that we are female, mzungu and without our Kenyan guides. What a combination! 

Sarah & Fred - reunited safely!

Fortunately, we are resourceful young women and were able to make our way back without causing too much of a scene. The experience reminds me of the safety and security we take for granted at home where I would seldom pause before venturing out on my own – anywhere, at any hour.

Along our journey we encounter more beautiful children that somehow brighten

even the darkest corners of the slums.

Carrie with the children at Madoya

Our Block in the Hood

Tuesday is another day in the village, more direct outreach, tons of fun with the kids, learning and practicing new Kenyan hospitality... Such beautiful culture. 

 

After taking our morning chai, we return to the streets of Madoya for more outreach.

This is a snapshot of the village area as we drive toward our Madoya neighborhood. 


 

This is on the corner by the school where we have been working.

Kenyan wheels!

Good ride if you can get it!!

Tuesday Morning Stroll

Our morning began bright and early with a stroll through the neighborhood to greet the day. 

We are debating - coffee beans?

Vanessa and I were delighted with our friendly encounters with so many Kenyans on their morning commute walking to work along our path. We are starting to feel like locals!

Our American Hosts

Our evening meal is hosted in the home of American missionaries, Keith and Kathy, who have made Kenya their home.

It is so wonderful to be in a home, with candles, and soap and great food!! Fresh fruit, salad, guacamole... We thoroughly enjoyed the change from our routine of rice and vegetables!

I was touched by the warmth of hospitality. The desire to give, the evidence of lives thriving and seeking to simply be in relationship and serve others. I can see a real love in the way the Kenyans and these missionary women seek to share life together and serve others. It prompts a desire within me to practice hospitality to a much higher degree upon return to the States!

Our reflective dinner conversation was one of how to "cure poverty and eradicate slavery" that traps so many people around the globe. Interesting to noodle and discuss. In the end, I don't know that we solved it, but we did make some good discoveries.

I know this - it is not a resource problem. 

We have more than enough food, intellect, technology, natural resources and cash. It's a people challenge. How can we love each other, work together more and knit a human quilt of people working in one common direction - to help others - such that we raise the quality of all of our lives together? And, in the process, solve many of our physical suffering and global challenges that are really just symptoms of people not working together?

This may be our greatest challenge, and yet greatest opportunity, to cure poverty, eradicate slavery and alleviate a host of other types of human suffering.

Basic Healthcare

Late afternoon we connect with the others in our groups and learn of the different journeys we have traveled today.

Julie, the nurse on our team, spent her day working in the school clinic.  She described a young boy with a terrible skin eating infection on his leg. What began as a small blister or boil, now consumed most of his shin and had destroyed the skin, muscle and was now effecting the bone. A simple to correct skin condition in the States is a limb threatening wound in Mathare.

Another young girl had an infection that likely began with a tooth or mouth injury. Now, her lips and face are badly swollen with infection and are approaching her sinus cavity and will likely spread to her brain causing a needless death if not treated. Again, relatively simple to treat at home, likely life threatening in Mathare. These children are referred to the hospital as the scope of their condition is beyond the resources of the school clinic. Many, many times the parents refuse to take the children to the hospital. It's quite a distance away and very expensive. There is no indigent care available. These families simply do not have access to the care they need and suffer greatly because of it.

Witnessing and experiencing this injustice and human suffering is nearly unbearable. We spent the balance of our car ride trying to problem solve these cases and create longer term healthcare solutions for these families.

In our discussion, we experience first-hand the difficulty of devising a long term solution. There are so many needs, so many gaps in care.  The boat is filling with water and we don't know where to begin bailing the water out to help the most.

Thankfully, the next day we heard the girl's parents took her to the hospital and she is receiving treatment. Hopefully tragedy averted!

More Children, Iesha

Our walk back is filled with more children. They are everywhere! So intrigued by the "mzungu" walking by. They sing, "how are you" as a greeting and extend their hands to simply touch us, look in our eyes and connect. They are struck by our white skin, they rub our hands and arms curiously, touch our hair and push close to us fully receiving the love we pour on them every chance we get.

As we were walking through the village this little girl (Iesha) came from a house saying mzungu (essentially, “white people,” a real novelty for these children). I stopped to say hi and hold her hand, before continuing on. 

Then, she cries out to me, "auntie, auntie!" So sweet! None of the other children have ever said that - it was pretty great! So, then we hung out for a bit and played, I mean, she's my niece and all!!

Light

After lunch, our afternoon is filled with more direct outreach and home visits. This is nothing and everything all at once. 

We are simply getting to know the local community, hearing their stories and encouraging them with all that we have to give.

Our first stop is to see two women to install a skylight in the home, share HIV information and water purification outreach.

Here's a before and after of the effect of the skylight in the home.

Look - we brought light into their house!

It was great to experience the first hand one-to-one nature of the HIV and water purification outreach. This is our Incite work on a micro level! This is connecting with people where they are, engaging with them in a relevant manner, offering information and resources to help them live healthier lives. 

The eagerness with which they receive the information is astounding. They really want to be healthy and simply need more education, outreach and guidance. 

The questions are so genuine. 

It was awesome to be helpful in a significant way and to encourage these women to share the information with others in the village. Thus creating the community change and wide spread "social impact" we all imagine!

Afternoon at School

Back at the school, we practice caring for one another with our routine hand washing. This is an important and frequent activity in Kenya!

Childhood games

This is a highly skilled game of "remember paddy-cake"? How did we do all those hand games as children?!

Recess

It's a new game - called, "playing with rocks" yet another story of resourcefulness to create fun with whatever you have available!!

Margaret

Emotionally moved by the highs and lows of the last hour, we begin our trek back to the school. Joy is waiting to greet us and lift our spirits - exactly as we needed it!  It is at this moment we bump into Margaret on the busy street through Madoya. 

This beautiful, amazing woman is John's wife. Since his accident, she works to support the family, raise their 2 children and run the household. She does so with dignity, devotion and grace. Their youngest will start school at Missions of Hope tomorrow. Inspiring strength and love.

Jane

It's at this moment that Jane, the inspirational 'mother of Madoya' springs into action sharing her story. As it unfolds, Jane began her life wealthy in a comfortable lifestyle. In high school her father left the family - taking with him his role in the household and means of provision. Jane, her mother and siblings, fell instantly into poverty and began an entirely new life as beggars in the slums. Jane's mother, strong and determined, told Jane - accept this new reality and work to change it, or you will die with rage and injustice overwhelming your heart.

A pivot point for Jane, she went from physical illness over the abandonment and grief of the situation, to joining her mother in the determined fight to overcome. She found work, saved money to put herself through school and, as soon as she broke free from life in the slums, joined MOHI to return dedicating her life's work to the children and families of Madoya.

Dorcas

Dorcas is a widow and mother of three young children. She's ailing with TB and has no means to provide for her children. Her sister is her only close family and offers some support to this otherwise desperate plight.

In the midst of learning Dorcas' story, we hear the screams of a child being beaten on the other side of the shared wall between the houses. Our hearts wrench and Vivian (MOHI social worker) springs to action going next door to intervene. The cries subside as the child finds relief, at least for this moment.

The heaviness of the reality of life in this area hangs in the air. I'm sick with grief at this suffering.

Outreach Begins

Our morning outreach began with John. He was paralyzed from the waist down in an accident 2 years ago. He exists between the bed and a chair in the small house he shares with his wife, Margaret, and their two children. His only outing is on Sunday where friends transport him to church. Otherwise, completely home bound.

You can see the light in his eyes. His body may limit him, yet you can see his mind is alert and alive. We simply chatted with him, swapped stories and learned about his gracious attitude toward his wife, family and life.

Poignant moments

Unpacking School Supplies

Finally, we have the great delight of opening suitcase after suitcase of school supplies for the children at the school in Madoya.

Crayons, pencils, construction paper, puzzles and more spill into the room overflowing the boxes where they will be stored till use.

The classrooms are bare - completely absent of any type of supply. Katie and Vanessa, teachers within our team, have been working with teachers in the school sharing creative ideas to engage the students. These supplies will be put to good use, and gone in no time!



Lynnette unpacks, Fidelis celebrates!



Monday in Madoya

We began our week by returning to Madoya and working in the neighborhood. It was heavy and difficult. On the heavy side, we experienced:

§  Tragedy

§  Injustice

§  Heart break

§  Child abuse

§  Needless physical suffering

All very difficult to stomach.

On a lighter side,

§  Inspiration in individual lives

§  Triumph over tragedy

§  Small helps and gifts that encourage and sustain

§  Beautiful people loving and serving others

§  Working shoulder to shoulder with our new found Kenyan friends

Ester

While touring the boys' campus, Ester popped onto the scene. A charming child with big aspirations to become a news anchor! She was following our tour to capture the story for Monday's school news report. I too once dreamed of becoming a reporter and working in journalism.

My entire Africa experience was full of these divinely inspired meetings where I would encounter someone with whom I could share a personal story. Speaking from my experience, or hearing of someone else's similar struggle - moves me and connects people.

Now – years later – I am thankful for that grueling summer spent in the TV news room following what I thought was my dream to become a journalist. Now, that experience prepares me to recognize and celebrate the passion I see in Ester to follow her dream of become a news anchor in Kenya.

Random coincidence?

Divine appointment?

Either way, I am thankful for our common ground and our engaging conversation – simply encouraging a young girl to follow her dreams!

 

Girl Talk

Beyond the landscape and approach at Joska, the children - nearly 1,000 between two campuses - are learning, growing and eager to be "free" after graduation. Katie and I were able to spend some time with 12-15 of the high school senior girls listening to their hopes and dreams, encouraging them in their passionate pursuit of life and faith. It was beautiful to listen to their visions for their lives - to become doctors, nurses, teachers, musicians and soldiers; wives, mothers and strong members of their families.

We heard of their worry over passing their tests, money to afford college / university, peer pressure for drugs and alcohol; their romantic view of meeting their future husbands and living happily ever after.

The realization that the road ahead is difficult and the journey is long. The power of realizing their family, friends, Joska teachers, their new mzungu friends (us!) and so many others are pulling for them, praying for them and encouraging them.

They overwhelmed us with song and prayer that transformed our space and ourselves in the precious few moments we shared together. Once again, we went in to encourage and came out inspired.