Archive for October 14th, 2008
Bob’s report: Visit to Kenya
Mission Awareness Trip
Sept. 13 – 23, 2008
“To be a peacemaker, one must possess peace interiorly. Peace in the world passes through personal conversion.”
— Poster at Emmaus Centre, Nairobi.
Nairobi, Nanyuki, Juja, Matiri and Timau are currently the principal project sites in Kenya. The expressed felt needs of families in the Nairobi project are known through home visits. Education and health care are key benefits, but there are others such as food provisions, hot lunches, clothes, school uniforms, recreation, values formation, workshops and training, parent groups and family assistance. Parents are allowed to send their children to the school of their choice.
Nairobi mothers groups
Nairobi mothers group coordinator Milka shared her experience with the formation of mothers groups in Kenya. The violence of early 2008, with 42 tribes fighting each other, challenged the groups. “We were close to becoming another Rwanda,” she said.
The groups provide HIV training and counseling, promote peaceful co-existence among communities, develop environmental programs, counsel members in avoiding drug abuse, promote equal education for girls and boys and invite dads to participate—when there is a dad.
A loving umbrella
Alex Musendi, one of 77 Nairobi scholarship students, spoke. “I thank God for the loving umbrella of CFCA. … Both my parents died when I was very small. I was a poor village boy who came to Nairobi alone. I thought it was the end of my life when my sponsor lost her job … but this beautiful organization became a father and a mother to me. I say to everyone, stand tall and preach the good news. One day, life will be brighter. Somebody, somewhere needs help just like me.”
We enjoyed informative sessions about each aspect of the Nairobi project. The staff members’ reports reflected transparency and great professionalism. Peter Ndundo, Nairobi project coordinator, showed off the attractive and welcoming new headquarters for CFCA-Nairobi.
On CFCA African Heritage Day at the Stima Club in Nairobi, we participated and observed many wonderful dances, joined by moms, staff, scholarship students, children and aging. A hot lunch followed for the estimated 1,500 in attendance. (more…)
6 comments October 14, 2008
