Up From the Dust

Dandora is situated next to a dump that is over 30 acres.  It made the list of the "Dirty Thirty" most polluted places in the world. The Nairobi River runs past the dump before it enters the slum.  Children roam free there, looking for something to eat.

This is why Kinyago-Dandora Schools are so important.  They not only take the poorest of the poor off the streets and feed them, but their education is attracting the attention of the Ministry of Education, as a model of what good Christian Education can do.

This ministry
*gives hot breakfast, lunch and sends home a dinner for those who have no food at home
*has clinic available that sees 40 kids a day on average
*provides hospital care for those with aids, malaria, surgeries, etc.
*provides spiritual counseling for the many troubling issues in the slums
*provides professional counseling for bigger issues
*brings in professionals to teach life skills
*hosts Global Care once a year for a full hospital in the school to service the community

And, most importantly, offers a stellar education to these students.  Last year, the high school was invited to the Njiru District Education day. As they walked in, they could tell from the faces of the audience that people wondered 'can any good come from Dandora?'

But, before they left, they were honored with 5 trophies and 12 certificates in things like BEST SCHOOL IN CHEMISTRY, BEST SCHOOL IN BUSINESS STUDIES, 2ND BEST SCHOOL, 2ND BEST PRIVATE SCHOOL.  And, they had individual certificates in CHEMISTRY, MATH, GEOGRAPHY, BIOLOGY, PHYSICS, ENGLISH & LITERATURE.

They also won BEST BOY and BEST GIRL in their district of 34 schools. Equity Bank offers these students full scholarships to University and brings them in to train for jobs in their company.

I talked to student after student who, with tears in their eyes, told me that no one in their whole village had ever dreamed it was even possible to pass 8th grade.

But, the part that impressed me the most was that they were returning to Dandora to use their skills to help their younger 'brothers and sisters' to reach those same goals.

Some of you have asked how you can help with this wonderful ministry.

If you go to http://kenyachildrensfund.org/ , they have a complete list of giving opportunities.  They currently have 175 children that need sponsors.  If you don't want to commit to that, there are so many other things that they need.

One of the things not listed on the site is the solar powered system.  Utilities are soooo expensive and unpredictable.  So, they use a generator, which means high gas costs.  While I was there, they only had electricity on the day of the Pastors' seminar.  Can you imagine running a school without electricity?  Their solution is to install solar panels at a cost of $12,000.  A donation to the General Fund would help out with that.









Also, they are building the second floor and need funds to finish that, so they can bring in more students and programs for those who don't pass the exams to enroll in high school. They will be trained in vocational skills.

KDS trying to update the computer lab, so these students can be competitive in today's world.








The final thing that is urgent is that these students graduate with high scores and pass their exams to be enrolled into University. But, even if they have money to attend, they have to wait 1-3 years to get in.  So, KDS is trying to keep them from going back into an unhealthy lifestyle by supporting them in small businesses while they wait.  The alumni group has already been taking the initiative to contact local businesses for support, but this is an area of need to donate to as well.

All of this can be done at their website. http://kenyachildrensfund.org/ Be sure to watch the 13 minute video. Not only will you see more of what I experienced, you'll hear a few testimonies of former students and see their passion.

A final note from me.  I feel completely blessed to have met these beautiful children and watch them  go from hopeless to hopeful. I will always, always hold them very close to my heart.

Bits and Pieces

At the end of a blog, there are always those things that didn't really fit into any page. I thought I'd just do a collection of them here, starting with our drivers-Boni and Michael.  These two men took great care in navigating huge holes in the road, the mud and the tightly woven traffic. In addition, they made sure that we were never put in an unsafe situation, always closed the windows in shady neighborhoods and kept our distance from wild animals on safari, while giving us incredible photo opportunities.

                                                                             * * *
The ladies at the church our team was from, in Seattle, made piles of "Pillow Case Dresses" to hand out to each little girl in the primary school.

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They also had dentists send supplies for the students.  Here, the school nurse is teaching a student how to take care of her teeth.  Dental health is a real issue in Dandora.

Aren't they sweet with their new toothbrushes and paste!

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Each graduating Senior received an African Bible with a blessing written in it from Ginger and Jane. Unfortunately, these beautiful Bibles are out of print now.

Inside the Bible is a letter from the First Lady of Ghana

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We were fascinated by these young men who spent the entire day "mowing" the huge field surrounding the high school.  Then, they came back the next day and bagged it all and trimmed the bushes.

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So many of us had a chance to meet the students we have sponsored.  There were also some who were greeted on behalf of those who couldn't be there.  What joy filled those special, private moments to get to know them a little better!

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This young man, Moses, was one of our waiters at the hotel where we stayed.  It was a small place, so we got to know the staff very well and they became like family.  Moses is from the Maasai tribe.  His father was killed by an elephant and the manager of this hotel has taken him under his wing.  He is in college for Hotel Management and volunteers around the area to educate on AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.  To say that he was a delight to know is an understatement.  While we were there, he gave me the Maasai name "Nashipah" which means JOY.  (I absolutely loved that!)

And finally, one of the things we got to visit while we were there was an elephant nursery. With a high black-market price on elephant tusks, many of the adults are killed by poachers and these little sweet things are left to starve. 

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Tomorrow, I will wrap up this journey with a few final notes. 

A Perfect Fit

Saturday, while I was visiting with the high schoolers, Ginger and Laura were in a meeting with the alumni group from the high school.  Months ago, they had started fasting and praying together every Thursday about what to do with the students who don't pass their exams at the end of 8th grade.  Too many of them get all the way through Primary school, only to be returned to the streets to fend for themselves again.

The solution from God was to start neighborhood community centers all over the area.  Here, students would be able to come and learn skills that would get them off the streets and on to a career that would sustain them while still getting spiritual guidance.  It seemed natural that the spiritual advisor from KDS, Pastor David, would be involved in this.  Another man, Samuel, would oversee the project.

Isn't it wonderful when God shows up and connects all the dots?

-David and Samuel recognized each other as friends from years and years ago.  There was an instant connection.




















-The alumni is a perfect fit for the people to work the centers. They have to wait for 1-3 years to start University, even if there is financing for them.  Too many times they end up getting drawn away out of boredom and discouragement while they wait. But this would give them a purpose and a way to help their younger brothers and sisters who need the guidance.

-While I was in Kenya, a wonderful woman named Becky took the time to teach 5 of these unschooled students how to sew.  It was the beginning of giving them a skill they could use in the future.  This is just the type of thing they would like to see in these community centers.

Ginger and Laura came out of that meeting flying.  Everything is taking shape perfectly.  They believe that this is going to be a huge ministry.  People kept saying, "This has never been done, but it is a perfect solution!"  Of course!  We serve a creative God. They are calling the project Mishkan, which means tabernacle.

An Extra Blessing

Saturday morning, we headed back to Dandora for a final meeting with the alumni group. The van pulled in and there only silence. There were no children running and singing how happy they were to see us.  There were no drum beats in the distance.  Just silence. It was sad because it was my last day here and I already felt I'd been robbed of my last two days with the high schoolers. We went inside and started our work.

All of the sudden, some of the high schoolers, including three of my four singing boys, came in through the gate.  They had been summoned to come for a promotional video that they were shooting. I was thrilled!!!  I spent the morning visiting with them, and getting to know the rest of the kids.  These students are so interested in everything. I played them a music video of Royal Tailor's "Make a Move" And we danced around.

One of them wants to be a preacher and asked if I could get him a Bible.  I was told later by the spiritual advisor of the school that this young man, Elijah, was the leader at the school and was already preaching.  I only wish you could hear some of the preaching that comes out of the slums.  They really understand grace and God's provision for their every need. I was able to arrange for him to receive a Life Application Bible (left over from the conference) that very afternoon.

Two of the girls I visited with were ones I had danced with on the first day.  Gladys wants to be a flight attendant and Winfred wants to be a journalist and TV anchor.














Daniel is a distance runner.  They don't give medals, so I am picking out one of my shiniest ones and sending it to him.










Those kids spent the whole morning talking to me and then it was time for them to leave.  I told them how sad I'd been that I didn't get to see any of the high schoolers on my last days and they said, "Then you'd better take some time to thank God for blessing you with this morning."  Right before they left, Elijah gave me a blessing of scripture and they left. He's 15. Amazing!

Tensions Mounting

The first day we met the high schoolers, we noticed the shoddy shape that some of the uniforms were in. These kids wear them 6 days a week and they get worn out.  In addition, there is another school with the same uniform who don't have a very good reputation in the area. So, the decision was made to replace them this year.

We were scheduled to spend our last Thursday and Friday with the high school students.  I was really looking forward to it, because I wanted to re-record the four singers, including Christopher, without us singing along. (You might remember that the lead singer started much higher than we had practiced and it was a struggle to reach the notes. That's why it sounds a bit rough.)

Also, there were some girls who I wanted to visit with again.  Since my life has been spent working as  high school youth worker, I connected with the high school group easily.

Pulling into the lot, we could see all of the students in their new uniforms. They looked so beautiful and walked with confidence.

I found the girls right away.  The high school students had also prepared a show for us.  However, the primary election for Kenya was going to be the next day. The last time they had a Presidential Election, there was significant violence.  There were already groups gathering on the streets, and without a word, we could feel the tension. Ginger made an announcement that we would have to cancel the show and they needed to get their assignments and go home.

I was disappointed, but I knew it was for the best. I found Christopher and his group of singing friends.  I was able to visit briefly with them and say goodbye. : (

It was a quiet drive back to the hotel. I worried that these wonderful teenagers would not go home, but would want to be 'men' and join in the protests. We prayed for two days.  There was no contact and, though we spent two days enjoying the other sites in Nairobi, those students were on my mind constantly. The team left the next day and I was left alone to my thoughts.

A Parting Program

Tuesday was the day we toured the local slum behind the school.  We had to hurry and finish because it had started to rain.  Several of the families had mentioned that their roofs leak, so when it rained all night, I was worried about the kids getting sick. But, Wednesday morning, the kids were just as happy as always.  I heard singing and drumming, so I went to investigate the 8th grade class. They were singing a song that invited someone to dance in the middle.  I walked in just in time to see them invite Ginger to dance.  Right after that, they invited me to join in. (and, of course, I did!)

Once the kids got settled in their classes, we were invited to sit in on them. I chose the 7th grade class just as they were learning Kiswahilli.  I couldn't understand a word, but I could still tell how engaged these kids were.  Here they sat, after fighting a hard rain the night before, coming in without a meal since lunch the day before and waiting for their porridge at 10am, but they were completely involved with the lesson.  With every question, hands raised up and they each had an answer. If a student really was struggling, the teacher encouraged them and then the class clapped.

Then, I went over to 5th grade to sit with Charity.  They were learning English and the teacher let me sit at her desk.  The teacher had them take turns reading a story aloud and answer the first question together. Then they were left to work by themselves on the other questions.  These little sweethearts were sharing the books, sometimes three to a book. They shared pens, erasers, and notebooks, but were working very hard. During the break, the kids all wanted to pose for the camera.

After lunch, the students assembled for a presentation of some choirs and traditional dancing for our enjoyment. It was a beautiful day and the students did a great job.

When it was over, they said goodbye. This would be our last day with the Primary school.  I have to say that it was very hard to know this was the last time I would see these little ones who had written their faces on my heart.

Good-bye, but not forever!

Today was the last day with my team from Seattle.  So, we decided to go and tour the house of Karen Blizen from “Out of Africa.” It was a beautiful, cool day and just a perfect way to say good-bye to this wonderful country. But, they have already signed up to return in 2015.  

I kept waiting for Robert Redford to arrive!

 

Said good-bye to my special new friend, who keeps me laughing!

We had a wonderful last lunch together!

Going . . . . .

. . . . going . . . .

GONE!

And as they drove off, I am thankful that as brothers and sisters in Christ, we WILL see them again, in this life or in the next! Until then, my dear friends!