Kenya 2016 – Do Something

Last year, while visiting the rural community of Nyakach, we met Beatrice. After seeing her condition, we feared she would not live much longer. She was so weak that she was not able to speak with us or sit upright without support. We left some money to help her with medications and nutrition.
We were fortunate to have the chance to visit Beatrice again this year and were amazed to see her (although with great effort) walk from the bedroom into the main room and sit up and support herself. Her huge dimpled smile and the light in her eyes were a beautiful sight to behold. She engaged in conversation and we also had the privilege of meeting her son Philip, who is also fighting HIV.
Because of the generosity of people who donated to our ‘Do Something’ campaign, we were able to continue support for Beatrice and now her son in their journey to healthy living.
While waiting for a jewelry order to be completed we visited with Jack and his staff at Victorious Bone Craft in Kibera. While talking we noticed ‘white faced’ young adults nearby. We learned they were volunteer teaching in the rescue mission right where we were standing.
They introduced us to Ben. He and his mother Paschalia take in children who are literally walking the streets in the Kibera slums. They house, feed and work to educate these children who have nothing or who have been living in dangerous situations.
Ben took us on a tour of the building where we met mom making lunch and saw the classrooms and dorms that make up Inua Mimi.
The Inua Mimi rescue mission exists because of donations given by the generosity of others. Inua Mimi means ‘Lift me up’. Paschalia and Ben are doing whatever they can to try and give these children a chance, a hope and a life.
We left ‘do something’ money with Ben and his mom to help the children with basics such as food, clothing and shelter.
You can follow Inua Mimi on Facebook
We arrived to visit at the school and saw that the student population had grown significantly since we were there last year. There was one class being taught under the trees and another being taught in the hall of the dormitory. The head teacher said that when it rained, the children under the trees had to squeeze into her office.
As we toured the grounds with the head mistress and head teacher we learned that they were in the process of building another grade 8 classroom but had run out of money to finish the structure. ‘Do Something’ donations allowed us to leave money for Little Angels School to buy bricks to complete the structure that will be the new classroom.
Although Mission in Action is one of the projects to which we give regular donations, they are going through an unusually difficult time. We were told heartbreaking stories of restructuring, older children having to leave and days when they weren’t sure from where their next meal would come. Ivan, who runs the orphanage, barely knows from day to day how things will go and there have been many times of great stress and greater hope for everything to be alright.
We went shopping with ‘Do Something’ money to buy enough to feed the children for the next 2 months. At least a little breather to temporarily help out.
When we dropped by to visit the school, the headmaster told us that there had just been a storm and a power surge had blown out their water pump.
The bore hole was dug by hand to a depth of almost 7 stories (68 feet) by a man hanging down the hole with a rope. Because of the depth, an electric pump is used to access the water. With the pump being broken, for the past week, teachers had to walk to another well further into the village. This interrupted their teaching time and limited the water that could easily be used each day.
We left money with the headmaster to acquire a new pump and power surge protector. The money also covered a warranty and installation. Once again, a workman had to lower himself on a rope to the depth of the 70 foot hole to install the pump. We returned to see the completed work with the pump up and running and surge protector installed.