Stories from the Field - Page 3 of 34

Esther’s Joy

March 8, 2018

To honor great milestones made by women, March 8th has been set aside as International Women’s Day. Today, we want to honor Esther for her leadership and resilience. Before Esther joined our guardian’s empowerment program, she lived in abject poverty. She was a widow and unemployed, with two young children to take care of.

Esther joined our first Sewing Program for Guardians, begun in 2016. The goal in all our guardian programs is to empower the women of the community to become self sustaining and able to care for their families. She graduated last year and began sewing and selling her garments in the marketplace each Saturday.

Today, Esther’s and her children’s life has been totally transformed! She is able to care for her children with her new skills, but more than that, she has become a leader and an inspiration for other guardians. She sparked a revolution the day she first stepped on her sewing machine and inspired other guardians to use their sewing skills as a tool to fight abject poverty.

Esther’s life is a testament to God’s goodness. Nowadays, her face always glows with joy when she is narrating to everyone how God used Project 82 to transform her life. Esther would never have imagined that she would be able to care for herself and her family with her own business. Her agility to bounce back and having control over her life shows the importance of empowering women. When women can care for their families, they can break the cycle of poverty for themselves and for their children. Education and job training is the key. Project 82 proudly stands with woman worldwide who are fighting to change their lives, their families lives, and their children’s futures.

A New Narrative for Agnes

February 27, 2018

Agnes is one of the young adults benefiting from our education program in Molo. She is a senior at Kambala High School and, in November, will be sitting for her final exam to progress her to college next year.

Agnes joined our program when she was eight years old. Her father had died when she was young and her mother found it hard to provide for her young family of five. She was frustrated, hopeless, and turned to alcohol for an escape. Whenever Agnes would ask her mother for anything, her mother became very violent.

When we heard about their story, we reached out to Agnes’ Mother aned Agnes joined our program with her siblings who were still in school. With the constant love and support of her mentors in Kenya, and her sponsors in the states, God is writing a new narrative for Agnes. She never pictured life past primary school. But now she is looking with hope towards her future. Agnes is dedicated to her schooling, and recently asked to move in with a close relative with room for her to concentrate on her studies! We are proud of her decision to put her schoolwork first. Agnes is now dreaming of becoming one of the biggest fashion and design icons in the world. We love her big dreams!

Agnes starting high school

Register to run with us on May 5th for the First Annual 5K and Safari Run in East Cobb, Georgia. All proceeds will benefit education and healthcare programs which allows students like Agnes to dream of a new future.

Lincoln Mwangi Eulogy

February 17, 2018

Lincoln was born on February 16, 2015, but he came into our lives in September of 2016. We were introduced to him in Karatina District Hospital where he had been living for almost a
year. We thought Lincoln had a treatable condition known as hydrocephalus, so we made plans to have him taken to Kijabe Hospital for surgical treatment the same day he was discharged
from Karatina. When we arrived and he had scans done, it was discovered that he had another, untreatable condition known as hydranencephaly. They advised us that his brain had been
severely damaged while he was still in his mother’s womb and there was nothing they could do to improve his condition. We returned to Nanyuki and our staff began learning how to
care for him and falling in love with him in the process. He was admitted several times in various hospitals including Mathari Nyeri, Consolata Nanyuki, and District Hospital as he struggled
with chest problems and seizures. Doctors had told us that most children with his condition die before age 1, so every time he recovered from small illnesses we praised God and believed that
He had more people for Lincoln to bless during his time on earth.

On the evening of January 12th he was admitted at District Hospital because he was not able to keep any food in his stomach. It was the following morning, January 13th, that God rested his soul in the presence of Mama Ciku and Mama Bless. We know that he is free from pain, completely healed, and filled with joy at being with our Heavenly and Eternal Father. People who came into our house were usually drawn to Lincoln. They loved to hold him and although he could not see, he could sense when he was being held and loved and always relaxed in their arms. We know that if Kenya were a bit closer to the US or plane tickets were less expensive, many Americans would also be here to celebrate his life. He will be very missed by every volunteer, visitor, and especially staff members at Neema.

Our mothers here at Neema have spent hours holding him, feeding him, and trying to make him comfortable. They are the ones who taught him what it was like to be loved, something we
don’t think he knew before he came to Neema. We will all miss him every day and will remember the way he impacted our lives forever. We say thank you to everyone who has loved Lincoln
and welcomed him into their families, especially our staff member Lucy Njungiri who loved Lincoln like her own son.

Lincoln, we loved you so much but God loved you more.

Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-57

Trade School #ForTheWin

February 13, 2018

Philippians 1:6 “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

We have exciting news about Charles and David– they have both been accepted and enrolled in Mogotio Polytechnic, where they will be pursuing a course in Metal Work. All of us at P82 are just so proud of them we could burst- we know you are too.

As children, Charles and David both lived in poverty. Charles is one of four children, and, although he lives with both parents, his mother is the only one who is able to work. David has 6 siblings, and his mother is unable to work. They slept on the streets often as children and their families could not afford clothing or new shoes, let alone school fees. When we heard their story, we reached out to them to join our program. We are so grateful for their sponsors and the donors that provided basic needs, tuition, healthcare, clothing, and shoes for the boys.

Both boys struggled in school, although they worked hard. Unfortunately, their exam scores were not high enough for traditional college. But we know that God has a purpose for their lives. We are unwilling to give up on these precious boys who tried so hard. Philippians 1:6 says that God is writing a story in each one of us- and God writes the best stories. Charles and David may have struggled in school, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have hope and a future. God is not done with them or their story. He has made a way for them to study a trade, earn a living, and have a bright future. That’s why we are rejoicing for the boys to have this chance to join a trade. We know they are hard workers, and we know that God is for them. We are so thankful!

Meet Elly

January 10, 2018

Elly is the Business Operations Manager for Project 82 Kenya. She attended the Faith into Action Conference in Washington D.C. in October. The conference was a round table discussion for several orphan care ministries worldwide. Project 82 Kenya was chosen as the ministry from Africa. We appreciate Elly and Rhoda flying in to present our ministry and engage with the other nonprofits. We look forward to putting into practice all the good ideas they discussed.

“My name is Elishiba Muthoni Kimani and I am married and the mother of one. I am a social worker by profession with a Masters in Project management. I have been working for Project 82 since April 2012 and have served in different capacities ranging from social worker, home manager and currently I am the Business Operations Manager. I do a lot of program coordination and serve as a link between the organization and government agencies, auditors, and legal counsel. I also create and foster networks with those we work closely with.

“Our mission as servants of Christ is “to partner with local authorities and churches to respond to the needs of orphans and vulnerable children by rescuing, stabilizing and equipping them accordingly. We do this through love and care, counseling, discipleship, empowerment and mentorship in order to achieve a sustainable solution for each child.” I am honoured to be part of this and I foresee P82 being part of the champions of child protection in Kenya, East African region and the world. We are working with the relevant authorities to see all of our children find long term family solutions, all centered on the best interest of the child.

“I can attest that since I joined P82, we have gone through different seasons of growth and great lessons learnt. As an individual and an employee, I have learnt a lot working here, it’s where my faith has been shaped and strengthened. Looking at some of our children who are thriving, despite going through the most difficult situations, gives me hope that all we do is not in vain. Whenever I do a home visit for a family that has adopted one of our babies, I am overwhelmed just to see how God works. It has been a great joy to see what God has done through P82; the transformation in the children we serve and our staff has been overwhelming. I am forever grateful to God for this opportunity to serve children and witness daily miracles of God glorifying himself.”

Wendo Retreat for the Rising High Schoolers

December 13, 2017

The transition from childhood to adulthood can be a difficult time for many young people, especially if they lack guidance and directions from trusted and wise mentors. We want our students to have every opportunity as they become adults. The graduating eighth graders will be completing important exams that will determine their future careers. Next year, the best students will be able to attend boarding school and earn freedoms and responsibilities of living on campus.

Knowing that the early teenage years- especially when joining high school- are hard, we took some of our class 8 students who will be joining high school next year for a mentorship camp dubbed ‘the Hope’s camp’ that took place at Wendo retreat center. The camp was organized by Christ Is The Answer Ministry (CITAM) Nakuru, who we are partnering with to ensure that the future leaders we are nurturing in Molo get equipped both spiritually and socially. It was a good getaway from Molo and they had an opportunity to interact with their peers from different parts of the country. Our teens enjoyed themselves very much at camp. When Dan emailed the pictures, he said, “The young people were elated and in high spirit when they returned back to Molo, and they promised to positively impact the lives of their peers going forward.” We are so thankful for community partners like CITAM who will pour love, wisdom, and truth into our teens.

The theme for the camp was: ‘Purpose to stand out’ which was derived from the book of Daniel 1:8. The five day camp was packed with empowering topics that are fundamental as they take their next big step in life. The topics delved deep on: Spiritual formation, sexuality, setting boundaries, goal setting, drug and substance abuse, self-image and self-esteem, media and peer influence and what to expect in high school. We are glad that having insight on these vital areas, they are now ready to transform their peers.

Our prayer is that these young people whom we love and care about have success in their Christian walk, education, social life and in their life careers. We are grateful for those taking their time and resources to equip the next generation. Investing in the lives of these young adults is investing in a bright future for Kenya! Join us in praying for the futures of the rising 8th graders.

“He that is equipped will equip others” – Sunday Adelaja.

PS- We will soon have exam scores of the 8th grade class. We are excited to hear how they did.

Mary’s Story

November 19, 2017

In 2009, Project 82 Kenya was started to love and care for the orphaned children. We experienced firsthand the abject poverty and lack of family stability. A whole generation of caregivers had been wiped out by HIV/AIDS, tribal conflict and poverty-driven diseases; thus made it a daunting task for the community to take care of the orphans and vulnerable children wallowing in abject poverty.

Despite all the challenges surrounding their lives, these orphaned children were still very hopeful as we could judge from their alluring smile that captured our hearts. It is then that we knew we had to act. We rescued a number of orphans in Molo who had no one to defend their big dreams. Mary was one of the children we rescued in Molo; she is a total orphan.

When Mary joined us, she was sent away from her home by her grandmother who was poverty stricken. She had little means to care for Mary, and so, she wanted Mary to get married at an early age, a common practice for orphans who have no one to defend them from early marriage. Mary refused to get married, and she was kicked out of their home. Living on the streets, Mary experienced depression. At one point she contemplated committing suicide because she couldn’t bear spending any more sleepless nights on the cold streets of Molo.

We rescued Mary after the intervention to counsel her grandmother failed and Mary was totally disowned. Together with her loving sponsors, we were able to walk with Mary until she completed her primary education. Due to her past trauma experience, she did not perform well in her final primary education exams and failed to place in a high school admission. Mary decided to pursue vocational training, and we secured her admission at a hair dressing and beauty college; a course that she is passionate about.

We thank God she has successfully completed and recently graduated. She is now empowered with knowledge and skills which will, to a great extent, enable her to have a self supporting future. We can’t forget to express our gratitude to the sponsors and staff who have walked with her. Through your support Mary will never again sleep hungry or in the cold. You too can be part of righting orphans stories by supporting one orphan child today.

We are thankful for our sponsors who make it possible for Mary to find success.

Empowering The Girl Child

November 14, 2017

In order to end abject poverty in the world, promoting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will be pivotal. The SDGs also known as the ‘Global Goals’ are a universal call to action to end poverty. They tackle the root cause of poverty and unite us together through partnerships to make positive change. There are 17 SDGs goals, but one of the goals that we want to achieve in Molo by 2030 is Goal number 4: To ensure Quality Education. We cannot do this alone; we appreciate our donors, staff, Molo community, guardians, media, and schools within Molo that we are working closely with to empower our girls, so as to ensure that she stays in school with an end goal of her accessing quality education.

“One of the key challenge for the girl child in Molo to be in school and access quality education has been
lack of feminine kits and hygiene education. This leaves them with no option but to engage in early sex
in exchange for sanitary towels. This leads to contraction of diseases, unwanted pregnancies and school
dropouts, thus the dream of quality education for the girl child in Molo remains utopia. This is why
Project 82 had to quickly act” – Peninah, Community health worker and a guardian in our Molo program.

It is sad to see many bright girls opting to be out of school during their monthly cycle to avoid being embarrassed in school because they cannot afford sanitary towels. This leaves them to be vulnerable. They fall behind in school and can fail their exams if they miss too much school. How can they break out of the cycle of poverty and become independent and successful adults without a solid education? We believe that all children deserve a good education, and we joined hands with our guardians through the sewing program to make sure our girls have a solution that will allow them to attend school.

The P82 sewing ladies started working on a Hygiene Kit initiative, and since have sewed many washable sanitary towels to meet the growing need in Molo community. This has turned out a huge success, as it captured the attention of NTV, the biggest media house in Kenya. NTV aired the story during their prime time news.

We thank the schools that we partner with, for helping to identify the needy vulnerable girls to be beneficiaries of the feminine kits and also providing some of their staff as volunteers to teach our girls on hygiene education. This is a grandeur step towards empowering our girls in Molo to stay in school. You too can be part of this collective effort to empower vulnerable girls to stay in school and access quality education through purchasing a feminine kit today!

No girl should miss school because she cannot afford sanitary supplies, thus to avoid embarrassment be forced to engage in sex in exchange for one! Together we can put a stop to this cycle plaguing girls.

Call for Prayers over the National Exams

November 6, 2017

We can never explain how the fervent prayers of our sponsors and staff travel thousands of miles to
Kenya, but one thing we can explain is the impact of those prayers in the lives of our children we
support in Kenya. One thing we can say is that the power of prayer cannot be explained; but the power
of prayer can be strongly experienced! Prayer is indeed the solid foundation that Project 82 stands on.

Amidst the torrent of tension and anxiety currently being witnessed in Kenya our staff, children,
guardians, and the leaders of the local Church we partner with congregated over the weekend at House
of Hope to pray. The congregation fervently prayed for Kenya, our candidates sitting for their national
exams in Primary (K.C.P.E) and Secondary school (K.C.S.E) and Project 82 family– staff, board, sponsors
and partners. The key verse during the prayer day conducted in Molo was from the book of Philippians.

“Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your
requests be known to God”. – Philippians 4:6 (RSV)

Join us to pray for our candidates; Shem, John, Kelvin, Mary and Erica as they sit for their national
exams. Our prayer is that God may grant them divine wisdom, knowledge and understanding so that
they may be able to pass with flying colors when the results are released. May success be their portion!

We also humbly urge you to remember Kenya in your prayers as the dark clouds of anxiety and tension
have engulfed many. May there be Peace, Love and Unity as enshrined in Kenya’s national anthem.

-Dan, Community Liasion

Igniting Hope With Words

October 30, 2017

To send a letter is a good way to go somewhere without moving anything but your heart.
– Phylis Theroux

This quote resonates well with our children in Molo; though none of them has ever visited the States, their engraved fervent prayers, glowing hearts and love through the words that they jot to their sponsors always travel to the States every year bringing joy to those that read the letters.

The children also love to receive and read letters from their sponsors; it is usually a moment that we relish. What we even love more about the letters is the kind words of love and encouragement, which by and large have a unique way of inspiring our children to work hard and to be what they want to become. A case in point is this year, when Shem who is about to sit for his final high school exam received such a letter from his sponsor; he has since exuded confidence that he will excel in the exams.

Kind words can be short while written, but they normally have a big impact in the lives of those it is addressed to! They bring lasting memories to both our children and our sponsors! Ensure that you write your letter to you child. The letters are a unique way to bring hope in their lives everyday!

A letter is neither just words on paper, nor just communication; It is a lasting memory!

– Dan Nyacharo

Defend the Cause of the Orphan and Widow