GENERAL INFO
If you want to read more about the history, education and other information, read Compassion's page on Kenya.
Compassion asks that we pray for three things for these kids here:
1) Pray for the efforts of the Compassion staff. May the Lord bless the work of their hands and allow their plans to succeed so that they may bring glory and acknowledgement to His name. Pray that the center activities will inspire the children and bring them joy.
2) Pray for the many parents who are splitting up and the families that are being torn apart because of separation. Pray for the Lord to protect the children's hearts and minds from the negativity and low self-esteem that comes from these situations. Please pray that the parents will seek help and that the Lord will give them a desire to commit to their marriage.
3) Please pray for the children who have witnessed violence and other cruelties experienced in poverty. Ask for the Lord to protect their minds and hearts so that they do not give in to despair but that they would come to understand the love the Lord has for them.
And for some beautiful photos of Kenya, check out Compassion's Flickr album here.
COMPASSION IN KENYA
If you want to read a thorough description of Compassion's work in Kenya, read their ministry highlight here.
I encourage you to watch this excellent video about Kenya's Maasai:
And to go along with the video, here is a wonderful post about Education for Girls in the Maasai Community.
This is an excellent post answering: How is Our Child Sponsorship Program Different Than "Regular" Schooling?
Here is a beautiful performance by some of Compassion Kenya's sponsored children:
Check out this story about Redeemed Gospel Church and how they're working with Compassion: How Does the Church Offer Hope for Children in Poverty?
And you can learn about how Compassion helping by Creating Sustenance in a Thirsty Land.
You can also learn how Compassion is combating malaria: Counting Malaria Out.
INDIVIDUAL STORIES
Meet Evans, a formerly sponsored Compassion child, and learn about his life: Spending the Day with a Former Sponsored Child.
Ben was also a formerly sponsored Compassion child and you can hear his story through video:
I encourage you to read this eye-opening and yet sad story of Marion and her father: A Doctor's Visit Leaves Girl with HIV.
Suyianga has a neat story and you can read about how A Sponsor's Letter Inspires a Child's Dreams!
Joshua is a formerly sponsored Compassion child and a Leadership Development Program graduate! You can read his encouraging story: Out of the Slums of Kenya.
And I recommend reading Silvano's story also: Just Believe.
And check out Peninah's story: Child Sponsorship is Not in Vain.
Paul was a formerly sponsored child and an LDP graduate. He shares his story of the course of three posts: How I Came to Compassion, Life As a Sponsored Child, and Leadership Development Program: A Dream Opportunity.
Jimmy was also an LDP graduate and he attended Moody Bible Institute. You can read about him here: A Different Perspective.
The Compassion Bloggers went to Kenya in 2010. You can read all their posts here, but I picked out a few of my favorites to share with you below:
* A Bridge for Cows and Miracles: We walked for a mile or so from the Compassion project on jagged roads made of red clay. Down a steep hill to a small metal home. And met “grandmother.” She told us her story: Her oldest daughters skipped town and left grandmother with five grandkids and one daughter of her own to raise. More...
* The Parable of the Zebra: One girl occasionally petted my head, trying to get my Pentecostal hair to lay down. The rest of the groupies peppered me with questions. I felt like an oddity in a sideshow – Like siamese twins or the snake boy, a giant white stickman from across the ocean is quite a spectacle for the kids of the Maasai tribe. More...
* Day 4: My Rescue: They said her village was too far away. Too remote to travel to Nairobi to meet me at the city amusement park. But by some miracle and communication error, she came. Makena, one of our family’s sponsored children, traveled with a Compassion social worker by motor bike for two hours, bus for an hour, and finally by car to join our newly sponsored boy, Ephantus. More...
* The Hope of the Mathare Slum: A mist of alcohol hit my face. We were downwind from moonshiners.
This is the Mathare Slum, where the streets are made of garbage. These 3 square miles of winding alleys are home to 800,000 people. It is Kenya’s second largest slum. It houses drug addicts, prostitutes, thieves, and gangs. And children are routinely exposed to alcohol, drugs, and pornography. More...
* Day 5: Today, I Went to Hell: Armed guards (or bouncers, as Kenyans call them) walked us down a descending, muddy trail into Mathare Valley, one of Kenya’s largest slums, where 800,000 people live in an approximate two mile area. More...
* Sight for the Blind: Eliud is eighteen. An orphan for ten years, he lives alone in a home made of cardboard, wood and corrugated metal. It’s eight feet long, five and a half feet high and five feet deep. Because of a sponsor named Nick in Northern California, Eliud has enough – but you and I would call him poor. More...
* Touched By An Angel: On Sunday, we worshiped with Kenyans at one of the Compassion International projects. As we entered the village, hundreds of children ran up to us. It was the first time I felt mobbed by kids, but in a positive way. They were extremely poor. Once I entered the church building, I immediately noticed a girl in a pink satin dress, her Sunday best. She had Down Syndrome and was absolutely beautiful. More...
FOOD
Compassion's website shares this information about food in Kenya:
"Typical Kenyan foods include ugali (porridge made from corn meal or millet flour), rice, chapatti (bread), maize and beans.
Sukuma Wiki
2 Tb. oil
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1 Tb. tomato paste
3 bunches collard greens
Sauté onions in oil until tender. Add tomatoes and cook for three-four minutes. Add tomato paste and salt. Strip leaves from stems of collard greens. Wad the leaves tightly in your hand and begin slicing off thinly with a sharp knife. Scrape into sink of cold water for rinsing. Remove from water and put directly into tomato/onion mixture. Cook over medium heat for 40 minutes. You may need to add a little water. Serve with chapattis; use the bread to pick up the sukuma. Serves six."
SPECIAL OCCASIONS
Here is a post about Easter in Kenya.
AVAILABLE KIDS
Please be praying for the kids of Kenya who are still waiting for sponsors.
Meet Anne, who's 10 and who has been waiting 293 days for a sponsor.
Anne's birthday is July 21. Anne lives with her mother. At home, duties include running errands. Her mother is sometimes employed as a laborer. There are 5 children in the family.
Playing with friends is Anne's favorite activity. In primary school her performance is average and she also regularly attends church activities. To sponsor Anne, click here.
And meet John, who's 9 and who has been waiting 414 days for a sponsor.
John's birthday is February 20. John lives with his sister. He is responsible for running errands. His sister is sometimes employed as a laborer. There are 3 children in the family.
For fun, John enjoys playing group games. He attends church activities regularly and is in primary school where his performance is average. To sponsor John, click here.
To see more available kids from the Kenya, please click here.
(Note: all facts & photos are taken from Compassion's website and blog.)
Thanks for the great post! Redeemed Gospel Church is where my Mary goes. : )
ReplyDeleteThat is so neat that your Mary goes there!!! How cool! Thanks for letting me know!
Delete