Welcome to our new blog! Each
week, a team member from Afri-Lift will be putting together an interactive blog
with topics that relate both to our work and what is happening globally.
We encourage you to give us
your feedback and of course, if you have any questions then feel free to ask.
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latest news and info.
Afri-Lift was co-founded by
Robin and Margaret Aim who came all the way from the tiny nation of New Zealand
for a 2 year stint in Kenya. 30 years later, they’re still here!
When we teach our trainees on
the farm about countries we often do it comparing them to Kenya. When it came
to New Zealand they couldn’t believe that a country could be so small in number.
Here, income, prestige, a
high ranking job all matter over character, honour and truth. Big is better.
Yesterday we were having a coffee at a restaurant and we found out that some
parents were spending the equivalent of $3,000USD on their one year olds
birthday party. It was ironic that hundreds of thousands of people are living
in a slum a 10 minute walk from where we were.
Last weekend Kenya beat New
Zealand in the Rugby Seven’s finals, on the Kiwi’s home turf. There were some
very happy Kenyans that day. It’s ironic that the most favoured sport here is
football (AKA soccer) but Kenya is not very good at it. Kenya has 40 million
people but this is the first time we’ve got this far up in the football ranks.
New Zealand is a tiny
country, with 4 million people, but for every person there are 7 sheep. It used
to be 20 sheep per head of population, maybe there’s not enough money in it any
more! Another fact about New Zealand, their national bird is a Kiwi. A Kiwi is
blind, can’t fly, is endangered and when it lays an egg, it’s 20% the weight of
it’s body (an Ostrich is 2%).
New Zealand is the closest
country to Antarctica, so it’s pretty much at the bottom of the world.
Some good things about New
Zealand though:
-
At one
stage they were the highest country (per capita) in sending out missionaries
-
They
were the first to allow women to vote
-
Their anthem
points to God being in charge of their nation
-
New
Zealand was the first country to have its three top positions of power held
simultaneously by women
-
Everest was first conquered without
oxygen by Sir Edmund Hillary
-
New Zealand has won more
Olympic gold medals per capita, than any other country
-
It has no snakes.
So although
it’s small, has earthquakes and is at the bottom of the world, some great
things happen there.
That’s what
we try to teach our trainees. A country is what you make it. A good leader can
turn things around. Just because people on the outside are willing to
criticise, doesn’t mean you have to bow down to their thinking. To we Kenyan’s,
New Zealanders speak funny. To New Zealanders, they can’t understand what we
say or why we do things the way we do. In the big picture of things do our differences really
matter? Not really, it makes us unique and something to be proud of.
We are
grateful that people like Robin and Margaret sacrificed their lives to serve
the most needy young people here. Kenya is proud to be related to New Zealand.
Significance
doesn’t come from your GDP, the language you speak or even what the world
thinks of you. It comes from within and knowing why you were created and living
for that purpose.
Congratulations
New Zealand, you’re third on the Sevens and you’re also celebrating Waitangi
Day this week.
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