RAY OF HOPE

Osiligi is a maasai word meaning hope. The rehabilitation centre in Kiserian, an hour drive away from the city centre, has brought hope to youth  who had no direction in life and who felt that life had no meaning. Most of them had resorted to theft, crimes and drug and substance abuse. The rehabilitation centre gives them the hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Here is a story of a young man who joined the farm a few years ago and has now graduated to face life outside after being equipped with skills while in the centre. The skills that make him and others become great assets in the society.

Doing studies

Joseph (not his real name) is a young man who was born in Elungongo in Western Kenya. He is from a family of eight children, three sisters and four brothers. The mother stays back in the village doing farming with the rest of the family while Joseph lives with the father in the slums and shanties of Kibera (the largest slum in Africa).

The father works as a construction worker ‘jua kali’ (working under the hot sun) in any site he manages to find on a daily basis. This kind of job is not one that anyone can rely on for their daily needs. The father is also a heavy drinker who consumes the cheap liquor brewed in the slums. This kind of liquor has seen families break, men rendered useless and even some losing their lives as a result of the liquor.

Being raised by a drunken father is one of the most difficult kind of life that any teenage child could have. By this time, Joseph was not attending school because the father could not afford his fees. It reached a point that he no longer brought food home, came drunk and abused the son physically. This made Joseph to join the small gangs in the slums in order to survive. He would steal from people and buy food and later began using drugs because of the bad company he was spending time with.

Mixing chemicals for farming

He was soon thrown out of the house by his father who felt that he was a burden to him. He had to spend the nights in a nearby toilet at least to get warm from the cold at night. Life turned from bad to worse for the young man as sometimes he would be beaten up if caught stealing. In the slums if one is caught stealing they are either beaten and stoned to death or burnt alive. The rate of crime has increased due to school dropouts, lack of employment and poor parenting.

Our social workers were lucky to find him in time and talked him into joining the farm. For a while he hesitated owing to the fact that he had gotten used to the street life and felt that going to the farm would have turned him into a prisoner. He later agreed and joined our farm rehabilitation program and after that his life has never been the same again.

 The holistic program that seeks to rehabilitate the young men from their former lifestyle of crime, homelessness, lack of education to becoming assets to society. The program includes an onsite primary school system, counseling sessions, a sports program, computer lessons, media classes, business clubs and training in all aspects of agriculture. Upon graduation the trainee enters a work placement for fulltime employment. Trainees are involved in local community programs throughout the program.

Boys at the farm

All activities and programs are designed to improve the quality and economic circumstances and put them in a position where they can become productive members of society.

It is so fulfilling to see him as a changed young man who now has a brighter future. He is employed in a nearby farm and he manages all the activities carried in the kitchen farm. He is so grateful for the program and recommends it to the other streetboys.For sure there is light at the end of the tunnel.

THE INFLUENCE A MOTHER CAN HAVE

Mothers do influence their sons and daughters! One of life`s greatest blessings is to have a godly mother. And, thus the greatest gift you can give to your children is to be a godly mother. You cannot impart what you do not possess. If your kids seldom see you seeking God through His word, they won’t catch it for themselves. If they do not see you changing through your growing understanding and obedience to the word, they won’t be motivated to be in the word themselves.

Being born and raised up in the slums and shanties of Kibera is the best thing that has ever happened in my life. It has helped me appreciate all the mothers in the world because of the struggles they go through to raise their children. The strength of a woman is way beyond my comprehension.

I am a third born in a family of six girls. Bringing up a girl child in the slums is one of the most difficult tasks any mother can face. My father being jobless at that point and my mother a housewife wasn’t easy. Mum had to look for a way to feed her children by doing all types of jobs from washing people’s clothes, fetching water for people living in the nearby estates and even hawking bananas at least to put some food on our table. I look back at where I have come from and I celebrate my mother. I would have been married by now with a family of three or four children if my own mother didn’t stand by me and taught my siblings and me the principles we were to abide by.

Merab

Almost all the children sponsored by Afri-lift come from Kibera slums and some of them are being raised by single mothers. Am always amazed at how these mothers sacrifice a lot for their survival.Merab one of our sponsored children is being brought up by a single mother who works as a cleaner during the day and still looks for something else to do in the evening to make sure that her three children will not lack the basic needs. These reflect in her kids who perform so well in class because they are following in her footsteps.

Nancy with her siblings

Nancy, one of the girls in our programme would like to do catering as a career because of what she sees in her mother. Her mum sells French fries in the slums to help cater for their family needs. Mothers are priceless gifts from God and I wonder how the world would have been without mums.

I have nothing against the fathers but through my experience in the slums, I have come to know that women are mostly the bread-winners in their families. They wake up early when men are still in bed, do cleaning, cook, prepare the kids for school and go in search of jobs leaving the men sleeping. Most men wake up at 10am and laze around while some go to “alcohol dens” and take cheap brew while gossiping about nothing. Families that have both hardworking parents have a reason to celebrate.

Children tend to do as parents do, so the mother has the greatest influence on the children. We celebrate all the mothers in the world.”A foolish woman destroys her house with her own hands while a virtuous woman makes things work”.

A wife of noble character

A wife of noble character who can find?

She makes linen garments and sells them

She is clothed with strength and dignity;

She can laugh at the days to come.

She speaks with dignity and faithful instruction is on her tongue

She watches over the affairs of her household

And does not eat the bread of idleness.

Her children arise and call her blessed:

Many women do noble things

But she surpasses them all.

WE CELEBRATE YOU OUR MOTHERS.

WE LOVE YOU OUR MOTHERS..

Servant Leadership

“It’s alright to be Goliath but always act like David.” – Philip Knight

A few months ago, I graduated from Daystar University with a bachelor’s degree in Communication.  During my time at the university, one of their core values that were deeply emphasized to us was servant leadership.  The idea of servant leadership didn’t mean a lot to me until I came out here to the real world.

Servant leadership is a philosophy whereby the leader puts the needs of others first and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible.  This concept became a reality to me as I started working here in Afri-Lift. I can say I work with the most amazing colleagues on the planet.

It is here that I have seen the leaders roll up their sleeves and help with the work assigned to others.  I have seen the same leaders join the rest of staff in Monday morning devotions, they join in missions to Kibera, lunch and even in small events like birthday parties. Do not get me wrong, there is always work to do around here but at the end of the day one leave the office feeling part of the team.

This style of leadership has also trickled down to our children sponsorship program. The Riziki Child Assistance program has leaders who have graduated from the program and volunteer to run the program. These leaders sacrifice a lot of time to prepare for their monthly meetings and ensure that everything runs smoothly. They work really hard to make sure that the rest of the children have fun and learn from the program.

The perfect embodiment of the servant leadership philosophy is our Lord Jesus Christ.  In John 13: 1-17, we find him doing something quite unfamiliar to his disciples- washing feet. In those days it was customary for the Jews to wash their feet before a meal. I believe this was because walking in sandals all day in the filthy roads of Palestine did not make eating at low tables easier since you know; dirty feet are not a great sight to look at while eating.

It is at this point that Jesus stood up and began to wash his disciple’s feet. This was work often left to the lowliest servants in the house. I can just imagine the disciples were stunned to silence at as His act of humility. To the disciples these would be stooping too low for someone who was regarded to be the King and conqueror. In Matthew 20:28, Jesus revealed that He had come to serve and not be served and to give his life as a ransom for many.

So, what kind of leader are you? Remember, you don't have to be on the organization's executive team to be a leader. True leaders(whether they are at the helm or not) are humble. They don't much care about the spotlight. They care about the results. And that comes from focus.

Happy Valentines Day

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends. 

I love Valentines Day – the chocolates, the flowers, the cards, the meals out. It’s a great time to celebrate the special people in our lives.

When we look at the origins of Valentines Day it sheds a different light on the situation. Many early martyrs were called by the name of Valentine. Legend tells us that there was one particular man called Valentine who was imprisoned for doing acts of charity to persecuted Christians and also overseeing the marriage of Roman soldiers (there were those forbidden to marry). The whole idea of cards and celebrating the love between a husband and wife originated in the United Kingdom.

In the United States 18.6 billion is spent on Valentines Day alone.

Even here in Kenya, Valentines Day is becoming a bigger event.

When we get down to it though, why do we leave it till one day a year to tell that special someone how much they matter to you? We should be expressing it often and in different ways. A simple note of appreciation, putting together a playlist of your favorite songs, pulling a chair out so the person can be seated, opening the car door for them, telling others how wonderful they are.

Expressions of love don’t have to be huge things. At the moment there seems to be a competition of who can give the most romantic marriage proposal and then post it online. While it’s a great idea, true love means going through the hard and good times TOGETHER. It means having the other persons back and means being the love of Christ to someone who doesn't necessarily deserve it.

I have seen a great example of love expressed at our monthly meeting for sponsored children in the Kibera Slum. While these young people are sponsored to stay in school, they are required to attend the monthly meeting of games, singing, activities and a time around God’s Word. Each attendee also gets a snack at the end of the program. It always incorporates a piece of fruit and a drink as well as items such as a doughnut, hot dog or samosas. We celebrate birthdays for that month and each is presented with a card. Birthdays are not a big event in Kibera, but we want to get across the message that they are important to both God and us.

Children playing in Nakuru

It always amazes me how much food these little ones can eat in a short period of time. Many times I have seen children take a small amount of the cake for themselves and ask if it’s okay to take the other portion back for one of their siblings (which of course we say yes!). It may seem a small thing to us, but to the person who gets a piece of cake, it is huge. In the West we would just throw leftovers in the rubbish bin. Here, every morsel is important, so to share it with someone else is a huge sacrifice.

Acts of kindness whether done randomly or on purpose can impact someone forever.

Let’s think about what we can do for someone else on Valentines Day but also beyond that. Do something that tells them that they are special and that both God and we appreciate them. Pick up the phone and talk to someone who you haven’t spoken to in a while. Send an SMS saying ‘hi’. Post a letter (that doesn't happen much anymore). Put up a photo album online of people who have impacted you and say ‘thanks’.

  

Tell someone you love them. If God could express his love by giving his son Jesus for us, we too can express God’s love to others.

True Courage

‘I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.’ Nelson Mandela

The Kibera Slum houses hundreds of thousands of people living in squalor conditions. There are open sewers, people walking amongst rubbish piles, large families living in shacks no bigger than a garden shed. It is one place that you wear closed in shoes. When the weather is hot the place smells, when it’s wet water and sewerage runs through houses and down muddy alleyways to create small streams.

Kibera is never a quiet place. There are a couple of roads that run through it that are often jammed with buses or matatus (mini vans for transporting public). There are back to back shops run from tin shacks. There are also many churches who run meetings throughout the day. All this mixed with masses of people walking.

This is where our sponsored children are based. Many face challenges every day – loss of a parent, no food for the day, HIV, lack of sanitary products or nowhere to live. If it weren’t for our generous donors, our sponsored children would not even be able to go to school.

One thing I do know about these young people and their families is that they are incredibly brave. In the face of so much adversity where there is no social welfare system, most of us would feel like curling up under a rock and wishing not to wake up. But here, there is no choice but to make the best of a harsh situation. There’s no government bailout if there is a drought, you find an alternative way to farm. There’s long periods without water – so you walk up to 7 kilometres to find the nearest source.

At the end of 2012 we had some of our sponsored children sit for their national exam – KCPE (Kenya Certificate of Primary Education). This exam is completed at the end of their primary education and if they get a good grade, it gives them opportunity to enter a quality high school. Students need to request entry into a school and have to wait until they receive a ‘calling letter’ before they can enter it.

One person who did incredibly well was Merab, one of our sponsored children. Merab has always strived to do her best academically and it has now paid off. One day she would like to become a doctor and we can see this happening. She also is an excellent soccer player. Merab lives in the Kibera Slum with her mother and brothers. She does not have an easy home life. However this year Merab was offered a place in two of Kenya's finest girls schools based on both her academic and sport achievements.

Merab Anyango

Merab is a prime example of how your surroundings do not have to dictate your direction in life. She is a courageous young woman who has looked at the future with much courage and said to herself ‘I can do it, I can bring about change to my family, I can be different’. Merab received a placement at a top girls school in Western Kenya. We will miss seeing her at Riziki each month, but will rejoice with her on her return home during the holidays. Merab may be small in stature, but she is big on the inside.

Merab is an example to us all.

Importance of Giving Thanks

In life, we cannot control what happens to us but we can always choose how to respond to the things that happen to us. I learnt this lesson the hard way for a brief period in my life. I found myself broke with bills to pay and responsibilities that seemed quite overwhelming. I was between a rock and a very hard place (emphasis added).

My father, sensing that I wasn’t doing pretty well encouraged me to count my blessings. At first I was quite hesitant. It seemed quite strange at first (considering the sour mood I was in) but slowly I started counting them. It didn’t take a while before the heavy invincible load on my back started to lighten. That particular day I not only counted them but gave thanks. It was quite a powerful experience.

Jesus in the scriptures assured us in this life we will always have problems but take heart I have overcome. This clearly proves the point that in this very present life, we will all have problems whether we are believers or not. Paul later in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says that ‘Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live’.

Why should we be thankful?

             Being grateful helps you see more blessings

I have come to discover that there are so many things that we take for granted. We take the people in our lives for granted, life, work and even our health. It’s until these things are gone that we realize how much we took for granted.  For example did you notice the blue sky today? Did you notice the beautiful clods today? Did you notice that you child gave you a sloppy kiss today?

I read an article once that said the more we see things around us the more they become invinsible to us. That is why we often take for granted the beauty of this world.

      Being grateful makes you healthier and wiser

Counting your blessings gives you an emotional healing. Research has proven countless times that those who live a grateful life live longer and happier.
   There are sad consequences of being ungrateful

Ungrateful people tend to complain a lot. Dissatisfaction drives them and often leads them to a road full of misery. This is where we tend to forget God’s provision over our lives and start focusing on what we don’t have. The Israelites complained a lot after they left Egypt to Moses. There complaints made the Lord displeased by their behavior. God certainly does not like complainers.

Here in Afri-Lift we are so thankful for many things. We are grateful for generous donors and sponsors who give willingly. By doing this they make life better for the underprivileged in the Kenyan society.

In this, we give thanks.

Significance of having dreams

One of my favourite speeches is that of Dr. Martin Luther King Jnr ‘I Have a Dream’.

Of course the part that stands out to me is ‘I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character.’

Unfortunately we live in a world where we tend to judge someone by their looks, their income, the type of house they live in or what nationality they are. We instantly put someone in a box due to our view. Most of the time when we get to know someone better we find out that they are quite a different person after all.

When I see our sponsored children from the Riziki Program or our young men training at the Osiligi Centre all I see is POTENTIAL. Most don’t see potential in themselves and only a few dare to dream about becoming something big.

Another thing I’ve noted is that Dr King said ‘I have a dream today’. The beginning of the year is a great time to set out goals and achievements for 2014. Chatting with our sponsored kids yesterday who we were encouraging to commit to improving their grades, I would often ask ‘What would you like to do in life?’ On the other economic spectrum we were talking with some twenty somethings who had never thought to set goals for the year. January is perfect for doing this so start thinking about these areas:

•      physical (me, I plan to lose a couple of kilos)
•      spiritual (what areas you want to go to in God)
•       mental (what negative thinking do you want to get rid of)
•      education (ways to better yourself)
•       family (things you want to do together) 

If Dr. King hadn’t set it in his heart to bring about radical change in his country it may have taken decades longer to happen.

Personally, I have a dream that our young people will no longer be caught in the cycle of poverty. That they will provide abundantly for their families and their children will know no lack. I dream that our children will get a decent education and then a good job. I dream that every child will know they are created for a purpose and that they are loved by a Heavenly Father.

This year let’s dream bigger and higher than we ever have before. It’s in that faith area where God can work.

Will you join us in faith, prayer and giving in 2014 so our dreams can become a reality?

To our American friends we wish you a happy Martin Luther King Day and that his dream will become a reality:

‘With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.’

Importance of Family

Happy New Year!

We all hope you had a great Christmas break and a fruitful start to the New Year.

Friday last week, we had one of our staff’s daughter come over for a visit. She was to get a ride home with her mother who also happens to be my colleague. While we were all catching up the father (who also works with us) waltzed in the room and broke into a song. We were all in stitches laughing our heads off.  Well all, except the daughter who was turning red due to embarrassment.

One of Africa’s celebrated leaders, Bishop Desmond Tutu once said that you don’t choose your family. They are God’s gift to you and you to them. There is also an African proverb that says one can choose their friends but they can’t choose their family. No matter how embarrassing they are you will always be related to them.

Family is a very important part of the society. It’s what makes the society.

Why is family that important?

Family is very important as it shapes our development and personality. The family protects your dignity and takes care of your well being. Family also gives us teachings that guide us throughout our lives and this are the values we carry everywhere we go. In addition, your family comes to your aid during hard times.

Dr. Wilson in his article ‘The Family Unit and its Importance’ describes the family not only as the basic. It is also the basic sexual unit, the basic child-raising unit, the basic communication unit, and the basic all-round fun and friendship unit.

I recently learnt that people with good family relationships live longer and cope better with stress. Good relationships also enhance the body’s immunity.

Good relationships in a family do not automatically happen. One has to put some effort into it just like any other relationship.  This will require one to find the joy, love and balancing time with them.

Great relationships in a family are based on how you feel or your attitude. Your attitude basically determines what you get in life. It determines how you will react to those around you and how to handle various circumstances in life.

I believe that no matter what your family is like, your attitude towards they will determine what kind of relationships you will have with them. Remember this unit of life called family will shape your personality and affect your development in life.

Think of it, if you have a lousy attitude you will get a negative family relationship. If you choose to love your family despite their shortcomings and accept them just the way they are, then you are certainly off to a great start in life.

So here is a challenge for this year. Treat your family differently. Call them more frequently and not only on the holidays. Arrange mini-coffee dates. Kiss your wife or husband more often. Pat your kids on their back and whisper you love them in their ears often.

Tell me what happens. I surely will.