Rural Kenyan schools struggle to provide basic supplies for their students, like pencils, workbooks and textbooks. What few books they have are always shared between two and three students. When you give textbooks, we purchase the required ones and they are thrilled not to have to use a workbook that is already well-worn and filled out!
Drought and hunger are ever-present threats in semi-arid Maasai land. Poor sanitation, dirty water, and malnourishment of the mother and child add to this threat. When you give one of these emergency kits, you supply a family with basic food needs for a month, and give them a chance to survive the seasons of drought which seem to come without warning.
Apart from proclaiming the Gospel, providing clean water is the single most life-changing thing we do for Maasai communities. These simple filtration kits give households safe, drinkable water. For $30 the family gets a filter and two five gallon pails to complete the system. The filter is easy to clean and it lasts for years!
In the semi-arid climate of the Rift Valley, seasons of drought are unpredictable and chronic. Compared to sheep and cattle, goats are the best suited to survive. And they are wealth on four feet! Your gift of a goat enables Maasai widows to grow their wealth and nourish their families.
Every child in Kenya is required to wear an approved uniform, often a real hardship for our students. Frequently, their uniforms are raggedy and passed down through their siblings. Sponsored students receive uniforms and shoes, but we want to help as many as possible. Your gift also helps our widows earn income through their newfound sewing skills.
In the schools at our Hope Centers, only a fraction of the students have monthly sponsors. But each student is fed at noon on weekdays. For most children, that is the only real meal they receive that day. We currently feed over 3000 children daily. Your gift helps us nourish those who don’t have a sponsor.
Classrooms at our Hope Centers may have 35 to 40 students, and barely enough room for the children to sit. With new Hope Centers under development, we will be needing many more desks. Our staff has taught the local leaders to construct these sturdy desks, and we want to provide room for no more than three students at a desk.
This simple .mp3 player loaded with the entire Bible in Maasai or another Kenyan language is very well received in the communities where we minister. It is solar powered and simple to use for those unable to read. Many have played through the entire Bible and come to our staff with spiritual questions. "... how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard?" Romans 10:14 (ESV)
In the heart of rural Kenya, electricity remains a distant dream. These small innovative solar light kits harness the abundant African sun and not only provide light for students to study after dark, but allow families the ability to charge their phones. This holiday season, let’s light up the lives of those who need it most.