Monday, January 21, 2013





Here are the stories of some of the children we would like to help with schooling. As I read their stories I was overwhelmed by the extreme need these children and their families have. Many are homeless. Many are victims of the post election violence of 2007. They depend on “well wishers” to aid them in their desperate situations. Many of the “well wishers” are other Kenyans who have a heart and desire to help their own people. They provide food and shelter randomly as they are able.






All the children live in slum areas and are going to the primary school established by 
James and Beatrice Nyaga to help these extremely needy children. 










They not only get an education but many days their only meal is what they get at the school each day. 



Grace and Mercy Center was established in 2009 in an effort to help those in need after the post election violence. 









There are now almost 90 students with 5 teachers and 1 cook. 











They are in need of a larger building, teaching materials, desks and chairs for teachers and students.







Please consider becoming a “well wisher” to help these children with their education. You can sponsor a child or make a onetime donation. If you want to choose one of the children listed below please advise us of who you would like to sponsor. Be assured you help will be directed to the appropriate channel to make sure the children receive 100% of the benefit of your giving.
Email



Tina Anoni – age 7
I am Tina Naoni, seven years old. I am the only child in the family. I live with my grandmother who is financially disabled. My mother died and left me when I was three years old. Before joining this centre, (Grace and Mercy School), I had not attended any school. I am going to work hard to become a doctor in the future, so as to fight against the deadly disease – AIDS – that took away my mummy.












John Kibaki – age 9
My name is John Kibaki. I am nine years old. I am an orphan, left alone by my parents, who both died of AIDS. I live with my aged grandmother who is unable to support me both financially and most of our basic needs. We depend on well wishers. In my life I wished to be in school always reading, writing and playing with other kids, but I am on and off the school due to lack of school fees. I would like to be an army officer to help those people who live in places prone to violence.









Dianna Kagea – age 8
I am Diana Kagea, eight years old. I am the first born in the family of three children. We stay with my mother who is a widow after the death of my father who died due to post election violence. My mother is sickly and unemployed thus unable to support us materially and financially. We are homeless and depend on well wishers even for shelter. This has really affected my learning due to frequent migration, simply looking for a secure place. We still have the post election violence tension. When I grow up I would like to be a teacher to help those children who have need for education but unable to get due to financial strains.

This dear child had no reason to smile for the picture. Your help can put a smile on her face.




Mishell Anyango – age 7
My name is Mishell Anyango. I am seven years old I am the only child in the family. I stay with my mother who is a widow after my father died of the deadly disease – AIDS – My mother is ever sick, unable to support herself and myself, so we all depend on my grandmother who is a widow and aged. She is financially unstable and sometimes we depend on well wishers. Attending classes has been a big problem on my side. I am on and off going to school because of lack of school fees. In the future I would like to be a business woman to help my family.







Ester Nyambura – age 10
I am Esther Nyambura, ten years old. I am the first born in a family of three. We live with my mother after the death of my father who was severely burnt to death during the post election violence. My mother is physically challenged. She is jobless thus unable to meet our daily needs. We are depending on well wishers for survival. In the future I would like to be an engineer to repair roads for easy transportation of the sick people.










Miriam Wangari – age 9
I am Miriam Wangari, nine years old. I am the second born in the family of three. We stay with my mother after the death of my father who was burnt to death during the post election violence (in 2007). My mother is physically challenged. She is jobless thus unable to meet our needs. All along we’ve been depending on well wishers. When I grow up I would like to be a doctor to help the patients who suffer from fire like my father who died after severe burning.










Senetor Obama – age 6
I am Senetor Obama, six years old. I was named after the American President – Obama. I am the second born in my family. My mother is a widow after my father died of AIDS. She is under medication and most of the time she is sick. She is poor and jobless unable to pay the school fees for me. When I grow up I would like to be a doctor.












Ivy Muonja - age 7
My name is Ivy Muonja. I am seven years old. I am the second born in the family of three children. We stay with my mother who is a widow after the death of my father during the post election violence. Being jobless, my mother is unable to support us materially and financially and most of the time she is sick. Shelter has become a big problem on our side. We are homeless, so we find ourselves migrating every now and then looking for safety because we still have the election violence tension. Frequent migration has really affected my learning. I would like to be a sells lady to be able to support the rest of my family.






Awadi Bande – age 6
I am Awadi Bande, six years old. I stay with my mother after the death of my father during the post election violence. My mother who is HIV positive and jobless is unable to meet our daily needs. We are homeless and depend on well wishers even for shelter. Frequent migration has really affected my learning. When I grow up I would like to be a shopkeeper.











Other children from different areas of Nakuru are also being helped by the LEARN program. Although they are not as needy as some, they all have a desire to help their fellow Kenyans in the future, as they grow up and are able because of their education.



Emmanuel Mwaniki – age 9
Hello. I am Emmanuel Mwaniki. I am in class 4. I would like to go to school so that I can learn things that are important in life. I want to go to school because when I will grow up I would like to be ‘a enginia of eloplane’. I hope God will help me to have that work. I will praise him. I like to sturdy hard so one day I would like to come to America. Thank you for your help.











Purity Mwaniki – age 12
Hello! I am Purity Njeri and I am 12 years old in grade 7. I would like to go to school so that I may learn things that are important in life because this days life is too hard, When I grow up and become an uldalt I would like to be a doctor, in order for me to be a doctor I should study very hard, and I would like to study very hard so that one day I would like to come there in America. 


Thank you for your help. God Bless!

Monday, January 14, 2013

Getting started for the New Year


We’re busy launching the LEARN program for the year 2013. In 
Kenya the school year starts in January. We are overwhelmed by the need of so many children to be able to go to school. Even public schools require school fees and uniforms. This makes it difficult, to say the least, for families who are struggling just to pay rent and put food on their tables.




These are the children who already have sponsors. We will have pictures and bios on more needy children very soon. Please consider helping at least one of these children. For only $80 three time a year you can give a child and education. You will be able to write letters and see pictures of your sponsored child and interact with them. They are always so grateful for the help we give them.



This is a family we have helped for the past 2 years. They have 5 children and we have been able to support them for schooling all five children. We have also been able to rescue them out of the slums. Patrick has become our grounds keeper, gardener, and security guard at our home here in Nakuru.


Flora is almost 18 years old now and still has those big brown eyes and that beautiful smile. Sunday morning she came to my room short of breath and wheezing. I listened to her lungs with my stethoscope and was concerned with the wheezing and tightness I heard. She had been to the hospital two weeks ago and was given medication which she had stopped taking. I gave her some Resco (herbal combination for respiratory problems) and one of her pills (bronchodilator). She was better, so we went to church. We talked to her parents and we decided to help them get her to a doctor so we can manage her asthma without always coming to a crisis.
So Monday we found a good health clinic.  The medicine the doctor prescribed will cost about 1,600 ksh ($18) every two months but it will control the asthma and help prevent a crisis. I liked the doctor and the clinic. It’s nice to know there’s someone we can trust with our medical needs. We also got a note from the doctor to her school principle to help them understand the seriousness of her asthma. She has had problems in the past with being made to sweep the school room, even when the dust caused her respiratory distress. The teacher thought she was faking. That won’t happen again.


‘Delightful Dianna’ is sweet and quiet as always. She is a lovely young lady, 15 years old now, almost 16. She’s always willing to lend a helping hand and her smile will turn anyone’s frown upside down.





Lewis is 12 years old and growing up fast. He still loves to take things apart and put them back together again. He’s our main ‘gate keeper’, which means he opens the gate for us and lets visitors in. Kuja, our german shepherd, loves him and plays with him. He also helps his dad in the ‘shamba’ (garden), and also teaches us Swahili.




Lynn is 11 years old. She’s doing very well in school and is helpful with household chores. She’s growing up to be a beautiful young lady, very sweet and tender hearted.









Faith, also known as ‘Toto’, is the baby of the family. She’s 8 years old and loves the doll we brought her. She carries her on her back in the back pack Yashana made. She’ll be a good momma one day. 






All of the children have increased their grades in school. Coming out of the slums has brought them a peaceful and safe way of life. They are all hard workers and learning skills to become self sufficient. It’s noticeable that their new life has brought joy and gladness to them and us as well.




This is Joshua. Joshua is a very kind, and honest single man. His desire is to help orphan boys who are caught in the cycle of poverty in the rural areas near Nakuru. He would like to eventually have a boy’s home and school. We are now supporting 2 of the 10 boy’s he wants to help.




Jimmy and Sammy are both orphans and live with their grandfather on a farm. 
They have never been able to attend school until last fall. 










They have both done well and are 3rd and 5th in their classes. They are very thankful for the support they've been given by their sponsors.









Jesse is the son of a single mom. This little guy is a lively young boy, and smart too. His grandmother told us, with tears in her eyes, how happy she is that Jesse can go to school. 






These are just a few of our kids. We will soon bring you more stories and pictures. If you are interested in sponsoring a child please contact us. We will answer any questions you have and give you opportunity to select a child to sponsor.

Thanks for reading our blog. We hope to hear from you soon.


Sponsor a Child for a Full Year - $240

Sponsor a Child for 1 Semester - $80

Donate to LEARN - Click Here - Any $ Amount

If you would like more information please email us at:

info@learn-nakuru.org
or write to: 
L.E.A.R.N. 
c/o RCV Ministries 
999 Lola Whitten Road
Selmer, Tennessee 38375