Hi everyone! Wow – it feels amazing to be back online, it’s been too long!
Now let’s see if I can get back into the rhythm of writing again. At least there is no doubt that there is no lack of content. Lots has happened while I’ve been absent, and if you follow me in social medias you have probably seen some of our updates?
Right now I am in Nairobi, and I am soon heading back to the coast. I arrived here yesterday to escort four of my boys (the fifth ones are coming today) that we are sending to a three months bible school called iServe Africa TransformD programme. It is the first time we are sending someone to this school, and the first these boys are traveling to Nairobi, so I wanted to escort them to make sure they arrive safely, and also to check out the school personally. This will be a new chapter in both their lives, but also for our ministry, that I am really excited about. This is a three month bible school for those that have just finished high school. They combine bible study and learning about their identity as Christians, with also teaching them life skills. Including time management, responsibilites, writing job applications, and also practical courses like farming, cooking, computer course etc. It is a stepping stone from maturing from high school students to responsible adults.
Yesterday we drove one hour west into Kikuyu land, to a lush, green village. The school was smaller than I expected, but it seems well organised and small enough that they get good, personal mentorship. It was actually encouraging to see that it is possible to run a good bible school without the biggest fascilities – it inspired me for our future bible school that we are planning.
But it was cold! This is gonna be a culture shock for my coastal boys in so many different ways. It is not easy to understand before you have been here and seen the differences yourself, but in Kenya the differences between rich and poor is huge. Not just financially, but academically and on every area of development. Because of Kenyas history and how the first missionaries were chased up country by the arabs and muslims on the coast, that is were most of the schools, hospitals and development were built. That means that people with the highest education, most money and most resources live upcountry and in the Nairobi area, and the culture is widely different from the coast. The coast is a lot more poor and simple. On the coast, especially in our community, there are not many options for kids when they grow up. There is maybe about 5-10 career opportunities that people see as likely (teacher, police, fisher, driver, chef, etc) and it is heard for youths that grow up to have an open mind and believe that there are other options possibilities.
… The fifth boy came the day after the others, but his name is Harry, and he is the oldest of six siblings, and grown up without a father. They all come from very poor families, that now put their hopes in these boys to get a better future so they can help their families.
The school leaders had heard about us from Kenneth, that worked as a volunteer with us three years ago, and now is the Regional Manager Coast Region in iServe Africa. They were so impressed by the work we do, and wanted to come visit us. We also have to apprentices from iServe Africa that is working with us this year. One of the things they felt was impressive with our ministry is that these boys that we now sent to school are already coming from an environment of discipleship, support and mentorship with us. We have already walked with them for a long time and build strong bonds with them, because all of them have lived fully or partially with us during school holidays the last few years. And after these three months they won’t be left on their own like many of the other students they have, but they will come back to us and continue being mentored and grow with us.
We focus alot on education and we believe that education is one of the keys to help people out of povert, BUT; education alone is not enough. If they don’t know anything about communication, conflict resolution, self discipline, identity, hard work, faithfulness and a million other things, they won’t have the strength to endure the pain and challenges that are inevitable to come against you in life. We have helped at least two hundred kids and youths with school fees for primary and secondary school, but this is a new step towards helping them after that. Equipping them to become responsible young adults that are ready for the next step in life and to take responsibility for their own lives and their own future. After this they will hopefully have more clarity and vision in what they want with their lives and what direction they want to take career wise, and have the tools they need to fight for the future they want. I am very excited to see the results of this!
We are sponsoring five boys this time, and it costs approximately 300 dollars for these three months for each one of them. We still need help to cover their school expenses, so if you feel that you want to contribute to this, kindly reach out to me or check out the donate link on our website here.
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