Multipurpose and Multitasking

These days I've become the the co-director, social worker, computer teacher, english teacher, counselor, and nurse of Exodus... and that's not an exaggeration. Usually I wake up at 6 or 7am and work until 11pm. These kids can really see that the place is making a lot of progress in many areas. I feel so exhausted at times, but the kids give me the strength to press on. Mutua, a 19-year-old who finished highschool and is waiting to study nursing, and I are the two running the children's home. We have a day time house mother who cooks and washing and an intern. We really do our best and we struggle to get support from Elijah. I'm praying that Elijah will step it up and atleast provide financial support, if he can't give his time. The kids have many basic needs that still need to be met. Some things I've done lately include: hanging mosquito nets, organizing and cleaning our storage room, implementing the time and meal schedules, accessing each child's belongs, and making English assignments.

On Sunday, I was really reminded of the vulnerability of each child. I sat in a room of crying orphans for an hour. They have so much pain from their pasts and they still need therapy and healing time. You can try to imagine how crushed my heart felt, but the scene was indescribable.

Kalungu Women's Group

Hello!
I am in a cyber cafe in Machakos town printing a few documents for Exodus that I have been working on with Elijah and our intern, Carol. I made a powerpoint for Exodus and I am still hoping to make a video and set up a website.

CORE VALUES
•Cultivate a spirit of hard work and holistic development
•Empower target groups with technical skills and knowledge of life skills
•Reduce poverty through sustainable methods
•Raise responsible servant leaders
•Respect for positive values, attitude, and behaviour
•Empower women in society
•Promote responsible parenting
•Encourage effective and efficient communication in relationships and for development

MISSION STATEMENT
To nuture poverty reduction strategies and raise the standard of living amoung the people of Africa as reflected through improved health service, food self-sufficiency, education, character building, and positive behaviour change, with an overarching goal of sustainable development

VISION
To develop a new generation of responsible visionary and strategic leaders who will participate in the society to promote effective development through positive transformation of attitude

TARGET GROUPS
•Orphans and vulnerable children
•Youth
•Women seeking empowerment
•Persons affected by AIDS/HIV
•Disabled persons
•Widows

OBJECTIVES
•To raise, mobilize, and disburse funds and other resources to our target group
•To initiate development projects which acknowledge individual and group potential to improve socio-economic status through developed skills
•To build mutually beneficial networks to other partner organisations
•To train in modern farming techniques and assist farmers in agricultural managerial skills
•To establish educational centres which provide a conducive learning environment for both genders

Time Schedule
Monday Through Friday after school
5:00-6:00 Chores/Free Time
6:00-6:30 Bathe
6:30-8:15 Study
8:15-8:30 Fellowship
8:30-9:00 Supper
9:00 Sleep
9:00-10:00 Optional Study Time

Saturday
7:00-8:00 English class
8:00-8:30 Breakfast
8:30-12:30 Chores
12:30-1:00 Lunch
1:00-6:30 Free Time
6:30-8:00 Study Time
8:00-8:30 Fellowship
8:30-9:00 Supper
9:00 Sleep
9:00-10:00 Optional Study Time

Sunday
8:00- 10:00 or 1:00 Church
1:00-1:30 Lunch
1:30-7:00 Event or Free Time
Meetings with kids and staff
7:00-8:00 Bathe and prepare for school
8:00-8:30 Fellowship
8:30-9:00 Supper
9:00 Sleep
9:00-10:00 Optional Study Time

We also made a meal schedule and budget. Also, I am happy to say that we have 32 children's books now and I am still hoping to get more. The kids love reading the story books and I have been giving them English assignments. Carol, a guy called Mutua, and I are the only staff at the Children's Home now, besides the house mom who comes in the day. It is certainly now easy taking care of and managing 23 kids, but at least they are good. I have had to do a lot of care for sick and injured kids and I've managed, but I will need to study more on health when I come back to the U.S.

On Monday, we visited a Women's Self Help Group in a place called Kalungu. It was really inspiring to meet them. This group of women have built a sand dam to benefit the community. They weren't the architects, but they were the construction workers and I can say that if you could see how far they carried bags of cement you wouldn't believe those 29 women accomplished the task. It was a food for work program. They also have dug terraces to help with erosion and dug furrows for irrigation. Their group has been really successful in generating food and income for their families, as some of their husbands stay away in Nairobi.

Everything is going well, despite the usual challenges of co-directing a children's home. Elijah is usually busy with trainings and other projects and he's stays in another home so thats why I say I'm "co-directing."

Feeling Purposeful

My access to internet has been minimal lately and I’m disappointed that I haven’t been journaling frequently either. I have been doing a bit of poetry, but I can’t really share it with you because usually I change between Swahili and English, so it wouldn’t make sense. Just as explaining my experience here is like painting a picture with a pencil, so does translation lose meaning.

I have to admit that here at Exodus I feel so focused. I am sure of my purpose and I forget all the little worries of life. I am constantly thinking about our programs and these kids and how we can continue to improve. I believe that as people we should refuse to live a life that is stagnant. We must constantly be growing and developing individually and in the community. Every week, I make sure that Exodus progresses, whether it be hanging mosquito nets, writing proposals, or teaching kids English. I’ve been emphasizing reading and writing with the kids and they are learning to type on my computer too. They’ve become so comfortable with me and I can’t even express my love for them. This week, I went with Elijah to do two trainings with a few different communities’ “Youth Groups.” These groups of 20 to 30 year olds are writing development project proposals for their community. We work with another organization helping them write action plans and consider development techniques. I’ve also completed a powerpoint about Exodus and who we are. Next, I’d like to make a video about Exodus and set up a website. That’s just the beginning of my list of things to do. Unfortunately, two months is very little time to be here and I am wishing I could extend my stay, as I see the work that I am doing is very meaningful. I’ll still be a staff member from the U.S. though! We are still looking for land and praise God we’ve received a large donation for the land (USD $6500). The remaining amount we are hoping to receive from a grant.

I went to Kisumu and Lwanda this past weekend for the baptism of Steve Otieno Arogo. My parents are his godparents, so I represented them at the baptism. It was so nice to be home, but very rainy and muddy. I only get to go “home” one more time before going home in July, which is quite sad for me. At home I used a lot of Swahili because now that they know I understand and they don’t need to put more effort in speaking English. It’s funny though because I have difficultly saying everything so sometimes my side of the conversation is English and theirs is Swahili but we still understand eachother. I’ll learn Luo and Kikamba at some point. For now, being (almost) trilingual is still a commendable accomplishment.

A Prayer For Land

Elijah and I recently visited two different children's homes. The first was called Uganda Martyrs Children's Home sponsored by the Catholic church. We toured their facilities and spent some time talking with the kids and house mothers. I really enjoyed the day and was encouraged to meet people working in the same field. They had about 75 kids in the home. I took notes on what aspects of the home I liked and which aspects I didn't think were ideal. Friday, we visited Mully Children's Family (MCF) about 100 km from Nairobi. MCF is one of the best children's homes in Kenya and very sustainable. They have 150 acres of land, most of which is used for farming for income. There were over 600 boarding, but in their seven projects around the country they have over 2,000 kids currently in the programs. MCF was very developed as an organization. They had a primary and secondary school, vocational training centre for carpentry and metal work and they had a health clinic open to the community. They also export french beans to Europe. Elijah and I were very inspired by the project and Dr. Mully's story, a man who give up his riches for orphans. Their website is mullychildrensfamily.org. Dr. Mully also wrote a book called "Father to the Fatherless." The one thing I really appreciated about Exodus after visiting Uganda Martyrs and Mully's is that at Exodus we feel like a family more than an institution. Our two rented flats feel like a home, rather than bunks lined up in a large room. I worry about larger childrens homes, that the kids there might lose their sense of belonging and worth as a loved and special individual. The kids at Exodus are absolutely amazing and very positive, which I believe is due to the atmosphere of the home. Because we have fewer kids, we are able to keep a closer watch on each child and give each child attention.

Today I spent the day at Exodus, with the older kids. Every time I am there I am so impressed with them and I grow closer to them. I can say from the bottom of my heart that I love everyone at Exodus and I will continue to stand for our projects. One thing that Elijah and I are focusing on now is looking for land. As I said, we are renting two flats, which hinders us from growing as an organization and from becoming sustainable. Currently we have been offered 10 acres of land, not far from Machakos, for about $13,000. This land is prime and could have piped water and electricity. It is also near a fairly competitive school. The land is very arable and would be a great location for Exodus. With ten acres of land, we'd like build a home that can accommodate up to 50 kids. We'd like to have two fish ponds (raising Tilapia), which we recently researched as a practical and easy source of income. We'd like to raise poultry and keep a few cows for milk, which we can consume, as well as sell for income. On the land, we'd also like to have a health clinic and youth training centre so that we can reach out to the community. Obviously, these are long term plans, but they are not impossible by any means. In fact, I believe that Exodus could be self-sustaining with income from farming and training seminars. Land is essential for sustainable development. Rent costs are just being thrown away, rather than investing in property, which has an increasing value. I don't know how we will come up with the money, and we are negotiating with the seller this week, but I ask that you please pray for us. If you can help in any way, please let me know. USD $13,000 is extremely cheap for 10 acres of arable land and the seller is actually doing us a favor because we are a nonprofit organization. Normally one acre could be around $5000.

A second prayer that I ask from you is for staff members. We recently had two leave Exodus, and we will need someone to manage Exodus from September through December, as Elijah will be in Canada and I'll be home.

Be blessed and remember the orphans who are more vulnerable than I can express in words.

Remember to Dream with the Dreamers

Hello!
I hope all is well. I am doing very well. I feel generally content, satisfied, challenged, and happy. I can say that each week I am becoming more and more of a passionate dreamer. Although, I don't think I'm a dreamer exactly because I am optimistic that any goal we desire to accomplish is possible. It is my understanding that dreams aren't real or possible. I've been dreaming a lot about Exodus lately and today I was given hope when I spent some time talking with Elijah about our future plans to get our own land. There is a U.S. organization called Hope Without Borders, which will be sending some representatives to Kenya for two weeks in May. They want to establish an office in Nairobi and support various projects from there, including Exodus. Elijah and I are looking at land and writing an entire proposal for what we'd like to do on the land and how we'd like to reach out in the community. I'm super excited about the potential of Exodus. Dreaming is much easier when others can dream with you.

As for Liz, she is completely healthy now! Thanks for the prayers. Some of the kids went home the other day because they are on a break from school right now. Most of them will visit grandmothers or aunts and uncles for two weeks, before returning to Exodus. It was so cute to see them off as they all said goodbye to each other and climbed into matatus with their little backpacks. (The older kids are still around Exodus.)

I Trust He is Emmanuel

I was scared out of my mind. I thought Liz, at Exodus, was on the verge of dying at any minute. Saturday she laid on the bed groaning in pain as her body became very weak and she started losing feeling in her extremities. She complained of a really bad pain on her upper chest on the left side and she was alternating between feeling hot and cold. I was very worried, but tried to remain calm as I was in a position where I needed to make a vital decision. I didn't know what to do, but pray. Elijah called a taxi and we brought her to the hospital immediately. At the hospital, I still felt somewhat hopeless and helpless. I didn't really trust the hospital to tell you the truth. Seeing her in the state she was in and hearing the moans as she waited for a pain injection to kick in brought me to tears. I cried for this girl, who is the same age as me. We were able to get medicine the following day, since the pharmacy was closed that night (this took place between 9pm and 2am). She was diagnosed with pneumonia. I hope she gets better and I'm more content knowing that she has medicine now. I'll admit that I can never be a doctor, but I need to read more about community health. Pray for Liz (she's the one who sews uniforms and works at our new dress-making business) as she is struggling with pneumonia and other personal issues.

Otherwise at Exodus, things are going well. Thanks to my parents and some vistors we were able to purchase two bunks and mattresses for the kids, which we'll be getting this week. The girls, especially, are in need of beds. We have about 20 in one room of three bunks. You do the math. I climbed into a bed with three other girls the other night... and this isn't a double bed. (Usually I just share with Jessica in our own room though) We are moving those bunks into another room so that the girls will now be in two rooms. We are also working on getting textbooks and reading books for the kids. Sometimes I find myself dreaming about Exodus and our future potential, but for now, we work on little changes each week since funding is minimal. Last week, we spent a lot of time writing policy and contracts for the Centre; a task that was new to me, but something that is very important. I realized that I have a gift for assessing a whole situation, identifying the problems and dysfunctions, and forming and prioritizing attainable goals in search for a solution. I guess that's why I'm studying social work.

Be blessed.

Pictured above is Liz sewing in Exodus' new uniform and dress-making shop. She is so happy to be doing the work she loves in her own space.

To Paint A Picture With a Pencil

Hi Everyone. Just wanted to tell you that I am still alive and doing very well. I have been communicating through the internet a lot less frequently because I am busy in Machakos when I am not at school for class and soccer. I am becoming consumed with Exodus and I guess I have the title "Assistant Project Coordinator." Probably my first title EVER. I'll be moving to Exodus in about one month, where I'll spend most of the remainder of my time in here in Kenya (which comes to a close on JULY 17TH). I'm learning so much about non-profits and working with orphans. Right now we are working on getting enough beds for the kids, textbooks, and reading books. Here's a poem I wrote a while back. I'm not sure if it's done yet. Let me know what you think...


Painting A Picture With a Pencil

To craft a picture of reality through words
Seems impossible.
Refugees and IDPs, Mau Forest trees,
AIDS orphans, polygamy, corruption,
And poverty in its most absolute manifestation.
Diction fails truth.
Nimeongea, nimeandika, but umesikia kweli?
(I’ve talked, I’ve written, but have you really heard?)

To turn a blank page into a three dimensional exhibit
Seems impossible.
Did the belly bulge into the vision at the mention starvation?
Was rust seizing the house of corrugated metal sheets?
Did dust cloud the page’s emptiness at the mention of drought?
Was odor of burning trash real like a scratch-and-sniff?
Words cannot draw reality
As lead cannot speak colors.