Swim For Africa Update December ‘10
Merry Christmas! This is an update to let you all know how the money raised last August through Swim For Africa is being used to help the children of Athi River, Kenya. First, through your generous donations we were able to complete school sponsorship for every child lacking tuition, books, fees and/or uniform. Second, Gentrix, our contact and the Athi River social worker, established a food program for struggling families. I want to share with you the information Gentrix recently sent telling how your donations have helped this village. Below are pictures and stories she sent.
ELIZABETH MUNYIVA
She comes from a family of 3 siblings. Last year, her elder brother got severe burns when he was doing his studies using the tin lamp that produces light when lit and has no cover fell. The paraffin splashed on his pants and caught the fire. He was hospitalized for 3 months. This exhausted all the resources they had. Her dad is employed on a farm earning 20 dollars per month. Your support came at the right time when the family had lost hope of taking their kids to school. For sure it is a big boost as both the parents and the girl can afford a smile.
PAUL MUEMA
He is from single parent family and standing at his grandmother’s homestead. The mother dropped out of school in primary level due to lack of money to continue. The grandmother who is widow couldn’t take the daughter to school as what she got after selling water was not enough to buy the basics as well as taking her kids to school. Both the grandmother and the mother are very delighted for what the Lord has done through you and for them.
CHRIS ESTHER
Chris is standing at their kitchen outside their home. He is the 3rd born in the family of five siblings. This picture was taken after he had come from the bush to take care of the sheep, the work that his grandmother does in a farm nearby the base. In his community, including his family, all are semi illiterate.
Chris has become like their role model as he can converse both in english abid and their mother tongue. And that has really changed their world view as they believed that it is not possible to study. The only option they had was when they grow up they will be employed in farms to take care of livestock where the income is very low 30$ per month which is to provide for education, food, hospital in case they fall sick. That amount makes most of the parents not to take their kids to school as the money is not enough and also it can only sustain them to have one meal per day. Blessed are the hands that bless the poor and the needy, may the Lord bless you so much for the way He has used you to be a blessing to the nations. May He meet your heart desires.
SAMUEL MUNGUTI
Samuel has got 3 other siblings. There were 5 but one died last year of diarrhea and vomiting that resulted from poor hygienic conditions. The 1st born is epileptic and needs the care of the mother. Both parents are alive but surviving on meagre income. The picture above is the boy and the mother during a visit to the Athi River base. Your support has come in handy as the family could not manage to take the 3 kids to school.
PASTOR AMOS
This family had 4 children, 2 girls and 2 boys who were physically handicapped due to prolonged labor pains. The couple could afford to pay the fee for surgery. One of the boys survived and the other died at the age of 5. The boy in blue t-shirt is his son and he is trusting the Lord for the sponsorship as he goes to a special school that needs more money than what he gets. This is a family that takes care of 2 orphans and his parents who are physically blind. The donation came in handy as the pastor with the entire family lives on $100 that caters for all the basics of the entire family (fees, food, clothing and medication, which is not enough). They do skip some meals also to make the ends meet.
MUMO’S FAMILY
It is a family of 7 kids. They live in one roomed house. The father is epileptic hence it makes it very hard for him to do work around the community. It forces the mother to take work whenever the opportunity arises. Like tilling people’s farms during rain season, doing laundry for people and if there is no other work she picks up the dry wood around in the bush and sells it to earn a living. The donation you did was a big boost to the family as they survive on one meal per day, or the small kids eat something small then the older ones stay hungry and pick food from the trash/dumping site.
JULIANA
She has 3 children. Due to hardship of life the husband abandoned her as he could not bear to see his family struggling with the basics and could not help. She lives in one roomed house shown above and she does her cooking from outside where you see the black stuff using firewood on a 3 stoned stove. Thanks a lot for standing with them on the issue of food as it is a problem to these people and others.
Thank you again for joining with me in supporting the children of Athi River and their families. These are only a few updates from all the families we were able to help. As you can see, God has done wonderful things in this community. For more updates please go to www.swimforafrica.com. If you would like to donate, you may do so online or please come talk to me.