The First Rehema Girl to Apply to College

Let me tell you about Eunice, the first Rehema girl to apply to college! Eunice is a wonderful, sweet, focused, hard-working girl who loves to laugh, sing, dance and write. If you’ve followed my journey over the past few years, I’m sure you will remember me sharing something about her. You may have even seen a video of her thanking our HEAL supporters. From the moment I first met her, I had a feeling that this girl was going somewhere in life. I had a strong sense that if she stayed focused, if she continued to work hard and to belief in herself, then she could change the world someday.

Eunice finished her last year in high school this past November. She sat for her final examination with the other Kenyan students, and she did well. After her mother passed away, Eunice had to drop out of school to take care of her brother and sister. They lived with their elderly grandfather, who could not work to support their basic needs, let alone pay for their school fees. Then she had the opportunity to join Rehema and to continue with school. Ever since she received that second chance, she has worked hard and stayed focused on achieving her dreams. She wants to be a writer one day. She wants to write books, plays and movie scripts. She wants to use her writing to raise awareness about the issues children face in her country. When she was growing up, she was told to dream a different dream, because she would never achieve such an unrealistic one. Now though, she is pursuing that dream, because of the second chance she received at Rehema.

Not only did she finish high school, which at one time seemed unrealistic, now she is applying to college! I have made it my mission, well my other mission, to help her achieve her dream, so each night we work together. She is learning to type. She’s writing her college essays, filling out applications, applying for scholarships and she’s preparing for the TOEFL test, which she will take at the end of June.  During the day, she works at the new Rehema Store, selling beans, maize, and other essential Kenyan food items. She’s earning money while she’s out of school, and learning how to run a business.

She really is an amazing girl, with so much potential. Encouraging children is so important. They can go through the motions of school, take all the tests, get good grades, but if they don’t have someone who believes in them, believes in their ability, then they probably won’t reach their full potential. I’m grateful for all the people in my life who believe in me. I wouldn’t be in Kenya, helping another girl achieve her dreams if it weren’t for all the mentors in my life.

So thank you!

Jennifer

A New “Used” Pair of Shoes

During the past couple weeks, in addition to starting construction on the new dormitory, we have been very busy getting all of the kids back to school after their April vacation. Due to recent changes, we had to move some of the girls to a school closer to the new children’s centre. Now all of the primary school girls and boys are attending school together. The secondary girls have stayed in their previous school, since there isn’t a secondary school near the new centre. Since the distance to their school is too far to walk, we fixed up Ben’s old van, so we can transport the girls to and from school. They love this since they don’t have to walk to school anymore! However, it’s a good thing that we are building a secondary school in the near future, since the fuel costs are adding up!

Then we had to move three girls who were in boarding secondary school to a different secondary school, since their old secondary school was losing teachers everyday. These three girls have the best grades in school, and we didn’t want to waste their potential. Now they are in a new, much better school.

Let’s just say we’ve spent a lot of time moving from one school to another, first getting admission letters, then paying school fees, then actually taking the kids to school. Oh and did I mention we had to build new desks for the primary school. Plus we’ve gone on many shopping trips to town and to the local trading centre to buy new uniforms, and new school shoes.

Every time I travel to Kenya, I see that shoes are always a need. Since the kids walk to school, and the roads are often rocky, and muddy—the shoes wear out quickly. So we took the boys and the girls to the trading centre to buy new shoes. I wish I had my camera when they were picking them out. We went to a little shop, which sold mostly used shoes from the US (these are actually more durable than new shoes in Kenya, and less expensive!). We bought most of the shoes the lady had, and the children were so excited! It was like Christmas morning.  It was amazing to see, how something as simple as a used pair of shoes made them so happy, when most people in America wouldn’t even consider buying a used pair of shoes.

It was a wonderful experience and I was happy that we were able to provide for them. As soon as we returned to the centre, they put on their new shoes. Here is a picture of the boys showing them off! We’ll see how long these shoes last!

Have a great day!

Jennifer

 

Back in Kenya

I’ve been in Kenya since April 12th. Many interesting and unexpected changes have taken place since I last wrote on this blog. I believe the last time I wrote, we had just opened the Rehema Boys Center and I was preparing to leave Kenya. Since then we have welcomed 22 more boys to the center, and we’ve combined the Rehema Boys and the Rehema Girls to form one children’s home under the name Rehema Children’s Center. The girls have moved to the HEAL property, and the boys and girls are living in separate, temporary dormitories. Let’s just say this was not part of the plan. We never intended to move the girls, but circumstances surrounding the Rehema Girl’s property made this a necessary decision. I’ve learned that even though we have our own plans, sometimes God has a different plan and the only thing we can do is to embrace His plan and move forward.

So that is what we’re doing, moving forward. Since I arrived, we’ve been very busy. First, a few minor things needed to be finished on the girl’s dormitory. We constructed new toilets and bathrooms. We constructed a gate. We cultivated parts of our land to grow kale and other vegetables. We constructed a power house, and electricity will be in at the end of the week. (They’ve been using a generator at night, so they’re not completely in the dark!) We put gutters on all the buildings, so we can collect rain water in large tanks that we purchased. We put in more fencing, and now we’re working on some landscaping. We’ve accomplished so much!

Next, on our work plan is the first permanent dormitory. We hope to break ground by early next week. The rains have delayed our work, since they are unusually heavy this year, but we will keep working when we can. The dormitory is the big task for the next few months. As I we continue to work, I will continue to share our progress, and the plans that we have for the future.

It’s been a long few months, but the children are happy, we’re moving forward, and we have a great team of people working with us, in the US and in Kenya. It’s good to be back!

Blessings,

Jennifer

40 of our 62 children at Rehema Children’s Centre, standing where the permanent dormitory will be constructed.

Rehema Boys Home is Open!!

Yesterday was a fantastic day! We officially opened the doors to the Rehema Boys Home. Two boys arrived yesterday, another arrived today and one more is arriving on Sunday. Word has spread that a boys’ home has opened and Ben’s phone has been ringing frequently with requests to take in boys. Even the girls have started to ask if their brothers can come to stay at Rehema.

We worked until the last minute to get everything ready. The two boys were actually waiting at the door while we set-up the beds. Considering that we decided to set-up the dormitories just a week ago, I think that we did a great job. However, there were moments while we set-up the rooms that I thought, “Oh wow, did we make the right decision? Will these boys like their new home?” Then the boys started to help us with smiles on their faces, and I knew that even the temporary home that we were providing would be better than from where they had come. Their families could not take care of them anymore. They couldn’t send them to school or to give them proper meals. The situation in Kenya is so desperate. Children suffer more than anyone else.

I felt privileged to be at Rehema to welcome the first two boys. Brian is 8 years old and Simon is 15 years old. They are so sweet and also shy, but slowly they began to interact with us. I can only imagine being a young boy, showing up at a new home with new rules and 32 GIRLS! They must have been completely freaked out. Soon they will have other boys to have on their side so I think that they will manage just fine! Ben and Tabitha have been dreaming of the day when they could welcome boys to Rehema as well as girls, and I am so thrilled that HEAL the Children Foundation, Inc. could be apart of making that dream come true.

Yesterday evening we had a celebration! A feast fit for kings! I saw a sheep get slaughtered for the first time, and the woman spent most of the day making a delicious Kenyan food called chipotes. The girls and the boys had a great time eating the massive amount of food that was prepared. Those kids can eat!! After the food was all gone, I handed out t-shirts that my church had made for everyone at Rehema. It was a great end to a fantastic and successful three weeks in Kenya. We accomplished so much and we have a wonderful plan for the future.

This morning I said to goodbye to all the girls. I prefer to say “see you soon” because I will be back next February when we break ground on the secondary school and the permanent boys home. Leaving Kenya does not mean I have reached an end to this incredible journey. I will always move forward, towards the next step. Kenya is a part of my life. The girls at Rehema are a part of my life, and now the boys are a part of my life as well. I am proud and so joyful to be part of such a wonderful project.

Tomorrow I fly home to the USA feeling renewed and excited. I’ll let you know when I arrive. Next step, fundraising…are you ready?!?!

With deep gratitude,

Jennifer

Brian (left) and Simon (right) stand in their new room!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Huge pots of stew and meat! It was gone almost instantly!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brian and Irene enjoy their foodBen loves his meat!! He deserves it after everything he does for the children at Rehema!

Mofat and Boniface, the hard working construction crew, deserved a lot of meat!!!

HEAL the Children t-shirts courtesty of Grace Church in Rutland, VT!!

One last picture with the girls and boys!

 

Americans Can Work Too!

This week has been so busy! I’m sorry that I haven’t written in a few days. I was all set to write last night, but the electricity went out and my battery was dead. It usually goes out on Wednesday night, so I should have planned ahead!

Seriously though, we have been working so hard to get everything done. Considering we just decided to open Rehema boys last week, I would say that we have done really well. Time tends to move rather slowly here. We call it Kenyan time. For example if we say church starts at 10, it usually will start at least an hour later. At times it is refreshing to just take our time and enjoy our days, but last week I said to Ben and the contractor that we need to work on American time in order to get everything done. At first they laughed and then I said, “No I’m serious!” They have worked so hard, late into the night to get everything done. Ben has been driving back and forth from Rehema girls to the new land, supervising the fencing project and the construction project of Rehema boys. We are right on schedule. We are moving the furniture into the boy’s room today and on Friday we will have 5 boys moving in! I know I said 2 earlier this week, but we have already been asked to take in 3 more, so since we have room we said yes!!!

Ben's wife Tabitha picks beans in our shamba.

The hard-working women survey the lower half of our land.

Yesterday, was a really fun day for us as well. In the morning, we went to the shamba (our land) to harvest the beans by hand. There are no tractors here! We had six women, including myself and Tammy, who has earned the nickname of farmer, since she has spent so much time weeding here. We worked quickly and efficiently pulling up the bean plants. As I was moving a long, I found myself feeling extremely satisfied. If you have been following the work of HEAL since the beginning, then you know that we have spent a long time searching and raising money for the perfect land for our orphanage. We purchased this land last year, and this was the first opportunity that I have had to dig my hands in the dirt that we own. It may sound strange, but it was so wonderful to work in our fields. In addition, we were picking food that will help feed the girls and save a lot of money, which is a good thing since food costs are so high here. We all had a good time, and we had plenty of opportunities to laugh. People in Kenya, especially in the rural areas, are not used to seeing American people work, let alone work in the fields. Many people stopped and stared as they walked along the nearby dirt road. They literally gaped at the two American women working alongside the Kenyan women. Tammy and I couldn’t help but just laugh.

Irene, a girl from Rehema takes a picture with two of her friends in their classroom.

All of the students wanted their picture taken!

In the afternoon, I fulfilled a promise to the older girls. They have been asking me to visit their school since last year, so I made this a priority. I arrived towards the end of the day and sat in on a Swahili class. During the last ten minutes, I had the chance to speak to the class and they had a chance to ask me questions. It is always interesting to hear what they have to say. Their impressions of America are so far from the truth. It was a good experience though, and I think I had at least a few enlightening comments for them. After school, their was a student led Christian fellowship service. All of the students joined together in one classroom, to sing and praise God. I delivered the message, in very slow, audible English. I spoke to them about my story, and I encouraged them to follow their dreams, to believe in themselves and to believe in the purpose that God has for each of them. And I told them to not let anyone tell them that they couldn’t achieve their dreams. After the service I took a lot of pictures and I walked home with the girls and a lot of other children. They couldn’t believe that I actually wanted to walk. Apparently Americans only drive too.

They especially wanted their picture taken with the American!

Yesterday was an enjoyable day, and now I have two days left. Friday night we are having a party for the girls and the new boys! We have two long days ahead of us, but I know that when I take off for America Sunday, we will have accomplished so much during my short three weeks in Kenya. I’ll let you know how we do before I leave.

With excited anticipation,

Jennifer

Progress in Pictures

It has been a busy but fantastic week! We have made incredible progress, and now we are waiting for the cement to dry. The guys worked on cementing the floors in the soon-to-be boys’ dormitory all day yesterday. So while we wait, I thought I would share some photos of the guys working. All I can say is that they work hard in Kenya!

Mofat and John mix the cement outside the building.

Boniface lays the cement inside.

Here is a picture of another volunteer who is at Rehema.  Tammy has been working in the shamba, weeding the potato plants for two days! Yesterday, the girls helped her finish.

This past week we also visited the land that we purchased last summer. Throughout the past year, they have planted beans and maize. The crops look fantastic and the land is just as beautiful as I remember. We walked the property line where we are now digging holes for fence posts. I hope that we will be able to finish by the end of the week so we can purchase our beef cows. I also met the woman who has been taking care of the shamba for us. She lives with her two twin daughters in the building that is on our land.

Ben shows us the beans that are ready to be harvested.

The maize crop.

The woman taking care of our shamba.

Her beautiful twin daughters.

The community has been using one side of the building as a church. We have let them continue. Here is their worship space.

This is where the permanent boys' orphanage will be built next year.

So here is to another productive week! Enjoy your Sunday!

With love,

Jennifer

Big, BIG News!

This week was all about boys. Between visiting the street boys and hearing about two boy orphans that desperately need a home, our minds at Rehema have been filled with the overwhelming need of boys in this community. For the past year, our plan has been to begin construction on the school next February and then build the boys’ center after the school is complete. It seemed like a logical plan, but it did not seem logical this week. There is too much need to wait. So Thursday morning during breakfast with Benjamin and Tabitha, Ben said to me, “Jennifer, I had an idea last night. Come with me. I want to show you.” So naturally we took our mugs of tea, and walked out to the yard where there are two sets of buildings that are being used for storage. Ben and Tabby live on a plot of land that is directly adjacent to the Rehema Girls’ Center. This property is also where the milking cows, sheep and chickens reside. It is only a one minute walk from the center, so it is very convenient. Ben walked me down to the farthest building and told me his idea. He said that if we lay concrete down in the rooms, and fill some holes in the walls, we could turn this building into a temporary dormitory for boys while the permanent building is being constructed. It would have a capacity of 15-20 boys. We have extra triple-decker beds that we had built earlier this year. There is a kitchen and bathrooms for the boys too use. They have everything they would need to have a home. So it took about 5 minutes for me to agree. I emailed my board of directors that morning and received a “yes” vote by the afternoon. We ordered materials, called our contractor and 10 minutes ago, they began preparing the dirt floors for concrete. By tomorrow, they will be finished and by the end of next week, before I leave Kenya, there will be at least two boy orphans who now have a home.

So how about that?!? I know a lot has happened in the past two days, but we decided that this would be a good starting point. At least we would be providing care for boys now, rather than when we are finished with the larger home. There is no need to wait, when children need help right away. At first we will only take in orphans, and when we are more developed, we will start taking in the street boys. After my visit with the boys on Wednesday, I understand more than ever, that we need to have more structure, and access to counseling and support to rehabilitate the street boys. So this will be our starting point, and by next year we will take in more boys of all backgrounds.

So here are some pictures of the building and the start of our work. Many of you will probably look at it and think that I am crazy, but this is actually a typical home for many people in Kenya. Some don’t even have concrete floors. It’s not luxurious, but it will work!

The front of the building.

Ben and our contractor, Pastor Boniface Maigi check the inside out before starting work. Of course they discuss with their tea cups in hand.

And the work begins!

I’ll post more photos of our progress soon. Keep in mind that we are fencing our land at the same time! There is a lot going on!

With excitement and joy,

Jennifer