The Special Meal

This is just a regular meal for the kids.

     Fiwagoh's diet  is strictly vegan for various reasons and the only sugar they have is an occasional stalk of sugar cane. I remember being very happy when I learned of this as I am not a huge fan of meat, however they do prepare non-vegan meals for their guests.  The kids are fed twice a day and their bowls (packed full) usually contain one or more of the following:  beans, rice, ugali ( a maize-flour and water mixture), sukuma wiki (collard greens/kale), grain-like cereals, corn, and on special occasions a piece of fruit.  Oh and on Sabbath they eat lots of buns (rolls). The smell of hundreds of buns baking in the ovens the day before Sabbath is so yummy.

Two young men carrying their sugar cane.  We gave them all
their own stalk of sugar cane. This happened on a different 
day from the special meal, but the photo is timely.

     When we visit the orphanage we always try to have a special meal to serve the orphans. This year we did not disappoint. The items were purchased ahead of time and prepared by the senior girls as we were away visiting the school for special needs on the day the special meal was prepared.

The oranges have been quartered to
make it easier to eat.

The watermelon has been sliced and ready for eating.

  When we returned from visiting the school for special needs, we helped set up the huge tubs of food and boxes of bowls and spoons and buns…..  It is always a process getting everything setup and re-setup until it is just right.  

A portion of the feast and when these empty, more tubs are brought in.

     While we are setting up the food, Elvis (now one of the seniors who has always had a special place in my heart) organizes all the kids by age in the courtyard.  He is like a conductor at the symphony, standing straight and tall, dressed in his best, wearing a slight air of confidence, then just like that, the kids are sitting in rows on the rocks by age and the symphony/serving begins.  

Mediums waiting.

Pastor Benson is the one in the black jacket. I have realized I
have very few photos of him.  He is always on the go and when he
is in your presence you just listen, because he is so amazing.

     As I implied, the youngest are always served first and we continue serving food until the oldest have been served.  If we run out of food before all are served, the older ones do not get to partake in that meal, perhaps being given some rice or beans instead.  That is their rule and it happened one year when I was there.  We were serving spaghetti (just the noodles and BTW it looked like mashed potatoes).  They LOVE it and it is a big treat for them.  Perhaps too much was being placed on the plates at first or we underestimated the amount, either way we ran out.  There was not enough for some of the seniors, yet we never heard anyone complain or say a word.  We made up for it on another day, however it was heartbreaking for the team to witness.  Their grace and humility is something to model.

     Back to this year.  Our team members and some of the seniors filled the plates, while other team members served them to the kids, warning them "this is hot, be careful."  Handing the plate of food to a child is the the most rewarding part, therefore we rotated this position so each one of us could experience their grateful smiles and sweet thank yous.  The plates were filled with soy chunk stew, potatoes, rice, 3-4 buns (rolls), a watermelon slice, coleslaw, passion fruit, and an orange.  We were a little concerned that we would run out because the proportions that were being served were HUGE and the amount given was the same for the little’s as well as for the older ones.  However, we did not; all were served!  Next ...the sound of silence.....this is one of the few times it is extremely quiet during the day at Fiwagoh.  They all slowly savored each and every bite sitting on the rocks next to their brother/sister. As they finished, before walking away with full bellies, they threw the peels and rinds in a box for composting and placed all their spoons and plates in containers. How perfectly perfect.

Team in action.

     Here are just some fun photos of the kids.

The special meal is appreciated.

Savoring the moment.

     At 7:00 pm it is pitch dark at Fiwagoh.  I didn't mention this, but the special meal came much later than the kids were used to, however once again you would never know.  Anyway, you can see darkness setting in on the photos below and it was beautiful.  God is good all the time and all the time God is good.

Peace and Joy,

krees (kris)

Trips Outside of the Orphanage (part II): The Special School, St. Ann’s, and The Slums

Parachute play at St. Ann's

Allison embracing time with the kids at Nakuru Hills

Taking bags of food to families in the slums.

Nakuru Hills Special School

     Joshua, one of the seniors who no longer lives at Fiwagoh, is very purposeful about giving back to the community.  He has connected with many wonderful young adults through his church in Nakuru and together they formed a volunteer group that helps out various organizations in Nakuru. They named their group Equip One, the same name of the nonprofit our team used to be a part of when we traveled to Kenya.  So our field trip with Equip One was to visit Nakuru Hills.  It is a boarding school for people, age 6-25, who have either a physical and/or metal disability. When we arrived at the school we met some of his friends that are a part of Equip One.  They are a wonderful group of students and young professionals with a heart for God and the least of these.  The principal, Lucy Kihato, another amazing Kenyan, soon joined us and explained how the school is run and what we would see on our tour.  

A classroom where students who have been taught a skill,
use their talents to create items to sell.

     The children with exceptionalities were so friendly.  They had just finished their lunch and were on a break outside. We hung out with the kids for a while and then moved on to various classrooms.               

The Motto of the school is: DISABILITY IS NOT INABILITY, TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE IT.

Principal Lucy Kihato and one of the beautiful girls at Nakuru Hills.

Happy campers. These lovely girls showed us how teachers can communicate
with children who can not speak.  There are several sheets with pictures on them.
The child points to the picture(s) to communicate her needs.

The students and staff all met us in the assembly room to receive items we
gifted them and then they sang to us. Smiles were everywhere.

Saint Ann’s Baby and Children’s Home

     St Ann’s Baby Home was founded in 2007 by Irene Wainaina and her husband.   The home is located right down the highway from Fiwagoh.  This was not my first time visiting St. Ann’s. I traveled there in 2015 with our team and met a young girl who captured my heart.  Her name is Salome.  On this visit I was anxious to see how she had changed.  You see all of the children at St. Ann’s have been their since they were infants; this is their home.  There is a school on site and Irene has hired staff to help with cleaning, cooking, laundry, childcare, schooling, etc…

Salome 2015

Salome 2015 before the braids came out.

Salome 2018

       

In 2015 I kept an art journal of my trip
and this is a painting I did of
Salome.

Irene is beautiful inside and out and to hear her tell the
 stories of how the children came to be at St. Ann’s is heartbreaking

Boys will be boys.

They want to be held.  

Our team found some shade and are just hanging out with
the children coloring and reading.

This old van is a playground for some.

Painted on the wall in the living room at St. Ann's.

The Slums

This is the slums.  It is a city of tiny shacks people call their homes.
Look at the view from one of the houses up on the little mountain as 
I will refer to later.

So proud to stand tall above all of this.

     This is the final field-trip our team took outside of Fiwagoh. As with St. Ann’s, I had been to the slums once before.  There are many slums in Kenya and the one we travel to is where some of the children at Fiwagoh are from.  Generally, someone from the slums will report of a child that is being abused or without a home, then Pastor Benson and Mama Grace follow up on the situation.  If it is not good  he takes the child or children to Fiwagoh.  When we travel to the slums we bring children from Fiwagoh who still have a relative living there so they can visit with them.  

     Once we arrived we waited while people gathered.  Some team members walked over to the elementary school, chatted, and danced with the kids who were on a break.  It is always fascinating  for them to see mzungus (white people).  Soon a group of mothers and grandmothers came over and sang to us. We reciprocated by singing a couple of songs to them.  After the hellos and songs, our team lined up to help hand out 100 large bags filled with rice, beans, soap, and other items.  Each bag went to one family who was selected ahead of time by one of the leaders in the slum. So as a family member received his/her bag of supplies the team members paired up and carried it to the person’s home.  They were so, so grateful for this small gift.

Children on break at school in their required uniforms.
Some kids can not go to school because they can not afford
a uniform.

Ashley dancing with the kids.

A small piece of the slum.

Doneva and I are talking with the man whose home we about to walk to.
Lillian is the girl holding tight to my hand.  I will be telling you more
about Lillian in my ACT's posts.

The man's home.  He is unlocking the door.

Doneva and Lillian patiently waiting.

The young girl is the granddaughter of the lady in green.  Together we were walking 
to her home.  She had pointed up towards the sky when we were about to leave, 
but it wasn't until we came close to the base that we realized she lived on top of 
the little mountain. Fortunately, we met up with Jameson and he
 helped carry the bag..

Once we got to the top, there was a mother and father there as well.  I was taking pictures a little distance away so I didn't notice the look on the little girl's face.  Later we found out she was her step-mother, not her mother, and she had abused the little girl, made her sleep outside, and wouldn't feed her.  That is why she is now at Fiwagoh.  I felt terrible that she had been brought back to see her, however I think she was happy to see her grandmother and father. 

I believe this is John and Zachariah and this reunion was a happy one.
As the team was heading back to the van from the little mountain hike, the boys showed us their
grandmother's house and gladly posed for a picture with her.

     In closing I am sorry this is a longer post but I wanted to put the field trips together in a couple of posts.  I didn't want to drag them out as there are more great things to post.  Blessings to all that continue to read and learn of these beautiful children.

Peace and Joy, 
Krees (kris)

Trips outside of the orphanage (part I): The Safe House and The Street Boys of Gilgil

     

Our team at the safe house.

     Fiwagoh is located on a beautiful piece of land off of the main road between Nakuru and Nairobi (the capitol of Kenya) in a little town called Gilgil.  On this mission trip, five outings were planned and for each outing we took a few kids from Fiwagoh along with us. In the evenings we always debriefed and we included the kids that went with us in our team meeting. It was wonderful sharing the experience with the kids and very interesting to hear their responses at the end of the day.  Whenever we visited a site we always brought gifts of food, necessities, and/or $.

     The Safe House

            The Loving Hands Safe House is a rescue center for young vulnerable children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS located in Gilgil, Kenya.   On the visit our team took  many bags filled with flour, beans, soap and a few other things.  The bags were packaged in the morning before the trip and while team members were preparing the bags I observed Dennis, a former student of mine. teach grade 8 math.  He was awesome!!   When I returned to meet up with the team before our departure to the Safe House I found out one of our high school team members was ill. My friend Doneva decided to stay back with her in case she needed anything.  Not wanting Doneva to be by herself I stayed back as well, therefore I can not report many details of the trip, except for the teams response.  In the debriefing that evening, team members who traveled to the safe house were very emotional about what they saw and the stories they heard regarding some of the children. I felt a bit relieved not to have witnessed the painful stories, however I know I must not close my eyes, but realize the tragedies that occur and be a part of the change.  

Imani with some of the children at the safe house.

Children at the safe house.

     On a happier note, while Doneva and I stayed back we happened upon Ann, a senior who we first got to know in 2013 when Doneva and I teamed up to teach a few teenage girls how to sew.  Ann was one of our students and is now a seamstress for the orphanage.  She has the warmest smile and a beautiful voice (she is often one of the singers at Sabbath).  That morning we stopped into the tailoring room and discovered Ann and a few others cutting out “mattress raincoats” (vinyl pieces that protect the foam mattresses from accidents in the night). 

Déjà  Vu!  In 2013, our team made 100+ mattress raincoats and Doneva and I spent hours together sewing 200+ mattress pillowcases, used as sheets for the mattresses. Spending all that time with Doneva teaching the girls to sew and then sewing sheets caused us to become the dearest of  friends.  She lives in Houston, Texas and generally I only see her when I travel to Africa.  You will never meet a more kind or loving person.  

Photos from past years.

2013, Ann ironing the skirt she is making.

2013, mattress with raincoats

2013, more mattresses with raincoats

2013, Doneva and I sewing into the night to get sheets for every mattress.

2013, Jahari enjoying his new mattress.

Meeting the county chief 

     Our morning on this day began by meeting the Chief of the county, an area that includes Gilgil.  He is a high-level official and friend of Pastor Benson.  It was interesting listening to him explain the structure of Kenya’s government and his responsibilities.  He knows the struggles Kenya has, but loves what he does and wants to make a difference. He happily answered questions our team posed.  After the meeting we quickly departed for Gilgil as we were a couple of hours late from the time we were to meet the street boys.  We call it Kenya time.  One is rarely leaving or arriving at the time stated.

Team photo with the Chief.

Question:  What do red Chuck Taylors, loaves of bread, and male models have in common?

Answer:  The Street Boys of Gilgil, Kenya

The leader of the street boys is the young man in the baseball cap.

This is where we parked the van, an average street in Gilgil. While we were 
waiting to find out where we were to meet the boys the kids in our van from Fiwagoh 
noticed John Jenga walking across the street.  He is the brother of Ishmael, one of the boys that joined us on this trip.  I am not sure why John is no longer there.

Ryan and David 

     The street boys are exactly that, boys that live on the street and get by doing whatever it takes to survive, even if it means stealing.  In a way they are like a gang or perhaps the orphans in Oliver Twist.  They have a plan, a leader, they work together to help meet each others needs in order to obtain money for food, clothing….   Their ages range from 4-20+ years old approximately.  They are on the streets either because they left their home due to abuse, or they have no family, or the family that they have cannot provide for them, or their family kicked them out.  My friend Duncan said the reason they are only boys and no girls is because in Kenya families don't adopt boys.  They fear the boys may harm them.

     As we approached the boys, I thought they looked like many others we have seen in Kenya.  They all appeared clean and some were very attractive, they could have been models on a magazine cover. I asked a lady who volunteers to help them, how it happens that they appear so well kept and she said the organization she volunteers for helps to pay for haircuts and clothing for the boys.  

     We gathered around the boys and handed them boxes and bags filled with loaves of bread, bananas, and many quarts of milk.  Some (even the little ones)  finished an entire loaf of bread, banana, and quart of milk within the first few minutes we were there.  The leader made sure food was saved back for the few that were not there.  Those boys were out collecting bags of scrap metal to be traded in for cash.  While they ate Ryan, our team leader, spoke to them and had David, one of the seniors at Fiwagoh translate.  He asked how we could be of help.  He spoke to them about Jesus and then we prayed for them.  Tears ran down my cheek as I looked at the youngest ones.  

The four standing are from Fiwagoh.  This trip was uncomfortable for them.

This lady volunteers to help these boys.  She has three boys of her own  
yet she finds time to pour her heart out for the street boys.

Notice the faces on the team members.

Allison and Milka

     Pastor Benson is always trying to help the homeless on the street. I have seen him purchase food for a boy when he sees he is alone.  You see Pastor Benson became a street boy at the age of nine along with two of his younger brothers whom he took care of.  Anyway Pastor Benson had arranged this meeting with the street boys in the large field  in Gilgil.  It was our hope that we might find a way  to help them, to reach out and show them the love of Jesus and let them know they are loved.   

    After the meeting we collected the garbage, but left the bags.  Their leader said they can use them as blankets. We began walking back to our van and one of the young ones followed us asking for shoes.  He was barefoot.  Allison, one of our team leaders who is passionate for the orphans and fearless when it comes to helping, asked our driver if he would take her into the store so she could buy some shoes for the boy.  So the driver, Allison, and the boy went into the store near our van.  We waited in the van and after about 10 minutes they came out with the boy, a huge smile, and red Chuck Taylor look-a-likes on his feet.  What a day.

The boy in the middle is the one that received red tennies from Allison.

The following adventures outside of Fiwagoh will be on future posts.  

•      Saint Ann’s Baby and Children’s Home
•      The special needs school
•      The slums

If you would like to read Pastor Benson’s story follow the link below.

http://thefiwagohorphanageministries.org/the-history-of-the-founders-and-location-of-the-home/

Peace and Joy, 

Krees (kris)