4/24/07 - morning
Immediately after breakfast today, a few of us made the trip to see the girl I sponsor, Nthenya Mutinda. She was not able to come to VBS this week since she just started back to school, and it was felt that it was more important for her to be in school. I met her pastor yesterday at VBS, and it was arranged by Paul, Jackson and this gentleman that we would pick him up and he would take us to her school, pick her up, return to her home to meet her family and then she could go back to school and we would return to VBS.
As an aside, as Tumaini has grown, it has become necessary for more volunteers to help out in the supervision of the children's welfare. Jackson, Tumaini's chaplain, did it himself for quite a while, but now he supervises a group of volunteers who each keep track of the children in their region. Each child is seen at least once a month, needs are taken care of, school is arranged and paid for as needed. When Jackson saw Nthenya, he immediately noticed that she needed a new sweater. All the children will be receiving new school uniforms soon.
Anyway, off we went. Again we traveled through an area of well-tended shambas and thick hedgerows of tall lantana bushes (a plant which is also very common in California) over incredibly bumpy roads. Nthenya's school room is a 12x12 ft room with benches and a chalkboard and that's it. They were studying English when we arrived to pick her up. She was very shy, and had a little trouble looking at me at first but soon was holding my hand tightly as we walked back to the bus. We didn't say much for a while, but by the the time we arrived at her home she was smiling. Nthenya (pronounced "Then-ya") lives with her grandmother (87) and her grandfather (93), a WWII veteran who fought in Burma, getting deaf, and her uncle, her deceased mother's only sibling. One of her uncle's sons was visiting this week as he is off school. Her uncle has come from Nairobi to care for the farm and look after the grandparents and Nthenya, leaving his family in the city. His wife and other children will not come to the farm. He told me that he is very lonely and misses them very much. He of course feels the duty to take care of his parents, but it is hard on him. Nthenya did not know her father, and her mother is buried behind the small house where she lives with her grandparents. She has another brother (10yrs old), who is also sponsored by Tumaini who was at VBS (I didn't get to meet him).
We chatted with the grandparents with Paul and Jackson interpreting, Nthenya showed me around, and we presented the family with the gifts we had brought. The uncle (I did not get his name or those of the grandparents -- I will though, soon) accepted the gifts on behalf of the family and also thanked us graciously for the support they receive for the children from Tumaini. His eyes were full of tears.
Nthenya told me that she likes science very much, especially biology and that she gets 90's in her science classes. I encouraged her to study hard -- this is what Tumaini encourages the children to do in order to show their sponsors that they appreciate the support they receive.
Before we left, Nthenya took my hands and looked at me and said, "thank you so much for choosing me, you are my mother and father now..." (I nearly lost it on the spot...) I kissed her cheek and told her that I loved her and would pray for her.
Her uncle has a small hardware business in the little town called "Tumaini Hardware" and we gave him a ride back down the road as we left. He sat across from me on the bus and to my surprise, asked me how my family was, how my husband and sister were faring, had my daughter graduated from school yet...
I realized that the letter I had so casually written to the family had been read and re-read by everyone and was treasured. They truly care about me and my family and pray for our well-being all the time. Sponsors are considered to be a valued part of their family. If there is one thing I would tell State-side sponsors (or would-be sponsors) it is that. It seems like a small thing to us, $30 a month is two lunches out, but to these families it makes the difference between a future for these children and poverty.
Have I mentioned recently that "Tumaini" means "Hope" in Kiswahili?
Immediately after breakfast today, a few of us made the trip to see the girl I sponsor, Nthenya Mutinda. She was not able to come to VBS this week since she just started back to school, and it was felt that it was more important for her to be in school. I met her pastor yesterday at VBS, and it was arranged by Paul, Jackson and this gentleman that we would pick him up and he would take us to her school, pick her up, return to her home to meet her family and then she could go back to school and we would return to VBS.
As an aside, as Tumaini has grown, it has become necessary for more volunteers to help out in the supervision of the children's welfare. Jackson, Tumaini's chaplain, did it himself for quite a while, but now he supervises a group of volunteers who each keep track of the children in their region. Each child is seen at least once a month, needs are taken care of, school is arranged and paid for as needed. When Jackson saw Nthenya, he immediately noticed that she needed a new sweater. All the children will be receiving new school uniforms soon.
Anyway, off we went. Again we traveled through an area of well-tended shambas and thick hedgerows of tall lantana bushes (a plant which is also very common in California) over incredibly bumpy roads. Nthenya's school room is a 12x12 ft room with benches and a chalkboard and that's it. They were studying English when we arrived to pick her up. She was very shy, and had a little trouble looking at me at first but soon was holding my hand tightly as we walked back to the bus. We didn't say much for a while, but by the the time we arrived at her home she was smiling. Nthenya (pronounced "Then-ya") lives with her grandmother (87) and her grandfather (93), a WWII veteran who fought in Burma, getting deaf, and her uncle, her deceased mother's only sibling. One of her uncle's sons was visiting this week as he is off school. Her uncle has come from Nairobi to care for the farm and look after the grandparents and Nthenya, leaving his family in the city. His wife and other children will not come to the farm. He told me that he is very lonely and misses them very much. He of course feels the duty to take care of his parents, but it is hard on him. Nthenya did not know her father, and her mother is buried behind the small house where she lives with her grandparents. She has another brother (10yrs old), who is also sponsored by Tumaini who was at VBS (I didn't get to meet him).
We chatted with the grandparents with Paul and Jackson interpreting, Nthenya showed me around, and we presented the family with the gifts we had brought. The uncle (I did not get his name or those of the grandparents -- I will though, soon) accepted the gifts on behalf of the family and also thanked us graciously for the support they receive for the children from Tumaini. His eyes were full of tears.
Nthenya told me that she likes science very much, especially biology and that she gets 90's in her science classes. I encouraged her to study hard -- this is what Tumaini encourages the children to do in order to show their sponsors that they appreciate the support they receive.
Before we left, Nthenya took my hands and looked at me and said, "thank you so much for choosing me, you are my mother and father now..." (I nearly lost it on the spot...) I kissed her cheek and told her that I loved her and would pray for her.
Her uncle has a small hardware business in the little town called "Tumaini Hardware" and we gave him a ride back down the road as we left. He sat across from me on the bus and to my surprise, asked me how my family was, how my husband and sister were faring, had my daughter graduated from school yet...
I realized that the letter I had so casually written to the family had been read and re-read by everyone and was treasured. They truly care about me and my family and pray for our well-being all the time. Sponsors are considered to be a valued part of their family. If there is one thing I would tell State-side sponsors (or would-be sponsors) it is that. It seems like a small thing to us, $30 a month is two lunches out, but to these families it makes the difference between a future for these children and poverty.
Have I mentioned recently that "Tumaini" means "Hope" in Kiswahili?
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