Stories From Kenya
Nereah and Susan
For months, our kids look forward to summer vacation and a chance to get a break from school, but what we learned on our trip to Kenya in June is that when school is out in Africa, some children don’t eat. Teenagers like Nereah and Susan, who are sisters raising themselves in rural Kenya, lost both their parents to AIDS and don’t usually get a meal on the weekends or when school is not in session. Nereah, a freshman who is being sponsored by the Kenya Carnival, has AIDS but has a bright spirit and says that her education is what gives her hope for a future and the “UMOJA Project” provides food during difficult times. Nereah and Susan were just two of the 25 students we met who are being sponsored by the Kenya Carnival. Most are children who are raising themselves and have similar stories with parents lost to AIDS. They struggle to survive with the only hope for finding a better life through education. The Kenya Carnival, which sponsors these children through the Global Interfaith Partnership “UMOJA Project,” gives them this hope.
During the trip our children, Nate, Carolyn, Noah, Sarah and Josh, had a chance to get to know these students one-on-one and also distributed pen pal letters from Kenya Carnival team members. Blowing bubbles caused the children to scream with excitement and all of the children wanted their picture taken. Friendships were made as our children shared their lives with the students as they played hacky sack, Frisbee and soccer together. Nate commented, “Before we came to Kenya I didn’t know what to expect; I didn’t know how I would react when I saw these kids or how they would react. When I finally met them I can’t even really explain it. Just the feeling that you’re saving these kids lives is amazing. They’re so happy that you’ve given them a chance. They’re great people. I’ve met so many new friends. I’ve played games with them. I’ve talked to them about my life and gotten to know a little bit about their lives.”
These connections and the friendships we made will continue to inspire us as we work on the Kenya Carnival to raise money to put even more children through school so they can receive not only an education but their daily bread. One graduate of the program, Barack, who begins university next year summed it up well, “The UMOJA Project is like manna from Heaven… It helps us so we can uplift one another; we can empower one another and appreciate what we are. It not only helps from the outside but even helps us from within ourselves.”
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Stephen’s Story
Stephen is living with his grandmother since both of his parents have died, and he could not attend high school because he didn’t have the funds. In Kenya, the government pays for schooling through 8th grade and then fees are necessary for high school (about $325 per year). 
Stephen could not afford these fees so he dug ditches and did other odd jobs to earn the money but still came up short. In order to keep his brain active and skills fresh, he repeated 8th grade several times so that he could pursue his dream of eventually getting a higher education. The Umoja Project learned of Stephen and is now supporting his education. Stephen’s determination and hard work are paying off and he is currently 1st in his class! Stephen represents in many ways what the kids we are helping embody: determination against all odds, strong faith in God, hard work in school and at home to raise siblings/run household, and overflowing joy despite circumstances. We had never seen such happy, joy-filled children than we did in this remote part of the world, and they had nothing, absolutely nothing.
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Eunice’s Story
Eunice is 13. Her parents died several years ago and Eunice and her younger brothers and sisters moved in with their grandmother. Sadly, their grandmother recently died as well, and the children now live alone. It is very hard for them to find the food and supplies they need, as well as attend school.
$6 buys a blanket for Eunice.
$10 buys a school uniform for Eunice which allows her to continue school.
$20 buys a supply of maize and beans for the children.
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Evelyne’s Story
Evelyne’s father died and her mother is sick and cannot work. Evelyne could not afford her school tuition and had to drop out of school. She earned money for the family by selling French fries at a roadside stand.
$250 pays Evelyne’s tuition and fees for a year, allowing her to continue her education.
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Mildred’s Story
Mildred’s mother died some time ago. Now Mildred and her brothers and sister live with their father in this collapsing home. The home has holes in the roof and walls and the newspaper patches do not protect the family from the rain and cold.