How The Generosity Of Others Makes My Days Amazing

I was able to do some pretty rad things today...I'm excited to share them with you. And, I'm aware that the last two weeks have been full of long, overly-wordy posts, so today I'm hoping to give you a few more photos and a bit more brevity. 

Here goes nothing.

From the moment I walked in today, Dinah was calling my name and asking to be carried around. She's a tiny child, but she gets really heavy after awhile, so I brought her straight over to a chair in the shade to hang out.

Male joined us for a while...kid loves her photos. She keeps putting scraps of things over her eyes and asking me to take her picture.

I taught Linah the beauty of the topknot, too. She got in to it and even had me re-do it a few times when it came loose.

Dinah is really cute. And she's a genius. She sat on the patio and let all the other kids come to her to play.

Victor had a prime lounging spot in the middle of the living room today. He was right in the center of all of the action and LOVED it!

Phoebe's cousin June visited the house today. Linah kept calling her "the beautiful child." She would whisper to me, "Tell her she is beautiful." It turned out, Linah thought June only spoke English and then was super embarrassed when she realized June had understood the whole thing! I asked them to sit for a picture and Linah said, "No! I'm afraid of her! She's beautiful!"

Sammy has been in Nairobi for two days and the kids are missing her like crazy. I came outside today and found them in a group, talking to Sammy on speakerphone.

Trinah fell and hurt her arm today, so she sat on my lap until she felt up to playing again. She also finished my tea in the meantime (which is great considering I was semi-forced into drinking tea today!)

Bram pushed Allan around all day. They went around and around the compound, stopping to make jokes (and cause trouble!)

Manu also loves to have his picture taken. He had been surrounded by friends until moments before this photo, but I love this lone-shot of him!

I was holding Dinah until she saw John. He is so kind and loving that all of the littles love to spend time with him while he's home from school.

Christine had Mickey Mouse hair today. She's incredibly cute and has an adorably tiny voice...I take about ten pictures of her everyday.

There are 7 students from Oasis of Hope who are still in school in Kitale. They have been fighting to make ends meet and achieve their dreams of finishing secondary school (THREE of them will graduate in November!) As a special treat, before school begins again on Monday, I took them to town for chicken and fries. And sodas, of course. All really special treats for these guys. (Our motorcycle taxi driver also joined us for lunch.)

The lunch crew: Allan, John, Amlango, Sheila, Paul, and Jackson.

Okay, I lied. Here's a quick story:

This is John. He lives on the street and, a few weeks ago, was beat up pretty badly by another street boy. He found us in town one day and told me his arm was broken. I asked him to come to the clinic we were hosting in Kipsongo the next day to seek a doctor's opinion. Upon the doctor's request, we sent him to get an X-Ray, and then have a cast put on until the fracture healed. Today, I was able to give him a big package of milk and the small amount of money it will cost to have the cast removed. I am sad that he still lives on the street, but so excited to see him with two fully functioning arms.

We came back from town with some food (to give to the three school boys who live on their own) and everyone wanted to help unload. Moses took his responsibility over this salt very seriously.

Someone lent the boys a Playstation and, as classic teenagers, they took turns playing and watching each other play a racing game for a few hours before dinner. (One even offered me a turn...so kind of him!)

Today I was reminded of the amazing opportunity I have been given. Today, I was able to treat kids who have no one to care for them, to a special lunch. I was able to give street kids packets of milk and give one money for medical care he would otherwise not have received. I was able to do all of these things because of the generosity of people who believed that this is where God wanted me to be, at this time, and gave to make it a reality.

To say I am grateful to live these stories each day would be an understatement. Thank you to those of you that gave--and continue to give. Thank you for your prayerful and emotional support as well. It's such a gift, to me and to those I have the privilege of serving.

A Trip To The Michael Wamalwa Kijana Memorial School OR My Four Favorite Kenyan High Schoolers

When Oasis of Hope closed, many of the kids went back to their homes in various parts of the country. Very few are still in Kitale. One-by-one, I run in to them and they tell me of another they know is around and then I go searching for that person, who tells me of another...and so on.

Many of the stories have been what I expected: a few of the boys left school and went home to try to find a way to make some money and create a life. A few of the girls were overwhelmed with school (and life) and ran away, probably (but hopefully not) to recreate the life that was modeled to them in the slums they grew up in.

But, I have to tell you, others have been incredibly surprising! One boy, Moses, who grew up completely on his own (he was abandoned several times before age 3) has completed secondary school! (A secondary school education--especially in Kitale--will change the course of that person's life. They are miles ahead, education-wise, of a vast majority of people in this little town which opens up doors for a future that would, otherwise, have been impossible.) He's also found a small, inexpensive place to live, and works at a restaurant in town. (No small feat for a boy who once ate from the trashcans of the restaurants in town!)

And then there are these four. Who, I have to say, were not the four I would have thought I'd find still in school.

Jackson, Paul, Sheila, and Dorcas. (You can read brief versions of their stories below and then I have a small favor to ask you...)

Dorcas was living in the Oasis Girls House. She has always been kind, helpful, and totally hilarious. She was always among the first to make a costume out of someone else's clothes and come out to perform a dance routine or skit for the dinner party. I absolutely love this girl. She was always shy about speaking English and, since the school system teaches everything in English (except for Swahili classes, of course) I just assumed she would quit when it became too difficult. 

Well, she proved me wrong. She's now in Form 2 (her second year of secondary school, her sophomore year, so to speak) and speaks beautiful English. She's living at home with her mom, in a place that's not super safe, but she's overcoming the odds and is still the same funny, silly, and sweet girl she was as a child, but now has also told me of her dreams to become a doctor!

Sheila is sassier than I was as a high schooler--and that's saying something! I met Sheila when we took her back to school in 2009. She is the younger sister of Steward, one of the boys who was living in the Oasis Boys House, and had been living with her mom in an area outside of town that everyone knows is rough for young girls. So, when the opportunity came to put her in boarding school, Oasis jumped at the chance.

She has always had a big smile and an amazing laugh! Honestly, I assumed she'd make it to--maaaaybe--8th grade. I don't know why I had such low expectations of her...I think because she was just so sassy. (When I look back at how sassy I was--really until age 25, and even sometimes still!--I am so glad that people saw the potential in me and didn't write me off just because I was a semi-jerky know-it-all. But I digress.)

Sheila is now in Form 4 and less than a year away from graduating! She's living with some 'well-wishers' from a local church, since her home is not a safe environment and this house is closer to her school. I am so proud of her for persevering and working hard to reach her goal.

Paul arrived at Oasis in the final few years. He had made his way to Kitale because he'd heard that there was better climate and more potential for education and employment than there had been at home. He asked to be taken to school and, because of his age, we thought he was too old. (We'd assumed he was asking to start school...little did we know...) When he was tested, his marks were so high, they put him directly in to 7th grade.

At that time, he was living in the Oasis of Hope Center with about fifteen other boys. They'd been given mattresses and a little money for food (a very little amount considering the number of boys they were trying to feed!) and he was finding time to study amongst all of the responsibilities that came with being on his own at such a young age.

When I came back to Kitale, I'd almost forgotten to ask about him. I had imagined that, when the Center closed, he'd packed up and moved back home. When I was told that he was also in Form 4, living with two boys (Jackson, who you'll meet below, is one of them) in a small place in the nearby slum, I couldn't contain my excitement (and shock!) He's grown so much since I last saw him, but is still such a respectful and responsible kid.

Jackson is definitely one of my favorites. He has such a great smile (though he's always a little embarrassed to show it...)

His story is similar to Paul's. They are (and have been) great friends throughout the years because of the camaraderie they find in their backgrounds and journeys. (See links above for photos of a younger, shorter Jackson.)

He came to Oasis around 2009, we took him for a school placement exam with Paul and he, like Paul, tested in to 7th grade. We were pleasantly surprised. So, we took him to a local school and he thrived. He and Paul have lived and studied together ever since, first in the Oasis Center, and now in a small place nearby where they scrape together what they can to buy food, or visit neighbors and friends in hopes of finding an extra meal here and there.

Jackson is also in Form 4. He is so bright...but also so humble (and even a little shy.)

These four are amazing. I am so proud of the adults they have become/are becoming. It would have been so easy--and even understandable--for any of them to quit school and go back home to forge a different path, but they have fought for their education and are nearly to the finish line! 

Okay, so here is the small favor I had mentioned at the beginning. The funds have run out and they are in danger of having to leave school due to lack of fees. I have given, from the amount that was donated to this trip, a small amount to keep the school happy while I try to figure out another plan.

Would you consider helping these four finish high school?

The total cost for one kid--for the ENTIRE year--is $200. This includes all of their tuition, books, and food (since they are in class for such long hours, especially as the Form 4 prepare to sit for their end-of-the-year National Exams, they eat lunch, and sometimes dinner, at school.)

If you would like to give--even $5 of $10--please email me: allihibb{at}gmail{dot}com and I will send you the easy steps to do so. Every cent you give will go toward helping these four finish the year. {Also, all donations are tax-deductible.}

Thank you, in advance, for caring for the people I care about...financially and through your prayers. I have some friends in the neighborhood whom I will coax in to taking photos of these great students as the year goes on, so I will make sure to keep you updated on their progress.

{Quick note: This is not--and will not become--a typical 'Kenya Dig It?!' post, but I couldn't help but think that you are generous and supportive readers who would love to help make these dreams a reality...and I wanted to give you this opportunity. Thanks for understanding...and thanks for reading!}

People...People Who Need People...

If I'm really honest, the idea of going to church on a Sunday in Kenya is a mix of emotions. I want to go, dance and sing and be with friends, but I know the service will be nearly three hours long, probably hot and over half will be in Swahili, so I won't understand much (or, they will choose to translate for me, the only white person in the room, and then it will take twice as long...not sure which is more tiresome.) So, in my own selfish little heart, when I was invited to go to church with my friends Geoffrey and Olivia, I tried to come up with several excuses as to why I couldn't. In the end, they knew I was being a baby, so they told me they would come pick me up around 10 and bring me to church. (The service starts at 9, so they were being kind by letting me miss the first hour.)

We pulled in to the church, which had a really nice cross-breeze--already a win--and they began to sing (in Swahili) a melody which sounded very familiar to me. I paused for a moment, to listen more closely, and realized it was "How Great Thou Art!" I looked at Olivia and smiled, and she said, "Oh, you know this one?!" And I, as the only white person in the room, sang along--at the top of my lungs--as the rest of the room sang in Swahili, to our One great God.

After nearly an hour of singing and dancing (the woman who led was about 7 months pregnant, and wearing three-inch heels, but it didn't stop her from dancing and jumping and singing with enough energy to match the rest of the room (probably 100 people!) She was incredible.) we sat as the pastor began to give a message, in a mix of Swahili and English (which was a real gift: I could understand pieces of what she was saying! but there was no need for a sentence-by-sentence translation only for me.) Olivia handed me her baby as she cared for her older daughter. Chanel sat in my lap for the rest of the service just gurgling and smiling and clapping...such a happy baby! (Later, they told me, I may be the first white person she's met...so I'm really surprised she wasn't more fearful.)

When I lived here, I attended church with Geoffrey and Olivia each Sunday. They have since moved homes and now attend a church in their new neighborhood, so this was my first time at The Church of the Living Word, but our tradition of lunch at Alakara Hotel lives on. We took a taxi from church to town and, when I asked Josiah where we were going, he told me, "we're going to get sausages!" with a huge grin.

 Geoffrey was the director of the drop-in center, Oasis of Hope, so he and I worked together nearly everyday in the seven months I lived in Kitale. At the time, they only had one daughter, Charlotte. So, having seen photos of their two younger children on Facebook, I was REALLY excited to meet them in person! Josiah and I became fast friends as he showed me each of his plastic animal toys, named them, and then had the big one of the pair hug the little one. He's, obviously, adorable.

As we sat in the restaurant, a few of the former Oasis house boys (all former street kids) trickled in to meet us. Here is Evans, Kevin and Moses.

My phone rang all afternoon with more Oasis kids, out of school for the weekend, looking to meet up with us for a while. This is Dorcas. She is now in Form 3 (Junior year of High School.) She has great grades and wants to be a doctor!

Sammy met us in town and drove us back to her kid's house, where Christine and Sheila were waiting! Christine is in Class 8, nearly ready to graduate from primary school. Sheila is just a few months away from graduating high school! When I last saw her, she was so young and was still finding her way in studies and her grasp of the English language...yesterday, she looked like a full-grown woman, spoke beautiful English and told me of her hopes of going to college to continue her studies.

I had been a little concerned about bringing the Oasis crew to Sammy's house. I wasn't sure how comfortable or engaging they would be with the Precious Kids. (Many of the kids at Sammy's house are considered outcasts or unwanted, some tribes even go so far as to say they are 'curses upon the family' because of their disabilities or physical appearance...so I just wasn't totally sure how the mixing of the two crowds would go.)

I was so pleasantly surprised by the way the Oasis kids jumped right in. They picked them up, walked around, snuggled with them as they watched TV...kicked the 'soccer ball' (which was really a balled-up pair of black dress socks--so, would it be called a 'socks-er ball'?) around with some of the bigger kids. And, of course, we took a million pictures.

{Manu, Evans, Rael and Lina}

{Christine, Sheila, Dorcas and Sam}

When Sammy came back, after a run to town, she told me that a few of these girls used to live in a house with some of the Precious Kids, so they are old friends. It was sweet to hear them call each other by name and pick-up right where they'd left off.

{Dorcas and Moses}

Moses (Oasis Moses) had never really been to Sammy's house before, but after about twenty minutes, he caught me and said, "I wish we would have met here earlier today. I could have spent the whole day here!" I told him that Sammy would be more than happy to have him come over and hang out again sometime...he said he's excited to come back.

As soon as he found out that this little guy's name is Moses too, (and--to add to their connection--both were named after Moses from the Old Testament because they were found by strangers, having been abandoned by their mothers as small children) they were inseparable.

{Junior}

Suzie is seven and does not speak. Sammy thinks it's due to the mass amounts of trauma she has encountered in her life. She jumps and flaps her arms and sputters to show her excitement...I try to catch her, over a dozen times each day, look her in the eyes and tell her how loved she is. I told Sammy that she is my favorite...and I want to cuddle her all the time. 

As the older kids were getting ready to head home for dinner, I caught Moses and Moses once more. I told (older) Moses that this afternoon nearly made my heart explode with joy. When people you love meet and fall in love with others that you love, it's just such a gift. And--what's more--to watch children that had been abandoned or neglected, desperately in need of love and appropriate touch, grow up to become (nearly) adults who have learned to give and show love to a younger generation in need of that same appropriate affection and care...oh my gosh, I was so proud and so humbled to have been part of that afternoon.

{One more with Dorcas}

{Little Moses would not let Big Moses leave--he kept whining and reaching for him every time he'd put him down}

{Willie had his feelings hurt when I told him he couldn't play in the mud out front. One of the school boys who is home for the weekend, put his arm around him to comfort him and took him over to play a new game.}

{Kevin was the first Oasis kid to graduate from Form 4. He told me yesterday that he would like to go to college for fashion design.}

{Suzie again. Come on. So cute.}

{Willie has epilepsy, so he wears that rugby helmet to protect his head in the event of a seizure. He is, without a doubt, the sweetest and most hilarious kid at Sammy's house.}

{Teaching Lina and Bramwel to make crazy faces}

{Frank took this one of the dog-pile on the bench}

For those of you that made it this far through this wordy post, here is a special treat for you. After singing "Let It Go" and "Baby" (by Justin Bieber, of course) all afternoon at Sammy's, one of the sassier girls made a list of the "Noise Makers" in the house. I was first on the list. A few minutes later, she made some additions to the list: putting a number by each person's name to show just how loud they are in comparison to the others. My number: 10,000. (Joke's on her...she's not the first to tell me I'm the loudest in a room!)

We finished the day by having dinner with James. James grew up in Kitale and was one of the most comforting (and helpful) friends when we lived here. He has, since, moved to California (where he has earned his Masters and is beginning his PhD.) He's married to a Californian girl and they have a 14-month-old son. He is in town for the week purchasing some land for when they, eventually, move back here. It was so fun to catch up with him...and to think that he will be back here in my future trips too! (You know, or when I eventually move here, too...)

Our Final Day in Lodwar

The vans left late Thursday night to make it back to Eldoret in time to pick us up from the airport on Saturday morning. (It’s about an 11-hour drive from Lodwar to Eldoret via Kitale.)  

The Ukrainian team waiting downstairs so we could all walk to breakfast together...

We were a little early to breakfast, so Vlad and I filled time by singing songs he'd learned from radio shows in Ukraine. We sang James Taylor, Bob Dylan and The Beatles. He's the best.

Friday morning, we walked around town, in groups, and talked with people, sharing why we came to town and a bit about our lives. I was lucky enough to be put in a group with Vlad—so we would just walk up to a group of people and start singing and, soon, another dozen or so people would have joined us.

After about an hour of singing in town, we walked back to the lunch spot to cool off. As we entered, another group was just getting back. One of their team members said, “Allison. We have a surprise for you!” and in walked two kids from Oasis of Hope (the center for street kids.) I, of course, promptly burst in to tears. There are two older street boys (now about 20) who had been too old to be taken to school, but had been so faithful to attend the centre, give up sniffing glue, and even, eventually, ended up living on-site in the backroom of the center. Each time I visit, we make a big deal about buying them new shirts and taking them to town to have a nice dinner in a restaurant—with sodas and even desserts—a huge treat for a group of street boys. This year, I had heard they were in Lodwar, so I had been craning my neck with every van ride hoping to see them and at least be able to say hello. And there they were when we arrived for lunch!!!

Etao and David told me that P.I.G. (a self-imposed nickname that stands for Peter Is Great) was also in town, so I gave them a little money to take a motorbike to get him. He walked in about 10 minutes later and I could hardly speak from the overwhelming joy of being with these boys again. We ordered sodas and chicken and fries and they told me about their lives. 

A little while later, one of the boys pointed just outside the restaurant and I turned and saw three more Oasis boys out front. Ten minutes later, two more showed up. And by the end of lunch, Rael and her sister Alice where back too. For a total of NINE of my old friends having heard that I was in town and finding their way to come and say hello.

Look at these faces! (left to right: Joseph, Amos, P.I.G., Alice, Michael, David, Etao, Justus, and Rael)

As I was saying my goodbyes, the team was rounding up piki pikis to take to a nearby village. I’m telling you, there are few things more incredible than trailing a mzunguu (white person) piki parade through a town and watching the excitement mount. It was apparent that, as the first few pikis went by, kids had gone running back to schools and neighbors to tell them what was happening and, slowly but surely, by the time the final motorbikes (final of 30+) reached them, they were cheering and hollering and waving like mad. I felt like a celebrity. It was the best.

We arrived in the village and were taken in to their church. We took turns singing songs, in their mother language (Turkana), Swahili, English and Russian. Then the pastors greeted us and we greeted them. Translating from Turkana to Swahili to English to Russian and then back. It took a little bit of time, but was such an amazing reminder of how big God is: that he created and understands all languages and cares deeply for every person in each country all over the world.

One of the team members had given a large amount of money on behalf of their church to purchase maize for the women in this village. So, we set-up a distribution line and scooped three large cups of maize in to each mama’s bag.

As we had been singing in the church, I kept making eye contact with this woman. So, after she received her maize, I went to find her and introduce myself. Her name is Ann. She walked me over to her home and introduced me to her two sons. She was so proud to tell me their names and how old they are. We are now great friends...and I hope to see her when I return to Lodwar someday.

And then, another Oasis kid came up to say hello! Sweet, sweet Korode!

We went back for dinner and each person shared a bit about their experience from this trip...we ended the night together with communion.

On our way back to the hotel, we got a tiny bit turned around and ended up walking in a giant circle. As we went, a crowd of street kids began to follow us. I realized, as they crept out of the darkness and began to walk with us (posing no threat, but scaring the heck out of me as they appeared, seemingly from nowhere) that this as close to a zombie apocalypse that I would ever like to get.

On Saturday morning, we woke up super early and made our way to the airport. As we hustled across town, I heard “Alice!” and turned to see, yet another, Oasis kid who now lives in Lodwar. Michael walked with me as far as he could before turning to head toward work. We hugged and I said, “Love you!” to which he replied, “Me too!” and I ran across the street to catch up with the group.

I can’t believe the number of kids I saw this week. Especially after assuming I would spend this whole time naming kids who’d moved away and would not be seen again. I’m so, so thankful that we had even this brief time together...so they know they are incredibly loved and never forgotten.