Develop

by Allison Schlack We teach our students that they are blessed to be a blessing, no matter how little they have in the way of material possessions. Two years ago we were challenged to see if we actually believed it ourselves. During a staff discussion on empowering and recognizing the dignity of those whom we serve, an interesting idea surfaced. We were preparing for our Giving Tuesday fundraiser and began discussing raising funds in Kenya, instead of solely relying on donors abroad.

Frank is one of our college students who has overcome so much and risen above struggle to press on and reach his goals. You may remember us talking about him in our blog entitled Beautiful Redemption.  Below is a sweet update on his life from our Executive Director. One Sunday morning, as I headed for church, I passed Frank, an Ndoto college student, and a friend walking. I stopped and chatted with them, and Frank said they were on the way to the hospital, as his wife was about to give birth at any moment.  

“For the African girl, the door shuts just when they are about to enter.” ~ “A Small Act” documentary on Kenyan educational sponsorship. Young girls in Obunga face many challenges in life. From early on, they are targets for abuse, rape, and neglect. If there are boys in their family, often times, daughters are overlooked and treated as second-class citizens, leaving them without as many opportunities as their brothers. This year, we felt it was time to take our female students aside and address some of their struggles without their Ndoto brothers around.

Elizabeth has been around Ndoto since its founding. She met Allison Schlack in 2003 when she was just six years old, during Allison’s first trip to Kenya. Elizabeth comes from a single parent home and is one of five children. She lived with her mom and two of her brothers after her father left the family, and they were always in and out school due to a lack of money to pay fees.

The annual staff retreat from the female staff perspective…    “I really want to take this opportunity to say thank you to the sponsors of the staff retreat. I got the opportunity to spend the night in one of the best hotels in Nairobi. This was my first time to be in such a hotel where most operations are automated. We used a magic card to operate the elevator, switch lights on and off, and open the doors.