Student Stories

by Allison Schlack Phanice, a 17-year old high school junior in Ndoto Everyone told me my wedding week would fly by, and to try to savor it, because afterward it would be hard to remember the details. Hosting a retreat for 300 Ndoto students two days before the wedding, an Ndoto sponsor/student lunch for 50 one day before the wedding, and a rehearsal dinner for 80 the night before the wedding, all led to the joyous blur of the weekend.

by Fred Sadia “I waved at him multiple times a day for months as I was passing by,” Allison Schlack remembered. “I kept wondering about this young man who was out there morning to evening 7 days a week. He never seemed to have a day off – rain or shine.” Who was this young man? John M. spent the better part of his childhood staying with his mom at their rural home, until 2011 when he finished his primary education and moved to Kisumu to stay with his elder sister.

by Allison Schlack Justice. It’s a popular word. Millennials love it. Youth groups use it. Organizations make it their mission statement. It’s mentioned in Scripture. It’s a characteristic of God. Beautiful. Difficult. Implies wrongdoing and struggle. Overused (by me, too). And not seen often in our part of the world. So that’s what makes the following story all the more stunning… Mama Bon works with many of Ndoto’s youngest students I first heard of Alice when her younger brother joined Ndoto a few years ago as one of our new students.

by Fred Sadia This is not a story about the Los Angeles basketball team landing in Africa, but rather it’s a story of young Ndoto girls and boys who go to a school called Lake Primary here in Kisumu. They acquired the name Lakers as a result of the love they have for each other and their resolve to remain united as a team. It’s a team composed of nine members: Purity (sponsored by Linda S.) and Georgina (sponsored by Richard & Chris T.), both of whom are in the 8th grade.

James is a perfect example of why we sponsor the students we do. He heard of Ndoto seven years ago and received a sponsorship in 2012 to go to high school. James is sponsored by Tim & Donna T. “Before joining, life was never easy on any side,” James told us last month. “I lost my dad when we were still young – I was in first grade. The memory is still fresh in my mind.