Bonny and Philip traveled to our Kenya program to see it and learn since it has served children for over 16 years. Specifically, they wanted to learn how to open and operate a community center like Kenya’s. They want to create a centralized location for their program serving hundreds of children in the slums of Kampala.
Jane showed Bonny and Philip the Mama Beth’s Children’s center, which includes a kitchen, preschool, offices, and sewing program all on-site, as well as space for special events like VBS and bible studies. They learned about the feeding program serving hundreds of children at three local schools and toured the project site where homes are being built for families in most need.
Jane was excited to have Bonny visit since he has experience running a financial literacy and savings program with women in Uganda. She wanted to learn how to provide this for the women in Kenya. While in Kenya, Bonny and Philip met with women in the community, helping equip them with skills in financial management, entrepreneurship, banking and loans.
Afterward, Bonny shared, “It was an honor listening to their touching stories and getting to hear their aspirations. Many of the ladies are single mothers who depend on petty income from washing clothes and helping out on people’s farms, many times they lack what they need to feed their children, and it’s upon this that they desire to start up a savings group through which they can borrow money and start their own businesses. We shared success stories of the women in Uganda who started this up and now own businesses; some have their own houses.”
This trip had a tremendous impact on both programs in Uganda and Kenya, inspiring and equipping the leaders with the tools they needed to take the next steps in their community development plans. Jane has started a women’s savings group in Kijabe, Kenya, and Bonny has purchased four acres of land to build a community center. Bonny shared, “By building a community center, we’d have a safe, consistent place to offer holistic care to these children, including meals, health checkups and medical care, spiritual discipleship, gardens for training and food, a transitional home for helping street kids get reunited with families, and an office space for our program staff.”
Please join us in praying for wisdom over the planning of this new community center in Uganda. Go here to contribute or learn more about this project.
Bonny and Jane walked away with a great appreciation for one another. They taught each other how to enhance their holistic community development programs. Jane remarked, “This visit was of paramount importance to both organizations.”
In the work we do, relationships are everything. Engaging with and learning from each other, encouraging and dreaming together…that’s how we build holistically as the Global Body of Christ.
Pilau with beef is a traditional and iconic dish in Kenyan cuisine. It’s often served during special occasions and celebrations such as weddings, birthdays, and holidays. But we have found it to make for an amazing dinner any time of the week. There is much to celebrate at our program
Have you ever experienced an offer of generosity from a family member, friend, or acquaintance that was well-intentioned, but…misplaced? Perhaps a friend making you a meal you’re allergic to or a parent buying you a piece of furniture you have no room for. Of course you say thank you, but
Nancy, our Director of Development and long-time short-term missionary, shares her experience with the “Women of the Word” program in Kampala, Uganda. These resilient women, who migrated to a new area after facing unimaginable hardships, have come together to build a supportive community and empower one another. Discover how their journey of faith and perseverance is creating lasting change in their lives and in their community.
Ileana has been in our Nicaragua children’s program for the last eight years. Our team has poured into her heart, spirit, and education, and she has blossomed into a beautiful young woman of God. Her life hasn’t been easy, but as you’ll read in her letter, she has learned to
9 yrs. old
Entered the program: May 2024
Steff lives with his mother and his little sister in a rented two-room house made of concrete that has water but no electricity. They use an outdoor bathroom and kitchen.
His mother is trained as a nurse but is currently unemployed, and his father died in 2019. Providing for the family is difficult.
Plus bonus group fundraising ideas!
