33 Orphans (11162009)

The peek into what’s going on in the lives of Kenyans began today. After a quick trip to the embassies area of town to continue sorting out the visa situation, I came back to my place. (Isaac took me again today... and I directed him to the embassy. It is bad when an American knows more about where the Brazilian embassy is than a taxi driver who has lived his whole life in the city. It is good to develop relationships with cab drivers wherever you are, though... because they’ll help you out even if they don’t know where they are headed!) After getting back, Eleanor picked me up and we headed to the school where we met a woman named Deborah. She was going to take us to an orphanage.

On the way to there, Deborah began telling me the story of the home, a place for the rescue, rehabilitation and re-integration of children in conflict with the law and children of imprisoned mothers. She explained that there are two houses, one is like an orphanage and one is a halfway-house, to re-connect children with their moms after their moms get out of prison. We were headed to the half-way house.

(One great part of the time with Deborah was hearing about one of Deborah’s ideas: to start a cottage orphanage... one where couples come and raise several children in a family-based home within the grounds of an organization designed like an orphanage... she had really good thoughts and ideas about how to make things happen and her experience definitely has added to her knowledge and insight into bringing change to the hearts of so many kids here.)

I heard many stories today, stories of single mothers being arrested and imprisoned for petty crimes that were committed just to provide for their children. I heard stories of children that are ready to be adopted and can’t because of corruption in the government and judicial system. One of these stories is about a little girl, about 18 months old, named Liza. Liza was brought to the orphanage as an infant because her mother was put in jail. She spent her first year of life in the orphanage before a family took her under their care for awhile (like a foster family). This family decided to adopt Liza and began the process with the orphanage and courts systems. At one of the final court sessions, Liza’s mother came in and, while not wanting to take Betty as her own, objected to her adoption. Because of many issues, Liza is now unable to be adopted until she is 18! This broke my heart to hear Liza’s story and then to see her sweet face.

Upon arrival to the home, I got a tour from one of the receptionists and then spent a long time listening to Ida, a German woman who directs the program. The tour was very informative and took me through the grounds of the whole place, which was really a wonderful campus. However, I probably learned more from my conversation with the director than from the tour and also more than I have learned from many people and experiences I have had so far... in my whole trip!

I wish I had learned from her joy through success, but rather it seemed I was learning from her fatigue in facing culture and hardship. I learned about leadership and picked up from our conversation that her lack of delegation causes her to be extremely overwhelmed most every moment of the day. She seemed to think that proper training was the answer to problems in children’s homes and orphanages. She explained that many people who come to work or volunteer in her homes do not have knowledge about caring for children and are also unreliable. Listening to her speak, though, opened my eyes to so many other burdens and issues and conflicts. Ida is doing amazing things through the Lord, that is for sure... however, it was hard to see a heart that seemed hopeless unless she could learn to receive help. She talked about how the homes were stepping on the toes of other homes in the area. I think that she meant that there isn’t enough money to go around to all of the homes. (At one point in our conversation, she mentioned that all day, she has to write letters requesting money.) While she thinks that there are too many homes, I feel like all the homes are needed because there are still children who need a home... and no room remains in any home for them! Ida told me how there are 3,400 children’s homes in Kenya... “Too many,” she said. She also told me how there are only eight in Germany. The need is much greater here, for sure. Even with 3,400, the need remains, kids are still abandoned and living on the streets.

Everything that I saw today overwhelmed me. It’s hard to hear about so many problems and then to see the children effected. While I feel like I should have so much to say about today, I don’t even have words.

And lastly, a mental picture I took today: on the way home from the embassy area of town, I looked out the window of a cab and saw a boy, probably about 12-years-old, lying on his side with his head propped up by his hand looking out into the city streets. He lay under a tree and was just chilling... not doing anything. It was kind of funny because I feel like he maybe should have been in school, but for all I know, he doesn’t go to school. He wore a solid kelly green sweatshirt and I wish I could have stopped to meet him and be his friend. I imagine he would have a lot to teach me about how to live life.

Have a good day, friends!

Laura

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27)