Crunch Time

10AugMay 19, 2020

It’s August, and the students all over Kenya are taking a break from their studies. They call it a “holiday”, which is apt, since it will be “crunch time” once they return to school. At that point there will be three more months of the school year to test their mettle. For now they are relaxing, just as we are, and trying not to think about what lies ahead.

CRUNCH TIME

This November Standard 8 students (8th graders) all over Kenya will be sitting for the KCPE (Kenya Certificate of Primary Education). This exam helps determine which high school students can attend. The competition is high, and a lot of effort that goes into preparing for these tests. The goal is to end up with grades that are high enough to allow them into the secondary school of their choosing.

Enter “Crunch Time”. Crunch time happens in late hours after school is over, when schools with electricity leave their lights on for students who have none at home, allowing them extra time to study. It also happens between 6:00 – 8:00 AM when students arrive early to get in a couple extra hours of study time before the school day begins. Studying for the KCPE is serious business, because no one wants to fail this test.

Standard 8 students at the Lord Ranjuera Primary School in Kampi Ya Moto

EC SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

There is no free public education for secondary students, so without a scholarship students have to pay school fees. As you may imagine, scholarships are usually awarded only to the brightest students, and typically orphaned children do not rank in that category. While family members in Kenya frequently take on the responsibility of raising their orphaned nieces and nephews, oftentimes those families are unable to pay the school fees for anyone other than their own children.

In 2012, Everyone’s Child began the EC Scholarship Program, knowing that these students would not be able to go to high school without outside financial support. Currently, Bishop Donovan Secondary School (BEDSS) in Lanet Umoja is the only high school in the Nakuru area that offers a full scholarship to orphans.

OUR GOAL

Since 2012, more than 40 orphaned teenagers have received a scholarship from EC, allowing them to work toward completing their high school education. This is no small thing, given that the majority of orphaned children in Kenya usually struggle just to make it through the 8^th grade. The devastation of losing one’s own parents, coupled with the rejection of not being able to attend high school is often all that it takes for a child to lose hope. Our goal is to supply hope to these children, in the form of an education. Beyond that, the EC Mentorship Program, led by our Program Coordinator William Aludo, and his assistant Simon Wanjala offers life skills guidance for scholarship students who are getting ready to graduate.

Orphaned students at Lanet Umoja Primary School

THEIR GOAL

Incoming students need marks of 200 or more (out of 500) in order to be accepted into BEDSS. I am praying for all of these 8th grade students to pass with flying colors, but am especially holding the orphans in Lanet Umoja up in prayer. With good marks they will have a shot at entering a high school that offers financial and emotional support as well as a solid education.

OUR GRATITUDE

The only way we’ve been able to do this is through the unflagging help of our supporters. Without you the EC Scholarship Program would not be possible. We are incredibly thankful for everyone who has helped us get through our “crunch time” and reach out to students who otherwise might not have had a chance in life. And in the long run, giving kids a chance to achieve their potential is what really matters. If you would like to make a difference in the life of a student, please click here to learn how to donate to Everyone’s Child.

Greetings from students at Nakuru Teacher's Primary School!! — Greetings from students at Nakuru Teacher’s Primary School!!

As always, from their heart to yours, Asante (Thank you) Sana (so much)!!

Educate, Connect and Care: EC’s Mission

06JulMay 19, 2020

EC’s Mission

When EC was established in 2009, our goal was to educate where there were no schools, connect where there was isolation, and care where there was great need. We took over an orphan feeding program that had been established through Kids in Kenya, an offshoot of CCO Ministries in Moretown, Vermont. A writing program between Kenyan and American students was up and running. Both of these efforts had a positive impact on students, but we wanted to do more.

In 2010, Juniper’s Fare, a church-run restaurant in Waterbury, Vermont began raising funds to pay the school fees of orphaned students attending Bishop Edward Donovan Secondary School (BEDSS) in Lanet Umoja, Kenya. Prior to that, orphaned primary school graduates usually wound up staying home. They worked in the garden or took care of cousins or siblings too young to go to school themselves.

In 2012, Everyone’s Child established a scholarship program to help the orphans attending BEDSS. Since then, more than 35 orphaned students have received scholarships from EC. At first we were thrilled just to be able to educate these children. But after a few years it became clear that something was lacking. Students were graduating, but only a few were able to attend college or university. Most were left to find their way. Some found jobs, usually involving menial labor. Girls often got pregnant or in some cases were married. The majority had received no training or preparation for life after secondary school.

A Mentorship Program

Last year EC ran a pilot mentorship program for the Form 3 and 4 (11th and 12th grade) scholarship students at BEDSS. William Aludo met with these students once a month, and using a training manual called 27 Things You Must Do to Get and Keep Your Dream Job by Kenyan author Grace Wanjohi, he began preparing them for what to expect after graduation. The book is chock full of inspirational quotes from historical figures like Thomas A. Edison: “We should remember that good fortune often happens when opportunity meets with preparation,” and Nelson Mandela: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Chapter headings such as “Pinpoint Your Unique Selling Point (USP)”, “Research the Potential Employer”, and “Be Sure to Write Thank You Notes” all help students to focus on how to go about achieving their goals.

Ruth with Grace Wanjohi, author of 27 Things You must Do to Get and Keep Your Dream Job — Ruth with Grace Wanjohi

The response has been tremendous. Earlier this year James Maina, Head Teacher of BEDSS, told me that the students are very encouraged by this program. William, a former pastor, also uses a curriculum he developed specifically for this program, introducing them to their Heavenly Father who cares deeply for them. The encouragement is important for these orphans as they don’t often receive support from family members. William and Simon Wanjala, a graduate of the EC scholarship program, not only educate these students about what to expect, but they also tell them that they matter, that they can make it, and that God is on their side. In addition, they listen to these students, which is just as, if not more important than the dissemination of knowledge.

Simon Wanjala and William Aludo - dressed to educate! — Simon Wanjala and William Aludo

Educate, then Graduate

This December, eight students receiving scholarships will graduate from BEDSS. They will be the first group of students who have been a part of the EC Mentorship Program for two years. Next year a new group of students will join the class, and plans are currently underway for introducing the program in new areas of Kenya.

How You Can Help

Real life can be scary. Our goal with this mentoring program is to educate by addressing fears and preparing for the future. Our hope for these students is that they will be able to apply what they have learned in these mentoring sessions, from matching their passion with their ability and understanding what their strengths are to knowing how to dress for an interview. All of this takes time, effort, and funds. Please click here if you would like to join us in our endeavor to support orphaned students with their high school education.

As always, thank you for your support. You are the reason we can successfully do what we want to do most in life.

“Success consists of doing the common things of life uncommonly well.” Unknown

Nakuru to Migori County, Kenya

14JunMay 19, 2020

The drive

from Nakuru to Migori County in Kenya takes about five hours by matatu. The rains had not yet come to Nakuru in April, evidenced by the billowing clouds of dust that appeared anytime a gust of wind blew across the hardened, cracked fields.

Early Friday morning, two days after arriving in Kenya, my longtime friend and driver Eric Kamau Kuria and I drove away from the noise and heat of Nakuru and up into the highlands west of the Rift Valley. We came to Kericho, where much of Kenya’s tea is grown and harvested, and most of the large-scale tea plantations are found. Clusters of whitewashed, almost adobe-style homes with red roofs lay among wide fields of lush, green tea bushes. “Tea picka’s houses,” said Eric as we drove by. It seemed incongruous to me somehow, these cozy little homes scattered about the landscape, their pastoral appeal belying the wearisome labor that comes with the manual chore of picking bushel upon bushel of tea leaves. I felt grateful as I considered how much I enjoy a good cup of Kenyan tea.

Tea picker’s homes in Kericho – a.k.a. “Tea Country”

Eric and I traveled down through the city of Kisii, where the main industry is sugar production. It was hot and congested, a stark contrast to the acres and acres of verdant tea fields. We were headed for Rongo in Migori County, an area in western Kenya where William Aludo and his family live. EC had hired William to be the Kenyan Program Coordinator in March of 2016, but I had yet to meet him in person. We finally met at the hotel in town where I was to stay for the night, and after a quick stop at a local market for supplies, the three of us drove to his home.

The Visit

William and his wife Beatrice live off the main road on a small farmstead in Rongo. I marveled at the banana, mango, avocado and papaya trees growing on less than one acre of land that he owns. A garden behind his house boasted of pumpkins (“We even eat the leaves!” William said), kale, spinach, and tomatoes. Every inch of his property was being used for the benefit of others. A large, red brick building that William constructed sits next to his home. His goal is to be able to use it for youth camps and programs. Among his many accomplishments, William has coordinated the implementation of student/youth programs including mentorship, leadership, discipleship and scholarship programs. All of this was done while he was conducting missionary work in his own country of Kenya.

Ruth with John and Synthia, newly EC sponsored students in Rongo

After showing me the grounds surrounding his house, William ushered us inside his home to meet his wife. John and Synthia, two of the students EC is now sponsoring in Migori County were there also. Beatrice was in her tiny kitchen, cooking a meal fit for royalty: ugali, chicken, lamb, spinach and chapatti. Synthia, a quiet but determined 15-year-old girl, brought water, soap and a basin for us to wash with. She is in 10th grade (Form 2) and wants to be a bank manager when she grows up. John, also in 10th grade was just as quiet and very polite. His goal is to become a university lecturer.

The room was big and dark compared with the bright Kenyan sky, but the cool air made it very pleasant. Members of William’s family arrived, his father “Baba Joseph”, two of his brothers and a sister-in-law with a few small children, all found their way into William and Beatrice’s home to meet this American who had come across the ocean to visit them in their country. The conversation was slow but packed with meaning as we made an effort to understand each other. Their hope was that EC would come to Rongo and begin supporting orphaned and vulnerable children in their area. My hope was to find the need that most suited our vision.

It didn’t take long to discover our connection, hindered only by a sudden cloudburst that lasted for at least a half-an-hour. Even this event was taken advantage of as large containers were placed strategically under rain spouts, catching water that would be used for cooking and washing later on. The rain on the roof was deafening, so everyone stood in William’s entryway to watch the downpour. Everyone except John, who zipped himself into his white winter jacket and fell asleep on the couch.

A downpour at William’s home

The Needs

During this visit I learned that there are two pressing needs in Migori County. One is the need for a lunch program for orphaned primary students. All of the students go home for lunch during the school day, but for many of the orphans and poorer children there is often no food at home. The head teacher (principal) of the Kitere Primary School in Rongo was hoping to partner with EC to provide a daily meal to these students at the school.

The second need is for a primary school in an area called Miruya (Me-ru-ya). There are many children there, but the school that was built for them sits empty. The County government won’t send teachers to this area, possibly because of lack of funding to employ enough Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) teachers in Migori County. Whatever the reason, the result is that there are children who are not in school.

A Meeting

After returning to the US, the EC Board of Directors held a meeting where we discussed these needs. A motion was passed to approve the funding of an orphan lunch program in Rongo, and a committee was established to begin looking at the particulars of building a primary school in Miruya.

Whenever I travel to Kenya I can feel the prayers and backing of those who support our programs. Going forward, I am excited by the opportunity that lies ahead for all of us in Kenya. My motto used to be: “There is no end to the need”, which always helped me feel better about not being able to address every need that I know exists in our world. Now I find myself saying: “Bring on the need”, because I am confident that the One who created us is faithful to the least of them and will supply enough to meet the needs of those we meet along the way.

If you would like to join us in our efforts to help these children, whether it is to receive a meal or an education, please click here to donate to our programs. As always, asante sana (thank you very much)!

Resources: www.kenya-information-guide.com/kenya-tea.html

an American woman in Kenya

05MayMay 19, 2020

One Week Ago in Kenya

I had the privilege of talking to a group of men, women and children who were sitting in a classroom-turned-church service in Lanet Umoja, a village just outside of Nakuru, Kenya. I was telling them about Heidi Keyworth Albanese, or Sr. Eurosia (Roro) as she is lovingly remembered by her brothers and sisters in the small Franciscan community she was a part of in Moretown, Vermont.

Heidi had always wanted to travel to Kenya, mostly so she could hang out with the children whose pictures adorned the walls of the restaurant where she spent many hours cooking delicious meals made from ingredients she had foraged either from the woods or from the discard pile on the restaurant kitchen counter. She told me this more than once, most recently after I had finished a presentation about Kenya to the congregation in my church in Vermont.

Heidi (Sr. Eurosia) - chef extraordinaire! — Heidi (Sr. Eurosia) – chef extraordinaire!

This woman

was a wonder. She was creative, funny, and constantly in motion. As I addressed the men, women and children sitting in front of me in that classroom turned church for the day, it occurred to me that they all would have loved meeting her. I imagined her running around the school playground, engaging children in hand-clapping games, and even attempting to teach them French, the language she taught in the small primary school I directed in Vermont. She would have called them all “lovey”, and they would have wanted to braid her hair, which was usually done up Pippi Longstocking style anyway. Young boys and girls would have brought her mendazzi to eat, snuggling on her lap while she told them stories about her home in America. She would have loved them, and they would have known that she did.

Dedicating one of the new classrooms to the memory of Heidi Keyworth Albanese — Remembering Heidi Albanese at a dedication ceremony

At the end of my brief presentation Fr. Thomas Mugi asked everyone to observe a moment of silence, reminding us that their tradition tells them to honor those who have passed. The room was quiet, with the exception a few shifting feet and a babbling child at the back of the room. Then he and I held Heidi’s picture and the plaque we had made specially for her, standing for photos in a room surrounded by homemade posters designed to teach Kenyan preschoolers how to read and understand the English language. I couldn’t help but think about how happy Heidi would have been had she been there that day, but that she most likely would have been outside on the playground, surrounded instead by children, dancing to the music that she heard coming from the homemade instruments and voices of those who attend that church. Unfettered joy would have filled the air.

I want to thank

all of the people who made it possible for me to travel to Kenya and dedicate this new preschool classroom to the memory of Heidi Keyworth Albanese. The list is too long to print here, but I am grateful to each one of you for your contributions to Everyone’s Child in honor of Heidi Albanese. As I say in the video below, the completion of these classrooms is a result of your gifts. More importantly though, Heidi’s memory now lives in a place she always longed to visit, happily among the children she wanted to meet.

Video of Heidi’s Classroom Dedication:

Feel free to email me with any questions you have about our programs at [email protected]. I would love to hear from you.

Blessings,

Ruth

TO DO Lists – Preparation the American Way

13AprMay 19, 2020

TO DO Lists:

Packing lists – check.

Travel itinerary – check.

Meeting schedule – check.

Menu for the boys (& dog & fish) – check.

Dr. appointments – check.

“Honey-do” lists – check.

Preparation:

The lists are multiplying. They tend to appear whenever I go somewhere – whether to the grocery store or across the world, and this time is no exception. I haven’t been to Kenya for some time, so in my excitement I’ve started the preparation process using the American way of thinking – by creating a list for every conceivable thing that needs to be done before, during and even after my trip.

For now my hastily scribbled notes are divided between things to take care of at home and things I hope to accomplish in Kenya, but as my date of departure draws closer the balance will shift. So much has happened since my last visit, and since I’ll be in the country for less than two weeks there’s a lot of ground to cover. I expect the Kenyan list to soon be the longest.

At the top of this Kenyan list is visiting with old friends, meeting our new Program Coordinator, and seeing the new preschool classrooms in Lanet for the first time. Each of these items vies for first place.

Lanet Umoja Preschool 2016 — Lanet Umoja Preschool

Dedication:

Not long after I arrive, one of the new classrooms will be dedicated to the memory of Heidi (Sr. Eurosia) Keyworth Albanese, who passed away suddenly a year ago this May. Heidi spent much of her life caring for people of all ages in Vermont’s Mad River Valley. She is most commonly remembered as a loving mother, a compassionate friend, a creative chef and an imaginative individual. As a member of a lay Franciscan community in Vermont, Heidi was also known as “Sr. Eurosia”. It was in that capacity that she taught French to children in the small Christian school I directed. She was a friend to many children, and she used to tell me how much she loved the vision of Everyone’s Child. It’s fitting to be dedicating one of our new spaces for children in Kenya to her memory.

Congregation:

Another aim of this trip is for me to meet William Aludo, EC’s Program Coordinator in Kenya. William has been instrumental in carrying out EC’s programs in Kenya for the past year, including the development of a successful secondary school mentorship program that is in its second year of operation at Bishop Donovan Secondary School. I’ll be traveling to his hometown of Rongo in Migori County, where William plans to introduce me to the students EC is now supporting, thanks to the generosity of many donors in the USA. I also hope to meet his friends and associates who are interested in learning more about EC’s programs in Kenya.

I’m also looking forward to meeting and visiting with the orphaned secondary students we are supporting and mentoring this year. We will be congregating at Bishop Donovan Secondary School where they will receive letters from American students, one more effort on our part to give these students a “leg up” in their journey to adulthood.

William Aludo with 2017 BEDSS Form II orphans

Organization:

There is never enough time to do everything that I like to do in Kenya. I’ll enter the country on “American time” with my lists in hand, but chances are by the time I leave I’ll be on “Kenyan time” – where a cup of tea with friends could turn into a daylong event. For now, I will organize by planning on meeting old friends, making new ones, and seeing the progress of Everyone’s Child in Kenya, something that I will never, ever grow tired of.

That progress is due in large part to the sustained and one-time gifts from people who want to give children a good start in life.

Heidi Keyworth Albanese was one such individual who cared about children in the core of her soul. Next week her legacy will be remembered once again at a dedication ceremony in a classroom filled with eager faces and curious minds. I am incredibly grateful to her family and friends who decided that gifts to Everyone’s Child would be a worthy way of memorializing her life.

If you would like to help make a difference in the life of a child, please consider contributing to our programs by clicking here. Your donation goes toward the education and care of orphaned and vulnerable preschool, primary school and secondary school children in Kenya.

Appreciation:

All donations are tax-deductible, used for and appreciated by the children we support. With your help we truly can change a generation through education.

With warmest wishes,

Ruth

Problem vs. Opportunity

17MarMay 19, 2020

The Problem

This year, for the first time in EC’s history we are stepping outside of Nakuru to offer support to secondary students in a different region of this beautiful country. To say that we’re excited is an understatement. Last year, William Aludo, EC’s Program Coordinator, or “boots on the ground” as we like to call him, identified several orphaned secondary students struggling to pay their annual school fees in his hometown of Rongo, Migori County. Finding out that there are students who can’t afford to go to school in your hometown may seem like a problem, but to us it presents an opportunity.

The Opportunity

Synthia Achar and John Odhiambo are two such students. Both are in Form 2 (sophomore year), and have one living parent. Both have five siblings between the ages of 1 – 18 living at home, making the idea of saving $250 a year for school fees almost prohibitive.

Synthia Achar

Synthia’s mom is a peasant farmer; she has been paying some of her daughter’s fees in kind by taking maize to the school which is then converted into a cash equivalent.

John Odhimabo

John’s mother is unwell and unable to earn anything towards his education. His grandmother has been leasing portions of her piece of land to help pay for some fees.

In both cases it hasn’t been enough. Synthia and John still have outstanding fees from 2016 and are in danger of losing the chance to remain in school. These are very real problems that present us with a very real opportunity to respond.

The Solution

Everyone’s Child was established to help disadvantaged children receive an education. If they are unable to go to school, we raise funds to pay school fees, and provide them with a mentoring program to teach them life skills. If they are excited to be in school but are fainting in class due to poor nutrition, we provide lunch. If their only drinking water comes from a muddy river, we partner with organizations to bring in fresh, potable water for the school. All of these components add up to a sustainable model for receiving an education.

None of this would be possible without the help of the generous people who give annually and monthly to Everyone’s Child. It’s as simple as that. Since 1997, people have been making a difference in the lives of hundreds of orphaned and vulnerable children in Kenya through Everyone’s Child. Plain and simple, we couldn’t do it without you. If you want to learn how you can become a part of the solution, email us at [email protected] or visit www.everyoneschild.net.

Thank you.

The Orphan’s Foot Soldier: Tiring but Worth it

14FebMay 19, 2020

Getting There

As the foot soldier for Everyone’s Child (EC) in Kenya, I always look forward to my monthly trips to Nakuru with joyful expectancy. The journey to Nakuru takes about six hours by public transportation (via matatus and bodaboda – traveling on the back of a bicycle) from my home in Migori County. I normally change vehicles twice on the way. The trips are physically tiring, but the satisfaction from serving the orphans makes it all worthwhile.

William Aludo on the way to Nakuru in a matatu

Serving There

EC is currently providing meals to a total of 350 orphaned students in three schools within Nakuru. The schools are Lanet Umoja Primary School, Nakuru Teacher’s Primary School and the Lord Ranjuera Primary School.

Unlike the first two schools, breakfast and lunch is served at the Lord Ranjuera Primary School in Kampi Ya Moto throughout the year due to the desolation in this arid region of Kenya. This meal program is more important than ever for these children as the drought this year has made food scarcity the number one issue in their lives. Here, food supplies get replenished on a monthly basis. My responsibilities include procuring the food supplies and arranging the logistics of getting the same to the school. I also ensure that the lunch programs at Lanet Umoja Primary School and Nakuru Teacher’s Primary School are being conducted for the orphans in those schools, visiting the students and staff in those schools several times throughout the year as well.

Picking up the food at Crater Flour Mills in Nakuru

Eager helpers unloading the truck at the Lord Ranjuera Primary School in Kampi Ya Moto

Children receiving their breakfast in Kampi Ya Moto

Being There

At the Bishop Edward Donovan Secondary School (BEDSS) in Lanet Umoja, EC is currently sponsoring 15 orphaned students in Forms 2, 3, and 4 (sophomores, juniors and seniors). During my first visit this year, I made sure that the Term 1 school fees were paid for each of these children so they would be able to enjoy learning without the interruption of being sent home for lack of school fees. The six Form 2 students whose applications were approved for an EC scholarship this year are pictured below. Getting these students to Nakuru town to be measured for new school uniforms is part of my to-do list for next month’s trip.

Form 2 orphans at Bishop Donovan Secondary School

Mentoring There

I’m excited to be starting the second year of EC’s Mentorship Program for the orphaned juniors and seniors at Bishop Donovan Secondary School. This program is aimed at assisting these students in making good life and career choices. We meet on a monthly basis, holding our second session early this February.

During that meeting, I invited Simon Wanjala to meet and encourage the students in the program. Simon is an alumnus of BEDSS and one of the first beneficiaries of the EC Scholarship program. He lost his parents when he was a young teenager and was left to raise his younger brothers while remaining in school himself. Despite these challenges his teachers remarked that his attitude was always positive. After graduating from BEDSS Simon found a job at a nearby primary school helping students who were struggling in class. Simon understands loss very well and knows firsthand how difficult it is to be a child, an orphan, a student, and the sole bread winner in a family. He talked about the hardship he experienced as a young adult, telling the students that he never lost his faith in God, and sharing with them how he continues to experience God’s providence in his life.

Simon Wanjala – former BEDSS student and beneficiary of the EC Student Scholarship Program

Simon meeting with the BEDSS Mentorship Program students

Blessed There

I am coming up to my one-year anniversary as Program Coordinator for Everyone’s Child in Kenya. My gratitude and appreciation goes to those who support EC financially, through prayers and otherwise in order to make my monthly trips to Nakuru possible. It is a blessing to be a foot soldier serving these orphaned students. I am always thrilled!

Keep blessed!

William Aludo

PS If you would like to help the orphans that William sees every month, please consider giving to Everyone’s Child by clicking here. Your gift will be gratefully applied to either the Orphan’s Lunch Program or to the EC Student Scholarship Program and will have an immediate impact on the lives of the orphans we serve in Kenya. As always, Asante Sana!! (Thank you very much!!)

Grateful Today

16JanMay 19, 2020

Everybody needs to be grateful. Gratitude is what fuels us, allows us to go forward, especially in challenging times. Today I am grateful, and more than that really, because in reality I’m overwhelmed at the many people who have given to the 2016 EC annual appeal. Today we are just $758 short of our goal of $20,000 for this year. However, we are already $3,500 ahead of where we were last year, so I have great hope that we will meet our goal.

I used to recoil at messages like the one I just typed, thinking that they were written to guilt people into giving or worse yet, to brag about how well an organization was doing. I am not interested in doing either of those things here. Instead I am rejoicing at the generosity of those who have given and continue to give to Everyone’s Child. I know firsthand that there are many worthy organizations to give to in our world, so anytime someone gives to EC I am grateful and hopeful that they will find as much joy and satisfaction in the giving as I do in being able to pass their donation on to those who will benefit from the gift. The benefits from this support are measurable and many: they manifest in an orphan lunch program that feeds over 300 orphaned school children in three different primary schools each day; in a school sponsorship program, and in a successful mentoring program for orphaned high school students.

Who are those who benefit? There are hundreds, but here are a few examples from children who have received something from EC and have written to us to express their gratitude:

“I want to appreciate you for the things that you have given us…I say thank you because we can’t survive without lunch. Learning would have been so difficult to us without eating lunch.” Joyleen, Nakuru Teacher’s Primary School student

“The mentorship program has helped me to create friendships with my fellow students…and to know how to choose a career and to know what steps to follow towards that career. It has helped me to know my gifts and talents and even my personality.” Anthony, Bishop Donovan Secondary School student

“The mentorship program made me realize my worth and value in this world. It encouraged us to do better in life and even in my studies. – Silvia, Bishop Donovan Secondary School student

“…through our study about self-esteem I am now able to understand how important I am and I know that I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Samuel, Bishop Donovan Secondary School student

Moving into 2017, we have become aware of seven more orphans at Bishop Donovan Secondary School in Lanet who are hoping to be sponsored this year. Our goal is to be able to help them and the eight others we are currently supporting, as well as to continue feeding the 300+ students who rely on us for a daily meal. The cost of this in 2017 will be $20,000. We are so close to making this happen. If you are in a position to help us reach this goal, please Click here to make a secure online donation, or send your check or money order to Everyone’s Child, 19304 Cole Road, Conneautville, PA 16406. A one-time contribution makes a difference, and so will your monthly support.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you. I am grateful for your help, but not nearly as grateful as the children who benefit from the gift of an education received at your hands.

Many blessings,

Ruth

My Deep Gladness

16DecMay 19, 2020

Frederick Buechner wrote “Purpose is the place where your deep gladness meets the world’s needs.” I couldn’t agree more. To the point where I will probably adopt his saying and add it to my email signature in days to come, because it strikes a chord in the recesses of my heart.

My deep gladness is most evident around this time of year, due in large part to EC’s Annual Appeal. You might be inclined to say that I’m happy to be bringing in the funds that support our programs, specifically the lunch program for the orphans and the sponsorship program for the orphaned secondary students. There is truth to that, but my overarching gladness comes with being able to connect with so many friends and family members whom I rarely see anymore.

Every November I send a letter out to EC supporters, telling them what has happened with the donations they sent throughout the year, and asking them to please consider contributing again so we can continue supporting the 300+ orphans who benefit from the daily school lunch program and the 10 – 15 secondary school students who we sponsor. I also tell donors about my aspirations for the coming year. This past November I shared the exciting news of the two new preschool buildings that our donors built in Lanet. I also wrote about the hope we have of bringing our mentoring program for high school orphaned students into new areas of Kenya with the help of our new Program Coordinator, William Aludo.

The responses have been arriving in my mailbox and via Paypal since the second week of November, usually accompanied by a smiley face, hand-drawn hearts or “xoxo”. Sometimes people have included a short note with their contribution telling me about their lives and families, and almost always they have something encouraging to say to keep us going. This year I wanted to share a few of the responses I have received from people who have a heart for what we are doing for the orphans in Kenya. I’ll use first names (or first letters) to maintain anonymity.

Adam: [My wife] and I would love to support Everyone’s Child! A cause that will always be close to my heart.

Carole: Keep up your wonderful work!

Alison: You can count on me for a donation prior to year-end. Thank you for explaining some of the costs as it gives me a better idea of how much I should donate. I’m so proud of you for spear heading such a great cause.

Cynthia: I’m planning to give a donation to your passion and am happy to help. I admire you for dedicating yourself to helping these kids. It must seem overwhelming at times but heartwarming to see the successes.

Ellie: Wonderful organization Ruth. I know your heart is with these children. My contribution will go out in the next week.

N: It is especially meaningful to me to help out your organization where I know the money goes directly to the kids!!!

Elizabeth: Keep up the great work for the children.

Catherine: I know it’s not much, but hopefully every bit counts! (Me: It definitely does!!)

Dave: So happy to support these children who can use our help.

Linda: Yes. I will donate now! Thank you, Ruthie!!

Carrie 😉 : Done!

Martha: What great work you do! Amen and thank you! We will continue to support what you do, so count on us!

Some people donated in the memory of a loved one. Here are two such cases:

One of my nieces: Aunt Ruthie, I am so proud to be your niece. The work your organization does is incredible! I opened your letter today and around the holiday season, donating in the name of others to such a wonderful program is a very special gift for everyone involved!

Connie: Heidi was a dynamic, caring person. As her friend you must really feel her loss. Even those who didn’t know her well feel sad and depleted. She is missed but she lives on in love – and in your work for others.

So there it is, an example of why I have such deep gladness in my heart. In the past eight years I have found my purpose in the carving of this work, which has been nothing more than an opportunity to express my faith in God and in the seed that is sown in all of us to serve and care for those less fortunate than ourselves.

We are a little over halfway to our goal of $20,000.00 for this year’s Annual Appeal. The funds we raise help us to continue our orphan lunch program and our secondary school sponsorship program. Currently, it costs $30 per month per student to fund the orphan lunch program which is feeding between 250-300 students a day in three separate locations. The school sponsorship program costs between $250 – $400 per student per year, depending on the grade they are in. Next year we expect to be supporting between 8 – 10 students in Nakuru, and hope to be sponsoring additional students in new areas of Kenya as well. If you would like to donate to Everyone’s Child and help us reach our goal before the end of 2016, please click here.

I pray that you all have a wonderful and blessed holiday season. I look forward to talking and serving with all of you again in 2017.

Escaping Poverty

07NovMay 19, 2020

The only opportunity they have of escaping poverty is through education.

Those words were seared into my consciousness as I conducted my doctoral research for the University of Vermont in 2007 – riding around Kenya boda-boda style on the back of my interpreter’s bicycle, meeting with villagers and teachers in Lanet in order to explore the connection between the primary school and the surrounding village. I was learning about the way this relationship affected the reciprocal development of one with the other.

In looking at the ways that the community affected the school, I examined how the villagers supported the school. From the school’s perspective, I pursued questions related to improved housing, the creation of new employment, and the general quality of life in the village. As I interviewed parents, shopkeepers and teachers in this poverty-stricken area, one after another strongly supported the existence of the school, saying that the only hope that the next generation had of escaping the poverty that surrounded them would be through receiving an education.

I agreed with them, but wondered about the older children I saw walking on the road or working in the fields, kids who were obviously too old for elementary school but too young to be a part of the workforce. I learned that they were mainly orphans, children whose parents had died from AIDS, or car accidents (a primary killer in Kenya), or tribal warfare. Most of them lived with family members, but these families were already paying for other children to attend secondary school and couldn’t afford to pay school fees for another child who wasn’t a part of their immediate family. The big question that kept coming back to me was what will happen to these children if they don’t have the opportunity to receive an education?

Primary school is free in Kenya, but secondary school is not. For many Kenyan youth, my question was moot. These children are from families who can afford to send them to secondary school. But for hundreds of orphans, 8^th grade is the end of the line. These children wind up at home caring for their younger cousins, or in the fields alongside adults, tilling the soil for the rest of their lives. Opportunity and hope snuffed out at the age of 12. I knew there had to be a way to help these children, but didn’t have the resources to make it happen.

Toward the end of 2009 our church built a secondary school next to Lanet Umoja Primary School and named it Bishop Edward Donovan Secondary School (BEDSS) after the late Bishop Edward V. Donovan of Pittsburgh, PA. The school opened with 75 students, 5 of whom were orphaned. In the following years the enrollment grew, and each year a few more orphans joined the ranks. They were being supported by funds raised at Juniper’s Fare, our church–run restaurant in Waterbury, Vermont, but resources there were hitting the proverbial ceiling. In 2012, two years after EC was incorporated and established as a 501(c) (3), I conducted the first EC School Tour with several teachers from a local primary school in Vermont. They were amazed at what they saw, both in the schools and villages. At the end of the trip each one of them pledged to support between one and as many as seven high school students who otherwise would not have been able to go to school. The BEDSS sponsorship program had begun! Since 2012, 12-orphaned students have had the opportunity to graduate from BEDSS, receiving a high school education, thanks mainly to the generosity of people like you who are reading this blog.

This December, two of the students we have been supporting will graduate from BEDSS. These students have also been a part of EC’s first Mentorship Program for secondary students. I asked William Aludo, EC’s Program Coordinator to get each of them a gift, a token showing that we are proud of them for completing the mentoring program as well as four years of higher school. He asked them what they could use. Apart from asking for more education (driving lessons and additional schooling for computer skills), Alice said she needed a basic cell phone, and Anthony said he could use a pair of shoes. William was able to bring a phone with him to Nakuru last week, but as the photos show below, at the time of his visit he had not yet gone shopping for shoes with Anthony.

Anthony receiving his Certificate of Completion of the EC Mentorship Program

Alice receiving her certificate of completion from William Aludo

I am humbled by their requests and wish in my heart that we could do more for them. Ultimately however, I’m grateful that we have had the opportunity to give them something that they will have for the rest of their lives. Each of them has gained skills, relationships, and understandings that would not have been theirs if their only choice had been to stay at home.

Education in and of itself is not THE answer. But when a child is taught to read, he or she can make up their own mind about some of life’s bigger questions, such as who to vote for, or how to pursue their life’s passion. The greatest gift we can give any child is to provide them with the tools they will need to find success, an opportunity to escape the poverty that is so pervasive in their world. To that end we have created the EC Student Sponsorship Program that funds the education of any orphaned student attending Bishop Donovan Secondary School.

In 2017 there will be 8 orphaned students in their final year at Bishop Edward Donovan Secondary School. Their tuition costs are $250 per student. If you would like to help them to complete their education, please CLICK HERE to make a secure online donation, or send your check or money order to Everyone’s Child, Inc., 19304 Cole Road, Conneautville, PA 16406. (Please note that this is a new address as I moved to PA in June!) Your gift makes a huge impact in the lives of these young men and women who are just starting their life’s adventure. By giving them the gift of an education, you are giving them a chance to escape poverty in their lifetime.

With warmest wishes,

Ruth Young, Ed.D.

Executive Director

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

– Nelson Mandela