Today was the most heartbreaking day I can remember in three years of traveling to Kenya. On our last day here we visited Veronica’s slum school called Love School Center. Sue and I missed out on the visit last year when Veronica was well situated in a large, clean school. This was her third move to find a suitable place to hold a school for the children of the Kawangware slum in Nairobi. She had to move from her last school because they were asking too much for the rent, and the area was hostile to her school. Veronica has set up her school on a much smaller plot of land, and is absolutely horrendous! With donated iron-sheet she has created classrooms that are approximately 10’ X 10’, and hold from 12 to 40 children per class! The children are crammed into these tiny classrooms, some with only benches for the children to sit on and write their lessons.
Each room has a door and a tiny window, and in which the smell from the very public open latrine, not more than 40 feet away, wafts in! These are the worst conditions we have ever seen. None of us can ever imagine sending our children to such a place! The “school” sits in the mud and the grounds are covered with garbage. There is a small open area for the children to play, but it is half under water from the daily rain.
For the past three years we have fed these children, and if you remember, the first year was only a roll and juice. Last year we provided a hot meal, and this year we wanted to do the same. We served the children out of clean plastic garbage bins filled with rice and stew. The children would come through the line with small plastic food containers that we would fill to the brim. I asked Veronica what the children normally eat and she told me that they don’t eat anything for lunch, and sometimes go from morning until night without anything. She told me they have not had any kind of lunch since we were there last year! I was shocked. No lunch at school for an entire year!
St. John Lutheran is the only group who has ever done anything for them. She said Lorna is the only person who remembers her, so when she needs help she calls Lorna. Lorna told us that whenever she has some extra funds she gives them to Veronica, but with such great need everywhere you can imagine that not too much goes to the school. Please pray about supporting this school. For $120 dollars these children (over 300 of them) could have lunch for a day! That’s about 50 cents per child for a good, filling, hot meal! If we can get enough supporters we could feed these children at least once a week.
For the past three years we have fed these children, and if you remember, the first year was only a roll and juice. Last year we provided a hot meal, and this year we wanted to do the same. We served the children out of clean plastic garbage bins filled with rice and stew. The children would come through the line with small plastic food containers that we would fill to the brim. I asked Veronica what the children normally eat and she told me that they don’t eat anything for lunch, and sometimes go from morning until night without anything. She told me they have not had any kind of lunch since we were there last year! I was shocked. No lunch at school for an entire year!
St. John Lutheran is the only group who has ever done anything for them. She said Lorna is the only person who remembers her, so when she needs help she calls Lorna. Lorna told us that whenever she has some extra funds she gives them to Veronica, but with such great need everywhere you can imagine that not too much goes to the school. Please pray about supporting this school. For $120 dollars these children (over 300 of them) could have lunch for a day! That’s about 50 cents per child for a good, filling, hot meal! If we can get enough supporters we could feed these children at least once a week. 
This has been the hardest day in three years for me, and we all leave here with very heavy hearts. Dave said Lorna saved this for the last intentionally. Lorna just laughed and said, “That is so you will want to come back!” God willing, the Lord will allow us to come and serve these incredible people again.
We also visited the Luther Academy School where we have sponsored several children. Dave took pictures to bring home to the sponsoring families, but we weren’t able to get all of the children because many are away at school.
We leave for the airport in two hours, so we will see you all in about four days. Thank you so much for your prayers and support! We have felt them and know that we are being prayed for!
In Christ's Love,
Dcs. Linda
1 comment:
Caleb & both gasped at the thought of their last lunch being a whole year ago. We MUST do something about this! Stir our hearts Lord! Let the cries of the suffering not fall on deaf ears. Veronica has worked so tirelessly & it is so disheartening that obstacles continue to rise up before her in the quest to provide a safe, loving learning environment for these children who are desperate to improve their lives through education. Lord have Mercy, Christ have Mercy...ignite in our church a passion to be the hands of Jesus for these children.
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