Kenya Missions of Hope

Mama Linet with her children and the charcoal she is now selling.
Photo credits: Jonah, Missions of Hope


For 16 years, when I was living in Singapore as a faculty wife, together with a group of women, I raised funds for the Deaf of Kenya.

This year, I found fellow blogger JOYFUL: http://snapthatpenny.blogspot.com/ and am glad she shares the same passion for Kenya.

This is from Joyful's post.

This blog is about savouring the good and small things in life and being thankful for what I have. I am retired now and trying to do my part to live simply and frugally.

My friend visited Mama Linet on December 12, 2011 to take her some support I sent to try and help her get on her feet. Some of you remember me writing about Mama Linet before. She is the young mother with the little girl named Linet who has a cleft palate.

I came to know of Mama Linet through my friend Jonah. He found this little family while on a medical mission. On that mission he learned about the little girl Linet who was rapidly losing weight and could not eat. He felt led to help her get some medical attention and the right food to help her get stronger. He was so gratified and excited when the little girl stopped losing weight and started to get healthier. Now the little girl is thriving, running around, playing and drawing. She still needs cleft palate surgery and hopefully she will be able to get it some day.

In the meantime, we also wanted to help this mother try to provide for her family since times are very hard in Kenya with runaway inflation and poor maize prices. Initially, the young mom thought she would like to try and start a beauty salon. After she thought about it some more, she decided to start a charcoal business instead. I do hope and pray that she will make a success of it for the future of herself and her children.

My friend also visited some Internally Displaced People (IDP) in early December. He returned to see them on December 24, 2011, to take food. I wrote about this in my last two posts in case you are interested in reading more about this. It will bless you so much to see that someone's Christmas was brightened.

Jonah has visited the IDP Camp whenever he can to try to encourage the people and bring them hope. He tries to take blankets and mosquito nets whenever he can purchase them. These IDPs are Kenyans and they were displaced about 4 years ago from their homes. They lost everything and escaped with their lives after the ugly violence that erupted soon after the last national election in Kenya.

We know that most people will never get a chance to go and visit these places.
We want to show you the conditions the people live in so you can determine whether you can share whatever you have to help these people.

Even a little goes a long way but we don't want anyone to give what they cannot afford. We only want you to give if you have enough food and if you are thankful for what you have.
We want you to give if you feel blessed enough to help someone else and have faith that your future needs will be met.

If you can help, you can do http://www.kenyamissionsofhope.org/

Sponsorship Needed ~

http://snapthatpenny.blogspot.com/2011/12/sponsorship-needed-please-pray.html
Fellow blogger Joyful in Canada shares a passion in Kenya with me. For 16 years, my friends, spouses of the faculties in Nanyang Technological University raised funds for the Deaf in Kenya. http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif



Foodsale was one of the few meaningful things I have done in my life. During my sixteen years in Singapore as a faculty wife, my group of Biblestudy women friends who lived on the campus of Nanyang Technological University wanted to do something useful with our hands.

We decided to support the deaf children in Kenya, under the umbrella of the Deaf Ministry International. We liaised with Nevil Murr, and supported Joe in Kenya in his school for deaf children. We called ourselves Foodsale ladies.

We started with a big cookout and baking in our various houses. Our invitation went out to other ladies on campus. We had a two fold objective, support the deaf in Kenya and also a fellowship on Campus. This proved very successful Soon we had the support outside our box, non Christian ladies and Hindu ladies and men.

As I had the gift of the gab both with my mouth and my fingers, soon I was approaching many new people inviting by mouth and by email. My greatest satisfaction was to see the other ladies outside the committee donate not only by their food but pay for the food they buy.

When the SARS epidemic came to Singapore, there was a "lock-down" almost nationwide with school closures, we held an eFoodsale. Kay, our leader reckoned that people would not come to buy, so we go to them. D and G helped us design a website, and we did a roving business. The work was humongous. We took orders and delivered them. It was so hectic.

I enjoy gardening and used to give away my plants. When I was leaving Singapore, a friend suggested I should sell them since I have spent so much time and money on them. A bright idea came up, I would sell my plants and gave the proceeds to Foodsale.

My friends asked me if I missed Singapore, I tell them no. But I miss all my friends I made in Singapore, especially the Foodsale committee. I have so much nice reminscence and learned so much skills from making Malaysian curry puffs, Nepalese Mao Mao, Japanese sushis, Vietnamese rice paper rolls to Indian Samosas. Finally, I had made friends from all over the world.

***This girl in this photograph is Maureen, she is a very smart student. Quentine is another smart student***

Please read below for Joyful's cause.



Missions of Hope enrolled Kipngeno in university in Kisii Town, Kenya where he is majoring in pharmaceutical studies. Kipnegeno waited years after graduating from high school to be able to start university. Several times we thought we had a donor for him. Several times our hopes, but more importantly, Kipngeno's hopes, were dashed because the would-be donors never followed through.



Kipngeno kept busy on the farm while he waited for his time to start university studies.
In September 2011, we took a leap of faith and enrolled Kipngeno in school and have managed to help him through 4 months of student housing and all needs associated with living in a new town and going to university.


The term finishes at the end of December and we are appealing for someone who feels led to help Kipngeno, to come forward.
Are you the one that can help him?
You would be changing a life for the greater good if you can help.


Jonah pays a visit to Kipngeno. Jonah is on far left, Kipngeno on the far right with his lab coat and stethoscope, a friend of his in the middle. Can you imagine how excited Kipngeno must be?



Once Kipngeno finishes his education he will also be added to the ranks of the medical profession. Kenya is greatly in need of medical personnel.

According to Oxfam, there were only 14 doctors for every 100,000 people in Kenya in 2006.
There is a critical shortage of doctors and specialists in Kenya.
Food for thought.


You can help publicize this need by using the share buttons below.
You will never know how one simple act can change someone's life.
If you can help or know someone who can help, financially, then please contact me here. kerichojoy@gmail.com