Mission Trip 2013
So many new and repeat volunteers from Edmond, Oklahoma City and beyond are currently getting ready to go to Juja Kenya this summer to visit with kids at the new Upendo Children’s Home following a very successful funds drive in December 2012. Currently, children are still moving into the new home and getting enrolled in a nearby elementary school where they are enjoying quality education. They also get a warm meal and have a safe homely place to retire to at night without fear of abuse or neglect.
Mission Trip 2012 Update
Mission 2012 began June 3rd. 19 team members left Oklahoma and headed to Kenya, Juja. The most exciting news is that the team had worked together for 6 months to prepare for this journey. The preparation included for air tickets, and supplies drive. All these activities were very successful. Every member had two 50 pounds suitcases that had supplies for children in Kenya. These supplies included; pencils, erasers, markers, crayons, pens and many others. Children that received these supplies are estimated to be 1500. The team spent a full day in each of the 5 public primary schools. There they played and sang with the children as they distributed the school supplies. Over 1000 children were fed with free lunches that composed of beans and rice and a hot cup of tea.
The team also painted various rooms at three of the schools. Financial donations were also offered to various schools depending on the needs that those schools had expressed to the team. One of the schools called Mirimaini Academy received donations for roofing materials for a new classroom. In this academy, about 10 children are receiving full scholarships from Upendo that includes two meals a day at the school. Team Upendo looked into sponsoring more children since the school is in the middle of a area that is poverty stricken. The team organized for a medical camp – medical doctors supplied medicine to both the children and adults that resided in very a low-income village. The team was also able to deliver about 17 filters to Kenya. These are the sawyer filters that are sold in the USA at $55 each and are meant to be used by families to filter drinking water. Clean drinking water is essential in a country like Kenya in order to prevent many water born diseases such as cholera, typhoid, diarrhea among many other diseases.
All team members were hosted by families in Kenya. They got to experience a new culture and were able to form lasting relationships with people of Kenya. Their departure to the US brought a lot of tears as they said goodbyes to their loved host families. There was a promise that they will want to come back to Kenya and continue with the mission.
Team Kenya saw the start of a new home for many children. Rev. Henry Kaira of PCEA Juja Township dedicated a piece of land where Upendo Kids will build a home for 300 hundred children – children will come from the neighboring area who are either orphaned or are living in very risky environments because of poverty. Many children in this neighborhood are victims of HIV –AIDs and Upendo Kids International is determined to improve their living conditions. It is estimated that by June 2013, the home will be complete and ready to open for those children. Upendo Team will therefore be busy in fundraising for the funds to put up the home