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Monday, June 8, 2009

Cruel Realities and Remembering the humble beginnings...

Hello everyone - my apologies for taking a month in between posts, it has been a very busy month to say the least. I basically gave an overview of what has been going on at the KCP in my last post. Today, I want to share a bit about some of the very cool things that have gone on in the past month, as well as things that are the cruel realities of slum life.

As I had said in my previous post we were trying to identify property to purchase to house the school. That which we had identified was sold to another buyer without our knowledge about 2 weeks ago, so we had to go back to the drawing board. Fortunately, the landlord of the sold property showed us a couple of other properties for sale in the same area. A few days after being told of the new properties, Consolata (our project manager) and I went to check them out. Upon arrival I saw a familiar face that I had not seen in a few years. It was Nicodemus, the very first parent I met in Jangwani. Nicodemus still has a small carpentry shop, and a wide smile, just as he did when we met back in 2006. Nicodemus' daughter Janet is in class 2 of our school and his son Timothy is unfortunately 1 year ahead of where our school is at the moment. In the midst of the frustrations with finances, and having a property sold which we planned to purchase, seeing Nicodemus was a good reminder of where we started. We started out simply depending on God and trusting that obedience would see this thing through. Now as I have my questions about funding and properties, it is important for me to continue to remember the obedience and dependence on God with which we started the KCP, and embrace it in these moments.

While there are those very clear moments goodness, there are also the very frustrating moments. One has no one to blame, it is just a difficult circumstance. One of the little girls in our school Mwikali, who is in class one, had an accident a little over a month ago. She was walking past a jiko (a small charcoal stove) and her dress caught the flame of the stove. The dress melted into her skin on both of her legs from her waist down to her knees. That saddens me a great deal, and Mwikali and her family could really use your prayers as the medication is quite expensive to take care of the wounds. The really frustrating part is that it took 3 different hospitals to offer the correct treatment (that is in no way indicative of the medical care in Kenya, I have had very good experiences). The first place wrapped her wounds directly with gauze, causing great amounts of pain. The second place gave her medication that was incorrect and made her skin begin to rot. Finally, the last place treated her properly, and she is definitely healing. When I went to see her, she was unable to really move and sits in the same position all day in a great deal of pain. Last week our whole staff went to visit her after school to be supportive. They were very upset by the situation and were really feeling for her. Again, a horrible thing and a very difficult thing to see a child suffer, yet in the midst of this terrible thing, a ray of light - people caring. Our whole teaching staff cared enough about one of the students that they took their free time as a group and went to visit the child. That compassionate caring is what transforms. That is an extension of Christ's love and is an encouragement to me.

The two things that have frustrated me recently have been drunkards and parents who do not care about their children. While we have a number of amazing, caring parents, we have others who seem as if they wouldn't care if their child existed or not. Without giving names one of the little boys broke his arm in April. The mother didn't take care of it during the April break, then sent a note in with the boy at the beginning of the term telling the school to take care of it. While trying to force the mother to take responsibility of her child, she has been irresponsive. Now if we do not take him to the hospital and get his arm taking care of, he may lose the use of it. This is a child, not a toy. When an arm breaks you fix it. That has been a difficult thing to observe.

Drunkenness...It has been something I've noticed in the past, but it hasn't been as frustrating as it is this time. The more time I spend in Jangwani/Mathare North, the more I become known as Adam, not just mzungu. Outside of the school I am often called by name even before I enter Jangwani, then even more so as I enter. Because of being better known, it also means I'm known to the perpetual drunkards. I have been deemed 'Jonny' by one, 'Kamau' by another and when I refuse to give them money, nasty names in the local dialects, ha. I have noticed myself being more and more frustrated by this behavior this time for a couple of reasons. The first being they are becoming a little too "friendly" with myself and others and I hate the way they treat women. The second aspect is that it is some of the fathers of the kids in our school. One man in particular, who is very nice when he isn't drunk, is sad to watch when every other day he is intoxicated. I, along with a visiting group, saw him get the crap beat out of him, because he was so wasted he kept trying to start a fight. He has two sweet sons, one in class 2 and one in pre unit. I sat there feeling so sad for those two boys, knowing that is the example of a man that they have to go home to. The unfortunate reality is that he is one of the few fathers that exist in the families of the children in our school. That is why it is such a blessing to have two male teachers - Dominic and Michael, to be an example for the boys.

So, I realize that was long, but I wanted to share a bit about my thoughts and interactions over the last month. Please continue to pray for all of the issues, as well as all of the wonderful things taking place in Jangwani...

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