Kargi

Greetings from Kargi!

Greetings in Jesus' name, from Kargi Center. We are doing well, and we thank God for his faithfulness. We also want to thank you for your continued support and partnership as we bring hope to the community in Kargi through the love of Jesus. 

Hillary Shiwani, 
Head Teacher, Kargi Center.

Hope Transforms: A Success Story

Mercy* is a sixth-grade student who is grateful to be in school. She is the second-born in a family of five children, one boy and four girls. Mercy comes from a polygamous family, where her mother was the second wife. When Mercy’s father passed away, local tradition meant that her mother inherited nothing. Left a widow with no resources and health challenges that prevented her from working, Mercy’s mother struggled to care for her children.

At a young age, Mercy was sent to Nairobi, Kenya's capital, to live with her maternal uncle in hopes that he would support her and ensure she attended school. While she was initially enrolled, the situation at her uncle’s home quickly changed. His wife became unkind, forcing Mercy to do most of the housework and often denying her food. Her school attendance dropped significantly, and her uncle refused to pay the small school fees she needed to stay enrolled.

In December 2021, when Mercy returned home for the holidays, she refused to go back. She ran to her mother’s home, despite the difficult living conditions there. Poverty was severe, and food was scarce. Emotionally, Mercy became deeply withdrawn and lost her self-esteem.

In January, a MOHI social worker visited the family and discovered that Mercy had not returned to Nairobi with her uncle. Although two of her siblings were already enrolled at the MOHI Kargi Center, her mother hadn’t tried to enroll Mercy, believing the school had already done enough for her family. When the social worker heard Mercy’s story, she assured the mother that Mercy was welcome at MOHI. Soon after, Mercy was enrolled and placed in Grade 3.

At first, she remained withdrawn, quiet, distant, and alone. Her teachers and social workers gave her extra attention and support, gently encouraging her to engage and feel safe at school. One teacher, in particular, built a strong relationship with her and created a nurturing environment where Mercy could begin to heal. Despite these efforts, she struggled to adjust and became a regular absentee once again. At home, she wasn’t receiving enough food and was clearly malnourished. Her emotional and physical health declined further.

Recognizing her deep need, MOHI staff provided regular counseling sessions and medical care. Slowly, Mercy began to respond. With time, she found her footing.

Today, Mercy is thriving. She is disciplined, humble, and polite. She has become one of the top students in her class and serves as the class president. She is also a talented athlete, participating in both soccer and volleyball.

Spiritually, Mercy has also grown. She was baptized and now takes an active role in all school spiritual programs. She serves in the praise and worship team at church and leads class devotions with boldness and joy.

When she first came to MOHI in 2022, she was a discouraged, malnourished, and deeply withdrawn child. Today, she is healthy, confident, and full of life. Mercy’s transformation is a beautiful testament to God’s healing work and the power of love, care, and opportunity.

*Name changed for privacy

Term Highlights

• Our Center has water! After years of insufficient water, our friends and partners at Eastside Christian Church helped us raise funds to drill a borehole here in Kargi and pipe the water to our school! The water supply has become a lifeline to our students and neighboring community members. 
  
  
• We thank God for the greenhouse constructed at Kargi. The greenhouse will allow us to grow our nutritious food and ensure our students have fresh vegetables. Our students are also so excited to learn how to grow food. 
  
  
• Our talented students participated and won at the National Drama Festivals! They competed against students from other schools in the county and emerged number one, qualifying for the next level. Congratulations to our students and teachers for all their hard work and dedication. 
  
  
• Many of our students received gifts from their sponsors this term. Gift giving is always so exciting for our students. They were very grateful for the gifts and messages they received this term from their sponsors.

Partner Connections

• We are grateful to Eastside Christian Church for visiting us this term to celebrate the borehole and access to clean water for the school. Our students danced and played with the water from the tanks as soon as the water arrived. We bless God!
  
  
• We appreciate our partner, Brian, who came to our Center to set up a greenhouse. Soon we are going to produce vegetables from our own garden.

Prayer Requests

• Kindly pray for Kargi staff that our good God will continue to strengthen them while they serve in this community away from their families.
  
  
• Pray with us for the community we serve, may God meet them at their point of need. 
  
  
• Thank God for the rain that we have received. Also, thank God that there will be pasture for the animals as the community depends on them.

We'd Appreciate Your Feedback

Let us know what you thought of this community update in this four question, one minute survey. Thank you!