Kiwandani

Greetings from Kiwandani!

Hello from Kiwandani Center! We are excited to share some highlights of the first term of 2024. We extend our heartfelt thanks for your support and partnership as we work to change lives through the love of Jesus.

Emmanuel Malala
Head Teacher, Kiwandani

Flood Update:

Since this Community Update was written before the extreme rain and flooding took place in Kenya, we want to provide a quick update.

Despite the heavy rains, we are thankful to report that neither our center nor the students we serve were directly affected. We did not experience the flooding that other areas were subject to.

If you'd like to donate to MOHI's flood relief efforts, you can donate here.

Hope Transforms: A Success Story

Peter* is an 11-year-old student currently enrolled in Grade 6 at our Kiwandani Center. He comes from a large family of 6 children, all residing in a one-roomed house made of mud and iron sheets.

Peter's parents work hard to make ends meet; his father is a casual laborer and handyman in the community, while his mother works as a domestic worker nearby. Due to financial constraints, Peter's two older siblings, aged 17 and 20, dropped out of school long ago to assist their parents financially. During this period, the family struggled to afford to take Peter and his three younger siblings to school. As a result, they scavenged for plastic around the Kiwandani community to sell at a recycling plant for some income.

A community member noticed the wandering children and informed our social worker about Peter and his siblings. The social worker followed up on the tip and met with Peter's family. The social worker noticed immediately that they needed support and compassion. Peter and his siblings were soon enrolled at our school. It wasn't long before Peter and his siblings began to benefit from the feeding program and experienced the love of Jesus through school activities and follow-ups from our social workers.

Although Peter appreciated the regular meals and the support he received from Kiwandani Center, he initially struggled to adapt to the school environment. He found it challenging to abide by authority and sit in class all day. Concerned teachers alerted Peter's social worker, who discovered that Peter had run away to his grandmother's house in another city. Worried for his well-being, his social worker traveled to his grandmother's home to speak with him.

Initially hesitant to open up, Peter eventually confided in his social worker during counseling sessions. He agreed to return home, much to the relief of his family. With continued support from his social worker, Peter gradually adjusted to his new life. He joined the soccer and athletics teams, finding solace and camaraderie in these activities. Additionally, his exposure to the love of Jesus at school and in his local church, Trinity Chapel Kiwandani, strengthened his faith.

Today, Peter is thriving academically and socially, thanks to the transformative support he has received. We thank God for his remarkable journey of transformation.

*Name changed for privacy

Term Highlights

• We are excited to announce that we participated in the National Drama Festival in which we qualified up to the county level and secured the eighth position.
  
  
• We recently hosted a parents' breakfast seminar, providing a fantastic opportunity to connect with our parents and discuss ways to collaborate on instilling the values taught in school, at home.

Partner Connections

• We had one of our partners, Neika, visit us and lead a Bible study session.
  
  
• We are glad to have had Keith Waggoner from Grace Bible Church visit us and engage with our kids.
  
  
• Jill Shuck from Mountain Christian Church visited us and led practical hospitality sessions with our students at our MTTI (MOHI Technical Training Institute) here in Kilifi County.

Prayer Requests

• Please pray for the good health of our children.
  
  
• Pray for the families affected by the floods. May God provide for them and meet them at their point of need.