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you could imagine, each child comes to the
Orphanage malnourished, uneducated, in rags, and
suffering from all types of childhood diseases.
East African Mission Orphanage immediately sets
about to rectify these problems, bringing each
child up to a picture of health.
We provide the
proper education right through to the completion
of their studies, and also do what we can to
prepare them for local employment. From day one,
the child receives a proper nutrition and a new
set of clothes. The benefits the child receives
can be seen on the smiling faces of each child
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Kenya
is a developing country and although it is one of
the most developed countries in Africa it is still
suffering from a lot of poverty and disease. Sixty
four percent of the country is surviving on around
33 Kenyan Shillings per day (.44 US cents). A
packet of Corn Flakes costs approx 400 Kenyan
Shillings. A used motor vehicle costs approx
$5-6000 USD.
So, you can see that Kenya is not a cheap place to
live. The majority of the population survives on
little more than maize meal up to three times per
day. Disease is also rampant in Kenya, especially
AIDS. AIDS in pregnant women is on the increase.
At the moment in Nakuru, AIDS has already climbed
to 18% and is increasing daily.
As poverty strikes in all quarters of Kenya, it is
leaving a trail of homeless children. A common
scenario for a Kenyan family involves financial
struggles. The father may leave the family after
being discouraged by unemployment, turns to
alcohol, leaves to be with another woman or dies
from AIDS. This usually means the mother is left
with between 5 – 10 children. At times, the
mother is also infected with AIDS and dies,
leaving the now desperate children to an old
grandmother of one of the parents. This scene now
becomes a very sad one. The grandmother struggles
to survive and it is these grandmothers that bring
the children to our orphanage.
The orphanage also receives children through
either the hospital or Children’s Department.
There is currently a waiting list of children that
have no where else to go. Currently we are caring
for 109 children that are from all parts of Kenya
and even South Sudan. Our youngest is 4 months and
our oldest is 16 years.
EAM Orphanage provides dormitory accommodation for
the children. The beds are made here on the
premises. The children are well clothed as we can
purchase clothes at a reasonable price at the
local markets. Sponsors and donors also assist
with sending clothes to us too.
There is a primary school at the orphanage. We
employ qualified teachers for all grades in
primary school. At this stage our older children
attend a local high school in town, but there are
plans to have the facilities to run our own high
school on the premises in the near future.
One of the most difficult tasks here at the
orphanage is to bring the children to a level of
good health. Some have suffered malnutrition for
many years as well as parasitic type diseases.
Many of the children are stunted in growth due to
a lack of good nutrition in the early years of
life. The meals are planned and include fresh
vegetables from the vegetable garden on the
premises.
Our support basis is from individuals that decide
to either sponsor a particular child, the basic,
education or medical program, sponsor the
orphanage or a project. Sponsoring the orphanage
provides us with finances to meet the demands for
building extensions to the orphanage allowing us
to meet the almost daily demand for desperate
children to be taken in and cared for.
We are often asked what we will do with the
children as they become teenagers. Let us answer
this by saying that because our orphanage is a
very personal and family orphanage, once we take
in a child, he/she is just like one of our own. We
hope as finances come in we will be able to
continue to expand our building program to cater
for higher education and teach the children trades
that will prepare them for work in the community.
Of course we have not reached that time yet, but
are looking ahead and trying to prepare ourselves
for it, by seeking more funds and teachers from
overseas to volunteer their expertise and come and
educate our children. |
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