I was once told that it’s not the end destination that matters, but the path that was traveled to get there. In this particular situation, I believe that it is both. It is the bitter that makes the sweet taste so good. It is the perfect formation of clouds that make the sunset spectacular. After months of hard work with no end in sight, things seem to be coming together, albeit only for the time being. Faraja was on the brink of eviction. It is 4 months in the hole on rent, a year plus behind on its water bills (Moraa goes to church with the man that supplies water, he is giving them it for free, but wants to be paid eventually) and gets electricity when it can convince someone to give it to them for free (rarely) but has never paid a bill. When you barely have money for necessities, the luxuries are out of the question. When you don’t have money for neccesities, you have to prioritize which necessities are most important and which ones will wait. But eventually, it will catch up. Eviction is a big deal in itself, but in the circumstance of caring for 35 children, it can be devastating. It’s not that Faraja couldn’t handle it. They have been displaced 4 times, have lived in one of the worst slums known to man, slept in fields, lived for a few months in an abandoned car (rotating nights for the privilege of sleeping inside the vehicle) and made due with nothing. It’s not that they wouldn’t persevere; it’s that I believe that they have earned the right not to need to. Almost more daunting than the fact that they will be without shelter is the fact that if they are forced to move, there are countless fees to be paid; new school fees, uniforms, transportation etc etc. Realistically these fees are not all that much money, but when you have NO money and you are forced to borrow and beg for necessities, the fees may as well amount to trying to buyout Microsoft. The only real income generating activity that Faraja has is a few chickens in the backyard that lay eggs. When there is no money to feed the chickens, they stop laying eggs and even resort to eating each other. When they are fed and taken care of they produce enough income to pay for themselves and provide food. Rent and everything else is a struggle and a constant stressor. Coupled with the fact that the only administration to speak of at Faraja is Moraa, who is so busy keeping the house from collapsing, the situation is grim. The landlord wants them out. Moraa put her faith in God. She said that everything always works out. The verdict is still out for me, but in this situation, it’s hard to argue. The timing, the results, the situation seem to be divine, but maybe I’m just hanging around Moraa too much.
As you guys know I have been backhandedly asking for donations for Faraja, even though I promised I wouldn’t. My roommate Portia has been doing the same thing and the results have been staggering. Through generous donations and support we have been able to raise enough money to pay off the rent debt, pay off the water bill, pay a huge chunk of school fees, provide feed for the chickens which should get Faraja at least temporarily stable from the income generated, provide enough food for a few weeks which relieves the stress of not knowing where the next meal is coming from for the children and take care of so many more basic needs such as hospital bills and medicines, transportation to the free health clinics offered for children with HIV/AIDs and so much more. The fact that people want to (and do) help has been one of the most uplifting realizations that I have ever had. People can and do make a difference every day and although Faraja still has A LONG way to go, without THIS help, who knows what would have happened to the house, and way more importantly, the children. They have been through too much in their short lives, seen things I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy, struggled through things that human beings shouldn’t EVER have to go through, and they are still too young to even truly provide for themselves. They have no parents, no people to guide them and provide for them. They need some sort of help, financially, emotionally and developmentally because they have been drifting aimlessly through a 3rd world country, caused by the loss of their parents and have been forgotten by society. It is impossible to truly sympathize with them from an ocean away, let alone sitting on the same couch as them because it is impossible to put yourself in their shoes. But they are people and the support that has been provided by people who have never met them and probably never will (unless I sneak Kepha home in my suitcase) is the type of story that proves that there is a common human bond. An innate human decency that proves that at the root of the human spirit, past all of the problems that face the world, there is some sort of beauty. Thank you again to everyone who donated, you will be hearing from me individually as soon as I get the chance, I’m sorry for the delay in response but your kindness is changing lives. And thank you to everyone who is reading this. I hope that I’m doing a decent job of relaying what is going on and I hope that you are getting a tiny taste of the tiny taste of Africa that I am getting…
These perfectly timed individual relief efforts have given me the opportunity to finish the grant proposal I have been working on for the last few weeks. The grant aims to stabilize the home in the immediate future enabling Faraja to provide basic necessities as well as individualized care for vulnerable and orphaned children in the Ngong community. It also attempts to create funds to amp up the chicken project, eventually leading to a self sustainable home, add permanent staff as well as continue the efforts of volunteers and create an awareness campaign in the Ngong community about the plight of orphaned and vulnerable children. It shows that orphaned and vulnerable children in Ngong are a community problem and by teaching how community members can help, it will also help prevent the increase in OVC’s. Summing up a 13 page, official grant proposal into a few sentences is difficult, especially late at night after a loooonnnngggg day, but I put my heart and soul into that document and we are going to look to start distributing it as soon as possible.
So that is where we stand. The clouds broke and the forecast calls for clear skies for the time being. There will be trials and tribulations again. There always are. But as for now, everything looks okay, and that’s the only way to take it. Day by day. Until next time….
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