Friends, if you know me, you know how much I love Kenya and more importantly the Kenyan people who are like family. We have been in contact with them all since the violence started in Kenya, but I recently recieved this letter from our friend Fred. He is so wonderful and has taken in his family's orphans and treated them as his own children. He makes $128.55 a month... (9000 shillings). He has eight children. You do the math. Here is his email.
Dear Anderson
thanks for taking your time and going through your contacts and hence being able to see my email. Am very happy together with my family. I havent yet forgotten your appearance because i can remember the day you were going back to USA you give me some money about 300 kenya shillings which you hadremained with and through that i can still recognise you. These is part of the responsibilty i do hold in the family. I have children who are orphans after their parents who were my brothers died leaving them without mother and now they aregrowing and now three of them are doing their grade 8 exams this year which by next year they need support to join high school or grade 9 asyou call in America. I have sent their pictures though they are on different negatives.
On the left hand up are from L-R top my children MICHAEL the big boy 8yrs small is MOSES 4yrs and our first born girl EVELYN top right corner L-R are JUDITH 15yrs the one who joined secondary school form one or grade 9 and this one i have struggled and enrolled her in secondary which i pay the fees. EVELYN our daughter grade going to grade 7, ESTHER 15yrs grade 8 our necie and the one scorching boy is JAFRED 17yrs did his grade 8 exams last year 2006 and unable to pay his school fees. Bottom left are are nephews and nieces am taking care of after their parent both mothers and fathers died in between 1998 and 2001 leaving them as orphans.
Now they are growing and they can be able to take showers on their own. Now what is worryng me is how they will get their high school education. the fees is ksh 24800 ($354.22) per year without the stationeries and uniforms. The rest are still in primary level so their school fees is mainly needed in 2009 for three of them That Esther, Dennis and Moses who are doing tyheir grade 9 in 2009 and with salary of 9000 ($128.55) kenya shillings per month you cannot feed , cloth them and be able to save for them for education. I remained alone in the family with my small sister who has 3 children and her husband too doesn't have a job after all our parents also died due to oldage. My father died in 1994 and my mother 2004 leaving alone. God willing the group from Baylour University will be coming to Kenya by May this year, my request isthat please see how you can help me even if it means looking for some clothings for them or any way you see can help. (But Baylor isn't because the violence makes risk-management think it is too dangerous).
Standing JUDITH and JAFRED and scorching L-R DENNIS 14yrs grade 7 MOSES 14yrs grade 7 the lady standing is my wife Salome the picture was taken after being baptisedin 2002 at Naivasha where our Bishop baptises church members and anyone willing to be baptised.otherwise am fine i will send one whole picture of the family together when the family gets together
Thanks and may our ALMIGHTY GOD give you wisdom and strength so you get sponsors for this family
Looking forward to hear from you
Fred kuboka of Gracia Guest House
Breakdown:
I would like to send him at least $1,000 or more to help with his expenses.
I don't like to make people feel compelled, so please do not feel compelled. I want you to give to this only if you feel that God is tugging at your heart. However, I do know Fred well enough to know that he is one of the strongest men of God that I have ever met. Your money would be met with joy and heartfelt appreciation from Fred and his family. If you feel you are compelled to give a little or a lot, email me at carrie_anderson1@baylor.edu
We will be coordinating the money efforts in the next few weeks or so to try to get it all figured out. We have other friends here who also are helping Fred with getting Judith to school currently so we will be talking to them too.
If nothing else, pray for the violence to cease and the tribal warfare to stop. This country is such a beautiful place and it is beautiful because of the love the people have for one another. The idea of tribal warfare is literaly ripping apart families and neighboorhoods and communities. Pray for them.
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