Trip Day 10!

For the past two days our group has been split in half and have gone to the same places but at different times. I will give you a brief synopsis of each place!

Heshima Children's Center is a school for special needs children in Nairobi. Here in Kenya, children with special needs are looked down upon and are often seen as possessed. Parents often hide their children from society and mothers are often ridiculed for having such different children. Heshima is one of only a few schools that these kids can go to. It also provides a jewelry business for the mothers to work at while their children are at school because they often do not have jobs. All the proceeds from this cute shoppe go straight to Heshima. While at the school, we played with the kids, sang songs, helped with feedings, and observed different areas of the school.

Then we spent the night at Mahali pa Maisha infant rescue center. We worked with Dave and Jen Bell who are an amazing couple from Indiana who have been called to come work with orphans. They are contacted when an abandoned baby is found, and then they take the infant into their home if they are between the ages of birth and 2 years. Often times, they have the children for long periods of time until a suitable home is found for the babies. Currently, they have nine babies (two of which are their own) living in their house. Even with the help of hired caregivers, it is still pretty hectic over there; however, it was so encouraging to see their love for Christ and children displayed in all their hard work. We spent the night at their home and helped love and care for the babies. Some of us even assisted in measuring the babies and recording the information on growth and development charts.

Lea Toto Kibera is a pediatric HIV clinic in Kibera slum which is the second largest slum in eastern Africa. 20% of Kenya is HIV infected, and just like children with special needs, children with HIV are also looked down upon in this society. They are often made fun of or talked about and not socially accepted. Lea Toto is a place where kids anywhere from birth to 18 years come once a month to receive a check up and receive free USAID medication. They are educated on the disease and the importance of drug compliance and proper nutrition and are even often work with social workers to help with the psychosocial aspect of the disease. At Lea Toto, we spent a lot of time observing the staff of the clinic. We were given soooo much information on HIV, and we were able to compare what HIV is in the States and what it is in Kenya with the workers. We helped with making and organizing new files. We helped with assessments and worked in the pharmacy.

Today, we were all reunited, and we got the opportunity to feed some giraffes and see some orphan baby elephants. We also went out to lunch and got to do some shopping! Then we returned to Heshima as a group to give the kids and their mothers cupcakes and paint the girls' nails as ways to show that we care for them.

Tomorrow, we are departing early for Nakuru where we will be spending the night at a baby center that is home to over 70 orphan infants. Tonight, we have prepared posters for the staff of the center to educate them on growth and development of kids ranging in age from birth to three years!

Please pray for our team as we continue in our travels. Pray for safety and a good night's rest tonight! Also that we will be able to love well and begin to think about how we can end this trip well! Thank you so much for all of your love and support!

Emily =]