Helping Children in Crisis
Covid Update: It appears that life in Kenya has established a “Kenyan Covid Normal”. Schools and businesses are open for the most part even as cases continue to rise and there are few vaccines available. Prices are inflated, there are shortages, and transportation has limitations.
The Kenyan school year usually runs three 3 month terms with a month off in between. They are trying to make up time by running shorter school terms to make it up. The children are now covering the academic work of three months in a two month time period with only a week off between terms. The children are being charged a full year’s tuition for the shorter year so we have tuition bills coming in more frequently than expected.
One of our recent secondary school graduates contracted Covid. She had gone to stay with some of the young adults who had recently matriculated from our care and must have contracted it while with them. Luckily no one else got it. The girl became very ill and was in the hospital for several months. Each time we spoke with Dorothy she reported on the student’s
decline. She eventually went on a respirator and still continued to decline. She had been admitted to a government sponsored hospital (basically free but not very good care) and we were told that unless she was transferred to a private hospital (expensive) where they had better doctors and facilities that she most likely wouldn’t make it. So we transferred her. After
a tense few weeks she responded to her treatment and just recently was released. We are greatly relieved, but now have a $12,500 hospital bill that wasn’t in our budget.
When the pandemic first started over a year ago several of the older children asked if they could go and stay with distant relatives rather than be cooped up on the church grounds for months at a time. Samson thought this was a good idea. He wants the children to know their tribes and relatives so he let them go. He would check on them regularly. This turned out to be a disaster. Without going into the gory details several of them were abused and two of them ended up being sold! We hired a private detective and traced them all the way to Tanzania where we were able to regain custody. The situation has been very traumatic for everyone and
we are doing our best to provide professional emotional support for those who had traumatic experiences. In a recent letter one of the children who was sold wrote this:
“How are you? I hope you are fine. I take this opportunity to thank you for this opportunity. Once again may God bless you for saving me and not stopping to love me. Am asking if you could support me again. It was a mistake to think everyone could love us the way you loved us. Am happy for letting us come back here again. I have no words to thank you. My happiness knows no bound.”
If there is any doubt that the work we are doing is making a difference and saving lives these stories make it clear that we are.
More financial help is needed: During the holiday season we know many of you like to support organizations in need. We hope you will consider helping HCIC. Along with increased costs due to Covid, the Kenyan cost of living has dramatically increased since we started HCIC in 2012. Most of our charges are now young adults training for vocational independence. It’s become clear that our $800-$1,000/year sponsorship dollars do not cover the actual costs of caring for a child. Those in university need 3-4 times that amount each year. The HCIC board decided rather than asking our sponsors to significantly increase their donation that we will seek multiple sponsors for each child. If you currently are a sponsor and would like to step up your support please let us know.
Ways you can help:
~Help sponsor a young adult $1000/year – goes toward food, clothing, education and medical needs.20 more sponsors needed. Support would be for 2-5 years. Email interest or questions to gchelpingchildren@gmail.com or go to our website and donate helpingchildrenincrisis.com. We will contact you with the name and description of the young adult you are sponsoring.
~Hospital bill – help pay $12,500 bill for Covid care
~Donate to our education fund. Help cover costs of vocational training or higher education for young adults.
~Make a donation to our General Fund (this covers unexpected one time expenses such a bus repairs, equipment, etc.).
Those of you interested in helping can either write a check to the General Church and mail it to the address below, or use a credit card to donate at our website helpingchildrenincrisis.com. Thank you again for your continued support of our work. We hope you have a blessed holiday season.
Kay R. Alden
HCIC Chair
PO Box 204
Bryn Athyn, PA 19009
Email: gchelpingchildren@gmail.com
Website: helpingchildrenincrisis.com