This Christmas, allow me to invite you to give an orphan child hope.
It is not a small task to harbor thoughts of the emptiness thrust into your life when you know of human pain, feel helpless and then realize doing nothing is worse than that feeling of emptiness. By God’s grace, however, we find strength to wake up and look forward to another day.
Vickie is an orphan in Kenya, and her story is not unfamiliar. It is why we established Caring Hearts and Hands of Hope Inc, a 501 (c)(3) EIN 27-3127770.
Our Kenyan contact’s message was, “The girl is a total orphan. She scored very well in the KCPE, getting 323 out of 500 marks. She misses school regularly due to being sent home for money to pay for the accumulated fees arrears. As a result, her performance in school has continued to decline … ”
That term, “total orphan,” is used for a child who has lost both parents as opposed to partial orphan, who has lost only one parent. What caught our attention is Vickie’s declining performance, especially given her performance in Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams. “It is a real bad situation. The girl lives with her aunt who is a prostitute. She never knows what each night will be like and whether there will be food or not.”
She was attending a day school, five miles from where she and her aunt lived, if that kind of existence qualifies as living. With no lights to study at night, coupled with fear for her safety and often with little or nothing to eat, a brilliant girl’s future was marred.
The mission for Caring Hearts and Hands of Hope Inc. is to help orphans, children of widows and those from abject poverty with high school tuition. Vickie’s situation called for us to find a boarding school and transfer her immediately.
When a school was found, what happened next left me saying, “God have mercy.” You take a 14-year-old girl away from the person caring for her and that person does not object or even want to know where the child is being taken? But then I realized that the aunt is relieved of a “burden” brought to her without her consent.
I have raised three daughters and I am a weakling — I cry when they leave home for college at 18. Knowing they are living in a dorm is not a complete source of comfort for me. Most of the girls we are assisting with tuition and fees have no one to cry when a stranger takes them away.
Vickie was transferred to a boarding school in January. Without hunger, fear for her safety or worry about being sent away from school for lack tuition is a testimony for how a small sacrifice can give a child hope. She was number 29 out of 121 students. Before we transferred her, she was number 45 out of 80 students.
We also rescued another girl, Teresa, 16. She ran away from her father who was forcing her to get married so that he could be paid money to buy food. We organized for her to go to a boarding school where she is not only safe, but has food and education — the only longterm solution to eradicate hunger, disease and poverty.
That is the miracle sponsors (those who donate at least $300 per year) are performing, and any donation helps regardless of the amount. Each penny (100 percent) of sponsorship is used for tuition — no administrative or fund-raising expenses. Tuition funds are not given to government officials, relatives, students or principals. They are transferred directly to a school’s bank account. Sponsors are given a photo, background information and school contacts for their student(s).
We have helped more than 120 destitute children. Learn more at www.caringheartsandhandsofhope.org.
To assist a child like Vickie with tuition and fees, mail a check to Caring Hearts and Hands of Hope Inc. (any amount helps), Idaho United Credit Union, P.O Box 2268, Boise, ID 83701. Your donation is tax deductible.
Dr. Vincent Muli Kituku is an author and speaker for business organizations, schools and Christian groups. Contact him at (208) 376-8724 or vincent@kituku.com.
The Idaho Statesman’s weekly faith column features a rotation of writers from many different faiths and perspectives.
