By Catherine Sanders | Assistant Director
Jacinta,Vivian, Nyeri, Daisy, Stephanie, Kiptoo, Sam, and Imam... they are beginning to heal from past traumas and the pain of new social lessons, and they are learning how to play together. The playground outside the Gordon Clem Study Center serves as basketball, football (soccer), tag, and "fenceball" arena, so when chores are done and homework is complete, each child can join in. The first three girls listed and Daisy's brother, Kiptoo, still need sponsors, so if you want to make a huge impact on someone's life, consider a one-time or recurring donation.
We reached a milestone in the life of our crisis center last month, when two of our JWHS "graduates", Johnny and Sammy, now employed college graduates, accepted our offer to join the organization's board. We couldn't be more thrilled with their addition or that of our stellar JWHS manager, Chege, who all bring unique and experiential vision to the Kenyan side of things.
We also had contact with Daisy and Kiptoo's extended family, who was thrilled to know that they are safe, and who may soon be willing, with enough community support, to take on some of the care responsibilities for those children. This is some of the most difficult and rewarding work we do - uniting children with long lost family. It takes numerous, unsuccessful trips before healthy relationships grow and the barriers to reintegration come tumbling down. Next month, we will begin this process for our two most recent additions, Jacinta and Vivian.
The Gordon Clem Study Center received a facelift through the immense effort of our Director, Bev, who painted floors, signs, and ceilings to have the place warmly inviting community kids who need a place to study, and for play time with ours and neighboring children.
Thank you all so much for being part of this journey. Please stay tuned for more in the saga of education and family-building, and consider your much-needed and tremendously impacting contribution today!
With love and gratitude,
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