Monday, October 16, 2006

Beacon of Hope Visit


On Friday we spent the morning at Beacon of Hope in the Ongata Rongai neighborhood of Nairobi. Beacon of Hope is an all purpose Christian microenterprise, clinic, counseling center, cafeteria, and school all wrapped up into one. Beacon of Hope provides HIV testing and job opportunities for the local community and many are employed as rug weavers or sewers. Here’s a picture a friend took of one of the looms. . .They make exceptional quality hand-made rugs, kikoys, and wall-hangings. The centre also provides training in weaving and business skills, as well as an elementary school. We played with several of the young children and also went for a short trip into the neighboring slum. Several BOH volunteers led us to the home of Teresa, a single mother of four children who suffers from AIDS. We delivered a food basket and spent time praying with Teresa. She was a bit surprised by the number of mzungos but was a gracious hostess and shared some of her heartbreaking story with us in Swahili. Please pray for Teresa and her children as they struggle with poverty, disease, and the pressures of life in the slum.

1 comment: