VISIT TO NEEMALAND QUEENS AND KINGS ORPHANAGE AND A TRANSFORMATION STORY.

I would like to share two experiences intertwined that have made me realise how small things do make a difference in people’s lives especially lives that have been ravaged by certain situations which make people feel desperate and hopeless.

When Roger and I visited England in July last year, at the invitation of Roger and Debbie Perkins the Wings of Mercy representatives in the UK, we did have an opportunity to  pay John and Mary Home a visit  in Coventry. They had earlier shared with us about a young lady they met in Kenya and mentioned about wanting to assist her daughter through Wings of Mercy.

 

I(Christine) met Rose Ouma and her beautiful daughter Yvonne when John and Mary visited us in March this year. Rose is a beautiful young woman and a single mother who has gone through challenging moments in her life. When John and Mary met her working at some hotel, Rose was a sad and downcast girl who was going through the challenges of life with a young daughter to take care of. She lost her job soon after, some hotel room keys were missing and the manager put the blame on her-she was fired and  the future looked very bleak.

John and Mary decided to support her by sponsoring Yvonne to go to school through Wings of Mercy. During the March visit, Mary brought some Cross Stitch book and materials for Rose to encourage her to do some work that she could sell. She is currently doing some casual job whose future is not assured.

 

During John and Mary’s second visit this August, we linked up with Rose and Yvonne again. They were a happy lot and Yvonne had started opening up never leaving Mary’s side. Rose had produced wonderful cross stitch pieces from the materials that Mary had given her considering that she had never done cross stitch before and trained herself from the books Mary gave her. I was impressed. I thought and shared with Mary that I would like to teach Rose to also make bead jewellery. I invited her to the house one Saturday and we began our project. She was a very fast learner and I could see the eagerness in her face to see the end product.

 

On 13^th September, I invited Rose and Yvonne to visit Neemaland Kings and Queens Orphanage. I had earlier visited this orphanage run by a born again Christian woman called Grace Omundi who was once a destitute woman who had been rejected and thrown out with her 3 children by her family. She has 45 orphans that have all different backgrounds and stories of their lives but all orphaned or abandoned by their families for various reasons. Grace shared her desire to see the children taught some skills apart from among other things that they needed. They had various needs including teachers, books beds, bedding, clothes, shoes, and desks among various needs. I prayed about it and contacted Grace and shared with her that I would like to teach the children to make bead jewellery, knitted and crocheted items start with. She was excited and we set the dates to begin.

 

I met Rose and Yvonne in the City to embark on our journey to the Children’s orphanage. Yvonne was very excited and never left my side. She talked and it was amazing how she has opened up and she held my hand tightly as we shared all the way to the children’s home.

We purchased our beads, tapestry canvas, beading needles and thread. Rose was wearing a very simple and beautiful bracelet that she had made. She also had made a very beautiful necklace. It is just amazing.

 

When we got to the orphanage, the children were very eager to learn. We dealt with the older children. We did not have working surfaces so we used the floor and some papers to put the beads for each child. The pattern we began seemed complicated for the children, so Rose taught a simple pattern. Yvonne was not left behind. She made new friends and was busy with the other children having fun. She also wanted to help in every way. She helped with the thread, wanting to distribute the beads and be useful. I taught the boys to make a mat out of the tapestry canvas. You should have seen the smiles on their faces and the girls excitedly gathering around Rose and calling her, “teacher, teacher, come and see”

We will be going back on 20^th, Rose, Yvonne and I to make a difference…

We look forward to the children completing their first project. I intend to have tags showing who made the necklace and allow the children to sell their items. We took some of the donated knitting needles to the orphanage to encourage them to learn how to knit.

 

Rose is transformed and is making a difference by sharing what she has within her with the orphans. Just like the flower that she is named after, her beautiful petals are blossoming and opening up each day giving a beautiful fragrance of potential and talent that was hidden within- marred by circumstances. She intends to teach them how to cross stitch as we continue learning new beading, knitting, crocheting and cross stitch patterns. It all began by John and Mary picking this starfish along the beach and throwing it back in the sea to give it a second chance and a new lease of life.

 

Last but not least, I would like to thank the entire St. James congregation, John and Mary’s friends that have continually supported Wings of Mercy through their donations in kind and money to make a difference. God bless you very richly. The children are very grateful for the knitting needles and crotchet. They promise to make good use of them as they develop their talents and skills. Thank you so much for the needles, threads, and materials that you have given. THE LORD BLESS THEE AND KEEP THEE AND MAY THE LORD MAKE HIS FACE TO SHINE UPON THEE..

John and Mary Home of Bees Abroad visit with their Grandaughter Becky

The recent successful visit to Kenya by John and Mary Home of Bees Abroad UK, was not without its usual share of challenges, interesting episodes and experiences that anyone coming to Africa usually meets especially when you are visting Kenya. The  Homes’ can  tell you their part of the story! But just to mention one case in point- there was a 

visit to the welding and carpentry workshop

john and mary cutting the tape

john and mary with a sponsored child

“sprint record “ broken by none other than Roger the Wings of Mercy –Founder, as he dashed past Mary! to Evade a bee Sting!, as John in protective gear,carefully and comfortably instructed John and Job,on the art of harvesting honey.You could see the bees were at home with John as he expertly succeeded in  harvesting some honey without stirring too much fury from the African bees!. Mary was standing some safe distance away with an umbrella to shield her from the hot African sun.I presume she also  used the umbrella as a camouflage – as she coolly stood still, as the bee flew past in hot pursuit! .She understood,bees can sense one who is not at home with them.It was such fun for her to see Roger run, she could not help but laugh her heart out!. Do you know why the bees were in hot pursuit, one  ”culprit”, by the name John one of the beekeepers, had sneaked a comb to his beckoning wife across the fence for her to have just a taste of the honey! The bees came calling…!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had gone with John and Mary, to visit  4  of our new trainees for the expanded work in beekeeping as well as assist the current two beekeepers in the area with protective gear and expert advise from John on bee farming and harvesting of honey.

 

Being a first time visit for their granddaughter was certainly an experience any teenager would wish for or dream about. Becky certainly enjoyed her trip to Kenya, as she accompanied her grandparents on a visit to various projects, that John and Mary and Bees Broad have an interest in. The trip took them around various towns and rural villages of Kenya.Roger and Christine of Wings of Mercy, played host to this wonderful family while they were here in Nairobi.

 

The Homes have recently retired from active service. Rather than spend their time enjoying their retirement benefits and holidaying, they have chosen to give their most valued asset i.e. time, energy, skills and resources to help alleviate poverty in Africa.  

 

Wings of Mercy, through John and Mary, have partnered with Bees Abroad, to initiate bee-keeping projects in the surrounding villages, where poverty is rampant. Secondly it is through their efforts that Wings of Mercy Welding and Carpentry project, received an initial donation, which helped buy the first tools to start the Welding and Carpentry Workshop. It should be made worthy of mention that this gift donation was given by Mr Hedley, John’s 96 year old father in-law- Dad to Mary. This gift donation was meant to be his birthday present. Talk of nobility and a heart of Gold, certainly this can be aptly described of Mr Hedley, who the workshop currently has been named in his honour.

 

John and Mary accompanied by their granddaughter also had an opportunity to visit the slums; they were given the onus to open the new Classroom, at Blue Sky. In the words of the Head Teacher Mrs Edna, who wrote a thank you note she said, ” We are touched by your love to us and our school, may God lift you all…!”They later garlanded John and Mary who later cut the tape to officially open the class. The class has been named St James class and it now requires desks, in order to support the growing number of pupils enrolling in the School. We now currently have about 120 children attending school up from 109. The Home’s have also been   instrumental in helping facilitate the funds for the construction of an additional class in partnership with St James Southam and Wings of Mercy -Kenya.

 

 

Wings of Mercy, also does organize visits and tours to various places such as the Giraffe Centre/Sanctuary, (recent visits have been made by Debbie, Nick and Rachael with their sponsored child),the Animal Orphanage, Kazuri the bead place, and the Elephant Orphanage/Sanctuary, the Maasai market and the Bomas of Kenya.Bomas of Kenya for instance is a place,where you have an opportunity to sample the various cultures of Kenya depicted in song and dance, and it also affords you the luxury of seeing the way traditional homes of the various tribes in Kenya look like and the way of life. It is an experience you cannot afford to miss. We are encouraging our visitors, or any other person wanting to go on a Safari or holiday in Kenya, to package their tour through Wings of Mercy, part of the proceeds go towards running Wings of Mercy program activities and projects e.g. providing skills training, feeding program to schools and supporting orphans and vulnerable children in the slums among other related issues.

 

 

Last but not least John,Mary and Becky did also visit,a school in the slums of Kware,where Wings of Mercy,has initiated a tailoring project in partnership with footsteps international – A UK charity.They came to donate tailoring tools and materials,which had been graciously donated,by friends,and members of St James Southam.Wings of Mercy also donated over 20 girls uniforms,to be given to the school.This was a kind donation by Debbie Perkins’ mom,we will be showing in the next news posting,the children wearing those lovely dresses.Wings of Mercy supports some orphaned children in this school known as fair oak school. 

 

Reporting Roger Molera- Wings of Mercy-Kenya