Day Two-hard at work

We have been working very hard at the school with the staff and students. It is a joy to interact with these wonderful people. We are so grateful for what God is doing at KDS and how He is working through us daily to support the needs at KDS.

It is heart-wrenching to see the absolute sea of destitution that these people live in the slum where we are working, one of the top ten worst slums in the WORLD, but the absolute hope in these children's eyes is just amazing. There is so much to take in every day. Some of the things we learn are indescribable. As we drive each day in and out of the various slums to reach phase 4 of Dandora, its like watching an awful tv show that you can't turn off when the "60 minutes" special is over. The smells, the sights, the trash everywhere, it is literally and figuratively nauseating. The entire city of Nairobi dumps their trash, even the toxic trash from hospitals, etc. into the Kinyago-Dandora slum. There are wild animals grazing on trash everywhere. The living conditions are just horrific--it is literally one of the top ten filthiest places to live in in the WORLD according to the United Nations because Kinyago-Dandora is built on a dump. The sheer amounts of lead, mercury and other toxins from the dump in these kids' blood is deadly. But they still score so highly on national exams despite these extreme deficits, they are happy and truly blessed. Looking at this school in comparison to American standards, its an absolute mess with nothing. There are 45-53 kids in each class with no space to move and barely any materials. To these kids, it is a sheer blessing and the grace of God that has put them there. This school is a home to them when the outside world shuns them as slumdogs, as trash, as inconsequential nothings. However, their faith is insurmountable. Their joy and passion for God is an inspiration. This school is their light, their way out. They are empowered through education and want to help and inspire their community. Many have even started to work in their communities now. Please pray for the teachers and the staff as well as our team that we continue to travel safely, work successfully, and let God work through us each day as He chooses. If you feel moved to help the Kinyago-Dandora School, which is solely funded by Kenya Children's Fund, please visit the website, www.kenyachildrensfund.org to learn how to donate or sponsor a child for one year. It is only ONE DOLLAR a day to send a child to school for the year which includes their education, two hearty meals a day [for most of the kids, this is all they eat all day], and medical attention whenever necessary. They need God and they need loving, compassionate people that care, that won't avoid the situation. If you want to learn more, we have DVD's to share that tell the story of the school and of the children at KDS. If nothing else, they need your prayers.

His,
The TeachKenya2009 Team