"The cake was too small!"

Honorata, head of our skills training lamented that the cake ran out...actually I wondered as I showed up for the graduation whether that cake would feed us all. For me it was fine because I believed there would be no waste...BUT here the cakes are usually SO BIG they could feed an army...I suppose good hospitality dictates that you should have more than enough...but enough of my rambling.

I work at Missions of Hope Int (MoHI) in the Business Services Development (BDS) department. This is a micro enterprise program designed to help the people of the Mathare slum start and maintain successful businesses. We recently added 'skills training' to the services we provide, which includes a course in tailoring.

Last week we honored the most recent group of ladies to complete the 6 month course in tailoring. They each received a certificate of completion, a new sewing machine and a piece of cake (and a soda!)
It is gratifying to see these ladies and realize that they now have a skill that will enable them to earn a living, feed and educate their children, and have hope of a brighter future. Not all the ladies in the photo are graduating students...you can see two Wazungu (white people) and the lady to the far left is on staff at MoHI - her name is Martha.
Henry came to us from Accounts (the Accounting Dept) to open the celebration with a word of prayer.
Then was a fun time of praising the Lord with song as more people - students, staff and volunteers - join us.


Here Henry is sharing from the word of God to encourage the ladies as they begin this new journey in their lives. He used to work in the BDS department and has a passion for the people in the slums.
Mary is the teacher who trained them in tailoring. They just love her and this was her chance to publicly share with them how much they mean to her...
...then Mary called up a student from a previous training to share how her life has changed as a result of the new skill she now has.
Esther (speaking to the group) is the head of the BDS department. These ladies have recently joined together to become one of our newest groups. They will now meet on a weekly basis to begin saving, encourage each other and eventually receive loans to grow their businesses.
Edna, head of Christian Education, actually started the first tailoring class so I know she was a great encouragement to the ladies.
Maggie is the glue that holds us together! She is the Administrative Assistant to the director of MoHI, Mary Kamau...so she keeps us all organized. She has arrived in place of Mary, who is currently in the states, to address the ladies as a representative of MoHI.
...and to hand out the certificates!

David is the official photographer and a very nice guy!
Time to cut the cake! And of course everyone must be a part of that!Yea, we did it!
But first a photo with the two that head the skills training department - Mary and Honorata.

I love the way our clients jump in to help. This also happens at our business trainings.
Then I left...yes, I did have a small piece of cake, but no soda! The cake was actually quite tasty and I would have loved to stay to the end, but I am very careful about the time of day I leave work. It takes about 1 1/2 hours to get home and in that time you never know what could happen! So I leave in plenty of time to arrive home before dark - and ideally with some energy left!

God was honored on this day and I think that is what I love most about where I work - we do it for the glory of God. My second favorite thing is meeting the Americans that visit...summer is a time for interns (or apprentices) - the Wazungu in the photos are Erin (you can see her in this photo), Meredith (sitting on the floor in one of the pics) and - oops! I can't remember the other girl's name, sorry! It is a delight to find out where they are from, what they are doing here and whether God is calling them to long term missions.

School's out!

Peninah is a friend of Rhonda's. Peninah has a son, Brian. Brian is in boarding school and the month of April is a holiday from school here in Kenya. Rather than put Brian on a bus to travel home from school, Rhonda, Peninah and I decided to make a day of it...

On the way we passed Mount Longonot, which is a dormant volcano in the Rift Valley...it was an unusually clear day and we were able to see the crater across the top!
It was sunny and hot when we arrived. Peninah found Brian and in this photo they are taking his trunk to be stored for the month. Every child keeps all personal possessions in a trunk during the school sessions.
Here they are - happy to be reunited. I loved the mural of the galaxy in the background...
...other kids waiting for parents or guardians to pick them up...
Pit stop at the market to buy gifts for Peninah's mother before our visit...
A shot of the market, with customers - and kids!
School kids returning home...
One (well actually two!) of the kids who swarmed the car. Mzungu (white people) are still a novelty almost everywhere!
Great reunion as we arrive at Peninah's home...the kids come out to greet Brian (and us) and then are put to work to carry all the provisions we brought...
...like cabbage! This is Neema...
...very nice...
...and Hannah - usually shy, she seems to have outgrown her apprehension of white folks.
Mother and son serving the guests.
As we leave Rhonda points out the windmills on the hill overlooking the family compound.
It was a fun day for all of us. I think the highlight for me was watching Brian as his cousins ran from every direction to greet him...what a homecoming!