Dear Partners and Friends,
Greetings from Migori in Kenya!
I would like to share with you a little about one of our orphans, Sheila Achieng (pictured below). Sheila has lived at the Christ Care Orphanage since the death of her parents a few years ago. Sheila, along with Jacob, Alumasa and Belinda, also from Christ Care, are among the first group of 19 orphaned and needy children from our own Christ Care Academy who will be sitting for their final grade eight exam (K.C.P.E- Kenya Certificate for Primary Education) in preparation for high school next year.
The journey to bring Sheila and the others to their grade eight final exam has been long and challenging, but we want to thank all of you who have contributed and continue to contribute towards their education and other needs. As we celebrate this achievement and thank God for what he has done in the lives of these four, as well as our other orphans, we look forward to seeing how God will continue to work in their lives as they move into their next level of education (high school). High school is the most important four years of education in Kenya because it is the level that opens up many opportunities for their futures.
Sheila Achieng lost her parents four years ago to HIV-AIDS. She was picked up as she begged for food along the streets of Homabay town. She was brought in by one of our staff and has become a wonderful addition to our Christ Care family. She is a leader on the gospel team and she loves to go to church early for morning prayers. She is a great help with the younger children and dreams of one day becoming a teacher so she can teach other orphaned and needy children.
Praising God!
For Calvin Karani Oyondi, this is a dream come true. In his words “I cannot believe I am alive and have a real chance to sit for my final high school exam in two months time”. Calvin Oyondi joined this orphanage after the death of his father in 2003. Like many of the orphans in this center, Calvin has faced both medical and educational setbacks. He has had a number of operations on his legs and toes and we thank God for all those who helped us take care of the large medical bills.
Calvin (pictured above) also suffered from low self-esteem and was much traumatized after the death of his father. This affected his ability to study and learn normally, but he was able to attend a special school (Bware Junior Academy) during the last part of his primary school education. We want to thank all those who have helped Calvin along this challenging road. Calvin hopes to attend a Teacher’s College following graduation so he can return to teach others who struggle with their education.
Christ Care Orphanage and Academy
For twelve and half years God has been incredibly faithful to Christ Care Ministries International (CCMI) and enabled us to help many orphans and widows in this community. Hadah Atieno (pictured below) has been around for all these years seeing Christ Care grow. She has witnessed the growth of Christ Care Academy from the years she sat below a tree for her classroom to now having a good building for the classrooms. She is very grateful for the many blessings she has seen and wants to thank each one of you.
Ultimately the purpose of Christ Care Children’s Home is to bring honor and glory to God and to transform the lives of the children in our care; to give them a home, an education, and a future. Thank you for sharing in this work. We appreciate your commitment to helping the orphans and widows in this community.
With grateful hearts,
The Children and Staff of Christ Care