A Ride for the Children

Above is a photo of Martha, who is more commonly known as Mother Theresa and a few of the children she has given a home to in Kenya. Mother is a 53 year old woman who has been taking in children off the streets, away from abusive families, and rescues from the hospital for many years out of the kindness of her heart. As of now, there are 36 people living in her small, 3 bedroom home. There are children ranging from a few months old to 13 years. Mother's goal is to house and feed these children and ensure each one has an opportunity to go to school. 

Right now getting to school has become quite the challenge. Just over a year ago my best friend and I spent a month living in the slums of Kawangware in Kenya. We helped out with Mother for the month and witnessed the difficulties that occurred when trying to shepherd 14 energetic children to a school an hour away. The journey includes a 10 minute walk to a busy road where they hop on a matatu. This is a small mini-van used as a taxi. The driver chargers by how many seats you take up not how many people hop in. Therefore, we squished 10 kids in to the back three seats while the remaining children sat on the laps of my friend, mother, and myself. The matatu was a bumpy journey to the market of Kawangware. Here buses, cars, motorbikes, wooden carts, running people, trucks, and everything you can think of weaved in and out of the busy market. There was no method to the madness except to keep your head up and ears open. However, the children are not always as careful. They are darting in and out of venders all the way to our second stop. There is no way to keep track of everyone and we just pray that they all make it safely to our meeting place. Here, we caught another ride to drop off the children at three different schools. 



Whew - that was a long journey! Now, mother walks all the way home to avoid the matatu fees of $0.25. She does the journey every single morning and afternoon alone and it is becoming more and more dangerous. When we were in Kenya, there were only 24 people in the house... that number keeps climbing. 

(This is the street of the market NOT on market day... imagine what it looks like when it's actually busy)


Just a few weeks ago Mother's daughter, Eva, reached out and said they are trying to raise money to save up for a van. This way they can drive the kids to school in a safe manor. This is where you come in! We are hoping to raise as much as possible before Christmas so we can send a good sum to the family. They are the most beautiful people I have ever met with the biggest hearts. The difference this van would make is unsurmountable. 

Every little amount helps - every little amount will be sent directly to the family. I really appreciate you taking the time to read about Mother's family and what she is doing for these children. She is truly the definition of an angel. 

Naekupenda !
This is the majority of the children last year with Martha enjoying lunch in the living room. 

Trying to capture just how crowded the back seat is. Once these children start to grow, they won'y be able to fit back there. It is unsafe and uncomforable and we want to change this.