What a Journey!

Last night we arrived back in the United States after over 24 hours of traveling. Our final days were spent finishing up the last of our projects in each department and saying goodbye to the wonderful people we have met and worked alongside in Nairobi.
Saturday night we had dinner with the founder of Missions of Hope International, Mary Kamau. After we finished our stew and chapati, we each went around and talked about our expectations coming into the trip...how they differed from reality, ways those expectations were exceeded or not met, and what we've learned through it all.
For me, I felt somewhat prepared for many of the basic expectations because I have been to Kenya, Nairobi, and Missions of Hope before. The surprises, difficulties, and victories were found in carrying out our tasks in the Business Development Services (BDS) department. For example, aspects I thought would be simple, such as filling out the form with an individual, proved to be much more time consuming and difficult than I had anticipated. However, collecting the completed forms and writing the two-paragraph profiles took less time.

God really taught me about his faithfulness this summer. I really learned that nothing is too small or insignificant, or too vast and overwhelming for God to handle. He is waiting and wanting to help you through the struggles and trials, you just have to ask Him and allow Him to do so. So often I'll catch myself trying to fix all my troubles, struggles, and short-comings on my own...with my own strength, discipline, and hard work....when it is much healthier and effective, and much less exhausting, to ask God for his help in the first place. He is much more capable than I, and knows infinitely more than I ever will.

Whether it's the crippling day-to-day toil to survive that is witnessed in Mathare Valley slums, or overcoming our own insecurities to reach people and place other's needs above our own, He is anxiously waiting for us to relinquish control so that He can transform our lives and communities in ways we never thought possible. The Gospel is alive and active, sharper than a double-edged sword, and coursing through the veins of Christ's body of believers all around the globe.

Odds and Ends

Yesterday and today the Business Department was lucky enough to get help from most of the 16 interns, and with all the help we have actually completed the task of writing personal profiles for each and every micro-business owner that Missions of Hope Int. (MoHI) works with!!!!! Now we are just taking care of the odds and ends....adding their pictures and stapling a copy of their national ID card to each form...and then we will begin uploading all of them onto the new system.
It is SUCH a great feeling to have accomplished more than I had thought possible, and for everyone to lend a helping hand in these last few days. As our time dwindles down it gives me peace to know the hardest parts are complete and all we have left are the finishing touches.

Don't Blink

We have reached our final work week here in Nairobi and I am thrilled to say we have completed much more of our project than I thought possible! We have collected new and complete profiles from every micro-business owner in each group that MoHI has (close to 700 people total) and are typing with a fury to creat 2 paragraph summary profiles for each person to eventually go on the CMFi website.
Though I am excited at the progress we've made and the sight of the finish line, I am very sad our time in Kenya is almost at an end. We have spent these last two weeks eating dinner with many of the staff we spend our days with and preparing ourselves mentally to say "good bye", but I know Friday (our last work day) will be a tearful event.
One thing I am sure of is the continued growth and success of this organization. The founder, Mary Kamau, recently spoke at the Christian Missionary Convention in the U.S.A., and the principles and love that began this beacon of hope to those in the slums continue to touch and transform an ever-increasing number of lives. I have been so blessed to get to witness and lend a hand to such an amazing group of people.

Simple and Selfless

I began typing up profiles of the micro-business owners this morning (in the library...the one place in this area that ensures low volume and minimal dust:) and I simply had to share this woman's story:

Loise Njoroge is a 67 year old widow living in the area known as Huruma in the Mathare Valley slum. She works as a landlord, an investment she started with just ksh 100 ($1.25) given to her by family. Loise is hoping to receive a loan so she can invest in more plots to rent out.

As she ages it becomes more and more difficult for Loise to care for her own needs along with the grandchildren she is providing for while her son struggles with unemployment. She has suffered with diabetes for a long time; and covering the costs of medication, day-to-day living, and the needs of her grand children is a constant struggle. More than anything, Loise’s goal is to be able to afford the school fees for her grand children to receive a good education to the highest levels. Even though she must toil in her old age, when most people in my home country are able to relax and slow down, her hope is found in being able to make life better for others.

This woman who has worked hard all her years just to survive is still caring for people during a time in her life when she should be the one being cared for.

I find it humbling that when asked what her personal goals were, or what she wished for, her answer was simple and selfless...to be able to pay for her grand children's education. She is just one example of the many ways in which I am constantly reminded how blessed my life has been and how much I have to be thankful for.

Hello July !

I must start by saying Happy Birthday to you America! You don't look a day over 40...those botox injections and pilates classes sure are working out for ya. Go paint the town red, white, and blue :)

After celebrating America's independence with taco salad, cake, and fireworks that are illegal in the land of my forefathers, we went to sleep and awoke to re-enter the land of Swahili, pick pockets, and cross cultural miscommunication.

The week got off to a rough start for me. I felt nauseated, feverish, and ached all over. After trying (and failing) to sleep it off, I was driven to the clinic where I received a rainbow of antibiotics. Thankfully I slept a few hours more and when I woke up my fever was gone and my head had stopped pounding.

The rest of the week was spent typing up profiles for many of the micro-business owners I have been interacting with over the past month and a half. It is a tedious task to type for hours on end, but knowing the possible impact it will have on the future of their business and livelihood is a great refresher and motivator.

Progress feels slow, but it is steady, and I have to keep reminding my American mind that "efficiency" is a relative term. Time is soaring by, as it always does, and I cannot believe it is winding down so quickly. I am committed to soaking up every last bit of it that is remaining :)

Why they do it

On Friday, after attending 3 loan group meetings and talking with two groups of women who are thinking about forming new loan groups, we headed out to do a business assessment. Most of the people live in the Mathare Valley, but the woman we were visiting today lived on the outskirts of town...and what felt like a two day matatu ride.
We arrived to our dusty destination; a very small town with cows roaming the street, and met up with Sarah. Sarah and her husband own and run a scrap metal business and from the looks of her home (which was quite humble but had more than one room) business is doing well. As we sat and chatted, eating the goat stew and rice she prepared for our visit, Sarah shared with us that her husband found out the day before that he has cancer.
The loan officer I'm teamed with, Virginiah, explained as Sarah left to get drinks, that being diagnosed with cancer here in Nairobi is a (quickly approaching) death sentence. People in their financial situation don't really have a chance to try to fight it.
I didn't know what to say...this woman had found out less than 24 hours prior to our visit that her loved one and provider has very little time left on this earth, and she will be left to pick up the pieces once that short time evaporates. I wished for the millionth time since arriving here that I could fix the problem this delicate woman was facing. However, the one way I know we can help her is the exact reason we stopped by, to assess the needs of her business and provide her a loan that will help it grow when she needs those resources and stability the most.
We stayed as long as we could and listened...even though I couldn't understand much...and I prayed for Sarah, her husband, and her family. She thanked us for coming and hugged us before we headed back.

Steady Progress

This week has flown by! It's already Thursday and I find myself wondering where the time went. We disseminated hundreds of profile sheets this week to micro-business owners in multiple loan groups, and next week we will collect all of those that have yet to return them. At each meeting we briefly explained the purpose of the forms (to create online profiles so people in the U.S. can choose to loan money to a micro-business owner in Mathare) and attempted to answer any questions. It is a time consuming task because many of the people struggle to read/write/ understand English, and my Swahili is infantile:)
Next week when we collect all the completed profiles, the other two interns and I will work as fast as possible to complete profiles for them all. We will also begin traveling around to each individual's business in order to get pictures to use on the profiles as well. There is a mountain of work to be done, but we're excited at our progress and fired up to continue!!