Ball point pens, tourism school and more...

This is Kara. I'm in Brussels processing the last week that Kayla and I had the honor to experience.  We only slept about 4 hours a night, missed a lot of meals and were in a constant state of motion because of the countless lists to complete and problems to solve.  That being said, the transformations in the children are beyond describable.  If I begin writing, I won't stop. Here is the summary:

Top 10 Moments for Imana Kids (1/2014)

1. Light  As in the kids eyes.  For real, they look more alive than we have ever seen them.  All the kids living at their new schools are positively glowing.  Their affect is no longer flat and all of them are eager to share everything they are doing, seeing and feeling.

2.  The Nannies We have hired three women to care for the preschool aged children daily.  Kayla worked with them to develop a routine, to use general preschool educational materials and to begin to provide more structure and discipline.  The most beautiful piece of their story is that each of them was formerly a prostitute.  They have all joined James' church, were baptized and now trying desperately to find alternative incomes from their previous lifestyle.  The empowerment that having this job with the little ones is giving them is so hopeful.  Kayla and I were able to visit with them, to write down their stories and to pray for them.  They expressed that seeing these little orphans has touched their hearts and that this is more than an job for them.  We are hoping that in the near future, we could get sponsors for each woman.  Additionally, Rosette, one of the three, will be starting an intensive English language program next week in the evenings. Good, good stuff.

3  Greens and bananas The good news is that they aren't as expensive as we had previously anticipated.  Rosette, as of Tuesday, January 21, be buying fresh fruit along with sweet potatoes and greens, on her way to the orphanage. Until this week, the kids were eating maize for lunch and rice and beans for dinner.  That was literally it.  Now our menu is porridge with milk (and a SPRINKLE of sugar, this was a battle between James and me) and fruit for breakfast, sweet potatoes, greens or peanut butter and bread for lunch and beans/rice and vegetables for dinner.  The eggs are coming...this isn't fabulous, but as James told me many times this week "Building a foundation in a building is very difficult. But when it is strong, you can keep building up."

4. Letters  The kids worked really hard on writing or drawing (or both) to their sponsors.  Some of them are making remarkable progress, asking "How is life in Nebraska?" or "Please kiss your baby from me" while others are copying the exact letter that their sponsor wrote to them because they don't yet know English but they desire to communicate with their sponsor family.  ***Side note: the teachers will be working with the kids on letter writing. Please disregard any comments regarding "needing a phone" or bike or whatever.  Orphans are especially vulnerable and a product of their environment.  We apologize and we ask for grace...

5. Saturday mornings Our primary age kids are at Good Harvest while the secondary students live at High Hill Academy.  They are only a few blocks from each other and the headmasters of each school have given James permission to accompany the older kids to visit the primary students each Saturday.  They get to all walk together to see each other.  Watching their little reunion will be burned on my memory for a long time.
6. Character  Both of the headmasters at primary and secondary expressed to me on more than one occasion that they are really enjoying our kids.  The describe Imana Kids as being well behaved and "loving."  Kayla, the teacher, is quick to point out that all kids behave this way at the beginning of the school year!  However, we are excited and proud that so far, so good.  Also, we are thrilled that one of our teenage boys, who has had almost no education in his life, has chosen to be in P2 (~1st grade) despite being 14.  He is also making eye contact now and smiling.  The kids are all encouraging him and his teachers express his leadership qualities.
7.  Faith building  Some of you may have previously seen the baptism pictures.  James baptized 26 kids/young adults on their own request.  Now they have taken the initiative to hold prayer meetings together at their schools.  This is their salvation.  This matters more than math or English or national exam scores.
8. Bic Pens James and I bought $256 (American, not francs) worth of notebooks.  We had forgotten to get two kids their pens earlier, so we added 4 ball point pens.  The merchant gave us two free out of four free. *insert sarcasm here*  I share this to give perspective on the situation, the needs and the vast ocean of contrast in our cultures.
9. Gratitude Every single Imana Kid is thrilled with their 2 pens, their 24 notebooks, their periodic table, the three pair of socks and 3 pair underwear.  Take the excitement of our American back to school shopping and multiply it by, like, 1 million.
10. James God has gifted James to lead and love these children.  He is patient, he is fatherly and when he speaks, he is full of wisdom and love.  Orphans haven't had consistency in their lives; they don't have an example of a father's love; gaining these kids' trust is  beyond remarkable.  On a personal note, James and I each wrote the same bible verse for the new year without knowledge of the other doing so.  Isaiah 43:19 "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." 
    

    Thank you for all of your prayers, we have felt them and we have needed them.  Their are still many, many mountains to climb.  But we can look down from our perch and see all the ways that God is springing up new life in a wasteland.  Please continue to pray that we each have wisdom and discernment regarding the children still not sponsored, the costs that arise and the spiritual  battles that wage on.  The board will mail out letters this weekend!

What a way to welcome the New Year!

85 sponsor packets, 166 lollipops, gifts for our staff and extra handmade cards for the neighborhood children.

     Today Ryan Higgins, our director, began his 2 day journey to Rwanda, equipped with the precious words, images and treats that each of our sponsors has sent to their child.  He will spend New Years Day giving each orphan their family profile as well as helping them write their first letter back.  Each sponsored child will also be signing a Behavior Contract which we hope will set a standard for our students in the classroom and in the relationships that they will be developing.
     Ryan will also be working with James in last minute details regarding school supplies and transportation.  In addition, he will be problem solving with some of our headmasters.  In true Imana Kids fashion, the 11th our is upon us and there are conflicts with our S2 and S3 students and which school will best meet their needs.  Some of the kids have tested very low on placement exams, and deciding where to send them to fit their academic and social needs is no easy task.
     Unfortunately (and fortunately) Ryan and James will not have the time to devote to our preschool aged children.  The three nannies have been hired and the initial food program is up and running.  However, additional board members will work with the women later in the month regarding hygiene, first aid and nutrition, as well as identifying a structured, yet realistic routine for the little ones.
    If you are sponsoring a child, watch for them on Facebook and Twitter this week! Ryan will be doing his best to capture as much video and photography of these "first" moments for each child.  Please pray for all the kids, Ryan, James and the schools that will be welcoming them on Saturday.
  

November isn't Enough

     November in the United States marks National Adoption Month.  With an 18 year history, the government originally started National Adoption Month in an effort to promote foster care and adoption.  Most states have one Saturday in the month of November in which family courts complete adoptions for free, waving court fees, paperwork fees and lawyer costs.  We love this.  All kids everywhere deserve a home.
     Orphan Sunday, the first Sunday of November, began in 2003 in Zambia by a group known as Orphan's Hope.  With origins in the evangelical church, it is now a global movement to create awareness of the plight of orphans everywhere.  Learn more here. 
We at Imana Kids have been using social media heavily this month, promoting a child a day that needs sponsored.  This is in part an effort to take advantage of this month as well as it is because school starts in Rwanda on January 6.  That's less than two months away!  The good news is that there are 60 kids sponsored!  We have families and individuals in 16 states and three countries that have committed to loving one child and changing their world.  It's exciting for us to see our sponsors' profiles come rolling in; we know that their lives are going to be shaped with the relationships that they develop with their sponsored child almost as much as their child's life will change.
      Here's the deal.  There are around 35 kids and young adults left to be sponsored.  Some of them have names and stories.  Some of them are faces that we can't match with a name or story because there isn't one That's a daily reminder to all of us just how ugly and unjust it is that kids don't have families.  Thank God that our heavenly Father knows their names, their stories and their hearts.
     Here's part two of the deal.  We don't want National Adoption Month to exist.  There shouldn't be an Orphan Sunday.  Accepting that there will always be orphans in world is like putting a cap on what God is capable of doing.  Each of us has something to give, to do, to invest toward ending the orphan crisis.  Adoption isn't a solution.  We love adoption; love, love, love it.  But adopting one child isn't going to end the poverty, the loneliness, the disease, the hate, the apathy and the death that is the cause of the problem.
     So what is the solution?  Of course, if every Christian in the world adopted an orphan, there wouldn't be orphans.  For one moment.  Until a parent died, another father went to jail and a mama died from dirty water.  The solution is in education and in healthcare; in delivering justice and compassion.  The solution is in using our gifts, our resources and our talents to stop the cycle here and now.  We are the church and we are one giant body.  We don't settle for answering that call just one month a year.  We ask God, "How do you want us to do this big thing?  How do You, God, use us to end this"
    We are doing this in one little corner of Kigali.  We are doing this through you all; with your compassion, your time and your support.  We are doing this by sending street kids to two beautiful schools filled with knowledge, tools and people that can empower these kids to change their future.  To be the last orphan in their corner.  We are doing this here and now.
     Even if you aren't sure that you can sponsor a child, would you consider emailing us your interest?  There are more needs for these children than only financial and we want to use every gift and talent we can to change each of our "kids" lives.

Profiles and stories of the kids of Kimisiagara Orphanage. 

5 Reasons Not to Sponsor a Child

5.  "There are already so many needy children here. "

       You're right.  There are indeed needy children in every corner of our country.  If you feel that way, our prayer is that you are doing something about those children in need. Mentor through a community organization or donate to the Boys and Girls Clubs.  Imana Kids is for all that but our focus is a little more specific than needy kids.  These kids also happen to be orphans.  Our goal, as a family of Christians, is to answer the mandate of James 1:27; that we are called to care for widows and orphans in their times of distress.

4.  "There are already so many sponsorship programs in 'third world' countries. Why don't you join them?"

     Again, you are right.  Many great, well known organizations have existed for a long time to provide children all over the world with education.  Those groups are in Rwanda too.  But they aren't at Kimisagara, they do not serve widows and they do not have opportunities to support orphanages.  We exist to support Kimisagara street kids and orphans as well as the young men, women and orphans that call this special place home.

3.  "Won't sponsoring a child make them dependent on Americans?"

  Children receiving sponsorship through Imana Kids are not getting a "free ride" (Although, would that be so awful?).  The children of Kimisagara have either been abandoned by their birth families, kicked out a foster home (not for behavior but for lack of resources) or moved to Kimisagara because their previous orphanage has closed.  Sponsorship provides these kids with boarding school: three meals a day, supplies, tuition, supervision, spiritual and academic guidance.  Imana Kids students have signed a contract outlining both academic and behavioral expectations.  The students know that they must work hard to achieve their academic goals and to continue their education.
  Dr. Bruce Wydick of UCSF found that sponsored children in six different countries were 50-80% more likely to attend college, stayed in school 1.5-2 yrs longer than non-sponsored kids, as adults were 35% more likely to have a white collar job and were 30-75% more likely to be in leadership roles in their communities (Wydick, Journal of Political Economy. 2013.)

4.  "I don't like not seeing where my money goes."

  With Imana Kids, you can see where your money goes.  Actually, we want you to.  Firsthand.  Our sponsored children will communicate regularly with you, you receive updates and report cards and we provide trips to Rwanda to meet and spend time with your sponsored child.  We partner with Visiting Orphans to take people to the Land of a Thousand Hills so that others may be shaped and changed to love orphans and widows well.

5. " I can't afford it."

  For some of us, this may very well be true.  However, we believe that if you truly desire to follow God's word, then tithing (10%) and giving each month is an amazing way to experience God's goodness and grace.  It does take a leap of faith!  For all of us, when we give more than we believe we can "handle," God continues to provide for our needs-and even beyond.

Pray about it....and don't be afraid.  Please email us if, tweet us or reach out to someone else that sponsors a child.  It will change your world as much as it will change theirs.

 

#GodMove

     This baby is called Moses.  He has been at Kimisagara since late July.  Look at the gaze that the adults that live in the orphanage are giving him.  Attentive and loving.  This baby makes eye contact, is on track developmentally, and clearly attached to Papa Antoine.  When asked where the baby slept, Antoine, gently rubbing Moses' back, replied "With me."  Just what this orphan baby needs.  Touch and nurture and love.
     Although Moses' his happy, he isn't healthy.  His belly is round and big, distended from malnutrition.  He waddles along near the derailed hallway, a 20 foot drop just a stumble away.  There are bug bites on his face and yeast in his mouth.  A good bath, some regular meals and diapers would make his life a little healthier.
     He is one of five new kids that have moved into Kimisagara since July.  The other four are preschool aged.  A set of twins and another set of siblings.  There are at least 98 children and young adults that need a sponsor now.  God is moving; a lot has been done to make a path.  Yet the needs are so great.
     Ryan and Kara Higgins spent the last week in Rwanda, touring schools, meeting with other advocates for vulnerable children and hiring a staff person.  The trip was a whirlwind of blessings.  Stones laid.
     Meet James Odongo.  He is officially our in country staffer.  We are beyond excited to have him advocating for all the widows and orphans of Kimisagara.  His story is one of pain, loss, redemption and hope.  "My purpose in life is to make disciples.  My second love is to serve widows and orphans," was his response to our proposal.  And it was obvious everywhere we went that this is indeed how he lives his life.  Touring schools, someone was always calling his name, embracing him and telling us what a difference James had made in their life.  As we introduced him to the children, some even had tears.  One boy said "James is the reason I accepted God as my Father."

     During the trip, 8 schools were visited.  Three were colleges/universities and the remaining were boarding schools for primary and/or secondary.  The boarding schools all provide a clean, safe living space, three meals a day, excellent academics and clubs/sports.  Some were private while others were associated with another ministry and were Christian.  The Imana Kids board will work this weekend to decide on which of these schools is the best "fit" for the children of Kimisagara.  We hope to have the prices and profiles within the next 10 days.
     Additionally, the de-bedbugging of the orphanage was a success.  The older boys received a lesson on bedbugs; then excitedly went to work on applying the mattress covers and the diatomaceous earth.  Each of them grinned ear to ear, chatted nonstop and even applied a little of the earth on their faces.  One of the young women said "We may sleep too late if the bugs don't bite us."  We all decided that we could get an alarm clock if needed!

     The other development that took place in country is that we met 4 women from James' church who were former prostitutes.  All of them are joyful and loving, working hard to leave behind their old lives.  We believe that they may be the perfect women to fill the role of nanny, "Auntie" for the younger children at Kimisagara.  This would employ them and provide loving care to the little ones.
     Please take some time to consider sponsorship.  We need commitments from our sponsors because we know it would be devastating for a child to be sent to school only to be sent back to the orphanage again because of finances.  Not only are you investing financially but also emotionally.  These kids are just as excited to have someone to write to and pray for, someone to call their own.
   

Tough Choices.

     Imana Kids board members had some big decisions to make this week.  Gracious donors have raised over $4000 to assist us in our start up costs.  How big is that?!  We feel so humbled and thankful; not to mention a little intimidated to be moving forward...

     Moving forward means spending some of this donation money.  It means deciding when and whom should be traveling to Rwanda.  Truthfully, most of the board would love to be the ones to head to Africa and attend the meetings that need to occur so that we can continue to work toward our goal of a January start date in the boarding schools.  However, we know that what we want and what we need are usually very different things.  As a group, it was decided that Ryan and Kara Higgins should be the first two board members to return to Kigali.  We want our donors to be aware of the "whys" behind each of our decisions.  Ryan and Kara adopted two children from Rwanda in late 2009; the director of Hope for Homes (the governing agency for vulnerable children) was a part of their adoption and there is established rapport between her staff and the Higginses.  They also have several friends, both Rwandan and American, that live in Kigali and will provide assistance with meals, lodging and travel.  The board also felt that Ryan was the most business-minded of the group.  

     It was also decided that board members will continue to contribute as much of their own personal money as they can during trips regarding Imana Kids business.  

     Additionally, responsibilities were delegated among members and a monthly meeting schedule was established.  This weekend some of the board will be traveling to Urbandale, Iowa, a suburb of Des Moines, to give two presentations at Gloria Dei, a Lutheran church interested in sponsoring children as well as sending a Visiting Orphans team to Kigali in the future.  And on August 15 we will attend the Omaha Kiwanis Chapter meeting to present our nonprofit opportunities.

     We also wanted to share some "updates" on the kids of Kimisagara.  They have been on holiday over the last few weeks after taking national exams in the public schools.  Their holiday is spent in the orphanage, helping Papa Antoine with chores and watching over the little ones.  The older boys have been unable to sleep more than a few hours a night because of bug problems.  We have been trying to decipher the situation: bed bugs vs bat bugs vs fleas vs mosquitoes.  Our hope is that in the near future, when the first board members return, we will have the necessities needed to rid the sleeping area of the pests so that for the time being, these kids can rest well at night.  

    In addition, we are excited to be invited to send some of the young men and women to Esperance Institute's first English certification program in Kigali.  Check out their website to learn how they are empowering young adults through education. 

     We are at approximately 30 families/individuals that have expressed a desire to sponsor a child for the 2014 school year.  Thank you and expect to hear from us after the have more specific monthly costs outlined.