It is always exciting when AfricaHope delivers Christmas Gifts to the villages, but it was extra special this year because Narok is parched. Droughts make almost every aspect of life more difficult. Shepherds have to travel further to graze livestock, and money doesn’t go as far.
The Christmas gift vouchers came at a critical time and have allowed families to cover school fees and food costs. Typically, families use the monthly Direct Give to pay school fees, but because of the drought, their crops are struggling, and they use the Direct Give to purchase food for their families. There has been some rain, but we pray for the drought to end.
Despite the stressful season, sponsored children and their families gathered when AfricaHope arrived to distribute the Christmas gifts. As AfricaHope unloaded pallet-sized packages of blankets, the excitement increased. Children are usually only gifted with these blankets when they begin secondary school, so they are a special gift. Over a hundred children will get to sleep wrapped in a warm blanket during the cool savannah nights.
The same children received solar lights, which allows them to work on homework and read their Bibles past sunset. They are excited to share the bright lights with their siblings and neighbors to study together. Because of sponsorship, children who received a Bible are in school and can practice reading it. The gifted backpacks with notebooks, crayons, pencils, and other supplies equip children for learning in the classroom.
A mother of a sponsored child shared with AfricaHope that as the market day was approaching, she was planning her purchases. She saved for a solar light for her children, but was hesitant to purchase anything besides food because of the drought. Her husband was traveling to graze their livestock, and she didn’t know when he would return. Before the market day came, her daughter, Regina, received a gift voucher and solar light! Their family’s joy was visible as they praised God for answering prayers.
You are showing the love of Jesus to the Maasai people in rural Kenya through your consistent, loving generosity. Lives are being transformed. May God bless you!
“Generous hands are blessed hands because they give bread to the poor.” Proverbs 22:9 (MSG)