Desiree and Al brought a ton of supplies for the girls
to decorate the home this holiday season.
It looks like Teresia had a lot of fun making her decorations today!

]]> http://www.mothersfightingforothers.com/desiree-and-al-bring-their-christmas-to-kenya/feed/ 0 http://www.mothersfightingforothers.com/a-new-tradition-birthday-celebrations-2/ http://www.mothersfightingforothers.com/a-new-tradition-birthday-celebrations-2/#comments Wed, 19 Jan 2011 16:48:08 +0000 HeadMutha http://www.mothersfightingforothers.com/?p=3415 It is such a simple thing – birthday celebrations.

However, the amazing thing is, when I met the girls three and half years ago, some of them didn’t even know their birthday, let alone celebrate them. That has all changed now. The new Saint Monica’s celebrates the girls birthdays every month with a grand monthly celebration. It’s a wonderful addition to the home and the girls feel special. And really, that’s what this is all about.

I thought I would share some of the photos that were sent over to us last month. Click on the pictures to see the larger versions. I hope you enjoy!

A Is For Aids, is the title of a primary reader. It’s part of the New Progressive Primary English (NPPE) course in Kenya. It’s targeted at elementary school children. It is self-described as a “reading scheme that offers the modern pupil an excellent mix of graded stories all packed with many exciting things. Now the pupil has fun that’s built to last.”

I took screen shots of a few of the pages. The page to the right reads, “O is for orphans. Mother went first. Father followed fast. AIDS is not a curse, we’ll win at last.” I am wholly unfamiliar with what being a child in extreme poverty in Kenya, especially an orphaned child, must be like. But I’m going to come back to this post any time I’m having doubts about the veracity of what MFFO is doing.

We’re helping orphaned girls become powerful women. Educating girls is a key to breaking the cycle of poverty and preventing the spread of AIDS.

The “create your own” link caught my eye and the first thought that popped into my head was, “we already have one.” The story of how Mothers Fighting For Others came to be is a real life Google Search Story. Rocky tells it in her Founder’s Letter. It begins, “I would have never guessed that Mothers Fighting For Others would have started by a simple Google Search on “Volunteer Africa” in 2006. I was just doing research, that’s it. Less than a year, and many, many shots later, I was to far off Kenya. I volunteered with Global Volunteer Network and was assigned with an all girls orphanage outside of Nairobi.”

At this very moment she is once again in Kenya and the girls at Saint Monica’s Childrens Home are now in a new place. It’s been an amazing journey. To cap it off, she returns from this trip on Mother’s Day. It just doesn’t get any better. So, I just had to put together this Google Search Story.

It makes me smile. I hope it makes you smile too.

This is the Mount Kenya Room. We’re figuring out where to put all the beds!

Passing out supplies for school to ALL the girls! We will need sponsors!!

MFFO and Sisters Arise Project cheering the accomplishment.

Thank you ALL for your continued support!

I was on Skype with Rocky when she told me that the girls had no concept of what a slumber party was. That’s certainly no surprise. It’s a cultural thing. So when I saw this first tweet, I was prepared.

[tweeted]http://twitter.com/headmutha/status/12958923946[/tweeted]

Rocky uses the same tactic when our family stays somewhere that can’t really fit our six kids properly. Beds on the floor = a slumber party. In this case, the beds in the new home are not put together yet and this is their first night in the new home. Then the next tweet came a short while later:

[tweeted]http://twitter.com/headmutha/status/12959535813[/tweeted]

To be sure, knowing every detail of the trials encountered to get to this point, and even from this great distance, witnessing what has transpired is indeed a miracle. I can hear the joy in her written words and I can tell she is in her happy place. And I still kept it together. But the next tweet sent me over the edge and I couldn’t hold back the tears of joy.

[tweeted]http://twitter.com/headmutha/status/12960397589[/tweeted]

The new home is indeed beautiful, but what makes it special is that it will be a home, not an orphanage run inside an old motel. There will be laughter and love and respect. And there will be discipline and struggles and tears, all handled with respect and love. They way they are supposed to be handled. If we are to help orphaned girls become powerful women, we must give them more than just a formal education. We must strive to provide for them a living example of what is possible in the homes they will create for themselves and their children.

This is day one of their journey. I’m looking forward to taking it with them.

I’ve seen most of the photos numerous times. I imagine that I am a lot like most of you who follow what is happening with MFFO. I look at the photos trying to get a feel for a place that I have never visited. I look at the photos trying to get to know, on some level, girls I have never met, but who I’ve come to love. Last night, I was simply missing my wife.

But the photo below stopped me in my tracks. It helped me focus and helped me go to sleep. It captures a simple moment in time. Two girls are reading a book. As a result, it clearly illustrates our mission: helping orphaned girls become powerful women.

What can you see in this photo? Call me pollyanna, but I see hope. I see the cycle of poverty being broken. “Educated girls grow into educated women, who – research shows – have healthier babies and are more likely to educate their children.” It’s the girl effect.  Writing this now has me on the verge of tears.

This photo is what MFFO is about.

This is why we’re taking action in Kenya by creating a new home for 34 girls. We believe that part of the education process is teaching girls that they DESERVE to be treated with respect. Combine an education with a healthy sense of self-worth, and you’ve powerfully changed a life. And changing the life of a girl is important. Here are some facts provided by The Girl Effect.

1. When a girl in a developing country receives seven or more years of education, she marries four years later, and has 2.2 fewer children.
2. Educated girls grow into educated women, who – research shows – have healthier babies and are more likely to educate their children.
3. When girls and women earn income, they reinvest 90 percent of it into their families, as compared to only 30 to 40 percent for a man.
4. An extra year of primary school boosts girls’ future wages by 10 to 20 percent.
5. An extra year of secondary school boosts girls’ future wages by 15 to 25 percent.

At Mothers Fighting For Others, our mission is to help orphaned girls become powerful women. And there’s a lot of work to be done. If you’d like to help, please let us know.

This is amazing news. For the last two months, we have been unable to speak freely about the work we’ve been doing behind the scenes with our US partner, Stepwise, and our Kenyan NGO partners, Sisters Arise Project, to take over the guardianship of the 34 girls so we could move them into a more suitable home. Today, it is done.

We have been unable to speak openly about this until now. But you should know that the money you have donated in the past few weeks has already been put to work. We have secured a new temporary location for the girls and have paid for four months rent in advance.

I Leave For Kenya On Thursday

The timing of this news could not be better. Although we had some concern about how the volcanic activity in Iceland might affect this trip, that now appears to be mitigated. When I arrive in Kenya, my main focus will now be:

• preparing the new facility
• purchasing the needed supplies
• and moving the girls into the their new temporary home.

This signals a whole new chapter for these girls’ lives. And we could not be more thrilled. You will now begin to see more frequent updates about exactly what we’re doing and exactly why your funds are needed and where they are going.

Thank you all for your support. My heart is filled with joy right now!