ADRA

Kenya Life Initiative Project

David*, and his younger sister, Emily, live in the small village of Nyanchwa in the Kisii highlands region of Kenya.

They've lived alone in their parents' house for one year. For them, it seems much longer. You see, their dad died back in 1995, and their mom died last year. Each of them died of AIDS.

Made of clay and branches, their small reddish house used to shelter a happy and cheerful family of five. But with their parents now gone and their big brother, John, away at school, the house is a dark and lonely place for David and Emily.

They're terrified of strange noises at night. David wonders if he'll be able to protect Emily if something bad happens. Every morning you'll find them squeezed together in each other's arms for safety.

"Our main problem used to be finding food for evenings and weekends," David says. "The most painful part of the day was going to bed starving. I'm responsible for my little sister, and I feel guilty if she is hungry."

But despite the tragedy of their parents' death and the daily struggle for survival, David and Emily believe they're blessed. Why? Because ADRA took them into its "Life Initiative" program, which meets the needs of thousands of orphaned children, widows, and caretakers.

David says, "We are so proud of ADRA! We receive two good meals a day plus our school uniforms. This uniform is the only clothing we have, but we keep it neat and clean." You can't go to school in Kenya if you don't wear a uniform, but none of these children can afford them. ADRA provides the uniforms and the school fees.

Their uniforms are as precious as gold, because they're a passport for a basic education. Teachers voluntarily serve as mentors and most of them personally help with medical bills and other expenses.

"Every night we pray to God that we'll still be alive in the morning," David continues, "and we ask Him to help the ADRA workers so they can still provide our food each day."

Will you help ADRA continue this vital program?

When he finishes high school, David wants to become a teacher. Emily wants to become a nurse and help orphans free of charge! She knows what it's like to be sick and have no medical help. Their lives are truly a lesson in courage.

ADRA supplies David and Emily's school with maize, millet, red beans and sugar. These highly nutritious ingredients are used to cook "Erongori" porridge, which they enjoy twice a day. These are the only solid meals of the day for David and Emily, and other child-headed households where parents have died of AIDS.

To afford a light supper, David fetches water for neighbors and Emily sells bananas in the street. Together they earn 50 cents for an entire weekend's work. Sam also cultivates his father's tiny square piece of land using ADRA seeds.

In ADRA's "Life Initiative" program, ADRA provides each of the 6,000 families in the program with soy, beans, and maize seeds to start small gardens. Boiled maize is the main ingredient for ugali, the traditional Kenyan meal. Basic agricultural skills are taught, and to keep the project sustainable, families have to return to the project the same amount of seeds they received. That way, ADRA will help more people!

Will you partner with ADRA in its "Life Initiative" program?

Big brother John studies in a nearby secondary boarding school through an ADRA scholarship. Recently he was able to save a little money to buy four chicks. He proudly brought them home for David and Emily's care. The kids are eagerly waiting for the first egg!

"We won't eat the first egg," Emily says, "but we'll keep it as a trophy!" They plan to cook the second egg and share it between the three of them. And the third egg will be sold.

Fifty percent of Kenya's population lives below the poverty line. ADRA currently assists 6,000 households in the Kisii district, but we face tremendous challenges keeping up with the needs of child-headed households, and we don't want to leave any children out of the program. But resources are limited.

Will you share a generous donation today so that ADRA can continue and expand its lifesaving work in Kenya?

Two meals a day, a uniform, and simple school fees are all it takes to raise a generation of children who will become productive members of society. Without our help, some may die, and others will become street children with little hope. Together, though, we can provide a bright future. Thanks for your support.

*Names have been changed to protect the children.

Written by by Marie-Jo Guth, the planned giving manager, ADRA International