Children like the little girl being held in my friend's lap just make you feel like you can't build an orphanage fast enough.
If you've been following my blog, you know a little about the IDP camp. We don't often think about people becoming refugees within their own country, but it happens. The people of the IDP camp near Kijabe are of the Kikuyu tribe and were unfortunate enough to be living in Western Kenya during the post election violence of 2008. They were chased from their homes and buisnesses there and now live in tents in the Rift Valley.
The little girl above is about 2 years old. Her mother is gone- apparently left for the coast and hasn't returned. Her 5 year old sister is pretty much her caretaker. There are others but they are rarely around. This little girl has a rash covering her entire body. She probably had scabies, fleas, or bed bugs, and has scratched herself to the point of developing a total body rash that would take weeks to resolve only if she had daily baths, medicine, clean clothes, and a clean place to sleep at night. God willing that will happen sooner rather than later.
Naomi's Village is an orphanage being built just across the highway from the IDP camp and will serve as a place of love and nuturing for many vulnerable children just like this girl. We are hoping the building will be complete before the end of the year. However, it takes much more than a building to have make a home for these children. The following are some important needs of Naomi's Village:
1. Kenyan leaders: With a heart for serving God and loving children. It will take some dedicated Kenyan's to make this house a home.
2. Legal aid: I wish is was easy to sweep up little girls like the one described hear into a loving home, but it isn't. The proper channels for doing so can take a lot of work and money. Be praying for grace with the Kenyan government so that these children can be placed in a home.
3. Funding: The building is not yet complete, and there are still needs to make it happen.
Check out Naomi's Village on facebook: www.facebook.com/NaomisVillage
I'm am truely impressed at the thoughtful construction and planning going into this project. The aim is to make this a self sufficient compound with land for farming and cows. All of the water that is used by the house will be recycled to feed the crops. It's really a neat place. The vision here is to gift children with a stable loving home and teach them to become leaders in their own community and in that way help change the country. A great vision and worth investing in.
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