Day 76 Changing lives

I went to Bomani to take pictures of all the staff. I also talked with Abraham for a while. He told me that when many of the children first enroll in the class they have bloated stomachs due to lack of nutrition. The rest of their body is skinny, but their stomachs are large. This happens because of a lack of protein. The children generally will only have one meal a day. The meal might consist of ugali (corn) and coconut. That is not much to live on. Children cry from hunger pains. However, the children that are enrolled at this center are fed a well balanced meal. They are able to transform their physical condition due to the nutrience provided by the breakfast and lunch they receive.

In addition to the physical nutrition they receive, the children also develop good behavioral skills. Many times when a child is enrolled at New Life school, their behavior is poor. After spending time learning about God and how to live, their performance in behavior drastically changes for the good. Parents many times end up surprised at the additional chores the child will do around the house and the increase in respect they are getting from their child.

One child named Vero started to attend New Life school. Her English was greatly improved. This impressed her dad and her neighbors. They were all very surprised at how well she could speak English. Now she recites memory verses for her parents and helps out with chores around the house willingly.

Another child named Cosmas enrolled at New Life school about 2 years ago. When Cosmas started he did not know how to read or write and had very bad behavior. Now, he is within the top 3 of his class. His behavior has been changed from bad to good.

As I think of Cosmas and Vero, I also think of the other 200 plus children at the school. All of their lives have been changed for the better. I know that this school will be a great stepping stone for these children to break the cycle of poverty for themselves and hopefully for their families and community. They are able to learn, develop and grow in ways that would not be possible without the opportunity to attend here.

Poverty is a cycle that can be changed in areas where outreach is prevalent. There are enough people in this world that care and would like to help. However, the thought of it being too big of a task is a stumbling block. One life at a time is where it all starts… Without starting small, something big cannot happen. What seems small to one person means the world to another.

Changing lives is simple. We complicate it by over thinking it.

Words of wisdom from George: Most of us stop thinking about God and start thinking of ourselves. When we do that we lose focus. We rely on ourselves and others instead of God to care for our needs. However, if we think of God, we can know that he will be thinking of us and caring for our needs. He thinks of us far more than we think of ourselves and intends to provide for those with faith.