A Special Place for Special Needs

Those of you who are familiar with all of New Hope Initiative’s projects might wonder why you haven’t heard anything regarding our orphanage for children with special needs in some time. Our last visit there was several years ago and we wanted to wait before sending an update. In September we visited the orphanage with a team from Sagemont Church in Houston, Texas. Our project in India is easily our most unique, as it diligently cares for children with both physical and mental challenges. The orphanage is small, as we are only meeting the needs of 15 children. This is a result of both funding issues, as well as the extra care required by the children.

The challenges these children face range from mild academic-related delays to extreme developmental issues that have rendered them totally incapable of caring for themselves. Some of the children have physical disabilities and one is hearing impaired (see Im(re)paired). Five of the fifteen orphans do not suffer from mental or physical challenges and serve as mentors and helpers to the more challenged children.

These five, all girls, were abandoned by their families who did not want to raise more female children. Abuse and other unspeakable horrors awaited them if left to a life on the streets. These young ladies, ranging in age from 12-14, are a great help to our facility.

Our goals for this center are to increase monthly funding so that we can add about 10 more children and to move our new director, a local named Jenny, from two days each week to a full time position.

Jenny has a degree in physical therapy and experience with children with special needs. She is doing an amazing job and we are incredibly happy that we added her to our staff of caregivers.

We also need a deep-water well on the property as all water is currently brought in by truck. A new well will cut operating costs, raise the level of care, and allow for farming. Not only will this improve the children’s diet, but give them valuable skills needed to survive.

The orphanage can be a challenging place. This is due to the extreme nature of the challenges these children face, and also the reality many of these children are discarded like trash because families believe they are a curse from the gods. However, no matter how great the challenges, it is awesome to see the difference we are making in the lives of these very special children. It is because of your continued prayer and support that we are able to serve this community.

Christmas Magic

You can bring incredible joy this holiday season to some of the poorest children in the world as you participate in our New Hope Initiative Christmas Project. We are hosting numerous Christmas parties in homes across America to raise funds for the children that New Hope Initiative sponsors in Africa and Asia. All of these funds (100%) will go towards Christmas presents for the children and projects that will directly impact their lives. These parties are informal, fun, and a great way for you to share your passion for New Hope Initiative with your friends and family. Check out our website to see if there is a party scheduled in your community. If there are none in your area, you can host a party!

We have a package available that will allow you to host a party. It is simple, easy, and is a great way to make a difference in the lives of the children New Hope Initiative sponsors. If you are interested in learning more about hosting, please email Beth Snyder. Make this a very special Christmas for some very special children.

Meet the Women of Project Biashara: Mary Muthoni

Project Biashara (“business” in Swahili) is one of the primary ministries of New Hope Initiative in the slum of Kibera, in Nairobi, Kenya. The project grants micro-loans to women to provide capital in starting small businesses. These businesses range from selling produce, to making jewelry, to even starting hair salons. There are about 50 women involved with Project Biashara and they are now able to better support their families and raise their children. Mary Muthoni is one of the many women involved with Project Biashara. She is 65 and has eight children (Thiongo, Wambua, Mburu, Wajiuru, Njoronge, Njau, Nyokabi, Ngathoni, and Wairinu (passed away)) and four grandchildren (Joyce, Dennis, Pauline, and Brian). She sells sweet potatoes and casaba for her business.

Through Project Biashara, Mary uses her profits to cover rent, purchase clothes and food, help pay for her children’s school fees, and cover the costs for her diabetes medication.* Her business also allows her to spread God’s love throughout the community. As a Christian businesswoman, she is a positive role model for the community and is now able to tithe and give offerings to her church. Project Biashara is truly a blessing in Mary’s life, but it does not mean that life is without its difficulties.

When the economic crisis hit in the United States just a couple of years ago, the entire world felt the impact. The devaluation of the Kenyan currency through massive inflation has led to a much higher cost of living throughout the country. This change is magnified in regions like Kibera, making it difficult for Mary to sell her produce. As a result, it is more challenging for her to purchase the essentials that she needs.

Regardless of the current challenges in her life, Mary is very grateful for Project Biashara and everything God has done in her life since she first came to Christ 10 years ago. She asks that you keep her and her family in your prayers. Please pray that her diabetes stabilizes and for overall better health. Also, pray for her children and grandchildren, that they would receive clothes and the school fees needed to further their education and pave their way out of poverty. Lastly, pray that God opens doors for her business and her witness. God is more powerful than a difficult economic time and Mary knows that He will continue to work wonders in her life.

* At the time of the interview with Mary, she and many other women had to pay for their medications. Since most of the medications were imported from other nations, the cost was quite expensive. Mary often had to choose between purchasing her medication or food. If she took her medication without food and on an empty stomach, she would get sick. However, if she didn’t take her medicine, her diabetic symptoms worsen. Now, as a result of your support, New Hope Initiative is able to provide the medication for women like Mary. She will not have to make a decision between medicine or food in the future.

By Michael Holmes

A Word From The Directors

We are just finishing our very busy summer travel season and have had the pleasure of hosting 10 teams since late May! Every group has brought something special to the table and we have seen the work progress in nearly every facet of ministry. I am always amazed at the incredible heart, passion, and talents of the ministry partners God sends us. These trips are more than just mission vacations, but are vital to the ongoing work of New Hope Initiative. Without question our greatest tool in expanding the work of NHI is our short - term exposure experiences. The vast majority of our trips are group-specific trips where a church, school, or other organization brings a team from a single entity. However, in January we are going to have two open enrollments trips to Africa. From January 8 to 17, 2013 we will open enrollment for a trip going to the Kibera Slum of Nairobi, Kenya. The second trip will be to our NHI orphanage in Sierra Leone West Africa. This trip will be from January 17 to January 27, 2013. Both of these trips will be life-changing experiences. If you are interested in more details, contact Sandy Baird at s.baird@newhopeinitiative.org.

By Sandy and Karen Baird - Directors of New Hope Initiative

Construction Boom

During the past few weeks, two New Hope Initiative projects in East Africa saw construction of vital facilities accelerate at an incredible pace. We are currently about 60% complete on a large new wing for our medical center in Arusha, Tanzania. This new wing will house the very first charitable x-ray service in all of northern Tanzania. In addition to the x-ray facilities, the second level of our new building will also house an expanded lab and diagnostic section. This allows us to offer a greater range of services at much faster speeds. When we move the lab from its current position in the main wing, we will have the space to add a third doctor, increasing our capacity to see more patients on a daily basis. This is an exciting new development for our medical center and will double our usable square footage. We would ask you to pray for this project, as we are currently about $25,000 dollars short of the needed funds to bring the project to a timely completion.

Our second major project this summer is the completion of our new church construction in Kibera. The facility was under roof and usable last fall, however code restrictions in Nairobi have prevented the Kibera congregation from fully utilizing the building. This summer we added flooring, finished carpentry, painted, installed a septic system, and finished the Pastor's housing in the basement. The facility is now 90% complete and we are excited to report that the Kibera church is now using the facility on a weekly basis. We are thankful for the help that several of our summer teams brought to this project. It is exciting to see the ministries in both Arusha and Kibera going forward in these tangible and visible ways.

By Sandy Baird - Director of New Hope Initiative