Sierra Leone Update

The Sierra Leone Project is moving forward all in God’s timing. Praise the Lord! Although some of the children recently contracted chicken pox, they are all happy and excited with the positive changes in their lives. The introduction of sewing machines and Garcia tie dying should assist in developing new skills. The children just completed their inter-house sports meet with the blue team coming out on top. Between school and sports the children help by doing chores around the orphanage including laundry, cleaning, cooking, and dishes. Everyone also pitched in and cleared two acres of land for the planting of cassava (a staple in their diet). The children are eager to help with projects that will improve their diet. A small pig farm is high on the prayer list at the home.

Please pray for the children and workers at the Karen Baird’s Children’s Home. Please pray for their safety and health, for funding for a pig farm, and an increase in the monthly support that is raised for the home. May all the honor and glory from this project be given to God and that the Gospel of Christ continues to be proclaimed in Sierra Leone. God Bless and Thank you!

By Phil d’Entremont

Olorien Community Clinic Update

Our wonderful clinic in Arusha, Tanzania is steadily gaining regional recognition for the skill and compassion with which they serve their community. Dr. Byemba reports that they are seeing the maximum number of patients possible (600 per week) and are still maintaining a high quality of care even in the face of heavy demand.

The Olorien Clinic faces and overcomes challenges on a daily basis. In February, a young family frantically came to the clinic with their four-year-old son who was suffering from a raging fever and convulsions. The state-run hospital turned them away because of their inability to pay the medical fees. The boy was dying from cerebral malaria, a rare and more severe strain of the normal virus. However, the staff took immediate action and they were able to stabilize the boy. In just 24 hours he was running and playing after narrowly avoiding an untimely and unnecessary death. There are countless similar stories exemplifying the effectiveness of the clinic and staff.

We recently finished our medical housing project, which includes a nice home for Dr. Byemba and his family as well as two apartments for visiting medical personnel.

The next project on tap, slated to begin immediately, is a two-story x-ray and lab building which will house our new x-ray unit as well as allow for expansion of our in-house lab facilities. This will not only provide the only x-ray unit in the area, but also free up space in the main facility for an additional doctor’s examination room. Please pray for our clinic; especially for the strength and wisdom of Dr. Byemba and our staff. Also, please pray for the funds we need ($20,000) to finish the x-ray building.

By Sandy Baird

Kibera Penda Project

Since starting Kibera Penda Project in 2008, we have seen incredible growth in the desire, motivation and hope of the students living in Kibera. We are now partnering with sponsors to send 76 students to government day-school and 37 students to boarding school. This year 31 out of the 53 students from New Hope Primary School passed their Class 8 national exams - the school's highest percentage ever and we are anticipating that this number will grow even more! We are grateful that most of our sponsors from previous years are continuing their commitment, allowing these children to continue their education. Kibera Penda Project will have their first student, Gladys Atieno, graduate high school this spring and we are committed to sponsoring her at a university this fall. In addition, we are sponsoring two New Hope Primary School staff members to continue their university education.

This year we are also focusing on ways to help those who do not pass their Class 8 national exams. New Hope Initiative placed three of the girls at Seed of Hope, a girl's vocational training center that emphasizes education and teaches job skills necessary for their future success.

We place high expectations on our students in Kibera Penda Project, and we want our students committed to their future. Our goal is to give them the necessary resources, allowing them to work hard and escape the poverty cycle. We realize that not every student will succeed in this program, but we have seen a drastic change in the motivation and determination of these students. They understand the opportunity they have been given, and they do not take it for granted. However, we still have a few students who need sponsors for high school. If you are interested in helping give hope through education, please visit our website at www.kiberapendaproject.com

By Ava Baird

New Hope Church Update

The year 2012 has ushered in a wonderful new era for our partners at the New Hope Center in the Nairobi area slum called Kibera. After 30 years of meeting in a ramshackle and old facility, the congregation moved to a beautiful new building where they enjoy a space that will not only accommodate the growing crowds, but will also allow for further development in the future. On the first Sunday of March, Pastor Simon and his congregation were privileged to report one of the largest attendances in the history of the church with almost 1,000 people. It is a blessing to see the growth of this church, as only three short years ago the congregation averaged 50 people per week! We ask you to pray for the church, that they will effectively use their new facility to reach many people with the message of Jesus Christ. Also, please pray for the funds necessary to complete the facility with flooring, paint, and other improvements. The total cost for completion is approximately $25,000.

A New Hope In Kibera

My name is Festus Muendo and I am the headmaster of Kibera New Hope School and Jesus Christ is my personal savior. New Hope School is situated in the slum of Kibera with a total enrollment of 617 pupils and is funded and supported by New Hope Initiative. I'll provide a brief history of the school and share the impact of New Hope Initiative. Kibera School began in the year 2002 and received financial support from Oxfam International. Unfortunately, they pulled out after some time due to misappropriation of funds. Upon Oxfam International’s departure, the school's enrollment fell below 200 and there was little hope for its survival. The school was desperate as there were only two teachers left, almost bringing the school to a standstill! In the midst of these trying circumstances, Pastor Simon called together the remaining pupils and teachers and prayed that God would open new doors. Although the situation was bleak, we still trusted that God would provide.

Less than two weeks later, Sandy Baird, now the Director for New Hope Initiative, visited Kibera. He visited during a layover for a flight that would eventually take him to Uganda. Sandy assumed he was going to see some animals or engage in some other tourist activity. Thank God, Sandy’s guide directed him and his team to Kibera as the main attraction! Little did we know that God intended to use Sandy's family and friends from the United States to give Kibera School new hope.

When Sandy first visited, the pupils who had completed grade 8 never moved on to secondary school. Due to poverty, many of these former students turned to crime, drug abuse, and other acts of immorality. Even young girls, of the age of 13, would engage in prostitution and early marriage as a means to receive money! In 2007, when Sandy visited with his wife Karen (our dear mum), Kelsey, Ava and Kyle Baird, we explained the difficulties that our students faced and they were touched. Kyle was so moved that he developed the Penda Project to provide scholarships for pupils who qualified for secondary education. This new program accompanied a wave of new improvements. Along with the Penda Project, we also started a feeding program for the school. As a result of these new developments, the population of the school increased dramatically.

The buildings were still in poor condition, but God provided once again and we were able to build twelve well-equipped, modern classrooms and twelve modern toilets for the children. Now, if you walk in Kibera, it looks like a university! New Hope Initiative brought hope to the hopeless in Kibera! Today, the school has 617 pupils who now have access to a quality primary education. New Hope Initiative and Penda Project provide/assist with school fees, provide stationery, school uniforms and supplies that the children need. Karen Baird has also been a real mother to us in Kibera, by helping with medical support and personal care items for students that were not available in the past.

New Hope Initiative’s work in our school and community inspired us to change the name from Kibera School to Kibera New Hope Center. Breaking the cycle of poverty is our new hope for the boys and girls in Kibera. I know this first hand since Penda Project is making my dreams come true by sponsoring my university education.

I would like to thank the Bairds as well as our good friends and churches for supporting us in Kibera, Kenya. Your work in Jesus Christ is not in vain! Thanks, and may God bless you all!

By Festus Muendo