Goal: ongoing need
Deadlines: Ongoing period; annual 2-3 week trips in February
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Mission Statement: To assist poor, downtrodden children and their families in the town of Meru, Kenya, northeast of Nairobi on the slopes of Mt. Kenya. These children have been orphaned mainly by HIV/AIDs. Many are being raised by poor, single grandparents, some without housing or tillage; others are living on the street, with no hope of a better life. We are partnering with Meru's agencies and churches to provide these children with food, school fees/uniforms, healthcare and love, showing that we care about them.
Brief history: The Lakeside Kenya Children Mission Project was founded in May, 2008 with the objective of helping children living on the street or in rural settings without the means to grow up as productive members of their society. The first trip to Kenya in January-February of 2009 focused on the township of Meru, about 180 kilometers north of Nairobi, where our mission leader, Karl Morthole, had taught in a ‘Harambee' (self-help) secondary school. We met with roughly 11 different groups in Meru to determine the extent and capability of their support for poor, orphaned children, and their ability to partner with us.
From that survey, 4 groups were selected as the initial partners, with the understanding that as our mission grows and possibly diversifies with additional experience, that we might support additional groups and/or increase the level of effort for those whom we had already selected. Our support in 2009 was in the form of school fees, food, clothing, and medicine. In Feb. 2010, volunteers stayed in Meru family homes and provided additional hands-on support for direct nursing assistance, home construction, moving equipment into new facilities and surveying the need for critical equipment such as computers, photovoltaic cell power systems, batteries, satellite dishes, and vehicles.
Mission Support: Donations for the Lakeside Kenya Mission will accrue to the benefit of the mission children and their families, through the activity of our partner organizations in Meru. Our partner organizations are: The Methodist Church of Kenya in the Runogone section of Meru, Ripples International - a Christian charitable non-profit, and the street children programs supported by the Methodist Church of Kenya at the Catholic Consolata Mission located in the Mjini slum of Meru, and by the Diocese of Meru facilities located in the Nkabune area Meru. Mission members pay for their own trip expenses to and from Kenya, and for their travel-living expenses in Kenya.
The 2010 trip to Meru included seven individuals from the Lakeside congregation and three from New York City, Palo Alto, and Sacramento. Two of the people were nurses with prior experience in Africa, one was a coach who sponsored a soccer tournament for the children, Lakeside's pastor preached in the Runogone Church in Meru, others taught children in some special topics. Everyone enjoyed the fellowship of our Kenya partners.
Project ID: 60
