Sunday July 10th, 2016.
Today, a welcomed day of rest.
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We attended church at Yatta Campus of MCF for church and for a tour.
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This is the campus houses young single mothers.
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The campus is modest but encompasses a lot of service offerings:
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1. Vocational, career skills training for mothers to build financial independence:
– hair styling/braiding
– computer lab
– sewing/tailoring/seamstress training
2. MCF headquarters/multipurpose rooms.
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3. Greenhouses.
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4. Farm fields.
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5. Five water reservoirs:
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6. Childcare facilities:
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We joined them for Sunday Service.
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Lovely sounds.
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Happy. Lively. Celebratory.
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<<BENEFICIARY TESTIMONY: “Rio”>>
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One of the MCF leaders that is helping to host us was an MCF beneficiary himself. He goes by the nickname “Rio” because of his love for soccer.
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Rio is a handsome and tall thin young man.
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Nairobi has 4 big slums.
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Rio grew up in the second biggest slum of Nairobi called: “Kibera”
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Life was hard.
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They often went without food. Their mother had three children to support.
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Rio often roamed the streets to gather firewood to sell. The family was also affected by alcohol.
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The family had no funds to afford Rio an education.
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An MCF worker named John Maina met Rio and his family and introduced them to MCF in 2009.
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Rio was provided schooling, training and opportunities via MCF.
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Rio wants to use his skills to give back. For now he is a youth leader at MCF.
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Rio shared that MCF has allowed him to feel the pride of being part of a family, having loving “adoptive” parents, being educated, feeling parental love, having many brothers and sisters.
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Rio is now in the second year of university, studying business.
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The way Rio delivered his testimony was very “matter-of-fact” and unemotional. Some if his childhood friends have already been killed, he states, sadly. Maybe that fate was averted for him. The harsh reality of a slum survivor helped by MCF and its programs and services and previous beneficiaries.
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Now, a plan and hope.
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Hope to someday to give back.
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He already is.
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<<BENEFICIARY TESTIMONY: A Young Mother>>
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We also heard from a young mother & MCF beneficiary presently living at the Yatta campus.
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She shared her life story with us which involved complex cultural & heart-wrenching facts:
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– she was born into a tribe which has certain culturally accepted practices..
– being arranged for marriage at a tender age
– female circumcision.
– a dowry being paid.
– married at age 16 to a much older man.
– polygamy: the husband had 3 other wives
– a bad marital situation.
– giving birth to 2 children.
– a husband unable to support her.
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Fortunately she was introduced to MCF’s Yatta Campus and its young mother program.
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She is now a happy young mother with skills training and she has aspirations to open her own storefront.
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Team Tumaini 2016 