You may have heard about the recent violence in Kenya, including a church burning in Eldoret, and 350,000 people displaced (according to Newsweek). Here are five ways you can help the Kenyan people during this time of crisis.
1. World Vision: Donate to emergency aid disaster response. World Vision is an excellent humanitarian and child sponsorship organization.
2. Kenya Children’s Fund: Donate or sponsor a child. Kenya Children’s Fund is an excellent child sponsorship organization located in Kinyago-Dandora in Nairobi, Kenya--one of the regions affected by the recent violence.
I sponsor 18-year-old Faizo through this organization. I’d like to share some quotes from his letters with you. He wants to be a doctor, which he considers "a marvelous career." His role models are his teachers, who "are sharpening my mind to be full of knowledge, so that one day I could help my society in rebuilding it." He also writes, "I don’t know how I can express my gratitude to you but I’m really happy and glad."
When my violin teacher went to Kenya with Kenya Children’s Fund, she introduced music to their schools and ran a photojournal project. The children took photos with disposable cameras, and then wrote why they took those particular photos. What really struck me was that they were so thankful for everything--their parents, health, and many other things I tend to take for granted (one thing Faizo writes that he’s thankful for is the "fresh air in the atmosphere.") So much is happening to bring joy to Kenyan kids and teens through this organization, and I hope you’ll be a part of it.
Read the Kenya Children’s Fund web site for information on their organization during this time of crisis. Help recruit friends and fundraise for Kenya Children’s Fund on the Teens with a Vision Facebook Cause page.
3. Raising Awareness: Make a goal of telling five other people about the violence in Kenya and how they can help, too.
4. Give an Easter basket to kids in Kenya. Every Easter, Faizo and the other Kenyan children get a month off from school. To me, time off from school means joyous freedom and a relaxing break, but to these students, it means hunger. Since many Kenyan kids eat the majority of their meals at school, they often return to KCF sick and malnourished at the end of the month.
To combat this hunger, Kenya Children’s Fund started the Easter Care Basket program. They give students care baskets with food and soap for their month-long vacation. Donating an Easter Care Basket through Kenya Children’s Fund is an awesome way to show your love to Kenyan students and help them when they need it most.
With the recent ethnic and political violence in Kenya, these kids need your help to relieve their suffering now more than ever. One basket can prevent malnourishment and thus susceptibility to diseases. One basket can save a life.
Each care basket costs $15 and includes:
• 4 kgs (8 lbs) maize flour
• 4 kgs rice
• 2 kgs (4 lbs) wheat flour
• 2 kgs cooking oil
• 2 kgs sugar
• 500 grams tea
• biscuits
• soap
You can donate to Kenya Children’s Fund through the Teens with a Vision Facebook Cause page or the Kenya Children’s Fund web site. To see photos of children and their parents with Easter care baskets, click here. Recruit your friends through Facebook or e-mail to let them know how they can feed a hungry child for Easter.
5. Take a moment to think about these people, honor those who were harmed or are suffering right now, and reflect on how you can help.
