than the happiest day of your past!
(Irish Saying)
Easter greetings to friends and supporters of Family Hope Charity, from Tom O’Hern and my Kenyan colleagues Jack Oduor, Henry Kunusiah, Michael Mwilili.
On Palm Sunday I attended Mass at the Holy Family Cathedral. The celebrant was this little old Italian priest with huge dark bushy eyebrows that would turn Groucho Marx green with envy. Fr. Gemina usually preaches a pretty good homily. He’s a very demonstrative speaker with hands and arms flying in all directions to punctuate every point. I’ve always thought it was hard to preach about the Resurrection in poor countries like Kenya, especially to slum dwellers who experience violence, deprivation, disease and despair every day. But Father Gemina made the best point about Easter I’ve heard in a long time. He stated that all Christians by their words and actions are called to make sure that all our brothers and sisters never forget that every Good Friday is followed by Easter Sunday. That suffering is never the last word and whether it is in this life or the next and it won’t be the final word in our lives. The poor people that Family Hope Charity works with have endless troubles. The real threat they face, though is giving into the conviction that their life will be nothing more than Good Friday now and forever.
The Christ our clients see at work in you through your generosity and kindness to Family Hope Charity has helped them believe that the possibilities of Easter Sunday can come into their lives too. Recently, we were able to make a substantial donation to a community owned and operated slum clinic in Nairobi that is the only source of health care to the poorest of the poor in that area. The donation which was from funds you have given us, will allow them to set up a school book bag making project. The proceeds from the book bags that are sold will go to buying medicine and medical equipment for the clinic, enabling it to continue to provide extremely low cost medical care to children under 5 who might not otherwise receive treatment.
Your future generosity will allow Family Hope Charity to:
1) Partner with Catholic Relief Services in setting up a peace and reconciliation program in a section of the Rift Valley of Kenya which was the scene of many deaths and much destruction after the 2007 national elections. Our contribution is to set up and guide ‘daily savings groups’ which enable poor people to work together on income generating projects that help them fulfil their dreams. Experience shows that people from various tribes who work together and experience success together are less likely to turn on each other.
2) Partner with Rotary International to build a bio-centre at an HIV/Aids orphanage located on an island in Lake Victoria. Bio-centres are sanitation facilities that utilize the methane generated from human waste for cooking food and heating water. The orphanage kitchen will use this facility to prepare meals for the orphans and the showers will provide clean bathing facilities for these young children.
Send any donations to Family Hope Charity’s fiscal sponsors:
Jim Seghers
Totus Tuus Ministries
17236 St. Gertrude Dr.
Covington, Louisiana 70435
Fr. Louis Franz, C.M.
The Staudinger Foundation
P.O. Box 1208
Flagstaff, Arizona 86002
More photos from Korogocho:
Garbage and waste fill the slums as the result of no city services. Disease runs rampant.
Water source for many residents, outside the clinic.
Thanks alot for your continuous help for the poor and needy people of God. I may not be able to support financially now, but Im sure my prayers will help alot.
ReplyDeleteTell Tom O'hern it is his friend Lukas Maina Nderitu on lukasnderitu@ymail.com