Life in Obunga

When you hear the word “slum,” what do you think of? Some think of the ghettos in the United States; others think of the movie Slum Dog Millionaire. Many think of them as disgusting and dirty while others call them home. People sometimes blame the conditions on the residents themselves, tell those living in slum communities they should just leave or that they got themselves into that mess, so they will have to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and get out of it.

For our students, the vast majority of them were born in a slum called Obunga.  It is the only community they know. It is hard, but it is home. That doesn’t mean they want to leave it the way it is, but, much of the time, they lack resources and knowledge on how to improve it.  That is one of the reasons Ndoto began. Our vision is to see forgotten slum communities transformed from the inside out. We want to give this upcoming generation the tools they need to bring lasting change to their community. We want to allow them to dream for a different Obunga.

 

The hustle and bustle of daily life in Obunga.

Obunga is a slum in the northwest part of Kisumu, Kenya, which is right on the edge of Lake Victoria. It houses around 15,000-20,000 people, most of whom are young men and women with little education.  Parents usually have many children and try to provide but can only do so by working random and inconsistent jobs.   People come to Obunga from many villages in the countryside but once they land there, they rarely leave.

Obunga has a character all its own that brings many challenges.  A lack of capital and jobs keeps residents entangled in poverty, and forces some into desperate jobs like prostitution. The community has two primary businesses: selling fish and the brewing of illegal alcohol. 

Since Obunga is near Lake Victoria, the opportunity to buy and sell fish should be a great one.  However, the factories get the fish first, remove the fillets, and then sell the remains of the fish to women called fishmongers. These women will be up in the wee hours of the morning, work very hard all day, and at the end of the week, they may have gotten 2 bags of fish, or there may have been nothing to sell. When it’s all said and done, a fishmonger will make at best $200 USD in a month.  One of the many problems with this business is that it is so unpredictable, which leaves families unstable and without provision much of the time.

The remaining part of the fish that women from Obunga have to sell.

Largely, if the women don’t sell fish, they brew alcohol.  The bad news: the two brews made in Obunga, chang’aa “kill me quick” and busaa, are both illegal. The worse news: the brew contains substances such as jet fuel, formaldehyde, and battery acid to make it more potent, and in turn incredibly lethal.  Because it is illegal, the women who brew the alcohol have to consistently bribe police to stay in business and not go to jail.  Without bribes, a brewer might make upwards of $12 USD per week.  The work of brewing alcohol is incredibly tough from morning to night.  Women haul molasses, take 2-3 days to make the brew, and are often harassed from customers that have had one too many drinks. It is a popular pastime of mostly male community residents.  Most men in the community usually work as motorcycle taxi drivers, handcart pullers, or construction workers.

These industries are incredibly inconsistent, extremely hard work, and often times less than desirable, but these women will do whatever it takes to provide for their families.  Most parents have not been to school past 8^th grade, and are, therefore, untrained for more promising jobs. It is a rare few that can fight their way through the system to make a different life for themselves and their families.

This is why we are giving the next generation opportunities to further their education and be more able to change their community.  We want to raise up students that love their community and want to see it grow. We dream of a different Obunga that is improved and changed by its very own residents, an Obunga that is redeemed for the name of Jesus Christ and restored for His glory to the newness of life. We dream of seeing Isaiah 61:4 come to fruition: “They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.”

Throwback: Family & A Christmas Feast.

Christmas has come and gone, but the stories of grace, love and kindness are still impacting us!

Most of you who follow Ndoto have heard about three sweet young boys (Mcquin, Leon and Gift) we met in September of 2012. They were severely malnourished, especially their youngest brother Gift, and all the boys had to take 5-10 different medications to get healthy.  The boys had been living out in the rural areas with their mom and family when mom passed away.  Upon arrival for the funeral a few months prior to our meeting, their dad's mom, who lives in Obunga, saw that the boys were extremely ill, so she brought them home with her.  She didn't know how she would provide for them, but knew she had to do something.

It was a complete act of God that the boys came across our path.  Board member and pediatrician Dr. Emily Sloan was visiting Kenya, and the boys happened to come into the Ndoto compound with some friends.  Dr. Sloan noticed that Gift, who we later learned was 1.5 yrs old, looked like an infant because he was so skinny and so small.  Because of Dr. Sloan's experience and observations, we were able to find their grandma and get involved.  After a long stay in the hospital, and nutrition supplements from Unicef, Gift went home on a very healthy track, and his brothers had finished their medicines and were happy and healthy as well.

Mcquin and Leon are now sponsored students through Ndoto and have stolen the heart of their sponsor Britanee N. Gift is now walking, laughing, and growing strong.  However, their grandma has grown very ill in the past few months.  She is being treated and we are praying and hoping she will recover well and very soon.

Due to her illness and inability to work for a time, the boys were struggling at Christmas. One of our newest staff members, Alice, otherwise known as Mama Bon, took it upon herself to provide the boys with a small Christmas party.  She cooked, bought soda, and bread, and gave them quite the  feast.  She did all of this on her own accord, with her own finances, because she has grown to love these boys as family.  The boys ate their fill, laughed, smiled and enjoyed every moment with Mama Bon. It was truly a Christmas for them to remember.

At Ndoto, we are a family, and one of our goals is to provide a sense of family where there is none, or in this case, where family was absent due to health problems.  Seeing the joy on their faces and the amount of work and sacrifice that Mama Bon put in so that some of our family were well looked after is a true blessing. These are moments where we realize that God has brought Ndoto to this place, for this time, to be the hands and feet of Jesus in whatever way He shows us.  It is not just about sending students to school, but about making the gospel known among the community of Obunga, even through feasts at Christmas.

Chapati - the Kenyan version of a tortilla.

Leon and Mcquin enjoying Mama Bon's feast!

 

Leon was loving the feast! 

Beautiful Redemption - Frank's Story

Frank’s story is one of deep pain and struggle as well as beautiful redemption.  Born in 1986, Frank lost his mom when he was 12 and his father a couple of years later. After that, Frank’s grandfather took over responsibility for paying his school tuition, but Frank was in and out of school due to a lack of money at times. It wasn’t until 2001, when Frank was 15, that he finished 8^th grade. After completing exams, his grandfather told him he could no longer pay for his schooling.

As is common in the slum, Frank had nothing to do, nowhere to go, and nothing to strive for. He was befriended by a bad crowd in the community and started drinking and doing drugs. He became so addicted to local alcoholic brews that he started brewing and selling it for himself so he would have enough money to eat. He lost his front teeth in a fight and had no money to go to a dentist.  Not one person tried to give him advice or steer him in the right direction.  Feeling so alone, Frank was hopeless. He lost all vision and as Proverbs 29:18 says – “where there is no vision, people perish.”  Frank labeled himself a hopeless addict.

In early 2009, Frank heard about a “behavior change” workshop being offered in Obunga, and felt something inside prompting him to go. It turned out to be an AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) meeting, and he said that what he learned in that workshop inspired him and set him on a path to recovery. After seeing some of the changes he was making in his life, Frank’s sister, Joyce, offered to scrape together money to send him to high school, though he was already in his mid- twenties.   

With Joyce’s dedication, Frank was able to enroll in high school as a 24-year-old freshman.  Despite the challenges, Frank did well in school and kept improving his grades until his junior year, when a cruel teacher spent more time ridiculing him than teaching the class.  Frank struggled deeply but transferred schools and left that behind him so that he could continue his education in peace.  As it happened, he transferred to a school in Obunga and connected with some Ndoto students who encouraged him to apply for student sponsorship.

Frank applied and was accepted into Ndoto’s 2013 sponsorship class with no more financial worry as his sponsor, Pam S., paid for his senior year school fees. He is now waiting for results from his end of high school exam (KCSE Exam) to see if he qualifies to further his education in the medical field, allowing him to fulfill his dream of becoming a nurse.  While he is awaiting his results, he is a role model for other youth, and he plans to teach karate to some of the young students.

Frank has been through a difficult journey. Overcoming any addiction is never easy, but God is moving in Frank, and he has faith that God will lead him to complete victory.  At the end of November, during an Ndoto Sunday morning Bible study, Frank bowed his head in prayer and gave his life to Jesus Christ. He is now redeemed and covered by the blood of the Lamb, and we rejoice alongside him at the work Christ has done, is doing, and will do in his life.