I’m so proud of our team in Kenya
I’m so proud and humbled at the same time to have such a great team working for us in Kenya. Amazing women who go above and beyond whenever the need or call for assistance arises. Yesterday Antoinette, our administration manager, and Pastor Susan, our center, and our student’s spiritual leader, and counselor were picked up before daylight to accompany our friend and partner, Rani Ramchandani, past president of the Lions Club of Menangai on what they all knew was going to be a very long, arduous but rewarding day. The Lions Club of Menangai was delivering wheelchairs and mobility assistance devices to both mothers of disabled children and adults living with disabilities. Springs of Hope Foundation distributed our weekly food hampers to the residents in the area. We had been hearing of the struggles, drought, starvation, violence, and deaths between warring tribes in the region and were very keen to assist with our food hampers.Antoinette reports that they didn’t get back to Kijiji Mission until 11 PM. Pastor Susan, who lives off-campus had to bunk down for the night in the student’s dormitory, much to our girl’s delight, I’m sure.An 18-hour day spent predominantly on rural Kenyan roads is grueling. In her own words, here is Antoinette’s report of the day.
Hello Everyone,Our Springs of Hope Foundation food hamper distribution this week was in Baringo County, 129 km from Nakuru town. Our first stop was a meeting with Baringo County Governor Stanley Kiptis who welcomed us very warmly, and for the safety of our journey to Kabarnet, our final destination, providing a security escort into the warring region we were to visit and distribute food hampers, disability aids, and wheelchairs.
We then traveled an additional 60 km to the rural area to distribute our food hampers. The area is very dry, suffering greatly from the impact of recent draught. The livelihood is cattle grazing and beekeeping.  Most of the community is jobless and has hardly anything to feed on. Governor Kiptis was very grateful that we came all the way to distribute food to the people of his county. Many of the residents are disabled, many through snake bites. We were accompanied by Rani Ramchandani, from Lions International who distributed wheelchairs, crutches, etc to the community. We had a few disabled children, adults, and the elderly who received both our food hampers and wheelchairs. However, the main recipients that day were the elderly who received our food hampers with much gratitude. The community at large welcomed us and blessed us with Maasai blankets as an offering of their heartfelt gratitude. The area officials send their gratitude to our donors and welcomed us to return again as their people are suffering greatly from hunger. The area is involved in cattle rustling leading to routine fights, murder, and cattle theft among the communities. Pastor Susan and I would like to thank all of the donors who make the weekly food distribution program possible. It’s very rewarding and humbling for us to be involved in a program that offers relief to so many families. Families who are suffering from food insecurity and starvation every week.Warmest blessings,Antoinette Hoareau