Last year, I wrote about the worst drought in East Africa in forty years. Crops were failing AGAIN, the cost of food had doubled AGAIN, for the fourth year in a row, and Kenya’s amazing wildlife was dying due to a lack of vegetation and water as river beds dried up. Many were suffering from severe malnutrition as their livestock perished and food staples were not available. At the time, the Springs of Hope Foundation team did everything within our ability to get much-needed food and supplies to the residents of the drought-stricken areas. Yet here we are in 2024, faced with the worst floodingRead More

Our food hamper program, which originated in 2020 when COVID-19 first arrived in Kenya, was meant to be a short-term program while borders were closed, the tourist industry came to an immediate halt, and businesses were shut down. Here we are, four years later, committed to assisting the elderly, people living with disabilities, and single mothers for as long as we possibly can afford to. Inflation has affected all of us globally; however, add to that the worst drought in forty years in Sub-Saharan Africa, forcing the basics of the African diet of beans, maize, and rice to double in price, forcing many single mothersRead More

It’s taken a long time to finally feel that all of our community outreach programs are back on track. Our free uniform distribution program to the children in the surrounding slums has, by far, always been my favorite. School uniforms are mandatory in Kenya, meaning that even if a child goes to school in a hand-me-down, worn-out, thread-bare uniform, he/she is at least in uniform and hopefully not at risk of being sent home. For the families living in our surrounding slums, a full uniform costs over one month’s salary if the mom can find day work doing laundry, cleaning, or seasonal farm work. The basics ofRead More

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As you’ve probably figured out by now, I love catching up with our former students, enjoying their incredible transformation, and sharing their success stories. Please take a moment to read and enjoy Regina’s story. Regina was born and grew up in Karunga, Olkalou town, in Nyandarua, under the Aberdare mountains. She is the firstborn in a family of five. After completing her secondary school in 2019, her parents could not afford to pay her college fees as two of her siblings were still in secondary school. She stayed at home doing casual farm work for one year to assist her parents, which would have beenRead More

Wow! I can’t believe I’ve been back in Kenya for a little over a month now. Time has certainly flown by, but when I look back on everything we have achieved in the past month, I’m delighted with our accomplishments. Tomorrow promises to be another busy day with a huge food hamper distribution to the elderly, disabled, and single mothers in our neighboring impoverished community. Last week, we had the privilege of visiting the Malaika (angel in Swahili) Initiative, a wonderful free daycare facility for disabled children founded and run by an amazing woman fondly known as Mama Grace Malaika (Angel). We distributed food hampers toRead More

I had the privilege of participating in my first food hamper distribution to the elderly, single mothers, and those living with disabilities within the slums in our neighborhood. We began this program when COVID first arrived in Kenya, and most businesses were closed. While some businesses are slowly recovering, many small businesses in our neighborhood were forced to close permanently. As always, the trickle-down affects the poorest, the women who do laundry and cleaning for the local small business owners. The elderly will continue to struggle with food insecurity as there is little government assistance. Many go without food for over a day. For asRead More

I can’t believe it’s been almost four years since my last trip to Kenya. After being here for three weeks, I feel as if it was just yesterday that I was last here. The first week was busy with staff meetings and updates. But all in all, they did a great job of running the project exactly how I would want things done if I had returned every three months, which was my usual schedule pre-COVID. We now have 27 students living with us. All are the sweetest girls, eager to learn and very grateful for the opportunity to learn a trade. Each has aRead More

We are still ongoing with our weekly food distribution program. While the fear of the Covid 19 pandemic may be behind us, the devastating effect on the economy certainly is not. Many small businesses have had to permanently close their doors. Added to this is the fact that many living in the slums rely on day work during planting and harvesting season for a small income. The ongoing drought of the past four years has removed that modest source of income. We’re all praying for a good harvest this year. Here is Antoinette’s unedited report of our most recent food hamper distribution. Jambo Everyone,The Springs ofRead More