In his just released book Charity Detoxed, Dr. Lupton said if we really care about helping people out of poverty we will create jobs for the materially poor. Assistance not aide. People not projects. Opportunities not things. A hand up not a hand out. Sustainable solutions. These are the things many people are beginning to talk about. These are the things Partners for Care is trying to do.
We want to help the materially poor out of poverty. We do care that a mom can send her children to school, that she can feed her children, and that children can have basic health care.
I just arrived in Kenya for a two week trip. This trip we are focusing on how to bring jobs to Kenya. We are laying the foundation to start sewing the water back packs in Kenya, providing jobs for women. Partners for Care will be the first NG0 (non-government organization) to sew the kits. The 12 GAP students from Ohio State University completed their reports and now we are developing the implementation plan to both sell water packs and sew the packs in Kenya.
We are also hosting a staff member of Dr. Paul Farmer’s organization Partners in Health (PIH). Dr. Farmer is currently working in Rwanda. PIH will be receiving 100,000 water packs and they are sending a staff member to learn how we have implemented the pack program in Kenya.
And, we will travel to Marsabit to work with Pastor Hirbo and to meet with officials at the Marsabit Hospital. We have selected the medical equipment and supplies for the 7th container which should be shipped in August. Recently, Pastor Hirbo sent me a photo of two newborns sharing the one baby warmer MedShare sent last year. MedShare, with funding from CocaCola Foundation, is sending a second baby warmer in this next container so babies won’t have to share.
I am traveling with Pastor Karen Lyons, senior pastor of our partner church Clarkston United Methodist and Ali Scullion, Ohio State University intern with Impact Economics. Ali is helping prepare the implementation plan for the sewing of the water packs.
Thank you for your support that makes the work in Kenya by our PFC Kenyan staff possible and for your prayers for our safety.
Blessings from Kenya,
Connie