10 Feb Re-writing stories – At the Madeleine School in Bungoma, Kenya – Photographing for Orphan Outreach
The smiles and laughter I experienced upon arriving to Madeline School gave no clue to what these children have survived.
Here in the remote African countryside, these precious children all have one thing in common, their lives have been hard, really hard. The road these children have walked has left them traumatized, many are victims of abuse with stories not easy to hear.
in the village of Bungoma, Madeleine School offers so much more than an education. There approach is holistic, meeting the physical, mental and spiritual needs of children that are partial orphans, total orphans or children who are vulnerable and at risk.
Many of these children could not attend public school due to disorders resulting from their troubled lives. The counseling, nutrition and love received at Madeline School enables them to flourish and have hopeful futures.
Today I sent time with Sarah who was born with sickle cell anemia, a disease that has a 60% mortality rate here in this part of Africa. Little Sarah has beaten the odds through the care and treatment found at Madeline School.
I accompanied school social worker Ayumi Elizabeth, spending time in the homes of three separate students. At each little clay hut we were warmly greeted with “karibu”, Swahili for welcome. I photographed each family and heard their stories of family restoration. Each story was unique but the common thread was the power of God changing lives through the love extended from people like Ayumi of Madeline School.
The children that I walked with, played with and photographed today bear no resemblance to their stories. That’s the power of God at work through compassionate people who love big, rewriting stories that now offer hope and a bright future.
If you would like to learn more about Orphan Outreach and the work they are doing to change lives in Africa, I invite you to read more at http://orphanoutreach.co/countries-we-ser…/kenya/bungoma.asp
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- School social worker Ayumi Elizabeth
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- Sarah Wambrni Wamalwa, a sickle cell anemia survivor, thanks to Madeline School.
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- Sarah Wambrni Wamalwa loves playing Yes Sister
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- Sarah Wambrni Wamalwa standing with her two friends Ivy and Susan to her right and her teacher Metrine to her left
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- At Linah’s home with her parents and social worker Ayumi Elizabeth
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- Through counseling with school social worker Ayumi Elizabeth, Linah’s parents and family are reunited and have new hearts for each other. Family preservation is so critical here to reduce the growing number of orphans.
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- Sitting with Linah’s family and hearing their story.
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- Mother Lillian is very proud of the work that Linah is accomplishing at school.
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- This is Dorcas’s mother Ann, I visited in her little clay home today and listened to her story of how their family is on a new course as a result of Madeline School.
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- This is Dorcas and her mother Ann, along with her little brother
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- This is Madeline School student Linda and her family.
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- School social worker Ayumi Elizabeth shows me the common cooking methods in this part of Kenya.
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- Space is tight in their little clay home in the countryside of Bungoma
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- Linda and her mom Violette, along with three of her siblings. Linda has 4 sisters and 3 brothers. She is the big sister and works very hard at her studies and helping her mom take care of their large family. Linda aspires to be a doctor. Viollette is understandably proud of her very bright little girl who’s favorite subject is science. Before Madeline School, this family made do with only one meal a day. Now they receive breakfast and lunch as a part of the school program.
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- Saying goodbye here is going to be hard <3
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