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Dear Kayla,
I am Pastor Gabriel Kioko of the Good News Church of Africa, which has partnered with Compassion International to serve Baraka in the Kikumini Child Development Center.
I thank and worship God for your support of Baraka in my community. I lack supreme words to thank you, but I promise to mention that you are in our prayers and God to bless you. Your support to Baraka is a master key to a destiny filled with hope. I glorify God for your kind gesture.
I minister in a church that is in a community composed of one major tribe called Kamba. The Kamba people are small-scale farmers and casual laborers. The weather is mainly hot, sunny, and dusty. Kikumini is located in the semi-arid part of eastern Kenya in Makueni County. The area experiences short rains which come in March through May.
My community faces challenges that many a time as a church we can't minister to effectively, though government and other non-government organizations are trying to work in hand to bring development to the community. There is a high level of illiteracy and low-incomes lead to lack of school fees. Many children drop out of school and many thereafter engage in drinking and drug abuse. There are health issues that affect the community and due to their financial status, the people somewhat struggle to access health facilities. We have a number of orphans and children from single parents and the church is trying to support those we can, though it is a challenge.
We as a church have the great commission that we have committed to do. Our vision is to fulfill the attitude that was in Christ: a heart for little ones, as he said, "let the little children come to me." To be effective in it, we need to be empowered to be able to sufficiently meet the basic needs of our children, which is food, health, shelter, and education. Also, we need to capture their talents and enable them to be independent in the future and deliver themselves from the chains of poverty. It's our main objective to instill the Word of God in their hearts, so pray with us to accomplish our visionary dream of raising this generation that will bring justice, fairness, and be the voice of the weak in our community. Whenever I engage with these little children, I thank God and pray for the sponsors.
In addition to the Compassion ministry, we have instituted a Bible school. We also conduct some awareness on HIV/AIDS and farming. We voluntarily give out services in guidance and counseling and we are actively involved in the community. We are planning and praying to start prison visitations, targeting rehabilitating the children who are serving their sentences in our correction institutions.
Having letters from sponsors is really building the children's communication skills. When the children and their families receive these letters, they are really excited and they always keep hoping to hear how their sponsor is doing. It is encouraging for them.
I thank you for supporting Baraka and walking a journey together. You are most welcome to come to Kenya to visit us. Please pray for us that we may have more children receive a sponsor.
Yours in Ministry,
Pastor Gabriel Kioko
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