Tuesday Oct. 2, 2012

Yesterday (Monday Oct. 1st) we drove into the Ngong Slum to the HEART Ngong WEEP center to meet the ladies who attend classes there and to make home visits.  On the way there we stopped at a large grocery store simalar to WalMart to purchase corn meal, one large bottle of water and beans for 25 ladies at the center.  This food was purchased with the funds our team raised for the trip and will need to last these ladies for a month.
As we arrived at the center the ladies came out singing a welcoming song to us.  Their joy and smiles are contagious as they sing & dance, then they each give us a hug.  We are shown into one of the rooms of the center where we are introduced to each of them and tell them our names.  Many of them were with us at the Park day on Sat. with their children.  We are then told about what they learn at the center and meet the staff.  We have been invited there, because today the newest ladies in the program will be presented with their own sewing machines.  When they complete the program they will keep their machine.  This is a really big day, so each of us gathered around and prayed for the ladies and their machines.  You could just see the excitement in their faces and how thankful they were for this opportunity.  As you looked around the room you saw brown paper bags that they use instead of material to learn to sew on, because of the cost factor for materials.  There are also hand made signs that have the 10 Commandments, health information about hand washing, what to do if you are raped, and nutritional information all parts of the total educational program.    The WEEP program takes in the whole health of each lady from spiritural, health, nutrition, and learning a trade. They have a 3 hour Bible study each week along with classes in health and what makes up a nutritional meal.  
Next we went on home visits in the slum to a graduates home, a mid program home, and a lady to sick to take care of herself let alone her children.  These were very heart wrenching visits as we walked through the slums to their homes, which were built of tin walls & roofs maybe one window and a rope hanging down the middle of the room to dvide the sleeping from the living areas. They were each so proud to have us visit them and show us around.  You can see what a difference graduating from the program makes.  The graduate home had electricity, small courtyard, lock on the tin door and 2 rooms.  The mid program home was 1 room with a 2 small beds, cooking in the corner,  a small coffee table & 2 chairs.  The last home was the hardest one to enter, because the children were sitting outside in the dirt, while their mother who was to sick to even stand laid on a bed in a dark room just inside the tin door.  All of these homes have outhouses for restrooms and only get water at a faucet near their homes two days a week!
After the home visits we went back to the center and heard 4 of the ladies stories.  There was not a dry eye left after they told how they had found out they had AIDS/HIV and their families turned against them, husbands walked out leaving them with the children and no money.  Having no where to turn except the WEEP center where they are loved for being God's child and cared for till they are able to support themselves and their children.   
All I can say is this program is not only saving these ladies, but also generations to come!  
I had asked God to break my heart for what breaks his and today I differently saw things that must break God's heart, because it has broken mine!