Last month I was able to spend a fun lunchtime with the 164 students at Freinademetz Primary School located just outside of Nairobi. The students were all smiles as they enjoyed their meals, provided in part by Cross Catholic Outreach and our faithful supporters.
Although leprosy may have been nearly eradicated from Filipino society, its stigma remains. Now referred to by its medical name, Hansen’s Disease, it still affects a group of Filipinos, many of whom live in Tala – a location designated as a ‘leper colony’ in the past.
I met 6-year-old Moris Saningo on my recent trip to Ewuaso Kedong Baraka Kindergarten in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley. Thanks to Cross Catholic Outreach and our generous supporters, Moris and more than 100 other students from poor Maasai families are receiving nutritious daily meals and an excellent Catholic education.
Great news from the field! Reencontro, one of our ministry partners in Mozambique, recently sent us the story of 10-year-old Lidia Parruque. Orphaned by AIDS, Lidia found blessed refuge through Reencontro’s programs.
When I saw the “before” photos of Marco Antonio and Marco Tulio, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I’d seen many cute photos from parents celebrating their twins. This seemed like a nightmarish mirror image of that happy experience.
Drought. Famine. Ethnic violence. Political unrest. The news coming out of Kenya is often discouraging, but then you see a child’s smile and it fills you with hope that things can be different.