“It used to be very hard to get water. Without rain, we were traveling long distances and life was very difficult. Before, we used to take shifts at the water source because it would become so congested. People would come to use this one little tank and trough, arriving at 4 a.m. and continuing on until 9 p.m.
These guys are threading pipe for a water distribution project in Kenya. Once it’s done, the animals, agriculture and health of the people there will thrive, and their quality of life will skyrocket.
Last week Pope Benedict XVI began a new series of catecheses that will cover the Year of Faith, which he said is intended “to renew our enthusiasm at believing in Jesus Christ.” He went on to say this revival will, as a result, “bear concrete witness to the transforming power of the faith.”
Can you imagine being a kid with no dreams for the future? Last weekend, as I watched my little nephews pretend they were basketball stars during the final NBA playoff game, I couldn’t help but think of the hundreds of hopeless street children I met in Kitale, Kenya.
Eighteen-year-old Frederick lives with his impoverished grandmother. He’s now a senior at Mbarara High School in Kenya, thanks to our ministry partner, St. Francis Family Helper, who has helped put him through school for the last six years.
It is sometimes difficult to hear the heartbreaking stories of the people we help, especially when they involve children. What keeps us encouraged are the stories we receive from our partners detailing how dire situations have been turned around and lives are renewed.