At the moment we’re very busy again distributing food in Mswakini Juu
We’ve decided to give out food now twice a month for the next half year. (until hopefully they can grow crops again.)
The need is huge and the people are really suffering. In Arusha and the surroundings it has rained for a whole week and everything’s green and beautiful, but not a drop in Mswakini. It just seems so unjust. The lake as well’s all dried up.
We started with helping 100 families which has now grown to 350. That is the reason why we’ve had to built up a different system. We’re now a whole team and has started a RCC ( Relief Coordination Committee) which select the most needy amongst the Masai. It’s the first time we’re so many people, but it’s just working out fine.
The areas around Mswakine had heard about us helping, so the women came expecting to get food as well. They just didn’t understand why we had to turn them away, and it really hurt me so much, but as hard as it is we just have to admit that we can’t help everybody.
Thank you so much for your help and support for the work amongst the Masai people. Also thank you for your prayers. PLEASE pray for rain to come for the next season.
We’ve rented a car to drive water out to two places. One place is the school which has received 35.000L so the children can have drinking water and also to make their porridge.The other place is the church, but unfortunately the car broke down, so we couldn’t bring the 20.000L out to them to give to the people at the same time as the corn. We do hope it’ll be ready soon again, so we can continue our work.
Mswakini Report October 2011 – written by Mirjam.
The father disappeared and they have had no contact with him for several years. Ruth is a bright girl in school. Her school decided to sponsor her schooling because they are really poor. For various reasons the school recently shut down and Ruth had to find another school.
The mother cannot afford to send Ruth to another school. Ruth’s grandfather is a Maasai and he wants to have her back in Maasai land. He does not want a girl to get eductaed, but instead follow the Maasai traditions for girls: to be married. Maasais think that only boys should get educated.
Ruth’s mother told me that Ruth’s grandfather had received an offer from an elderly, wealthy Maasai who wanted to pay a very large dowry in the form of many cows in order to marry Ruth. Ruth had been desperate because she wanted to stay in school, get her education and choose her husband when the time was ripe. For this reason the mother and Ruth came to our office asking for help.
We trusted God and sent Ruth to a good, Christian school where she is thriving.
We received a sponsor who will support her until Form 4 is completed. But Ruth wishes to continue for another two years and graduate from High School. If any of you would like to support Ruth for a few more years please write us or send a gift to our missions account. Please earmark it “Ruth”.
