Nosikitok - Where suffering is bringing change and hope...

South of Nairobi just 20 km from the Tanzania border is a small Masai village called Nosikitok.  The Masai are herders of cows, goats and sheep and are historically known for their bravery in killing the lion to become a Masai warrior.  Their culture has not typically valued education as young boys are raised to follow the tradition of a herdsman and sadly a girl’s value is seen only in her father’s ability to sell her into marriage in return for animals to grow his herd.  In hard times like the drought, fathers will sell their daughters as young as 8 years old out of desperation.

  

Simon, a Masai pastor in the community, shared with me that he sees no difference in a Masai widow and any other Masia woman.  He said “they are all like widows because the men do not help them at all”.  He went on to say that the women do everything..... fetch water and firewood, cook, care for the children, they even build their houses.

Polygamy is another tradition of the tribe.  After meeting 3 wives of the same husband who fathered 21 children among them, I learned that this tradition began in the early 1900s when a chicken pox outbreak greatly reduced the Masai population.  It was then that they decided each man would take multiple wives and father many children to grow the population again.  In recent years this practice has led to an increased infection rate of HIV and consequently the orphan population is growing.  

Nosikito was hit hard by the drought and the immense suffering that resulted was evident as we visited with them.  Malnutrition is clearly prevalent and in some cases severe.  The community is struggling to meet the additional needs of so many orphans among them.  Most surprising was to hear the men speak of education for the children.  Community leaders shared that the drought and suffering is causing a change of perspective in some Masai men as they don’t see how their children can survive as herders in such conditions.  I was overwhelmed by all that we witnessed and yet very encouraged by many leaders we met who are working hard to change the culture and to bring hope.  Stay tuned for more of their story....    

         

But the greatest of these is love....

I’ve been coming to Kenya for the last three years and it seems with each trip God reveals something new that I have not yet seen or experienced here. The purpose of this particular trip is to be introduced to several orphan communities who have invited Project 82 to see what they are doing to care for the orphans in their community and prayerfully consider joining them in their efforts.

Josphine and I spent the first 3 days visiting 5 different communities in the Nyanza Province which is in the western part of Kenya surrounding Lake Victoria. I have never seen the catastrophic and devastating effects of HIV AIDS like we witnessed in this area known for having the highest infection rate in the country. We visited communities where entire generations had been wiped out from this disease leaving only children and the elderly. We met a widow who lost all eight of her children to AIDS and another who had buried 4 of her nine children and had two sons living with her that were also dying. Sadly, their stories were not unique in their communities. We met so many widows with similar stories and all were left struggling to care for their orphan grandchildren who had been left behind.

Many of these women are solely responsible for meeting every need for their grandchildren and they struggle to provide even one meal a day and buy school uniforms so the children can attend school. They farm when the rains come, make pottery or baskets to sell at the market, walk long distances to collect water and firewood, cook, clean..... it is a never ending struggle. As I watched these women interact with their grandchildren and listened to their stories, I was deeply moved by the incredible sacrifice they are making for these children. Its the kind of sacrifice that can only be found where pure love is the solitary motivation. These widows have laid everything down to provide hope and a future for their grandchildren. Today, I am thanking God for the LOVE that motivates them to carry this burden and am praying for the wisdom to understand how Project 82 can also help to provide hope and a future for the orphans.