Saving Stephen

All of you have heard us talk about how 473 children die everyday in Kenya. Partners for Care staff in Kenya do what they can to help prevent so many children from dying. And, sometimes, like with Stephen, the staff personally see the miracle of a child saved.

Stephen is a little boy rescued by Nick and Charles of Community Transformers.  He lives at Tree House with the other children Nick and Charles have rescued.  About two months ago Nick contacted me and told me Stephen was very sick. They had tried their best to help him but they knew that Stephen was critically ill.

Stephen, when he was ill

They moved Stephen to the PFC House.  Dr. Vincent, the medical students that were here from the US, Peter's wife, Sammy and everyone helped with Stephen. I asked people who knew Nick and Charles for financial help and people responded sending funds to help. The PFC staff and Charles took him to the hospital and to specialists. Finally after two weeks a diagnosis - TB.

Stephen is now on treatment and responding well. He has moved back to Tree House and I saw him yesterday. I couldn't believe it was the same child. The photos tell the story!

Stephen now

We are grateful for the financial support and the prayers to save a little boy in Kenya.

Saving the lives of children...that is the work of the PFC staff here in Kenya.

Connie
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Returning from Kenya

I am returning from Kenya after being there for the last 3 weeks. Traveling with me this trip were Gary and Cris Willis and Kalinda Kundomal, an intern from Emory. She is in the public health master's program.

Kalinda with Rendille children

Cris has been to Kenya with me and supports the work of the PFC team. She wanted to show her husband Gary the ministry. She hoped he would feel the same way about the people in Kenya that she does. It was such a blessing to watch Cris share her passion with Gary and to watch him grow to share the same passion. They have already set the date for their return trip.

Gary with Rendille children

Cris with Rendille children

Kalinda was so much help. I can't imagine going without her next time. She never stopped working while she was there! Not only is she fun and easy to be with, she loves the Lord and has a great servant heart. She helped design the water pack back project and did an excellent job. She has a specialty in parasites and is going to research the jigger parasite for us and evaluate how we are treating and preventing jiggers in Marsabit. She is considering doing her thesis either with the water pack project or on jiggers. I am very grateful to her for ALL her work and help!

And, Liz Blake, VP, Habitat for Humanity and her adult son Addison joined us for part of the trip. Liz is the person responsible for the water pack project. (See previous update about this life-changing project.)

Addison, Liz and little John

This trip:

1. We traveled twice to Marsabit on the missionary flight to implement the water back pack project.
   
   

   

   Team flying on the missionary flight to Marsabit

2. Made a transition of staff at the medical clinic. Dr. Vincent has resigned as he told us he is returning to school so he can advance his medical degree. Mary, a public health nurse, is covering the clinic. She will be arranging for a doctor to provide her coverage and consultation as she needs. Mary has been working in the clinic since June and knows how to use mHealth. She will use mHealth to consult with her consulting doctor.
3. Opened our second what if? Life Changing Center in Marsabit. (See previous update.)
4. We started a bead project for the Rendile women. 87 women are now organized in groups making medallions from beads that will be sent to Linda (our board member in Michigan) for bags, etc. This project was Linda's and Pastor Hirbo's idea. This is the first time any form of commerce has been introduced in Parkishon. Watching these women sitting in groups making beads was quite an experience! They even have two shifts. A simple project that is making a big difference in the lives of these women.
   
   

   

   Rendille women making medallions

5. Thanks to a recent donation we were able to purchase a motorbike for use by team members in Nairobi and bicycles for several staff. Most of our staff walk so the bikes help expand their ministry reach.
6. Held a two-day leaders meeting with the leaders of each of the five ministries of PFC. Each ministry has set goals for the next year. I will send an update later about their plans.
7. Carried 6 computers for the IT school that were donated to us from a computer school. They are very good computers for the IT students.
   
   

   

   ITT Technical team who donated computers

8. Reviewed the progress of the mHealth program. While there are some technical changes we need to make, the program is working well. The people of Maururi Slum appreciate knowing they can receive medical help by just making a phone call. Over 600 patients have been seen through mHealth.
9. Rented additional space for the 2nd Chance school which will double the number of students they can serve - 40 students. This program is making such a difference for so many people - including 6 of our own staff.
10. Distributed the first crop from our Hope Farm in MaiMahui - 300 kg of beans. We ate the beans for for several meals and they are very good! It is wonderful to know PFC is playing a part in helping people become food secure.
11. Hosted a friendly match between the what if? soccer team from Maururi with the what if? soccer team in MaiMahui. It was great to see so many boys organized in soccer teams.
12. Hired someone to direct the HIV/AIDS prevention program. I will make an official announcement later about who this person is. But, I can tell you we are very excited about this person joining Partners for Care. Great things have happened with this ministry and God has even greater plans as PFC expands this ministry!

None of these things could have happened without the financial support received by many people. And, none of the work would happen without the Kenyan team who everyday serve the people of Kenya...changing lives.

Blessed to know those who give and those who do the work,
Connie

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Water pack carriers for the women of Marsabit

I met her on a plane. We were both traveling to Washington, DC - her to do her work for Habitat for Humanity and me for my healthcare consulting practice. Two months later we met again...on the same flight to DC. We talked and she showed me a water back pack carrier she had with her in her suitcase. I knew instantly this water back pack carrier could change the lives of the women in Marsabit who walk up to 8 hours carrying water in yellow 20L jerry cans.

The woman I speak of is Liz Blake, Vice President at Habitat for Humanity. She had learned of the water pack carriers and had become passionate about helping to get them to the women and children who carried water on the backs or on their heads long distances. The packs have been developed by Grief, a large packing company. Liz and I agreed to meet when we were both in Atlanta.

A few weeks later I met with Liz and showed her a video David Gruber, co-founder of Partners for Care, had made showing the children in Marsabit being treated for jiggers. Liz understood the connection between the lack of water and the jigger infestation of the children. She said, "No child should live like that".

The water packs are new and Grief wants to "field test" them to see how women would accept them, determine how much time women can save by using the back pack water carrier to carry their water and to find ways to substitute the carriers for the jerry cans. There have been 3 studies to date - one in Guatemala, one in rural Kenya and one in Haiti by Partners for Health. Partners for Care is conducting the 4th study in Marsabit.

Last week we went with Liz on the missionary plane to Marsabit to show Pastor Hirbo the water packs. We went with Pastor Hirbo to Parkishon so he could train the Rendile woman on how to use the packs. The Rendile laughed and smiled at this new way to carry water.

Hopefully, this difficult way of carrying water will someday be obsolete

Water back packs - much easier for women to carry water

Tomorrow we return on the missionary plane to take more back pack carriers and train community health workers on the proper use of the packs. A representative from Grief is fling in from Amsterdam tomorrow morning to travel with us to Marsabit.

There are many people working on an international launch to get these packs to become the standard way to carry water replacing the unsafe jerry cans. Partners for Care is excited to partner with the people and organizations working on this initiative.

We feel very blessed to be a part of changing the lives of women and children - one water back pack at a time!

From Kenya,

Connie

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what if? we go home

I have forwarded you the latest Steve Saint video update. Watching Steve on this and the other videos always moves me. He is so courageous and in all things he gives glory to God.

I was surprised and humbled to see Steve wearing his what if? hat I gave him last year when we met at the medical mission conference. If you watch the video you will hear Steve say to his wife at the end of the video "what if? we go home?". After 7 weeks in the hospital and rehab center Steve is home. He still has a long road ahead of him as he recovers and regains the ability to walk and care for himself. I pray for Steve a full recovery. 

Connie.

Click on this image to view the video:

"There's No Place Like Home" The Next Chapter

The fourth update on Steve Saint's road to recovery from his paralyzing accident.

Launch day

Launch day was exciting as we watched donations come in...new donors, regular donors, donors from Alaska to Florida and states in between.  One very special young man donated $473.00 - a dollar for every child that died in Kenya on the day of launch.   We will continue to recruit donors because raising funds to help children who need to be saved isn't about a one day launch.  It isn't a sprint but a marathon and we are in it for the long haul.  

Some of the money raised has already been sent to Kenya to buy medications for our clinic, some will be used to harvest our first crop from our Hope Farm and money will be used to help Pastor Hirbo's ministry in Kenya as he treats hundreds of children for jiggers.  

Thank you to those who donated and to those who recruited donors.  We appreciate your help as we continue to raise funds to support the work of the team in Kenya.

Remembering the children,

Connie

It isn't too late to help us meet our goal of 473 donors.....

It has been a great launch day. We have had donors from Alaska, Oregon, Alabama, and of course from our friends in Michigan. We have had some of our regular donors donate, new donors, and one very special donor who decided to give $473.00 - one dollar for every child that died in Kenya today from preventable causes. People have donated in honor of loved ones and others have donated in recognition of someone they admire. Each of these people received an email card telling them of the donation.

It isn't too late to donate or to ask others to donate to help us meet the goal of 473 donors on our launch day. I hope many of you have had an opportunity to visit the website. So many helped make the website a reality...Ryan Morris, Dan Kellenberger, Sharon Dicks, David Gruber and all the other board members who helped.

I like what Linda (PFC board member) said today...what we do here matters there.

Thank you all for caring for those so far away....but who are always close in our hearts.

Praying to meet our goal of 473 donors today...

Connie

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Here is the link....

Several of you have contacted me and asked for the link to the new website. It is:

www.partnersforcare.org

Thanks for helping make our launch a day we will remember as the day we raised funds to help the team in Kenya!

Praying for 473 donors...Connie

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Today is the launch of the new Partners for Care website

Today is launch day for the new Partners for Care website. And, today is the day we hope to have 473 people go to the website and donate to help save the lives of the children in Kenya. All the funds raised will be sent to the team in Kenya - the team you will see on the website. What do they do with the funds? They buy bednets for the children; they will buy medications they need for the Partners for Care health clinic; they buy sacks and seedings for sack gardens; they will use the funds to harvest the crop from the PFC Hope Farm that is ready; they use the funds to help the children of Parkishon. Everything they do is focused on helping prevent the deaths of the 473 children that die everyday in Kenya.

Thank you for helping the team in Kenya. 

One of the Parkishon children PFC helps

Praying for the team in Kenya as they work to reach the children,

Connie.

Follow the medical student team in Kenya

Partners for Care is blessed to have a team of medical students from the University of Tennessee Medical School in Memphis work with us in Kenya on the mHealth program.

Their overall goal is to evaluate the implementation of the mHealth program, make recommendations for improvement and write protocals and procedures for both the mHealth program and the clinic. They are working closely with the Global HEED team.

They have created a blog and if you want you can follow along with them as they help the Kenyan team.

http://kindnessinkenya-2012.blogspot.com/

Wonderful to have them "on the ground" helping with improving the way the PFC team serves the people of Kenya,

Connie
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Launch heroes

Many of you are responding to our request to get spread the word through email, regular mail and social media about our new website launch this Friday. With only 4 days left I wanted to thank those that we are calling our "launch heroes". These are people who are helping us make our launch date goal of having 473 people visit the website and make a decision to help by donating. Launch heroes include.....all our board members (our board always supports PFC activities!) and Cris Willis, Rennatus, Sharon Dicks, Dan Kellenberger and others. Thanks so much for helping!

Just last week one of our staff in Kenya lost his only child to pneumonia. A precious little boy who was just 8 years old. Like I have said before - sometimes we know one of the children who die from a preventable or a treatable disease. It becomes personal to us and to the staff in Kenya. We want to help the team in Kenya to stop so many deaths of children to diseases that can be prevented or treated.

Help us help them....

Connie

We are asking for your help......

We are asking for your help on the day of the launch of our new website - July 27, 2012.  Please spread the word of our launch campaign by sending the attached campaign card to others through email, Facebook, and other social media.  Our goal for launch day is to have 473 people visit our new website and donate!  

Why 473?  

That is how many children die everyday in Kenya - they die from things that can be prevented.  They die from malaria for the lack of a bed net.  A bed net cost $5.00.  They die from malnutrition.  A sack garden that grows vegetables for a child costs $10.00.  They die from pneumonia that isn't treated.  Treatment in the Partners for Care clinic costs 50 cents.  They die from HIV/AIDS.  The Partners for Care team reaches thousands with the message of how to prevent babies from being born infected.  All of the funds we raise that day will go to Kenya so the Partners for Care team can do what they do best - prevent children from dying.  The question is what if? 473 children didn't die everyday in Kenya.  

You can help be part of the answer.  Just 12 days to spread the word....so we are asking for your help.

A patriotic fund-raiser

David Gruber, co-founder of Partners for Care and a board member, has always been creative in the ways he raises funds to support Kathi's House of Restoration. Kathi's House, our ministry in Maai Mahui, is in memory of David's late wife who had a dream to serve in Africa. David now keeps her dream alive by supporting the ministry of Pastor John and his wife Mary who direct PFC's ministries in Maai Mahui.

David connected us with InComm, who has been one of our best corporate sponsors. This 4th of July David and InComm have donated $2,300.00. One of the ways some of the funds were raised was by raffling a 4th of July basket. Donna Baugh was happy to win the basket!

Donna Baugh

Thank you David and InComm,

Connie

Lauching new website

In the next week you will be hearing more about the launch of our new website! Our launch date is July 20th. Everyday in Kenya 473 children die mostly from preventable diseases. We are planning a launch campaign to raise awareness and funding for the team in Kenya who work diligently to help save the lives of these children. More later...

Connie
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Steve Saint

Last year at the medical mission conference I had the honor and blessing of meeting Steve Saint - a great man of God (see http://partnersforcare.blogspot.com/2011/11/meeting-extraordinary-man.html) . Steve is the son of Nate Saint, one of the five matryed missionaries whose story is told in End of the Spear. Steve understands how to help without hurting and lives with his live to spread the good news of Jesus. A week ago Steve was injured and suffered a spinal injury. He has limited movement of his arms and legs. Tomorrow he is having surgery to relieve pressure on his spine hopefully to relieve some of his pain. I have forwarded to you the recent update I received...watch the video. Hear from Steve himself how he is and how he is still spreading the news of how to help in a developing nation. I only pray if my life suddenly changed as Steve's did that I would have the courage and the faith he has. Even in his pain and fear, he is telling others of the good news of Christ.

Praying for Steve - 

Partners for Care mHealth project is featured on the Sana website

Our mHealth project is featured on the Sana website http://sana.mit.edu/ it is exciting to see our program on their website. We are partnering with Global HEED and Sana on this project.

Connie
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One thing I love about my role with Partners for Care....

One thing I love about my role with Partners for Care is meeting with people who have a passion to help others. Sometimes it is a young person like Jonah. Jonah is a 15 year old boy who needed to do a service project for his Bar Mitzvah.. Jonah wanted to do something different from the typical service projects. He decided to collect soccer equipment to send to kids in a developing nation. He contacted Peace Passers who connected him with us. We met Jonah and his Mom last week and they gave us:

95 pair soccer shoes
35 soccer balls
30 pairs shin guards
and many other pieces of soccer equipment

The photo tells the story.

Thanking God for kids like Jonah who work hard to help equip the Partners for Care team in Kenya to reach the youth through their sports ministry,

Connie
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Partners for Care featured on the PEACEPASSERS website

Our partnership with Peace Passers has been such a blessing! They have given us literally thousands of dollars worth of soccer equipment that we have taken to Kenya. We have received soccer shoes, uniforms, balls, goalie shirts, socks, shin guards, referee shirts, etc. We have been able to fully outfit teams with the soccer gear that they have sent us. Our teams that go to Kenya carry the gear for us. Recently, the team from Michigan took hundreds of pieces of soccer gear. The picture featured on the Peace Passers website is of the tournament in Marurui that the Michigan tean sponsored! Here is the link
http://peacepassers.org/collaboration-makes-the-world-go-round'

Candice (founder and director of Peace Passers) is right....collaboration makes the world go round.

Grateful for people like Candice who have a heart for the world,


Connie
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Temples of Worship's tribute to Susan

When we heard of the a sudden death of our dear mum, Susan, we asked ourselves why God? The person who gave everything not for herself but for people who live many miles away from her. She gave not only her  money but her precious time. A person who loved what we do. She loved our music which she use to listen to when she was driving. The person who wanted us to come to the US to sing our music which we are using to fight HIV. Now who will do what she wanted to do?

We have so many questions we are asking ourselves. The only hope and assurance we have is that after work people go home to relax. She was called home to go and relax after everything she did on the face of the earth. Even though we are very far from her family we serve one father who knows our heart and we can reach each other through Him our God. So we want to tell the family we understand how you are feeling and the Lord who sees everywhere will give you peace.  One day we will come to the US and sing our song "Remember Me" where we will be remembering everything she did when she was alive.

The Temples of Worship
Sammy, George, Franko, David and Justus

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Even through Susan's death...

Even through her death, Susan is working to raise funds for those she loved in Kenya. In lieu of flowers her family has asked donations be sent to Partners for Care www.ingramfuneralhome.com. Her visitation is Saturday night 5-8 pm at Ingram's funeral home in Cumming. I will go to represent those she loved in Kenya.

Missing a good friend,

Connie
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Partners for Care has lost a friend

Partners for Care has lost a dear friend and a board member. Susan Spencer died this afternoon leaving many here and 10,000 miles away saddened. Susan loved the people of Kenya especially the young men in the Temples of Worship. She played their music over and over and dreamed of the day she would return to Kenya to see them again. She also hoped someday they would come to the US and sing in churches here. When that day comes they will dedicate a song to Susan. It is hard to lose a friend...I will personally miss our visits and our talks on the phone as I shared with her how "her boys' as she called them were doing.

We pray for her family at this difficult time....Connie

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