We named the orphan sponsorship program in Congo "Masomo
ya Ndoto" the School of Dreams because orphaned children would tell me
their hopes and dreams and then explain that it would never happen because they
weren't able to go to school. Many African nations have found ways to provide
free primary school education within the past fifteen years. In Congo
nothing is free and it's the poor who suffer from it. Orphans are usually the
poorest of the poor and ranked at the very bottom of whatever family member
happens to take them in. In a world where people are choosing to either put
food on the table or pay school fees, no one is paying school fees.
When I lived in Congo
I had a desire to help orphans. I was working in an area of Likasi called Shituru
and through a series of events found about 100 orphaned children. I was
living without electricity or running water and had no means to help all those
kids. I remembered the story of Peter and John meeting the lame man at the gate
saying they had no money to give but they would give what they had- the gospel.
I started a weekly program where the orphans could come and hear the word of
God. I used to have the kids memorize scripture and summarize stories. One day
five year old Jean Paul explained the story of Elijah and the Ravens like this
"God loved Elijah and he saw his hunger so he sent some birds to bring him
food. I know that God loves me too and sees me when I am hungry and now I know
he will somehow bring me food too."
I bonded with these kids week after week and prayed for some
way to do something more tangible to help them. I talked with their guardians
and asked what was the one thing they needed help with the most. They almost
all answered school fees. I did the calculations and it seemed nearly
impossible to raise enough money for all of the kids. I started aiming to just
start with grade 1 and then hopefully add from there. School starts in
September and by June I had nearly given up. Then in July I had a meeting with
some friends who run a Christian school. They said they heard about the orphans
and also wanted to help. They told me they would allow the kids to go there at
half the normal price and consider the loss they would incur their Christian
contribution to the orphans. I still didn't have enough money but all of a
sudden it felt doable. That week someone gave me $2000 and before September the
project was fully funded and has been ever since.
It is a Christian school and the person I trained in
Children's ministry still does the chapel services every Friday. While I was
last there I got to do them myself. It was so much fun to see the same kids so
excited about the things of God. They came up to me one by one expressing their
gratitude for the opportunity to receive an education. Their teachers all sang
their praises and explained how much more seriously the orphaned children are
about school than their peers.
Being able to visit them was such a blessing to me. I am so
thankful to everyone who has given towards the project! The story is such a
good reminder to me about how when we step out in faith and give what we can,
God will make a way even when it seemed impossible!
