CLOSING DAY.

listening to speeches

The end of first term 2014 is finally here. Everybody was in high spirit because all of us have at least one week of rest. The days ceremony was accompanied by speeches from our Advisor Charles Coulston, Administrator Francis Mbuvi, Head of literacy Phillip Kariuki and Head of Skills Jacktone Omondi. All of them gave encouraging words to the student to start new school term out with vigor. they should recognize and acknowledge the facts as they overcome educational and social hurdles,all the while trying to keep their own sanity intact it will be strenuous. They should never get tired because it will pay at some point. The key thing that everyone talked about was to never give up

Mary Wanjiku

Mary  also one of our former student, who is now a teacher in Diribu College also encouraged our students. She expressed her gratitude to MITS staff and all of its supporters and well wishers. she said they are very approachable and always ready to listen to students concerns.She said MITS has enabled her to be an excellent source of support to her students. Her words will spur the other students to do even better. she is working really hard on her new job and has also shown  so much love on her work. "It is not how much you do but how much love you put in the doing."

Beatrice and Nelly

At the girls residence they had spotted some girls who had done remarkable deeds. They include Naomi Minayo for being most cleanest and punctual, Brenda Wasike and Jacline Imam for solving problems between other girls, Beatrice mbithe and Nelly Nyawira for ensuring all the bananas are watered and put manure,and  Rehema Mishi for being most obedient girl.

Updates

The conference was attended on by the hair and beauty therapists and fashion design students.  This was an international platform and a big step forward for MITS.  There was good and wide publicity.

This was the first meeting to launch the organization in East Africa. The vice chancellor of Technical university of Kenya and other personalities of influence graced the occasion.

 The students had lots of fun and learned a lot.

Many people have shown interest in knowing what we do.

The new students  were taken to shop for clothes, unfortunately two girls ran away that was after they were given money to shop with. They thought this was so much that it could sustain them. Jane and Janet ran back to the streets, fortunately Jane came back to her senses and returned to the center in Eastleigh. All the new students are now having a Narnia story time  with Darlene everyday at 4.30. The other teachers are also having classes with them. Among the many good lessons they are having in this classes, they've had a goal class. Here they question themselves on the things they want to achieve in the period that they are here with us and beyond. They had an activity where they cut out the size of their feet on pieces of construction paper and wrote their goals on their feet since our feet lead us to all the places we go, they can look at them and keep reminding themselves to stay focused. 


Stella and zuhura

Janice

Mercy Ooka was among the new students, she came when eight months pregnant.  After a month of staying with us she delivered a baby girl called Janice Asami on 4th April at 3 a.m. Both the mother and baby are doing very well and also healthy.



We all about great food @MITS

Today I was teaching about the temptations of Jesus in the Bible class. We read that Jesus went for forty days and forty nights without food. One of the students said, “That’s hard!”

said Salim . He remembers when he was new in Nairobi and did not know where to get his next meal." I also did not understand “sheng”(slang) and so I went without food for days. It was so hard for me. When my friends finally offered me some food, I did not think about it. “ I ate like a hog”  Salim recollects. Salim is from the Coastal region of Kenya, where they speak fluent Swahili.

Dennis Amufa also said that he remembers the days when his own mother would deny him food for a day or two.” My stomach would hurt and my body became very weak.”

Fuad recalls when he got sick at the base and no one was kind enough to share a meal with him. “For three days I just lay there. I did not have any thing to eat. Just water! I  thought I would die. When I got better I ate as much as my stomach could take. Jesus was a strong man to refuse this offer. “He added.

We are so grateful to all those who are making it possible for all these children to get good clean  food every day and even learn how to make it.


Rep. by Angie

Student updates

The last couple of weeks the wood shop has been busy.  This time our assignment was to build furniture for the new sewing class. We made strong tables, cabinets and shelves. We like it when we have projects to work on because, other than doing class work theory and practical, woodworking students get to see furniture they have worked being used by someone else. I believe this makes them know that this field is relevant in the market today.

Davis working on a shelf

Having had the students for over a year now, the students have learnt how to use measurements and sketches given to them and translate them to actual products. Because of this reason, we have the pleasure of giving those items to them and watch them do their work with very little help. In addition to making the furniture, they have mastered their mounting skills, that is they can mount shelves and cabinets.

Mercy and her mom

Fridah and Irene

With addition to the new girls, we have two young mothers. Fridah is 15 years old and only four months pregnant and due in August. She is weighs 53 kg and is 5 ft tall. Fridah is in the beginners class where she is learning how to read and write and she is showing so much interest in class.
The pic is of Mercy together with her mother. They are at the base where she came from. She is 7 months pregnant and will be due in May. she weighs 42 kg.

7 new boys at Eastleigh

Juster receives Jackline

These are the new students who have joined us. The girls are 8 and boys are 7. Most of them have already settled in. Currently they are undergoing the our new  orientation program. They have six lessons/units which takes a maximum of one month. They include; Bible, character lessons, counselling, group activities and life skills lessons. All the teachers have been assigned these lessons.

Charles and team

In other reports... 
In Kenya we are now in our long rains period, due to this our van broke down because water seep through to the engine via the exhaust. Making the connecting rod of one of the pistons bend. So the Auto Mechanic team dismantled the engine and we replaced the connecting rod, piston rings, con bearings, main bearings and cylinder gasket. We have managed to buy all the parts required to fix it. The big bus is totally fixed and ready for our long/shorts trips 
Since the rain s are here, the farm dept. is also working hard to plant crops, trees. Our orchard has really produced a lot of mangoes this season. 

Intern Report -Amanda Morgan

Amanda and Rapahel

Over the Christmas holiday, I had the blessings and opportunity to spend a month in Kenya at MITS. I arrived at the beginning of December and stayed through the beginning of January. I traveled alone and lived at MITS by myself for the majority of my stay. This allowed me to step out and spend time with the people of MITS. I lived next to the girls place and from sun up to sun down we were together. We shared bathrooms and showers when my water wasn’t working correctly. We went to local shops together, chapel, school, and shared every meal together. The girls taught me how to cook, we laughed and danced, we would sing and tell stories. I spent many hours playing with the sweet babies that live with the mothers at the girls place and got to just be a community with these girls. Living together, working together, sleeping together, and sharing meals together brings people together in a special way. I miss these children.

I miss these students. I miss the workers and staff and community at MITS. They became my family and we spent all of our time together. I learned so much from the students about life, love, and joy.  I learned that our past does not make our present or our future. The students proved to be smart, talented, loved, and hard working.  They have a purpose, a goal, and their eyes on the prize set before them. They know that God loves them and that He continually provides and takes care of them no matter what may arise. They taught me what it means to be blessed, what it means to love your neighbor, and what it means to speak the name of Jesus daily. His name was on their every word, every moment of the day.  I gained lifelong best friends in Kenya. Friends, who pray for me, communicate with me, check on me, and have a desire to be a part of my life.

Betsy, Anthony and Amanda

They know me in ways that not many other people do. Life was fun and exciting at MITS, but life was hard and required work and time and energy, also. But life is so much better than on the streets and the students know this. They remember back to a life of glue, a life of hunger, and a life of constant pain. This life is something they never want again and praise God for being rescued and loved. I praise God for their example of what it looks like to praise Him through good and bad, to trust in His plan, to be a friend, and to love without end. I am thankful that God gave me the chance to go to MITS and to share His love with the children that blessed and forever changed my life.

Another day of service

 Friday base visits have always been interesting and unpredictable. This particular Friday,  the team split into two as usual and proceeded to different bases. We begun our journey to a base located in Nairobi’s city center, Globe base.

With the recent changes in the government and plans to make Nairobi clean and safe, the Local County Council of Nairobi are on a mission to wipe out the street guys from the city's streets. So they keep moving to different spots to try to escape from the men in uniform. We finally locate them and the spot they are at is very pretty. It is by a very busy road, the grass in the area is green (especially since it is raining now). Nairobi river is flowing on the other end and they are seated under a tree. In contrast the people we find there are very high on aerosols, the clothes they are wearing are tattered and very dirty, most of the boys have all the clothes they own on and the smell there is not pleasant. They have their “best friends” bottles of glue and small pieces of material that are wet with jet fuel held close to their nose. Some see us and hide their bottles in their pockets while others are too high and don’t care.  There are also four women, two are asleep and don’t bother to even raise their heads from the ground when we arrive.  The other two are seated comfortably on the ground and we greet them as we make our way to where the boys are seated.

As Usual the boys are happy to see us. Their ages vary; there are older men here, teenagers and very young boys. I counted a total of twenty five. Anyway, we introduce ourselves and shared the word of God with them. As the team takes turns in giving them words of encouragement, my eyes look around at what is going on. There are three young boys, about 13 years old, on the east side playing cards and they have coins on the ground for whoever wins that round. I move to where they are and try to convince them to join the rest of the crowd but they are not interested so they move further away. Then I notice some boys crossing the road and go to the women seated on the ground, they give the women empty bottles and the women fill the bottles with glue. The business is done so fast that I didn't see the exchange of money but I am sure it can’t be for free.

The sharing goes on and I see this little boy, sitting alone. He is so precious and looks so innocent and helpless in his dirty clothes and a glue bottle in his tiny hands. I had seen immediately when we got here and had a short conversation with him before we started sharing with everyone else. He said his name was Waithaka (from kikuyu tribe). He is eleven years old and his mom lives in Thika, a town close to Nairobi. I asked him what he was sniffing, and he said it was glue. At this age I am sure he doesn't know the effects of that glue and other drugs that he will be introduced to with time. His face looks a bit clean and this makes me think that he is still fairly new in the base. All he is looking for is a place where his needs are going to be met and he will feel like he belongs. Little does he know that this place does not provide what he need but will give other longings that are far much difficult to overcome such as addictions and anti- social behaviors. 

We did our part and its time for us to head back to Eastleigh center. We said a prayer and give the boys buns we brought for them. As we depart my mind is still struggling with the fact that Waithaka, is left behind with those women who sell drugs to them and the older boys who will use him. And the cold and rainy nights that he is going to have to endure. I quietly wish that he will begin to come to Eastleigh programs for young boys so that he may be able to join our boarding program some day. Or something will change and he will have a place to call home soon. 

Rep. by Irene

Two streets mothers making it work...

Helen is a mother of two kids a boy and a girl. Three years ago she as was at Mlango kubwa base. While in the streets Helen used to supply bhang -marijuan in Mlango kubwa base and Pangani area in collaboration with her husband. In late 2012 she joined Made in Streets mothers' program where she was willing to take an extra hour of bead work class. With being consistence in attending these classes, we learnt to know her better.

With a tough situation in her hands, she came out freely to share with us about her lifestyle. we  had lengthy talks informing her that the only solutions to her challenges is to change, positively. With her being willing to undergo the transformation process we took her through counselling which she included  her husband.

In June 2013 we took her to Imani training center to take a skill in knitting. Which she responded positively and even she became the best in her class. Her course took a period of six month which she has finished now. Currently she has a house at Mlango kubwa  area where she stays with her husband and the two kids. The husband is a night guard at  industrial factory. Now Helen is a transformed and a changed mother. She is able to send two of her children to school from the money she gets from knitting and bead making which she does privately.   

Salome is a mother of four children, two girls and two boys. She was at Lilliput base for five years where she used to smoke bhang, drink illegal liquor (changaa) and begging money from the passers by. In this situation the money she used to beg she managed to pay school fees for her daughter who is the first born and is in high school. Now she is in her final year (2014).Salome joined Made in the Streets mothers'' program in 2012, 

Every Monday we had several talks regarding what she hoped to engage in so as to be self-reliant. She thought of being a vegetable vendor, with our support, with capital  and some business advice she begun in a humble setting, now she runs a food kiosk in Eastleigh which is booming.

With this kind of achievements she is doing well with the family, being a single mother she has been very supportive like paying her daughter’s high school fees and providing other family basic needs. By the end of 2013 she moved from Mathare valley now she is staying in Eastleigh area. In November 2013 she was baptized in Eastleigh Church of Christ.

Story by Jane Abuti