MITS Hosts Basketball Clinic

With the help of the visiting group from Malibu, California, MITS organized a two-day boys and girls basketball clinic. This took place at the boys’ compound basketball court. The students loved it. The clinic lasted for two and half hours each day. Coaches for the clinic were made up of MITS staff, alumni and visitors: Francis Mbuvi, Terron Talley, Victor Otieno, Brian Ochieng, Edward Muhea, Phillip Kariuki, Dane Marshall and Robin Ndunda. Students practiced on their lay-ups, free throws, jump shots, dribbling, passing and footwork. A big thank you to the group from Malibu for teaching our students these skills and making this a possibility

Staff Seminar

Otter Creek hosts staff of Kamulu and Eastleigh for a 4-day seminar.

One of our supporting congregations, Otter Creek Church of Christ, sent a group to visit us in Kamulu. MITS was lucky enough to have a 4-day staff seminar where the entire staff, Eastleigh and Kamulu, was joined together. Two of the visitors lead these seminars. Chris Gonzalez informed the staff on trauma and resilience. He taught the staff about the symptoms of trauma as well as the ability of some students to bounce back. He gave the staff pointers on how to build strong belief systems so that MITS can better cater to students who have experienced trauma. Walter Surdacki talked about spiritual discipline for teens. He also taught the staff new strategies of conflict management. Walter shed light on preventing spiritual burnout and how to inspire a spiritual relationship to continue after the students exit Made in the Streets. 

OTHER NEWS!

Otter Creek Church of Christ teaches specialized classes to our students.

Patrick teaching a dating class to our Skills business class

Literacy class in session

Being taught how to read and do public speaking

2014 Handmade Tour: African Adventures

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This post was written by one of our twenty-something MITS Handmade Tour interns,
who apologizes in advance for obscure cultural references or lame puns. 

The weird paradox of mid-length missions is that you can simultaneously feel like you’ve been somewhere forever and that you just arrived. We lived that paradox for 25 days in Kenya.

The foreign leg of The Handmade Tour comes to a close as we all arrive back in Nashville for Impact 2014 (but more on that later…). Like any great movie, our month in Kenya was filled with interesting characters, plot twists, happy endings, and a surprising amount of popcorn. If our movie had a title, it might be Catch me if you Kenya or Safari Wars Episode V: The Baboon Strikes Back or The Fault in our Cars. But we’ll settle for something a little more generic. So without further ado, we present to you, The 2014 Handmade Tour: The Kenyan Leg. We promise it’s more interesting then it sounds, and it’s not about a Kenyan’s leg, either.

Scene 1: In the MITSdle of it all.

Most of us had never even been to Africa before, so a lot of our time was spent trying to gain an understanding of what Made in the Streets is all about. We spent many of our mornings helping at the learning center, rolling around with toddlers at the Nursery, learning alongside skills center students, and helping cook the kids’ lunch. We got to spend so much time with students and staff alike. Of course, even in these seemingly straightforward tasks, we were often met with adventure. Like the time Scott had to roll hundreds of chapatti. Or that time Amy learned she was teaching an English class approximately 90 seconds before class began. Still, if you wanna know what life at MITS is for the students, just ask us. We know; we were MITS students for 25 days.

Scene 2: See you letter.

Scott and Shannon helping students write sponsor letters

One of the goals for our time in Kenya was to help each student at MITS write a new letter to their sponsor and take updated pictures of the students to put in hand-painted picture frames. Most weekday afternoons we had eight or nine students over to our house for cookie eating, letter writing, frame-painting, and picture-taking. This time not only helped produce material to send to sponsors, but it gave us an opportunity to spend time with each student in a more intimate setting. We learned more about each individual student, and played at least seven thousand rounds of “Matthew Matthew,” the national game of Kenyan schoolchildren. We’ll show you sometime. During the summer, we’ll be lookin

g for sponsors for the new intakes to MITS. We can’t wait to share their stories with you!

Scene 3: The Street and Narrow

We took a few trips into town to view the “before” of MITS students. We visited the Mathare Slum, home to an estimated one million Kenyans. We also did a few base visits around town. “Bases” are essentially localized group of street kids. They are places, often a large pile of trash or a hill by the highway, where street kids commune and live. We were able to visit a few of these bases, sharing encouragements and praying with the street kids there. We get to see so many joyful and hopeful faces at Made in the Streets, and when we see the lives all the students came from, we are, frankly, dumbstruck. It’s a testament to God’s ability to transform lives.

Scene 4: Never a Dull Day

Nothing ever goes as planned in Africa. And so, our time in Africa is riddled with various fun moments and stories. Like the time we almost killed a cheetah, or the time 200 hyenas almost killed us. Like the time six MITS staff members thought we had poisoned them, or the time we ate three breakfasts before 10a.m. Like the time Scott and Chris had to push a van down the highway during Nairobi rush hour, or the time Shannon flooded an entire house. Our trip was anything but boring. Actually, it was everything but boring. But don’t think we’re gonna spoil all of those stories right now! Come and see us on tour and ask!

Our time in Kenya was so full that it would take a lot more than one feature-length movie to describe it all. Even an Avatar-length movie. But that’s why we love the Handmade Tour. Because now, we’re back in America; and we get to spend the next 7 weeks travelling across the U.S. and talking to YOU about Made in the Streets, the Handmade Tour the Say No to Glue Campaign, the new Frontline program for highschoolers, and more. We'll be at Impact in Nashville, TN until June 21st-stop by and see us outside Allen Arena. And be on the lookout for a stop near you. Because the MITS movie never really ends, and you might be the star of the sequel.   

Be sure to follow us this summer on the Handmade Tour. 

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Naomi goes home

Hellen Muga and Minayo's uncle

 Naomi and her grandmother

Naomi and her cousins

Naomi Minayo finally had a chance to go home in Kakamega after four years of staying in MITS. She was not sure of the directions too because she had left her home when she was very young. when they arrived home she found their homestead where they used to leave with her father, was still there. unfortunately, her dad had already passed on and her mother had gone to the next town this demoralized her so much. Luckily her grandmother,uncles, aunts and her neighbors were at home. Others were not able to recognize her at first because they said she had grown into a beautiful young lady and also very healthy. They could not stop staring at her. They had alot to catch up with. we could tell with the unending smiles on their faces. Her family appreciated what MITS had done to their child. They said they can not explain the joy they feel for seeing their daughter again and what MITS has made her.
Minayo also showed her family the skills she has attained in MITS by plaiting her aunts hair. This was so awesome and everyone was so happy. Since then her family members have been coming to visit her including her mother who she never met when she went for a home visits.

Sylvester designing a bag

At the skills center we have Sylvester who joined sewing department. He is a very disciplined boy but during the first days of attending sewing classes he started loosing hope and he thought he could not make it. He talked to his teacher and requested if he could change his skill to something else but the teacher could not allow Sylvester to quit s

o soon. He was talked to and also given advice on the importance of perseverance and not giving up. He followed the advice to the letter and now he is doing very well and eager to learn something new everyday. He was able to design a casual bag and also make it and now he is using it.

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.