Yesterday I had to figure out a way to explain to 29 kids that we have limited resources in which to do what we do….of course all by God’s grace! Unfortunately, the idea that all whites have money flowing is a huge misconception for many Kenyans.
Finally I came up with the idea of using wooden blocks. I sat everyone down and began the lesson. 10 blocks equal the limited amount of money we receive each month…..we have no way of getting more money, we budget what we get with what needs to be purchased. 4 blocks are used for the monthly food bill, everyone wants to eat, right? Head’s nod up and down. 1 block for electricity, 1 block for miscellaneous veggies/fruits we don’t grow but the kids like to eat, 3 blocks for school shopping, 1 block for revision books. That’s 10 blocks, the monthly allotment is now used.
We’ve had an increase in some personal hygiene items in the school shopping category this month, where do I get the money to purchase that? No answer, just blank stares. I had a feeling someone wanted to say, you just buy it. But I told them I would need to decrease the amount of other nonessential items from school shopping in order to pay for the necessary increase…..for example, removing bread money from the list or face cream or t-shirts. We simply don’t have the extra money without taking from something else.
Then we talked about toilet paper. We purchased 80 rolls at the beginning of April which should have been plenty for the month. April 18 and they are out of toilet paper. We would need to purchase more but where was I going to get the money for it? All the blocks are used and I’ve already taken a block from school shopping.
Again blank stares, of which I’m coming to loathe! Well, something would not be purchased in order to buy more toilet paper….perhaps no potatoes next week. And next month we would not purchase juice, of which they love to drink, because I need to make sure we have money for extra toilet paper.
Hopefully everyone understood. I think they will once they begin asking for memory cards or credit for their phones or watches or more toilet paper….I’ll simply ask them which block do they want me to remove in order to buy what they want/need?
Life lessons are what parents attempt to teach their children and I told them I would love to get them items they want (non essentials) but God gave us what resource we get from you our generous donors and we have to be good stewards of those resources and be accountable to God for how we use them. They too must be good stewards of what is given to them…..take care of their items, don’t waste supplies and be thankful for what God has blessed them with!