With restrictions, curfews and just the general stress of this pandemic, Saved By God’s Grace must make a decision between what’s good (food) and what’s good (education).
Families and individuals are hungry and struggling to get food. Many shops and kiosks are shut down due to the pandemic making it difficult for people to not only buy food but also for business owners to make money to buy their own food. In addition, the price of food has escalated by approximately 4x. Something that would normally sell for 20 cents is now 80 cents…that’s a big increase for many Kenyans. Right now families are desperate for food. Kids are home from school where they would normally be fed and this places a heavy burden on parents to feed their children.
With those obstacles, we are forced to make a choice between feeding people now or holding resources for the upcoming school term. Saved By God’s Grace, due to our limited resources, is unable to do both at this time.
With the pandemic, schools in Kenya have been closed since March 15 (first term was Jan-Mar with April being a break) and the Kenyan government just announced they would keep schools closed for another month and open on June 4. We’ve been told the term would then go from June 4 through the end of August. Students would have a short break and then finish the school year, starting back up for the last term, in September and going through early December.
The decision we have to make is if we should use funds which would normally be put towards educational fees to buy food NOW. Saved By God’s Grace wants to be able to feed families and put kids back in school, but if resources aren’t there a decision has to be made….feed our families now or watch them struggle and hold the funds to pay for school fees around June 4.
Our trust is in God who provides for His people so we are putting our trust in God to help us make the right decision. How you react to our plea will determine how we go forward. Any excess contributions we receive now will be used to buy food and we will be able to use the funds we currently have to pay for school fees. Your prayerful consideration is greatly appreciated.
Below our friend Ben talks about a few individuals who require assistance and those we have helped with your support…we are praying to do much more.
“A little girl aged about 9yrs stopped me today as i worked in the slums, she told me every night her mother does not eat and sheds a lot of tears asking God why He had forsaken them. So, i went to visit them so as to find out what the problem was. I found out their father died last year. Mother has been selling fish, but due to covid-19 pandemic she cannot continue with her small business. They sleep on the floor and they have no food. The landlord wants them out since they cannot afford to pay the $16 monthly house rent. The second born is also unwell. We managed to cool down the landlord by giving him some rent money. He had wanted to remove the door of the widow’s single room. Bought them some food and medicine for the sick child.”
“It may not seem much, but to her it was a great blessing making her to shed tears of joy. She has struggled to put food on her table for herself and two daughters. Her husband works in a flower farm but due to covid-19 pandemic he was amongst those that were laid off. She is due in May. When you support us we in turn reach out to the most needy and vulnerable in our community.”
“She is one of our high school students. She is grateful for the food support we give to her and her younger siblings during this covid-19 pandemic season. Your support be it $5, 10, 20, 30, 100 or any amount means a lot at a time like this.”
“There is a single mom of 2. She has been neglected by her sisters. Romours are that she started engaging herself in sex work to feed her babies. She is not well….i mean she is sick. You can also be a blessing with your support.”
“Hi Ben. Thanks for the support you have always given to the vulnerable in our midst. We are requesting for your assistance again. Can you kindly mobilize food to help our PMCTC mothers and HEi”.
This is a request from a local hospital. Pmctc stands for prevention of mother to child transmission. HEi (HIV exposed infants. In this group we have 80 but 50 mothers are the ones in great need.
“When you find a dog sitting in a cooking place (African kitchen)……it can only mean one thing….guys have not cooked for days.”
“Don’t underestimate simple donation.”
“You cannot tell a hungry child that you gave her food yesterday.”
Please keep Saved By God’s Grace in your prayers as we pray you are blessed with His presence.