March 2017 Prayer Update

School director Samuel, Rob, and Erica 

at the Sawa Educational Centre, Eastleigh

Over the past two weeks, we have been connecting with several of our partners with our colleague Rob Jackett who has been visiting with us from our head offices in Mississauga, Ontario. 

On Rob's departure day, we squeezed in one last visit with one of the schools that is benefitting from the women's self-help group program: Seven of the thirty-five students receiving scholarships from the CBM SHG groups are attending Sawa. 

Sawa director, Samuel, is a trained teacher with a background in psychology. When he started the school less than ten year's ago it was in a single rented room with only a few pupils. Today the school is thriving with 683 students, and a proven performance record.

One of the older classes at Sawa

"We believe the key to ministering to our community is love," shared Samuel. "As Christians working in a diverse community, we open our doors each day and demonstrate God's love to every parent and child that comes to us. That is the most important thing!"

Mothers picnicking with their children during the school lunch break

Earlier this year, a group of women taking sack gardening training with the SHG program helped to build a demonstration garden at the Sawa school for children to tend and care for. The integration of learning and support between mothers and children is an important dimension of this ministry.

In Prayer

SOUTH SUDAN

We continue to pray for our friends and partners serving in South Sudan. The famine in South Sudan is certainly on our hearts and minds as we continue to see other vulnerable areas in Kenya, Rwanda and Somalia struggling with drought. You can learn more about current droughts and the growing threat of famine in Africa here.

Please consider how you might support this urgent need and Donate Here

KENYA

Women clearing new farm land along the Tana River, Photo from IRIN

While drought is an environmental reality, it is well known that famine is most often a manmade disaster. War, insecurity, mismanagement, and injustice are all common causes behind the world's modern famines. In a recent article by IRIN, a spotlight is shone on the alarming causes of decreasing water levels in the Tana River, an area where CBM is helping impoverished villages through conservation agriculture here in Kenya. Read more from IRIN here.

Please pray for wisdom as Kenya's government manages its limited water resources. We also pray for our CBM colleagues William and Geofrey who are working with vulnerable communities along the Tana River.

HUNGER BITES

KIDS   CARE   PROGRAM

HUNGER  BITES

Finally, we are happy to share with you a great resource for helping children learn about the issues of food insecurity and the response of local churches in Kenya.

Canadian Baptist Ministries' KIDS CARE: HUNGER BITES includes four lessons with games and activities for you to use a with a children's program. CBM will provide free hard copies of the Kids Care resources for you to use at a camp, VBS, or program throughout the year. 

Please click here to request this FREE RESOURCE.