Noor Designs

Noor Creations

On Monday, the CBC documentary crew and Amanda Lindhout joined us again with the Noor Creations Self Help jewelry project. The Noor ladies are excited to be partnering with Amanda's Global Enrichment Foundation which is looking at selling their bracelets in Canada.

Erica and Amanda working with

the Noor girls on bracelet designs

Zahra and Tunis sorting unfinished beads

Erica working on designs with the ladies

Hawa finishing Solidarity Necklaces

Some of the Noor bracelets

Podcasts

P O D C A S T U P D A T E

We just posted a second podcast for June 2011 at

www.fivekennys.podbean.com

Join us for a conversation with Mercy Mwikali

the new Guardians of Hope project officer with

the Africa Brotherhood Church, Kenya

In this podcast, we travel to Machakos to look at

how micro enterprise development is a crucial

strategy to helping Guardians gain a sustainable

livelihood.

You can listen to this any any of our most recent podcasts by visiting our podbean site or by subscribing for free on iTunes (Just search for fivekennys in the iTunes Store).

HITTING A LIMIT

Unfortunately, we've hit our limit of space in the free podbean account, so we have had to start deleting older episodes of the podcast. Moving forward, we'll only keep the most current podcasts on the podbean site. So it is a good idea to download the audio files.

Guardians of Hope (Micro credit)

Jane Wairimu Mwaura

Guardians of Hope Project Maai-Mahiu, Kenya

One of the five pillars of the Guardians of Hope program is strengthening caregivers through sustainable incomes. An important part of this aspect of the GOH is training and support on savings, financial management, micro enterprise development and micro credit.

Erica interviewing Jane for a Canadian Baptist Ministries micro credit video

Jane Mwaura is a Guardian of Hope from Longonot Town, near Maai Mahiu, in the great Rift Valley. An arid and wind swept part of Kenya, much of the Rift Valley struggles with perpetual draught making agriculture difficult. Through the help of the GOH, Jane provides for Samuel and James, two AIDS orphans left in her care. Over the past five years, Jane has accessed micro loans of 10,000 Kenyan Shillings to build her business of collecting, dressing and selling pumice stone to merchants in Nairobi. On Monday, we visited Jane at her little store house where see sells her white and black pumice. This past weekend she sold an entire truck load of the textured rock to a company from the city.

On behalf of Jane, we share her greeting to all those supporting the ministry of the Guardians of Hope -- "Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! And God bless you!"

To learn more about the Guardians of Hope and the impact of micro credit, please check out the CBM website at www.cbmin.org

Pastor Simon, regional minister ACC&S Rift Valley,

Erica, Jane, and Aaron

Urban Guardians

The Urban Side of the Guardians of Hope

Walking the labyrinth of narrow streets that make up the sprawling Zimmerman Estate in Northeastern Nairobi, we are on our way to visit three groups of women who are accessing micro credit through their Guardians of Hope groups. These loans make it possible for them to support their families through small business.

While we often think of the Guardians of Hope as a rural program, that helps groups caring for AIDS orphans and supporting people living positively with HIV and AIDS, urban ministry is an extremely important side of the GOH.

AIDS is a dire issue in urban centres throughout Africa, where millions of people come to find work and a better future for their families. But in reality, unemployment and poverty lead to high rates of prostitution, addiction, and violence. Without a little land to grow a basic kitchen garden, families desperately need cash to feed themselves. The steadily rising food prices in cities like Nairobi make this even more difficult.

Earlier this week, it was encouraging to meet with Guardians in places like Eastleigh, Haruma, and Zimmerman. Impoverished corners of Nairobi, where Guardians of Hope are determined to make a better life for themselves and their community. From a couple of women selling beans and maize on the street to day labours, to a patient mother knitting school uniform sweaters and hats to sell to her neighbours, Guardians are accessing small low interest loans to build sustainable incomes that provide for their families.

Beautiful Creations

Patty and Erica meeting with Joyce & Agnus in their two room apartment that they share together with another woman and eight children. Together they have taken loans to build a stock of socks and underwear that they buy at wholesale and sell throughout Zimmerman walking along the streets. Over the past few years, they have expanded their business to also sell sandals and homemade necklaces that they make together in their home.

Patrick Miana (ACC&S Guardians of Hope project officer) and Henry Mwangi (ACC&S director of developement), with Erica, Patty and Guardians of Hope beneficiaries in Zimmerman, Nairobi.