A Glimpse Of How Children Come to Promise Springs Episode 1

By Ken Carter

Greetings to our friends and supporters of Two Burning Candles!

Happy Labor Day Weekend!  Patty and I hope you all have a wonderful holiday.

We would like to share our weekend experience with you in a slightly different format by providing updates as events unfold in Kenya.  It is not uncommon for unexpected developments to occur, requiring timely decisions.  Therefore, we will update you on the progressions of these events. The story you are about to read is currently taking place around the Girls' and Boys' Centers.

Please note that we are entering this process without knowing the final outcome, much like participants in a reality television show.  We are equally as unaware of what to expect as you are.  Let us proceed.

On Friday, August 29th at 10:30 a.m., during one of our many phone calls with Florah, our director in Kenya, she informed us that the county Children's Officer had reported a situation.  In a community approximately 20 miles east of the center, five children had been abandoned by their single mother.  She left the compound where they live in a rented house about a month ago and has not been seen since that time.  The owner of the compound where the house is located has been providing them with food and checking on them daily but finally reported the situation to the Children's Department.  The children currently lack access to resources for hygiene, food or schooling other than what local well-wishers provide.  Our interim social worker went to the home to assess the situation today, August 30th.  

She arrived about 8:30 a.m. Kenyan time.  She conducted interviews with the well-wishers, landlord and the five children.  The following report was submitted.  We are sharing the information with you:Samuel 13 years, old. Alice 9 years old. Grace 3 years old. John 7 years old. Mary 5 years old. 

"I went to asses a home where a mother left her five children for over a month without returning.  The kids currently have no parental care and are surviving only through the kindness of well-wishers."

"None of them have reported back to school because there is no one to pay their school fees.  Even when the mother was around, she did not provide for them.  She is deeply involved in drugs, dealing in "khat" (a popular stimulant used in Kenya) and other substances.  Whenever she receives money or support from well-wishers, she spends it on drugs or sometimes sells the food given to them in order to buy drugs.  When the children ask for food or anything they need for school, she verbally abuses  them."

"The eldest, a 13-year-old, told me that they actually feel more at peace when their mother is away.  Still, they desperately need help with basic needs and education."

"From my (the social worker's) assessment of their living situation, the children need a safe place where they can settle, be cared for, and access education without constant fear and neglect."

We questioned the social worker about some aspects of her visit, such as the desire of the children to learn and the discipline of the children.  This is because we know that reluctance to go to school or to be part of a group environment can cause issues and we always try to find out the challenges the children and the staff will face as we integrate new children. She continues her assessment:

"Samuel is very responsible...he also cares for the young ones.  He cooks and washes their clothes.  He seemed disciplined based on how he was caring for the younger ones. One of the well-wishers told me that he is good in school but the second born has challenges with her grades."

We are working on the details of picking up the children and conducting all the work with the local schools to get them transferred to schools where we send our kids.  As that story unfolds, we will share with you.

We ask that you keep these children in your prayers as they face significant changes ahead.  Tonight, they remain in a room with limited access to basic necessities.Meanwhile, many of us here in the coastal Carolinas will experience the comfort and enjoyment of a holiday weekend.  It is important to acknowledge that our circumstances are shaped by grace, and we recognize the disparity between our situation and theirs.  In today's interconnected world, technology brings global communities closer together, highlighting that struggles exist everywhere, sometimes even in our own backyards.  We believe that all lives are guided and sustained by God.  We respectfully request your continued thoughts and prayers as we work together to assist these five children