Take 10 Days with Heart for Africa

My husband and I traveled to Kenya in July 2007 with Heart for Africa, www.heartforafrica.org - a remarkable organization that brings HOPE to so many Africans. More than 4,000 regular people like us have traveled with Heart for Africa this past few years and are instantly placed in situations where they can make an impact. Whether it's assisting doctors and children on medical visits, building Children's Homes, planting sustainable gardens or delivering much needed supplies, Heart for Africa worked far in advance of our visit with local organizations in Kenya to ensure our visit was productive and impactful. I had read so much on the impact of AIDS - but hadn't faced it until we showed up. When millions of mothers and fathers die -- where do the children go? How are the grandmothers caring for their grandkids without money or food? Why aren't there more orphanages for all of these kids? Why is there a six year old caring for her two younger siblings? I never knew the importance of Children's Homes (orphanages) until I realized there were more than 500,000 homeless kids living in Kenya alone. KIDS - not adults. And I never felt so blessed to work alongside 31 grandmothers in desperate need of help to care for so many children. On our visit we worked at the Tumaini Chidlren's Home in Kinangop, Kenya, and in the surrounding rural villages. One day, we were planting a garden for one grandmother and looked up to see three graves. Her three daughters had died of AIDS and they were buried next to her garden. Not only was she grieving their deaths, she was raising their eight children without a penny of income or handful of food. Through Heart for Africa, we were able to deliver a dairy cow so she could use the milk for her children and also sell it for 80 cents per day in the nearby market (we delivered 31 dairy cows to grandmothers in this situation). We also provided fertilizer and seed and planted a sustainable garden. We also provided a water barrel to collect rain water off of her tin roof so she didn't have to walk for several hours each day just to collect one bucket of dirty water. Her story was echoed everywhere we turned. We met grandmothers - we visited Children's Homes trying to take in more and more kids - we met many homeless children. It was overwhelming and beautiful at the same time as their spirits were in tact and they were so full of hope despite their poverty. These grandmothers were so grateful for our arrival - yet I felt the gift was given to me just to have spent time with them.

We're fully committed to Heart for Africa and are currently working to help get an additional 50 kids off the street and into the Tumaini Chidlren's Home by building a dorm for more space.

The grandmother and three of her grandchildren are in this photograph. Say a prayer for those in Africa and other third world countries who don't have what we have... and be so grateful to be born in the United States. I highly recommend taking 10 days to travel with Heart for Africa, www.heartforafrica.org.