More follow-up please! Allan’s story
Street Child to Son
months ago my life was changed by a little boy named Allan. When I found him he couldn’t hold his head up due to the intoxicating glue that he had just sniffed. He was a small underweight child who wore worn out, adult-sized clothes and an expression that pleaded for help. I took him off the streets, loved him the best way I knew how, and waited for God to open up a home for him. Every door slammed shut in our face until the last day when a miracle happened. I was given the name of ahome that was only a couple hours away called The Challenge Farm. I was told that this home dramatically changed street kids lives.
drove there in faith that they would take him in. When we arrived he was welcomed as if they had been waiting for him to come home. I have visited a lot of orphanages in the past year, but have never seen one as healthy and spiritually mature as this home.
makes me feel like I did something right. Religion is a touchy subject for most. We can argue theology and challenge each other’s lifestyles, but I have learned that if we do not have applicable love all of our religion and theology means absolutely nothing. I finally understand why God says that a pure and faultless religion is to take care of orphans and widows.
Allan’s Story in His Own Words:
I was born 12 years ago in Nairobi. I have two younger sisters who I believe still live with my mother in Nairobi. We had a decent life. Dad was a police officer and mom was a housewife.
One day father left for work as usual but never came back. We waited for him but in vain. Life took a downward spiral. We couldn’t afford a decent meal, or the rent.
My mother then took me to her brother’s home in Kamusinde (In Bungoma District) and she went back to Nairobi. I was about 9 or 10 years old then. My uncle’s wife made no pretense of taking care of me. She physically abused me so much that I frequently missed school because of the injuries. She denied me food and at one point as she herself put it- “got fed up” with me. She called my mother to come take me out of her house. I was glad because at her house I often slept outside and was getting sickly from the cold.
Mom came –but life had taken its toll on her and she was now very harsh and fretful. She was selling vegetables at the market and would be gone before I was up and came back very late at night , so I never had lunch. She was now very physically abusive and when I could not take it any longer, I ran away.
I went to Nairobi town and met Caleb (who now is my best friend) and after a couple of weeks we came to Kitale. We were both rescued some time later and taken to a center but we both didn’t like it and ran away.
Caleb remained in Kitale but I went to Eldoret. That’s where I learned about glue. I made friends and on Saturdays and Sundays we went to church. I’ve since forgotten which church it was, but we were always given tea and bread.
On one such Sunday, I met Marisa and her team. Marisa looked at my palm which had been hurt playing soccer. She took me to her home. She took care of me then when she left, she left me at the care of my pastor’s mother.
Marisa later came back and brought me to the Farm in 2008. At the Farm I was pleasantly surprised to find Caleb. I’ve made two more friends, Dan, who’s in my class and Joseph Ejore, who’s in Form One (freshman in High School). We talk about our former lives, the Farm, our future and we play together. In the dorm I share the same cubicle with Ejore.
(Allan’s two bestfriends who still need sponsorship)
I’m learning to read and write and I can now write my name! I love the food (but Ejore tells me it was once better. I hope it gets better again) the clothes and the company. The farm has helped me get over the issue of glue. I have also forgiven my mother for mistreating me and I hope I can see her soon.
I thank Marisa for rescuing me and the Farm, too. When I’m grown up and I’m a pilot, I’ll thank them my own way.
The first night I had Allan we had him draw so that he could communicate to us what he was thinking about. He drew a helicopter. When we dropped him off at the farm we were floored to learn that Cheri’s late husband flew a helicopter for missions purposes.
education for. Thank you so much for stepping up! You can also support by giving one-time donations. Her support dropped significantly in the fall due to the chaos that everyone experienced financially. Consequently she has had to make these dramatic changes to cope:
- Used to get beef stew and fruit once a week- now it is once a month. They eat vegetables, corn and beans.
- Rice which was served once a week has been eliminated.
- Would get chai (milk, tea, and sugar) during morning school break. We have eliminated that except on weekends where they get chai and bread (which
is donated) instead of porridge for breakfast. - All school activities not directly related to the classroom have been severely limited.
- Salaries have been cut and positions eliminated.
- Building of four classrooms has been stopped.
We need an additional $3000 dollars a month to operate at the previous level. We have 17 boys that still need to be sponsored which will bring in an additional $595 monthly.
Remember our kids don’t get soda, candy, fast food, trips to the mall or movies. We just need the basics. Through Challenge Farm we are helping directly or indirectly 500 people to have a better life.
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SethI just love the powerful encouragement which comes from knowing many people have made a lasting difference. Your follow up story here should remind those who invest in the unique ministry outreaches of AIM that there is a strong “return on investment” (ROI) but also something I call “return on mission”. (ROM) Donors should ask “Why AIM?” “Why now?” “With what impact?” Prudent supporters of the Kingdom agenda will really appreciate content like that here. And the story of the ten healed lepers in the New Testament account makes it clear that only one came back to say “thank you” to the hopemaking and lifegiving Jesus.
AIM does a good job of saying “thanks and here are the results”. That portends good things for the future.
Thanks, Butch. We’re working at it…