We're Getting Packed and Ready to Go!

Suzan Bellis

I accepted Christ as my Savior at 7 years old.  He has truly been my Friend that has never left me.  I always loved the missionary stories the best in VBS.  I felt called at an early age to be a “missionary in Africa” and teach children.  It was not till my oldest son had gone on a mission trip to Mexico that I felt the pull back to missions.  Over the next 27 years I was on 18 teams that included Mexico, Honduras and Haiti.

 

In 2004 my good friend Sally Gradin was returning to Kenya with husband and family as missionaries and invited people of NACC to come to Nairobi and help in a slum called Mji wa Huruma.  We answered the invitation and the first team of 7 people served in Huruma in Feb. 2005.  When we arrived I knew I was where God had been calling me.  I fell in love with the people of Kenya and especially Huruma.   I wanted to stay and He said; “no, bring others”.  In Sept. 2014 the 4^th team from NACC served in Huruma.  It was my 7^th time to Huruma.  This Feb. 2015 marks my 10^th anniversary returning to Huruma and the people He has called me to serve.  It is my hope and prayer that God will raise up many more teams and supporters of the Huruma Nursery School and the children will come to know the God that loves them and receive an education that will give them opportunities to serve God and the people of Kenya.

Suzan has been married to Rod for over 53 years.  They have 4 grown sons and 6 granddaughters ages 21 to 3 years old.

 

Grace and Sally Gradin

Dan and Sally Gradin lived in Nairobi from 1997-2001 and again in 2003-2010 as they served at Kikuyu Hospital with CBM (Christian Blind Mission). Assisting NACC’s heart work overseas, Sally connected the church with Huruma Kindergarten in 2005. Sally has stayed involved with NACC’s work there and is on the HOPE board. Continuing her heart for the hurting, she is a case manager at NorthWest Senior & Disabilities Services in Woodburn and pursuing a MSW degree.

 

Grace was born in Huruma in 2001 and joined the Gradin family in 2007. She is a spunky seventh grader at Twality Middle School in Tigard and loves basketball and track.

 Dan and Sally have been married 27 years.  They have 3 grown children and 2 children still living at home

First Steps into Mji wa Huruma

The first team to visit the Huruma Nursery School was in Feb. 2005.  Over the next 6 years I have made 3 visits to follow up with the school.  In 2012 we sent the 2^nd NACC Team and continued with 2 more teams in 2013 and 2014.

What we found in 2005 was an impoverished community called Mji wa Huruma.

Huruma is classified as an “informal settlement”, which means slum.  The people have been living on government land since the late 70’s or early 80’s when they were displaced by an up market housing estate.  There are approx. 5,000 people living on this land, which is not more than 7 acres in size, in small shacks that are usually made of tin and whatever scrap materials they are able to salvage from the local estate’s garbage.  There is no room for farming.  All of the land is covered with residential shacks and very little else other than the Nursery School, a high school started in 2006 by a wonderful Kenyan woman plus and another school that started up approx.. 3 years ago.. 

The people lost their coffee plantation jobs at the time of resettlement and have never recovered economically or socially.  The guess is that the unemployment rate is 90%. The people are a homogeneous community in that they are almost all Kikuyu, so they do not have the friction that comes with people of multiple tribes living together, but because they virtually lack resources, Most of the people are infrequently employed in odd jobs, mostly in coffee, house cleaning, gardening and unskilled construction.  A few are able to supplement their diets by growing a few vegetables if they have been fortunate enough to know someone with a little bit of land to allow them.  The only other noteworthy activity in Huruma is the efforts of New Dawn toward youth education, work empowerment, and community health.  All of New Dawn’s efforts are infused with evangelism and discipleship. 

The School in Feb. 2005 – Notice the broken fence and play equipment, muddy/dirt play area.  Many children did not have uniforms, shoes with little or no classroom supplies.  Only one teacher was getting paid.

Huruma Nursery School. 

The school comprises of 3 “classrooms” with a total of 85+ children.  They are in groups of 3-4 yr. olds, 4 yr. olds & younger 5 yr. olds and a Kinder group of older 5 yr. olds and 6 yr. olds. The children are taught Bible and Christian songs along with their regular studies. The staff includes a Director who started in Jan. 2014, three teachers and a cook.

The Nursery school exists completely on donations from NACC, a newly created Sponsor Program and sometimes special outside gifts because the parents do not have enough money to even feed and clothe their families.  Parents are asked to pay the equivalent of .50 a week, but often that is too much.

A little student with a cup of watered porridge (Feb. 2005).  Her hair is reddish from mal nutrition.

 

 

The three teachers are paid through NACC’s mission budget and Sponsor Donations.   NACC’s mission budget & Sponsors also funds the food, transport and the cook who makes sure that 85 children get a morning snack and lunch each day.  We also send extra funds for much needed school supplies and uniforms.  Our coordinator, Hellen Wairimu, buys the food each week and delivers it to the school and oversees all the funding and needs.

The vision of the school is the same as Head Start – to help kids who would otherwise have no chance to go to school to be prepared for entrance into grade school.   Our  goal is to empower the parents and staff to run the school well in its vision to provide Christian transformation to the children and community through quality early childhood education

Ten Years Later

With the 2012, 2013 and 2014 team we have been able to bring improvements to the school that include:
 

• Sponsor Program with 44 children presently sponsored
• Two nutritious meals a day
• New Uniforms and shoes each year
• School supplies, books and improved classrooms inside and out
• Salaries for 3 teachers, cook and Coordinator
• National testing for Pre-unit students
• Improved Kitchen facilities including a new Instove with 2^nd one to be installed early this year.
• Cement tiles in play area to keep down dirt

DREAMS

• Create non-profit "Huruma Opportunity Partnership for Education" (HOPE) so that we can continue to expand the school and upgrade the education for each child.
• Continue to improve the staffing by adding teachers as school grows
• Grow the school to go through Standard 8 (grade 8)
• Continue to improve the school facilities that will include more classrooms, improved latrines and kitchen and water supply
• Improve nutrition and health care for each child
• Finding a playground suitable for the children
• Parenting and skill classes for parents