Our Work …
Bethel Rays of Hope currently has two major activities:
Family / Child sponsorship
Our program allows for a young orphaned child the opportunity to grow up in a normal family setting. These are the children who have no one on whom to rely. So we ask people to consider sponsoring not just a child but, in essence, the whole of the family.
Then there are some orphans who are able to live with their relatives and receive some food and shelter but they are not able to attend school because the cost. In these cases, we take on the sponsorship of these children in their own home settings, paying for the school fees, supplies and sometimes simple things like a mattress and blanket plus, depending on the individual home situations, provide them with a meal right at Bethel Home.
Infrastructure
Our focus is on the well being of the children and their education. Yet, without the infrastructure, we cannot carry out the task. In 2014 the first home was built. A kitchen/cooking area, storage for food and an office area are also contained in this building. This house has become the girls dorm and has over 30 girls living in the house, looked after by our matron Rose.
Our second house was built in 2017 and has become the boys dorm. We have over 30 boys in dorm who are cared for by our patron Uncle John.
Schooling
Bethel Learning center started in 2016 educating children up to grade 8. The school was built to reduce the cost of sending our children to public schools in the area. We have since opened our doors to children in the area and now are educating about 250 children.
Where we work
We are located on one acre of land that has been given to us in the city limits of Kisumu, Kenya. Kisumu is a thriving town on the edge of Lake Victoria and boasts being the second largest in the land (next only to Nairobi). They have a population of almost 400,000 and it is the third largest city in Kenya located on the shore of Lake Victoria. Situated right on the equator, the climate is hot all year (28 – 30 C). Rainy seasons are between March and June and in November.
This area of Kenya has been hit very hard by HIV/AIDS and many children have been left to provide for themselves. Those who are lucky to still have a relative or an elderly grandparent to live with are fortunate. But the toll of this disease has left many orphaned and alone. We have two slum areas within 500 meters either way of our property with many children who are in desperate need.
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