reconnecting

Hello. Sorry this has been a long time coming. Unfortunately, I do not have decent internet service at my house in Nairobi which makes blogging extremely difficult. You have all been on my mind.

There is so much to catch you up on, but will start with just one little story. This story is about Whitney. Whitney lives in Mbita with her mother, grandmother and several extended family members. She was born with hydrocephalus. Whitney has a wonderful family who care for and love her very much. They work hard to get her to the doctor (Whitney had a shunt put in at a mission hospital) and keep her clean and nourished. It is rare to see a child with special needs out in the community (they are often hidden in the home), but this is not true for Whitney. Her family sets her out in front of their duka (shop) they run out of their home. This way, Whitney is able to enjoy the sunshine and greet all that pass by. They did this by putting her in an old toddler stroller that her mother had saved to buy.

However, Whitney is getting bigger. She has outgrown this stroller and is unable to sit out at the duka. She lays in her bed most of the day of sits on a loved one's lap. However, both positions make it difficult for Whitney to see what is happening around her and it makes in extremely dangerous for her to eat.

One of the contacts I have made while in Nairobi is a man (fundi) that makes furniture. With a little explanation and pictures, we were able to design a chair for Whitney. And with help from good friends who visited Whitney, Whitney's mother was able to pay for the chair. Otieno (the fundi) is now making the chair and Whitney will have a the chair to sit in in a couple of weeks. It will be good to see her smiling face on the side of the road again.

What an incredible blessing for Whitney and all of those around her!
I want to thank you all for the many things you do to keep things going here. It is because of people like you that Whitney will be a bit more independent again.


Prayer requests:

1. That other children like Whitney will be given the opportunity to be seen and heard within their communities; and that they will be able to achieve their purpose here.

2. My family: We have recently suffered and incredible loss of a special lady and loved one; my aunt, Ann. She leaves behind many smiles and fond memories. Pray for healing and peace that passes all understanding.

3. Financial: I am need of car to be able to transition back to Mbita. I am getting close to my goal and am grateful for your help. Please pray for the remaining $1500 needed to purchase this car.

Again, I thank you so much for your support in many different ways. I could not do what I am doing here without each one of you. You are just as much part of what is happening in Kenya as I am. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

If you would like to partner with me by making a one-time donation or monthly contribution, you can do so by clicking on the top right corner of the page. The link is also on the intro page as well as the address for mailing. Anything is helpful and tremendously appreciated.

Much love,

Jenny Cox

Raising awareness

I will start by apologizing for the lack of photos. They will have to be added at a later time as I do not have the cord to transfer from my camera to my computer. Sorry, sorry sorry.
I just want to share with you about some of the exciting things coming up. As you all know, I am working in various places around Kenya (mostly Nairobi and Nyanza provinces) with children with special needs. These children are often left to sit in the home or are even abandoned. Many disabilities are still not understood in this country. It is often thought that the family has wronged God in some way. In turn, it is though that the child is possessed and is tossed aside as "a fool."


It is my firm belief that God has a purpose for us all. I don't think He limited that to just those that develop in a "normal" way. I think that often He has a very special plan for those that are different from others. I think they are truly God's special children. I hope that I can help others understand this and that I can give these children a chance to find God's will for themselves. Afterall, I am often the one that is affected by the plan God has for their lives. It never ceases to amaze me when these kids make the tiniest of achievements, but aknowledge it in monumental ways. I have also come to see what kind of affect it has on others. It may be the desire to serve or the realization that our own lives are not so bad afterall; but, it always seems to me that these kids make an impact on those around them.


Last month, I mentioned Leon. Leon was given an opportunity to walk again through CURE organization. They provided him with free surgery to correct his severely clubbed feet. I just want to report that he is recovering well and looks forward to dancing when his casts are off.

This time, I want to tell you about a little boy named Owen. Owen is from one of the slum areas here in Nairobi. He is 9 years old and has Autism (yes... it is even on the rise here in Kenya). His mother cannot afford school fees for a special school and cannot make the long transport to Heshima (where Leon attends). However, once a month, his mother puts him on the bus and brings him to a free clinic. I have been seeing this family for quite some time. Owen has a mother who's faith continues to amaze me. Her husband left her, accusing her for their son's "craziness." She has not been able to work because their is no one who will watch "the little boy that is possessed." She lives in the poorest of situations and brings Owen with her to sell whatever she can in the market. However, Owen has had little to no intervention, increasing his behavioural outbursts, and she often has to leave without selling anything at all. Her neighbors look at her funny. Her family does not come around. Still this mother continues to find ways to help her son that she loves very much.

You see, most mothers would have dropped Owen off somewhere. Some have even been known to kill their children. Not Mama Owen. Even though it is against the social norms of the culture... she has brought her son out in the open. She travels with him on public means. She seeks any help she can get. Because of this, she has encouraged others in similar situations to do the same. These mothers just needed permission and validation to have their children be seen. I am not saying that things have changed completely. We have a long way to go. But, it is good to see that Kenyan women (although often accused of not) do have the ability to be heard. They can make a voice for themselves and their children.

If you thought this story was sad... it gets harder. Mama Owen recently called to let me know that Owen had been missing for about 2 weeks. He just wandered out of the house. They had looked for him for 2 weeks and eventually found him cowering in a sewage type drain. He had amoebas and parasites and would often cry uncontrollably. He is not able to communicate what he experienced during this time. He has recently been admitted to the hospital, unable to recover from these illnesses. He is very sick. He is frightened and does not understand what is happening. His autism denies him the ability to reason or understand what ppl are saying to him.

Please pray for peace for him and that the doctors are able to heal is little body. Pray that as his speech and language therapist, I able to help the doctors and nurses be able to communicate what they need to him. Pray that God is able to comfort him when words cannot. Pray for Mama Owen as she continues to fight to get her son the help that he needs.

Good News: April 14th is Autism Awareness Day. This day takes place throughout most of the world. We have teamed with some area hospitals to really let this day bring awareness. There will be several big events held around Nairobi to encourage people to come and learn more about this disability. There will be fun for kids, speakers and entertainment. Way to go, Kenya for recognizing the need for change when it comes to Autism. By raising awareness, we hope to help people understand the disability that affects children like Owen and his family. We hope that more schools will find ways to provide services to these children. And, we hope that the government of Kenya recognizes the need to take care of all of the children in their country in ways that provide them with lives of quality. I will let you know how the day goes. Be sure to share with all!!!

If you want to join me in helping children with special needs, please click on the link to the right to learn how to give on line or by US mail. Your support of any magnitude is appreicated... it is what keeps me here. You can also find links to Heshima and CURE to learn more about these organizations.

Much much love,
Jenny

Back to Kenya, Back to Basics; Where Life has Taken Me In Kenya.

Well, here I am, back in Kenya and thinking of the wonderful holiday I had in the states. It was an incredible Christmas, spent with family and friends. During my short 6 weeks spent in America, I was able to see almost all of my family and friends…even if just for a short time. Those of you that I missed, I will look forward to seeing on my next visit. While in St. Louis, Charleston, Charlotte and Chicago (yes, a whirl-wind tour in 6 weeks), I was able to meet babies born to good friends (including my first great-niece, Sophia… and I mean great in more than one way) and share videos and pictures of people newly wed. It’s amazing how much can happen in a year and I hate missing all of those moments, but am fortunate to have wonderful friends and family that keep me in the kn
ow. Please enjoy some of those moments with me by looking at the pictures below.





Some fun things… My first day back, I arrived in Kenya about 5 am. I wanted to try to stay up so that I could quickly get back on schedule. My flat mate was going to the Karen Blixon (from the movie, Out of Africa) and asked me to go along. Here we are hanging out in the tree that sits on ground where her farm is. The house in the background is the same house she lived in… you may recognize it from the movie. We came home and watched the movie (I hadn’t seen in many years). It was a great way to come back to Kenya. What a beautiful land!

Life back in Kenya is a bit warmer than the states. This is the hottest time of the year in Kenya (although it doesn’t vary too much) and this year is no exception.
While at home, it became apparent that not everyone is aware of the changes I have made it the past year. So, here is a summary, in short(I will continue to highlight the various ministries with which I am working over the next few months):

Some exciting new adventures await me in the next couple of months here. As I mentioned in previous letters, I am now based in Nairobi and working on training programs that will allow children with special needs to receive services that they do not currently receive… including basic communication. I get to work with parents in the development of their little ones and even train teachers and other professionals how to help disabled individuals communicate basic wants and needs and to become as independent as possible (allowing mothers to go to work and provide for their families). In Kenya, there only a few schools in Nairobi (the capitol city) that include children that have disabilities of any kind (although most teachers have not received proper training) and many times no services are provided in more rural areas. Many times these children are left in the home or abandoned and brought to children’s centers like the Abandoned Baby Center through Feed the Children. There are only 6 speech and language therapists in the entire country of Kenya and no training programs at all. As a speech and language therapist, I work with kids on basic communication skills and helping parents communicate with their children. I work with adults that have had strokes and head injuries. You can imagine the need in a country where poverty and disease are so widely-spread. I work with teachers to incorporate problem solving and reasoning/judgement and overall critical thinking in their lessons. I love what I do and look forward to a new year of many possibilities.
There is a lot of work to do, but know that God will provide a way to push through. Here are some pictures of people I have got to work with. These are children from various schools, centers and clinics where I work. I will try to continue to highlight some throughout the year and tell you of their stories. I will use my blog… feel free to follow me regularly!
Join me:
By praying for
*guidance as we develop programs in Kenya to train others to work with people with special needs and raise awareness so that they me part of society.
*people of Kenya to accept others that are not like them; for schools to see that children with disabilities belong in school and have a right to education so that they can become independent and contribute in their own way to communities.
*that this is a year where light is shown in dark places in this country and others.
Financially:
*Please partner with me in helping spread a new service in Kenya; one that will encourage self-sustainability and independence. All donations go through Seacoast Church for tax purposes and are used to keep this cause going.
*You can do so by clicking on the link on top of the right column. It will lead you directly to the sight to give. Just follow the prompts. Or you can send a check (with Jenny Cox written in the memo) to:
Seacoast Church Missions
Attn: Roz Page
750 Long Point Road Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

or
donate on line by clicking on the link: https://public.serviceu.com/payment/default.asp?OrgID=1444&PaymentID=6788

Thank you for your support of any kind and magnitude. Without you, I would not be able to continue the work in Kenya. You are changing lives!
Until next time,
Much love,
Jenny