In the middle of the community of Ndumberi, Kenya, after taking a few twists and turns down narrow roads, you will see “Ndumberi Children’s Center” painted above a doorway. Through that doorway is a small playground with a swing set, a few slides. To your left is a small blue building with several classrooms that have nurtured young minds and laid the foundation for a hopeful future for hundreds of young people who entered these gates through the years. In the early 2000s, the children’s center was housed in a humble church that fed over 500 children. What began as a feeding program for young moms and their children changed into something quite transformative for the community of Ndumberi. As more and more children came to this church ministry, the need for more space became apparent and moved to the blue building it is in today. While this building has served the community beautifully for the past 15 years, the center is once again stretched far beyond its capacity. Expansion International was approached by the PEFA Mercy Ministries board to help build a new comprehensive center that will serve the community of Ndumberi.
Down the street, a few hundred yards from this little blue building is the plot of land purchased by E.I. and PMM where the new center will stand. Last month at our annual Build Hope Dinner, you gave funds towards the construction of the new Ndumberi Children’s Center. Following the dinner, a generous donor offered a $40,000 matching grant. Within a week the entire match was met! Because of your compassionate generosity, the Children’s Center is now 61% funded.
Thanks to you, we broke ground on October 18th. A small team from the US joined our Kenyan partners for the celebration. The day was full of joy as we reflected on all that God has done in Ndumberi through the years. Now, we look forward to what He will do through the new center in years to come. During the groundbreaking when the land was committed to the Lord, a pastor shared from the book of Genesis. “When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” … “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.” The Lord is doing awesome things in Ndumberi, and you are a part of it!