Building a Better Future
"For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord...to give you a hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11
In Ndumberi, Kenya, a community of about 22,000, too many families are adversely affected by poverty. Many are low income day-laborers with little hope of a better future. Many children suffer from neglect as caregivers engage in things like prostitution and drug trafficking just to put food on the table. Once these things gain a foothold in a family, children suffer. Sexual exploitation, gang involvement, and a lifestyle of drug and alcohol abuse await many. Add illiteracy and lack of opportunity into the mix, and a young person’s future turns bleak.
We want to help provide a pathway to a wonderful future for the entire community beginning with each child at the new Mercy Children’s Community Center.
THE GOAL
The specific goal of the new center will be to help break cycles of poverty by providing opportunities to develop and thrive in a safe, Christian environment where all are welcome. It is our hope that children and their families know they are welcome to learn, develop, explore, and celebrate in a place where laughter and love happen every day.
To make this goal a reality, we are linking arms with Expansion International Africa and PEFA Mercy Ministries (PMM) to build a new Children’s Community Center that will take the place of the outdated Children’s Development Center (CDC) in Ndumberi.
THE CDC'S HISTORY
If you have been on an Expansion International mission trip, chances are you visited the current CDC, in Ndumberi. The center provides children with spiritual, physical, educational, and social mentorship, and has been a wonderful addition to the community since it opened in 1995. However, only one child per family can apply for admittance into the current child development program.
The CDC is located adjacent to the PEFA Mercy Medical Clinic and serves as a community outreach of the nearby All Nations Gospel Church, one of Expansion International’s very first outreach partners.
This "flyby" video below was created from architectural drawings provided by the joint PMM/EIA planning committee in Kenya. This helps us envision the future center that will serve generations to come.
THE NEED
Provide a Safe Haven - The most pressing need is to provide a safe place for children to learn and mature. The current center has fallen into dangerous disrepair with exposed wiring, broken windows, leaking roofs, wood rot, bug infestation, and rusted playground equipment. It is no longer a safe for children, volunteers, and staff.
SERVING THE FAMILY
Currently, only one child per family is able to participate in the program. Even so, with over 75
preschoolers attending each weekday, and nearly 275 primary school students coming for tutoring on weekends, the center is operating well beyond capacity. There are many more children who would love to attend if there was space.
COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION
We are certain that a new center will contribute to the transformation of this community’s future in very significant ways. In order to fulfil E.I.’s mission of community transformation, in addition to larger classrooms enabling more children to attend preschool, there will be
- A community gathering space with a kitchen and dining hall
- Recreational and playground areas for all ages
- A resource center with computer lab and study materials
- Safe rooms for short-term intervention for abuse victims
- Counseling services
- Adult education and training
- New mother and baby care education
- Expansion International Office on site