Living Hope High School, Kenya, Africa

BOOK SALE to purchase medical supplies for Living Hope in Kenya Come to the Mission hallway and see the totally new selection of books: religious, drama, fiction, non-fiction, cookbooks, children’s, etc. Take what you want, and please leave a donation in the box on the top shelf.

Living Hope is an accredited residential Christian school that has been in existence since 2010 in Bungoma, Kenya – 8 hours north of the capital of Nairobi. One hundred and nine impoverished teens who live and are educated at Living Hope have lost one or both parents due to AIDS, desertion or disease.  Some have both parents but live in abject poverty. Students fortunate enough to be accepted to live and study at Living Hope find their lives radically changed as they experience, many for the first time, a bed to sleep in, three meals a day and the opportunity to envision a bright future.

Click here for a video thank you from Moses at Living Hope in Kenya – “Hello, My name is Moses. I want to start by thanking you so much for your support.  I would have not been at Living Hope if it were not for your help.  I want to promise you that I will work very hard to achieve my dreams, as well as, make you guys feel proud of me.” Thanks you from the bottom part of my heart.

Update on Moses:  In December of 2022 Moses graduated from Living Hope, but he had no money or no place to go to live. Jobs in the area are practically non-existent. He was permitted to stay at Living Hope as Dorm Father for the newly-admitted Form 1 students, but was told he could only be kept in that position until the end of February. When Connie arrived at Living Hope in February, she heard of his situation and felt led to help Moses. It seemed that he would benefit from attending a technical school where he could learn skills that would equip him for future employment; so during the time Connie was there, she accompanied Moses to visit two schools for interviews. She took him to Market Day and bought him a shirt, pants, shoes and a fleece jacket so that he would have something to wear on his interviews beside the ragged, worn clothes he wore every day. Before leaving Living Hope to return home, Connie insured that Moses will be able to enter one of those 4-year schools in May.

Now Moses is using the help and experience of another Living Hope graduate student who is in college and able to advise Moses about how to find a place to live off-campus, how to purchase the things he will need for school (books, mattress, a one-burner cooker, dish, pot, etc.).  Connie has purchased a laptop computer for him to use at school.  She is grateful – as is Moses – for JUMC’s support while he was at Living Hope, and she looks forward to being Moses’ financial support for his further education.

Below is a recent letter from a student our church supports at Living Hope High School in Kenya:

Dear Jarrettown Church:
         Praise the Lord for you! I am glad to write this letter to you appreciating what you have done for me these past two years.  I thank you very much. You saved me life from being and orphan and living alone. You are my parents now. I know now that God never forgets His people.
          At Living Hope for this period of time I have learned something taught in the Bible by Jesus. It says “Bring all your heavy burdens to me and I will make them brighter for you”. I proved this is true when you came to my life.
            Every time I get a letter from Mum Connie and I write back, I promise her that I won’t let you down. Your money will not be wasted. In Nehemiah 2:20 the Bible teaches on success. I do believe in it…….that I am a winner and not a loser.
           Did you know in Kenya we just had an election. I think God gave us a good new president who will rule us well. In school we also had an election for new Christian leaders.
           I pray God will continue blessing Jarrettown Church and Mum Connie. I am excited to meet her in February. I give thanks to her for communicating my message to you on my behalf. Thank you Church.

 

Jarrettown Church and Living Hope

JUMC’s Connie Damon has been going to Living Hope since 2014 as our Ambassador.  Although the pandemic prevented her return this past January, she hopes to be able to return in January of 2022 to continue work begun there in past years.

Through her sharing of needs upon her return here each year, Jarrettown Church members have caught her sense of urgency to help with the needs of Living Hope. In 2014, we were able to raise the money to have a Well dug. In years since, we have helped with the purchase of a vehicle for emergency transport of ill students and those in the surrounding Bush. We built a Healing Hut (small Dispensary), equipped it with medicines and hired a local nurse who sees to the medical needs of the students. We helped with purchasing a parcel of land adjoining the campus for a new dorm to be built. These are just some of the ways we have answered the call. Marilyn and the students constantly say “THANK YOU JARRETTOWN!”.

The vision and goals of Living Hope are becoming a reality as sponsored children have their lives changed and are given hope to replace hopelessness. God is at work at Living Hope, and we can continue to help.

How You Can Help

  1. Pray for the children at Living Hope.
  2. Contribute during May to our fund-raising for the ministry of Living Hope (click here for info/form).
  3. Sign up to sponsor a student.

Living Hope receives no support from any source except individual donors from the US who sponsor individual students, paying $110 monthly.  Donations are 100% tax deductible. The total amount goes to pay for the student’s living expenses and education. All support donations are handled by the Riverton UM Church, which acts as the 501c3 coordinator.

For more information about Living Hope, contact Connie Damon Conniedamon624@gmail.com or go onto the Living Hope website  Livinghopehighschool.org.