St. John Bosco Rehabilitation Center

Transcription

1 2700 N. Military Trail, Suite 240 PO Box Boca Raton, Florida St. John Bosco Rehabilitation Center Kitale, Kenya PROJECT 0568 Jesus said, Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, For the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. Matthew 19:14

2 Project Synopsis Description Provide safe shelter and education for street children and children at risk of ending up on the streets of squalid slum camps. Purpose To protect children from the dangers of the slums while empowering them to escape the cycle of poverty. Location Kitale in western Kenya. Cost $46,200 will help cover critical operational costs of the St. John Bosco Rehabilitation Center for a year, benefiting nearly 150 children. Highlights Cross Catholic Outreach has partnered with the Maryknoll Lay Missioners to rescue children from a life of poverty in Kenya s slums. Street children and children at-risk of a life on the streets are brought to the St. John Bosco Rehabilitation Center, where they receive non-formal education from trained teachers. When their non-formal education is completed, the children either live on-site or with their families while attending day schools, boarding schools and vocational schools. Support from the Center includes tuition, school supplies, food, medical care and religious education. Many of the children s female guardians gather weekly to learn about health issues, discuss their faith and engage in income-generating activities. The ultimate goal of the program is for the children to reintegrate into their families and become productive members of society. The Center relies on Cross Catholic Outreach to help cover operational costs. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. Matthew 18:5 1

3 The Need In Kenya s arid north, the Turkana tribe maintains a semi-nomadic, pastoral way of life that sets them apart from the majority of the country s tribes. Over the years, their society has been threatened by severe droughts and loss of land. As a result, many Turkana have fled to the town of Kitale in search of food, water and opportunity. Sadly, this migration has led to new problems, as displaced families have settled in squalid slum camps known for prostitution, disease and the brewing of illegal alcohol. These families live in igloo-shaped shanties cobbled together with sticks, cardboard and plastic bags, resembling mounds of trash. They have escaped the dangers of the desert, only to find themselves trapped in a subsistence-level existence in a place plagued by joblessness, poor sanitation, alcohol abuse and chronic illnesses such as AIDS and tuberculosis. Children raised in the slums have little to look forward to but a lifetime of poverty. Often they can t go to school, because their parents are too poor to afford the cost of books, uniforms, lunches and other fees. So instead, they go to the streets, where they spend their days begging or scavenging for scraps of food. Uneducated and unsupervised, some of these children fall prey to abuse and exploitation. All they know is that they are hungry, and they will do anything they can to survive another day. They were born into poverty, and unless someone intervenes, they will die in poverty. The suffering of these children breaks the heart of Christ. But God is greater than their troubles, and he is calling his Church and compassionate Catholics like you to bring them love, hope and deliverance. 2

4 Ministry Description The St. John Bosco Rehabilatation Center, run by the Maryknoll Lay Missioners and supported by Cross Catholic Outreach, is a beacon of hope to the children of the slum camps. It aims to rescue children from the dangers and temptations of the streets and form them into educated, responsible individuals who will take charge of their lives and contribute positively to their communities. Social workers from the Center go into the slums in search of young street children and children at risk of going to the streets. They bring these children to the Center, where they are provided with safe shelter, food, medical care, spiritual formation and loving adult supervision. During the week, the children participate in informal education sessions with trained teachers to help them learn basic life skills. These skills include manners, personal hygiene, how to get dressed, literacy, numeracy and other basic lessons that prepare them for admission into the formal education system. They also learn to protect themselves from AIDS, child trafficking and substance abuse. Small class sizes ensure that each child receives lots of personal attention from the teachers. On the weekends and during the summer, the children return home to be with their families. When the children are ready, St. John Bosco enrolls them at a local primary school. All expenses, from books and uniforms to lunches and school fees are covered by the ministry. After graduating from primary school, they are placed in vocational schools, secondary schools and post-secondary schools to be equipped for gainful employment. The combination of educational and nutritional support enables the children to thrive and opens the door to a once impossible option the chance to escape the cycle of poverty. Throughout this development process, the ministry s ultimate goal is not to isolate the children, but rather to reintegrate them with their families in a healthier environment, no longer at risk of returning to the streets. A special Parents and Guardians Day is observed each year to promote healing and communication between the children and their families. Eventually, the children are transitioned to living fulltime at home, where they receive ongoing follow-up visits from a social worker. As a Catholic ministry, St. John Bosco also tends to the spiritual needs of the children. They celebrate Mass, receive weekly religious instruction, maintain a prayer garden and attend Catholic schools that offer confirmation and baptism. These observances lay a strong moral and spiritual foundation that will serve them throughout their lives. 3

5 Help Now! The Maryknoll Lay Missioners are changing lives through the St. John Bosco Rehabilitation Center, but they can t do it without support from caring friends like you. A gift to Cross Catholic Outreach will help welcome these precious children in Christ s name. It will cover critical operating costs of the Center, so it can continue to rescue children from the streets and provide them with the food, education, medical care, counseling and spiritual support they need. Your generous contribution will give these destitute boys and girls the hope to improve their lives and ultimately achieve self-sufficiency. Jesus said in Luke 4:18, The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. The St. John Bosco Rehabilitation Center is indeed bringing good news to the poor of Kitale, Kenya: news that they don t have to beg on the streets; news that their basic needs can be met; and news that there is a God who is watching over them and loves them enough to welcome them into his kingdom. Help us spread that news today! Proceeds from this campaign will be used to cover any expenditures for this project incurred during the current calendar year. In the event that more funds are raised than needed to fully fund the project, the excess funds, if any, will be used to meet the most urgent needs of the ministry. 4 [tm1308] [Utn1402][Utn1505] 2700 N. Military Trail, Suite 240 PO Box Boca Raton, Florida Cross Catholic Outreach. Cost effectively written, designed and printed in-house.