Amani Gathering in Missouri gets local highlight.

A volunteer from Jefferson City, Missouri visited Amani ya Juu’s center in Nairobi, Kenya this summer and came home eager to share what she had experienced.  She met women at Amani who had found hope and opportunities much like she was given.  Now she’s giving back by supporting Amani and selling products this holiday season.

Ready her story in this article by the Jefferson City News Tribune.  And check out her sale if you’re in the area!

Zed from Eritrea stitches a scrap bowl, which will be sold to support Amani ya Juu.

Thanks to Lori and Amani’s many dedicated volunteers for your partnership with the women of Amani ya Juu!

 

Lessons from the ropes with Amani Sasa

The youth of Amani Sasa are learning through experience about courage, perseverance, and peace.  And others are too!

Ruth & Yayo hit the ropes!

Ruth Deam works in the Amani Kenya office in Nairobi.  As with most women at Amani, she is also involved with Amani’s outreach programs as part of sharing God’s peace.  She recently joined Amani Sasa (“Peace Now”) for a sleepover trip at Diguna outside of Nairobi.  Amani Sasa is  an extension of the Amani Watoto children’s camp which uses outdoor adventure treks to build relationships that impart the principles of peace to teenage children of Amani women.  At Diguna, the group caught up on happenings as an Amani Sasa family and enjoyed adventures on the ropes course.  She wrote the following reflection after her experience.

One of the fun activities this time included a five-stage rope-climbing challenge. Foni was one of the first to volunteer for this particular activity.  Originally from Sudan, Foni is about 15 years old, and her mother is one of the four women who pioneered Amani. She nearly chickened out as she began the rope-climbing, but with encouragement she took the first step. By the time she finished the first stage, we didn’t think she would continue on to the second. But she did!

Jiji, another daughter of Lucy from Sudan

Despite the fact that many of the young adults like Foni were scared, one facilitator rushed them along and did little to inspire their courage. But Foni didn’t listen to the discouragement.  She kept on and on and on, until we all clapped for her and the others for going all the way and doing such an outstanding job.

In our journey, there are those to encourage us and those to discourage us.  But I know that God gives us the strength to take another step forward.  We can make it just like Foni. Yes, she had a lot of discouragement, but she didn’t quit.  She kept on and on until she finished and then started to cheer for others.

We certainly face a lot of trials.  Sometimes we are not so sure what to think or do. When my husband passed away, I never thought I would make it this far.  I don’t fully understand God’s way of doing things.  But I can stand and say that God has brought me this far.  And I know without a doubt that just as Foni was able to finish her rope-climbing, God is not about to abandon me now.  He will walk with us.

During their excursion the Amani Sasa group played a bit, and then sat together to share how they were doing.  They shared a few good things for which they are thanking God, how they are practicing the lessons from Amani Sasa, and challenges faced during the last school term.

Below are some of the thanksgivings:

Beltra, nephew of Zed from Eritrea with Dennis, son of Josephine from Congo

• Well-being through the term in health & safety.
• Beltra finished Form 4 (French school) successfully, passed exams, and improved her grades.
• Yayo was selected in her school to be part of a conference called Justice for All Children.
• Most of them are now prefects (leaders) in their schools.
• Dennis and Diana Kate were part of National Music & Drama festivals this year.

We also shared about things we want to pray for:

• To keep focused and strong as Christians and not fall to negative peer pressure.
• That those who are prefects at school would be good leaders.
• Good coordination and planning with their involvement in school activities.
• Marline, Daniel, Etienne, Eunice, Jiji, Yayo, and Margaret are all candidates sitting for national exams in October.

It’s evident that these young ones are learning the importance of standing up for peace and growing in their faith.  Thank you for joining with the Amani family passing peace to these and many lives.

Amani Sasa is a special program of Amani ya Juu and funded by donations. You can ensure that Amani Sasa continues passing peace to these young leaders by donating online.

You can also help Amani remain self-sustaining with a purchase from our online shop.

 

Abundant Blessings of Life Together in Kenya

an update from the Amani center in Nairobi, Kenya

Recent months have been busy at Amani’s main center in Nairobi, Kenya.  The women have been stitching bags, dying fabric, experimenting with new designs, and boxing up products in preparation for upcoming of holiday sales in Africa and the US.

Even with plenty of work, the Amani family continues to care for one another.  Here, Kenya Country Director Joyce Muraya shares some recent highlights from her work at the Amani Kenya center:

• In mid-August, Amani Kazi (Amani’s men’s group called “Peace Work” in Swahili) spent a week repairing and refurbishing the playground in the Nairobi Garden Cafe.
• Last week Amani Kazi visited an Amani lady’s husband who has been sick for a long time.  Their visit and prayers were an encouragement to this man and his family.
• We have a new lady who joined Amani about a month ago.  She shared with her neighbors in crisis about the emotional, physical, and spiritual support she has received at Amani.  Even though she couldn’t solve her friend’s problem, she told her, “I have received so much.  One thing I can do is share this situation at Amani.  I know that the ladies will faithfully pray for you.”
• One of the ladies shared recently during morning prayer about trouble with her disrespectful step-children.  Mama Josephine, the Amani Watoto children’s program coordinator, visited the family and spoke with the children for an evening, giving of her time and resources.  The woman returned to Amani with a glowing testimony of changed behavior, even saying that the children had recognized her as their new mom.
• One lady who has struggled for a while to make ends meet came to me with great news: “Yesterday I was able to buy meat and fruit for my family and my daughter is doing well in school.” God has provided work for the Amani ladies, and they are able to sustain their families.
• Sales from the Garden Café funded a refinishing of the kitchen floor.  It looks great!

These are snap-shots and there are many other stories.

We are blessed to labor in this field.

Thankfully,

Joyce

The Amani women never stop appreciating your friendship.  Thank you for all the ways you encourage them with visits, e-mails, gifts, and purchases.

The holidays are a great time to continue supporting Amani by giving gifts that represent lives changed by peace.  Bags, home products, children’s items, or jewlery – there’s plenty to choose from in our webstore.

Blessings of peace to you and your family from the Amani family.

 

Nairobi’s cafe playground gets a makeover

The men of Amani Kazi (“Peace Work”) were pleased to undertake improvements to the playground in the garden cafe at Amani Nairobi.  A few years of wear and tear left it in need of some attention.  Visitors can now enjoy bringing their children to an even safer, more beautiful playground.

Check out the photos below and be sure to stop by if you’re passing through Nairobi for some “Mexi-Kenyan” food and a cup of chai or coffee.

Two of Amani's groundskeepers, both named Jackson, contributed to the renovations along with the men of Amani Kazi.

 

Boxes of Peace

Reflections from Rose Sore, Export Manager at Amani ya Juu in Nairobi, Kenya

I get a lot of interesting responses when I tell people my title at Amani ya Juu.  Quizzical looks are typically follow by questions like, “Export Manager? Hmm, what does that mean exactly?”  I had the same reaction when I first heard about the position.  Two and a half years into the job, I’ve learned that being Amani’s Export Manager has a lot less to do with paperwork and more with people. It is centered less on the superficial details of shipping out products and more so on making a difference in people’s lives.

It’s impossible to talk about Export without telling the story of Amani’s ladies.  I see them walk through the gate at Amani every morning bringing in the stitching they did at home, carrying babies, and chatting with fellow trainees who have long become friends.  I look at them in amazement knowing their stories – tales of pain and victory over pain that they also carry with them.  We congregate for prayer before working to make some of the most amazing products I have ever seen.

These products pass through many eyes and hands to ensure excellence before finding their way to the Export Office.  Our task in Export is two-fold: to spread Amani’s message of peace beyond the borders of Kenya and to support the ladies’ efforts by finding a market for their products. Each product is tagged with a message of Amani’s mission of peace-building. In this way, a simple bag can share the hope of transformational peace with the person who receives it.

One of the hardest experiences for me at Amani has been hearing first-hand the material struggles of the ladies at Amani.  Refugees rely on what is given to them, insufficient as it often is.  Women from underprivileged backgrounds lack academic and professional opportunities to further themselves and now have great difficulty in sustaining themselves financially.  Amani gives them a chance to make a living and acts as a bridge between the limitations forced upon them and the abundance God has for them.

However, this chance depends wholly on finding a market for Amani products. Every month I ship out boxes going to volunteers who will sell the products packed inside.  They don’t pay up front for the products; they just commit a few hours that mean a livelihood for the women here in Africa.  As I watch the pick-up drive out of Amani loaded with boxes, I whisper a prayer of thanksgiving to God because I know what it means practically on the ground. When we ship our goal of 20 boxes, this means that the ladies will be able to continue creating products and become more financially equipped.  When we ship only a handful of boxes, I know it means less work for the ladies who I care so much about.

The number of boxes we ship depends directly on how many ordinary people like you and me choose to support Amani’s efforts. These people say to us, “Yes, I want to help.  I want to give that lady in Africa – who I may never meet but whose struggle I feel – a fighting chance in life.  I will hold an Amani Gathering and trust God for a successful sale.”  To all of you who have supported us in the past, THANK YOU.  Your efforts have gone a long way in transforming lives; I urge you not to grow weary in doing good.

If ever there were people worthy of your partnership, it would be the Amani ladies.  It has certainly been my great honor to serve them, if only in a small way, and I invite you to join me in this beautiful, life-changing work.

You can extend the opportunity for a sustainable livelihood to the women of Amani by selling their products.  For more information, visit our website or contact our Volunteer Coordinator here.

Don’t want to wait for your volunteer box to arrive?
Visit our online store where we’ve always got
new products and sale items to check out!

 

Honoring Men of Courage this Father’s Day

An Amani father shares his experience as a Rwandese refugee living in Kenya

Cedacias Yampayinshuti from Rwanda works as part of the Amani Kazi program at Amani ya Juu in Nairobi.  “Kazi” means “work” in Swahili.  Some men connected to Amani become involved with Amani Kazi and work together on projects around the Nairobi center or in the homes of Amani families in need.  His family name means “He has given me a friend.”  But at Amani he is known as “Baba Peace,” meaning “Peace’s father.”  In African cultures, parents are often called by their relationship to their oldest child.

With his wife Basiliza, who stitches at Amani, he has six children – three boys and three girls – all living with them in Kenya as refugees.  Baba Peace and Basiliza are actively involved in sharing and receiving support with other parents at Amani.

In honor of Father’s Day, we sat down with Baba Peace and asked him to reflect on his role and experience as a father and a refugee.  His response is below.

As a father, what do you feel is your responsibility to your children?
To help them to grow up having both skills for life and a heart for God.

What do you hope to teach your children?
There is an African proverb that says, “The child who is well educated, follows the ways of the father.”  A child taught well by the father acts like the father.  I hope to help them academically by doing their homework together and passing on to them what I know.  I also hope to teach them how to have healthy human relationships and how to handle money so that they are wise about financial matters.  Most of all, I want to teach them about God so that in the future they can be great men and women of God.

Can you tell us a little bit about what it’s been like to be a father as a refugee?
As a refugee, I find myself not in a position to provide for my children.  Instead, I have to line up in a queue to receive help from others. This puts me on the same level as my children and is a very difficult position for me to be in.  Yet, I have learned to really and truly trust God in, through and for everything, because God is the ultimate provider.

What gives you courage and strength as a father?
Philippians 4:6-9 says “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

God tells us not to worry because He is our father.  Fathers should look to God who is the Father of all and is able to overcome all limitations.  God the Father provides for all His children and fathers can then pass the confidence they have in God on to their children.

How has Amani ya Juu affected your role as a father?
Amani has helped me provide for my family.  I have also had a chance to meet and pray with other mothers and fathers in Amani and learned a lot from them spiritually and financially.  I have learned that there is no boundary between people of different backgrounds.  We should be able to transcend the differences in country and education level.

What advice would you give to other fathers?
Show love not only to children but also to our spouses. Participate in what is going on in the home.  As our Father has loved us, so should we love our spouses and children and show this love.  We should transcend any cultural barriers that may hinder us from this and look to God for direction.

Amani recognizes the important role fathers play in their families and communities.
Join us this Father’s Day in recognizing fathers in our lives and in Africa who are fulfilling this calling.

Amani Kazi is funded through donations.  You can support Amani Kazi by donating online.

Happy Father’s Day!

 

Amani Watoto: A Mother’s Perspective

Millicent works at Amani Nairobi and recently shared the following reflection following the April 2009 one-day Amani Watoto (Children of Peace) program.  Amani Watoto is a special program of Amani ya Juu.  This year, the children are learning principles of peace through the story of Jonah from the Bible.  Millicent’s role was to help with the puppetry, skits and songs.

My girls who attended Amani Watoto are Peris and Angie. They really love the program and in their own words they say “Amani watoto ni poa” which means the program is pretty cool.

For Peris who is the oldest and will be turning 9 years in November, her favorite part is the lesson and the memory verse. She sings the verse even in the matatu (bus) when we are going back home and writes them down to share with her friends. She also enjoys the part where she gets to interact with other children and play games.  This is normally the first thing they get to do in the morning before the program begin.

Angie who is 5 loves the puppetry so much. She talks about it all time. She also loves playing in the playground with other kids and it’s hard to get her out of the field when we have to go home. One thing I can say is that they really have a treat and look forward to the next Amani program and wish it could be the whole week.

The girls have really changed since they started coming to Amani Watoto program. They get along with their friends more and also share their toys. Before, everyone kept to her toys but now they say that in Amani Watoto program they are told to share with their friends. It’s funny because Angie may not want to share, but Peris will ask her, “What did teacher Josephine say at Amani Watoto?”  She will remember and start to smile and eventually play together.

Below are some photos from Amani Watoto’s day camp in April.  Enjoy!

For more information about Amani Watoto, visit our website.  You can also support Amani Watoto through our online shop.

 

Sasa teens share powerful time at Malewa

The Amani Sasa had a successful adventure trip this month with a group of teens experiencing the principles of peace in their lives.  Mary K. helped lead the trip and shared the following report and photos.

We had a wonderful time on our recent Amani Sasa outing. We went to Malewa park, which was the same place we went to last year. It is about two hours away from Nairobi. Eighteen our of 22 teens from the Sasa group were able to come, representing Rwanda, Burundi, Congo, Sudan, and Kenya. We had heavy downpours of rains almost every afternoon, but we ate and played a lot and had great discussions and class time. We gave the group an assignment to come up with skits based on lessons they learned through Amani Sasa. And they surprised us with 45-minute dramas, well practiced and thought out.

A friend and local gospel singer joined us to help with the high ropes course. She shared her story on getting into bad company, getting pregnant (she later had a miscarriage), and what it all meant for her life, family, church and ambitions. After she shared, there was silence for a while. Her story was the real-life evidence of the lessons they’d focused on in their skits. Later, we took some time to pray for one another, which felt like a great closure to all we learned together.

Amani Sasa is a supplemental program to Amani’s self-sustaining work and is supported by donations.

 

Amani Sasa: 2008 in Review

Mary Karanja (pictured here on the left) serves as the Accountant for Amani Nairobi. Mary also provides leadership for Amani Sasa – an extension of Amani Watoto that uses outdoor adventure experiences to impart the principles of peace to adolescent children of Amani women. Below is Mary’s reflection on Amani Sasa’s happenings in 2008.

Last year was one-of-a-kind in many ways for the young adults and leaders of Amani Sasa. We learned a lot about ourselves, about God and about those around us.

In August, the hike we went on provided a wonderful opportunity to catch up and reflect on the great impact Amani Sasa lessons have had on our lives. Foni, Eunice and Yves shared how even their friends have noticed significant changes in their lives, even explicitly asking them what it is that had changed to make them so very focused. DianaKate experienced growth of a different kind: she is now more courageous. In the last term of school, DianaKate walked with a friend grieving the loss of a parent through that very difficult season. These are just a few of the many tales of how these young adults have been impacted by the lessons and fellowship provided during Amani Sasa ‘08.

We wanted to end the year in the same way we spent the year together. What better way is there than by giving back to the community? In December, we volunteered at Happy Life Children’s Home in Nairobi, a home for abandoned and orphaned children. For two days we painted bedrooms, helped with cleaning, and spent the afternoons playing and singing with the children. We were struck by the children’s desperate desire for love and attention – so evident in their desire to be held all the time. We were thankful to be able to share with them the love and peace with which we ourselves have been blessed.

Our time at the Happy Life Children’s Home gave us yet another opportunity to grow. It opened our eyes to the fact there is something we can do to make a difference, if only by giving our time. The babies’ stories made us grateful for our own homes, family, and friends. Moreover, it spoke volumes of how much God cares about our needs just from watching and listening to how faithfully He has provided for this particular home with food, clothing and friends that walk in and give in kind or financially.

And of course, another major milestone was receiving new friends who have just graduated from Amani Watoto into Amani Sasa. We are very excited to have them with us and look forward to seeing how they will grow together with us in the coming years.

We are very grateful to those that continually supported us through last year. The Amani Sasa program could not have blossomed as richly as it did without your love.

Blessings,

Mary K.

Amani Sasa is a supplemental program to Amani’s self-sustaining work and is supported by donations.

 

Amani Sasa Camp Update

This April Amani had the Amani Sasa “Peace Now” Youth four day camp. The youth traveled to Malewa- Bush Ventures, 2 hours north of Nairobi. The 18 teenagers had been looking forward to the camp for a while. It was a new experience for many – a camp site, thatched shower rooms and dining hall, tents, high ropes course, clean and fresh air and the natural sounds of birds and animals.

Our first day consisted of a CPR (Creating Positive Relationships) short course on the theme ‘Our sexuality is a special gift from God worth respecting and protecting.’ It was relevant and geared towards their age group. The campers interacted and listened to personal experiences by the facilitators from Dawntreader Adventures, Nairobi Chapel and Tanari Trust.

The second and third day offered the teenagers a chance to do low elements as well as the high ropes course. The low elements challenged them in teamwork and assisting others while having fun in the process. The high ropes course challenged them as individuals to conquer their fears. This was a different experience as they took the roles of encouraging those climbing and even those that were afraid to try. They realized that everyone has different strengths and weaknesses and together we compliment each other and make a better, peaceful community. For example, the ropes and harness experience caused each camper to realize there are times when we will need to trust those around us. The entire trip was a great success. The teenagers bonded through times of fellowship, exercise and devotions. We also watched environmental documentaries which reminded us of the importance of taking care of the environment.

We would like to convey our heart felt gratitude to everyone who made the camp a success through giving of their time or other resources. May God bless you for making these memories and teachings a reality!