From Joshua...

Dear all,

A few weeks ago I meet a friend of mine who asked about Kids First. We ended our conversation with him asking if Kids First was growing. I replied, 'Yes we are growing,' Then he asked a question actually I expected him to ask: 'Why are you saying you are growing and yet you even do not have an office were one can locate you?'

This was my reply: so many community based-organisations miss out on the point of growth. They determine their growth by how beautiful their offices are or how many people come to their facilities to ask for help or how many huge cars they have that help them travel so comfortably in poor communities. You should get me right on this - I am not implying that having a good office is bad or nice cars are bad, but I think everyone would determine growth by how a project has been able to transform lives: can the people they serve visit their office asking on how they can make their businesses even better or they are visiting to ask money to put food on their tables?

I am happy to note that as a project we are growing: this year we are going to have two of our sponsored children sit their final exams in secondary school and next year they will be joining university. God knows if they will become teachers or lawyers or even bankers. Christine and Pauline were just kids when they got onto the program, so if we have been able to mentor them to this point this is growth. Not only mentoring them but helping their parents have a relatively stable income through craft-making and microfinance - something that enables them to take care of their essential needs, helping these girls not to turn to men to get what they want.

These two young girls have grown into responsible citizens. Pauline has been the head girl in their school last year. Both her and Christine are so instrumental in teaching other young girls things like how to use sanitary products, but also how to write letters to their sponsors.

Ladies and gentlemen, I congratulate you all for being part of a growing body that with little resources it is doing whatever it can to transform life.

Yes, we are growing.

Josh.

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Christine helping kids with writing letters to sponsors

Pauline teaching kids how to compose letters