Mission Trip Reveals Issues, Opportunities

The July 2014 mission trip to Masii – during which John Helgesen, Janie Fee and David Walgren met the children served by KCF – revealed issues and opportunities. Here’s a review of how the KCF committee is responding:

Based on the children’s needs, the committee determined that KCF can successfully support 40 children. Therefore, as children leave the program, they will not be replaced until the number of children served is down to 40 (currently 47).
The KCF will compensate key members of the Masii foundation for their recorded mileage, and has asked the Masii foundation board to discuss and propose a mileage/kilometer compensation amount.
The KCF proposes hiring a Masii pastor who has been involved as a volunteer to be a primary case manager, including making house calls and deliveries. The pastor also would be trained to drive the motorcycle. Payment for these services is under discussion. With the exception of the case worker, neither KCF volunteers in North America nor the foundation board in Masii will be compensated for their time. Our work together stems from the Christian commitment to serving God’s children.
The KC committee has requested reports from the Masii foundation board about:
- Career/skill development for Masii adults who are caring for needy children. For example, a tailor who volunteers with the foundation could train women to work as professional seamstresses, and/or men could be sent to driving school so they can become professional drivers.
- The need for and cost of additional children’s school supplies, such as calculators.
There is benefit to supporting local Masii craftsmanship – especially Rachel’s Guild and Ben’s Tailor Shop. The KC committee has forwarded photos of purses and baskets for the guild’s consideration, and of men’s ties for the tailor’s consideration. Any such items would feature Kenyan designs. The committee will investigate how to market these items in North America.
Because guardians often carry their monthly food allotments over many kilometers, the KC committee and Masii foundation members are working together to identify a strong, inexpensive backpack. They also are considering the purchase of a motorcycle trailer, which could make monthly deliveries easier.