Children ministry

This ministry called show mercy has a sponsorship program for children. They have about 350 children in the program. With that sponsorship money they make sure that the children have school fees covered and they personally make sure each family is taken care of so that they have food and clothes etc. I love how they actually know these children and visit the families and make sure that they are truly being taken care of. Every Saturday they meet with all the children and they give food to the mothers to make a big meal for everybody. The staff breaks up in 4 groups and goes out to the community where the families can meet. So I got to join in on one of these groups and it was a lovely time visiting with the children letting them play with our hair (our hair is fascinating to them) and I especially enjoyed connecting with the mothers who were cooking the meal. I visited quite a bit with one mother. Her name was Annette and she has had six children although two of her sons died; one died at 2 1/2 years old and the other at 3 1/2 years old. So sad but so common here. I held her baby for a little while who is two months old and I suggested that she brings her to the clinic on Monday so we can weigh her because she seemed awfully small.

It was very interesting to watch how the mothers cook for all the children they took their green beans and cut them into tiny little pieces. They cooked rice and a huge pan!!! First browning some fat and spices or something in the bottom, then they added the rice and let it boil with the lid off. Then I watch them take squash which they called pumpkin and those things that look like bananas but are not bananas, they made a whole pot of them and covered them with banana leaves really tight and then put those over the fire to cook. In another pan they had meat which they were making a sauce out of to put over the rice. In this way the ministry and the sponsors are providing one big healthy meal for the day! Every Saturday they have this VBS type meeting with the kids while the mothers prepare a big meal. Plus they have chai and bread for a breakfast before starting.

It's a wonderful program and if your looking to sponsor a child, I can assure you that your money would actually get to the child and their family. You can even come over here and help with the ministry and meet your family and child if you want!