After 19 exhausting hours in the air and two hours navigating the airport, I finally stood on Kenyan soil. Every mile of that journey was worth it because today, I witnessed exactly what founders Mary and Wallace's unwavering faith and commitment have created a miracle unfolding in one of the most challenging places on earth. See the attached PDF with pictures from today.
The Heartbeat of Mathare Valley
This morning, as John, our driver, navigated the bumpy roads toward the Mathare Valley slum, I couldn't help but wonder what awaited us.
The sound reached us first, children's laughter, pure and uninhibited, echoing through the halls of Pangani school. In the midst of struggle, joy persists. This school, one of 14 MOHI has built in Mathare Valley alone, isn't just a building with classrooms. It's a lifeline providing education, food, medical care, and most importantly, hope to over 1,000 children who otherwise might never have dared to dream.
Without faith, support and commitment, these laughing voices might have been silenced by circumstance.
Walking Where They Walk
As we ventured into the slum itself, the reality of these children's lives came into sharp focus. Makeshift metal structures teetered precariously against each other. A stream of sewage cut through the valley. Trash scattered the pathways.
Yet something unexpected emerged from this landscape of hardship, resilience.
People moved with purpose, selling goods, cooking meals, and washing clothes. Children played with whatever they could find. And in their eyes, I saw joy and hope.
The MOHI representative walking with us knew many by name. Real connections. Real impact. Real transformation is happening because people like you chose to care.
100 Square Feet of Dignity
"Come inside" a woman expressed and gestured for us to follow her down a metal pathway into a dark hallway.
We ducked through the dark hallway, we turned our phone flashlights on to see. We pushed through freshly washed clothes that hung from the ceiling. WE turned a corner and entered into a dimly lit room. The entire home couldn't have been larger than 150 square feet. A small grey sofa sat in the middle of the room with a tiny grey kitten perched on the arm rest. A modest bed sat in the back of the room draped in a mosquito net as a newborn baby slept. This tiny space houses a mother and her three children, two sharing her bed, one on the sofa. Over three million people live like this in the Mathare slum.
When asked about her greatest prayer she asked that we would pray that they would have a relationship with God.
Not wealth. Not escape. But spiritual foundation.
We prayed together in that tiny room, and as we left, she thanked us for coming. She has hope in the midst of circumstances I can barely comprehend. Many of the people in Mathare live off of $2 a day.
Beyond Education: Healing a Community
The medical clinic within Pangani school doesn't just serve students—it's a lifeline for the entire community. The dedicated dentist sees 40-50 patients daily. And Pangani provides basic healthcare that prevents minor issues from becoming life-threatening crises.
This miracle repeats itself across all 37 MOHI schools throughout Kenya.
During lunch with MOHI directors, I learned something that moved me deeply. Mary, the founder, revealed that families outside the slums, families with more means, have offered to pay for their children to attend MOHI schools because of their excellent reputation. Despite financial pressures of dunning the schools, Mary refused.
She expressed, "These schools exist for those in the most dire need," she insisted that every spot taken by someone who has other options is a spot denied to a child who has none.
Mary chose the harder path of faith over more financial security. And again and again, God continues to provide.
The Face of My Sponsorship
Later that afternoon, my heart nearly burst when I met the young girl I sponsor. Though shy at first, her eyes lit up when she shared her dream of becoming a doctor someday.
Without MOHI she might never have dared to dream at all, let alone have a pathway to make that dream reality.
MOHI and kind donors have resurrected dreams that poverty tried to kill.
The Numbers That Tell a Story
The scale of what's happening here is staggering:
35,000+ children receiving education (8,000 still awaiting sponsorship)
1,900+ local employees, creating sustainable impact
37 schools transforming communities
A disability center under construction
Even a water bottling facility providing clean water and jobs
But statistics can't capture what I felt today. There is a tangible sense that something extraordinary is happening here. This isn't charity that creates dependence. This is empowerment that breaks cycles of poverty, raising up future leaders, business owners, and dreamers.
Praise the Lord for safe travels and His great mercy and love in allowing you to experience this wonderful journey!