Category: Featured
May 8, 2012 by Micah
This May 13th is Mother’s Day and a special time to share with her your care and appreciation. We would like to provide an opportunity that will not only encourage your mom but will also help a needy mother in Africa receive the skills and encouragement that she needs to be able to provide for her family. Countless mothers in Africa have every intention and a deep desire to provide for their children. Poverty and lack of knowledge squelches opportunity and the family suffers due to lack of food, school fees, and other basic necessities for life.
You can bypass the same usual gifts this Mother’s Day and give her something that is life changing for a family in need. For $30 We are able to provide a mother in Africa with the opportunity to participate in a special SKILLS FOR LIFE training session.
Here sessions in agriculture and business are combined with motivation and encouragement to help a needy mom put her family on a whole new course for the better. It’s meaningful – takes only a few minutes – AND we will send you an e-card you can print and pass onto your mother – letting her know that you have chosen to honor her in this unique way – by helping change the course of a family in need.
CLICK HERE to send your gift(s) and we will email you a card to print and give to that special woman in your life
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April 16, 2012 by Micah
Our spring Cultivate Magazine is here! Check out all the great stories here.
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February 7, 2012 by Don
Has this ever happened to you? That moment when you pass someone or someplace and a flood of memories surfaces like a submarine bursting through the ocean ceiling. That happened to me recently as I was driving near Mwanza, Tanzania and felt compelled to pass by a village where I lived 16 years ago. During those days the plague of poverty and lack of ideas and opportunity brought over a dozen Tanzanians and myself to our knees to pray and then to our knees to work as we filled small plastic bags with soil and seeds. Together we prayed that the thousands of seeds we had planted would germinate to become small trees that would strengthen the environment and generate income for people who were suffering because of poverty.
Not only did those seeds germinate but so did many other ideas as like minded people came together to begin a new ministry called Empowering Lives International. Over 15 years have passed since that first project was initiated. As I drove by that same village recently I felt compelled to pass by the same compound that was once filled with trees and hopeful lives to see, if by chance or providence, I might meet someone I might remember.
Just pulling off the road at that point brought back many memories but I was not prepared for what I was about to see. First of all – the tree nursery that we began over fifteen years ago was still there - BUT - it was ten times larger than before! As I walked in among the neatly arranged rows of small trees, flowers, and colors, I approached a small group of women who were busily filling tubes with soil and chatting as they worked. I greeted each person one by one and felt that I recognized the last woman. I stared until I remembered who she was. A moment that took place 15 years ago came forward in my mind and I asked if she was the one. And she was.
(more…)
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February 6, 2012 by dianahom
It is with much joy that we celebrated our third group of first year students in our Ilula Children’s Home who are off to high school. Before they left for school, the 13 children had a meeting with the Directors of the Ilula Children’s Home (Laban and Angelina, AKA “Babu” Grandfather and “Gogo” Grandmother) and Don and Amy Rogers. It was a time of congratulating them on this new step in life with cake (lovingly baked by Amy) and giving last minute “life advice”. We are so excited for our children and pray they are shining lights for Jesus in their new schools and do well in their studies.
Celebrating with cake
From Left to Right: Rose, Thomas, Alex, Jonah, Emmanuel, Dickson, Hellen, Francis, Vincent, Sharon, Emmanuel and Faith (missing from photo: Mercy)
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January 9, 2012 by Micah
Load carriers outside of Bukavu, South Kivu, DR Congo. (photo: Micah Albert) Learn more about these woman in an upcoming documentary film, “Heavy Loads” – Eliane Beeson
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by Holly
Many of you may remember the Launch House article in the Spring 2011 Cultivate magazine, which told of a new house being built for the high school boys to come home to on holidays. The project was primarily undertaken to provide enough space to accept new children into the Ilula family. It was decided that there would be room for 10 new boys; however, it was uncertain if there would be sufficient funding and if the right children could be identified. The Director of the Children’s Home, Laban Rono, and his staff prayed for many months for God to answer their prayers and provide direction. God is good and faithful and our prayers were just recently answered.
Three boys, ages 3, 4, and 7, arrived in Ilula on Tuesday to meet their new families and to see their new home. Mr. Rono introduced Tony, Ronald and Rogers to the crowd and within minutes these boys had made many new friends. For the parents, the long awaited day was sweet. Their hearts swelled with joy as they watched the children being embraced by their new brothers and sisters. We praise God for these boys and the opportunity they now have for a bright and promising future. Please pray for them as they adjust to their new family and also for the remaining seven boys, that in time, they may also join us here at the Ilula Children’s Home.
By Jonah Chepsat
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October 18, 2011 by Micah
Last year, in a controversial presidential decision, Kenya signed into law a bill that legalizes the traditional home-brewed spirit called changaa.
Changaa, translated literally means “kill me now”, and according to studies, kills more than 100 people annually in Kenya.
But changaa is less of a problem of physical health than it is social, mental, and familial; tearing apart families and destroying local economies due to lack of productivity. The government admits that the country is sitting on a time bomb unless the problem of idle youth is dealt with urgently. ‘When the youth are idle they are easily lured to crime. We have seen the consequence of having idle youth. The post-election violence was mainly driven by idle youth.’ Kenya’s youth are treading a dangerous, increasingly alcohol-fuelled path that is leaving them vulnerable to HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. (more…)
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