Run, run, run! That was the theme of this month for us in more than one way. February was a busy month both at First Love and Partners Worldwide.
This month athletics have become a big avenue for ministry with the high school students. Lydia has been working with a group of 10 girls running after school a couple days a week and on Fridays leading an aerobics class for them. It has been incredible to see their enthusiasm for exercise grow over the past few months. They love the chance to dance around and learn about the best ways to stretch their muscles and increase their strength through various conditioning exercises. Many of these girls have experienced abuse in several forms. Extended time with them, through these activities, has led to them to confide in Lydia during unique, transparent conversations.
We also have some talented male runners at the school who we registered in the Kenyan provincial cross country championships. If you know one thing about Kenyan athletics, it is that Kenyans are among the top runners in the world. This race was no different, although the boys did not qualify for nationals; they gave it their all and had a great time participating in such a race. We spent Valentine’s Day with the three guys and a group of 10 students from the school who came to cheer them on. We ran around the course cheering our hearts out and enjoyed a fantastic pizza meal afterwards. For many it was their first time trying pizza!
The First Love orphan girls have settled in so well to their
new home. They are loving school and
getting to know their “sisters”, aunties and mama. Once every school term we host a guardian
visit day, where family members or previous guardians come to visit with the
girl and bring them a treat or two J This month we
had the first visit day at their new home.
Lydia drove a van full of guardians to the property just outside of
Nairobi, after two flat tires, and nearly running out of gas – we arrived! It was a beautiful reunion between the girls
and their guardians. Two girls did not
have a guardian, so Lydia had the privilege of spoiling them for the day – it
was fun to be called “mama” and walk arm in arm with them for the day.
This month the women we employ for card projects that come our way successfully completed another order for 300 handmade cards. It has been a joy to work closely with these women; they have become close friends through these projects. Our First Love team has also partnered with several women from our weekly bible study (which started last November) to start small businesses within the Kibera slum. These businesses range from selling vegetables or mandazi (pastry) to a clothing stall in a popular used clothes market on the edge of Kibera.
Tyler has begun regular business trainings with the entrepreneurs in each of the eight locations were the Gitithia business group has members. This month’s trainings have focused on good record keeping principles. It is based on the presentation Tyler’s dad gave when he visited in January. Tyler is in the process of developing material for a second round of seminars for the eight branches and 2,500 members. This time it will be about marketing – how to create a product that customers want, how to get people excited about it, how to get it in their hands, and how to price it so they’ll buy it. If you have any thoughts on the essential elements of marketing that small business owners should know, please add your thoughts to the comments section of Tyler’s blog post regarding this training http://www.lundline.com/tyler'slundline …or email him at lund.tyler@gmail.com.
Besides business trainings, Tyler has been busy working with several young men helping them start micro-enterprises. While he is encouraged to see them have big dreams, he has encouraged them to start with business requiring little capital but with novel ideas. A former student of the school where Lydia works has decided to make a student and worker ID printing business. His first job was taking photos of the seniors who need passport size photos to accompany their final exams. He brought in KSH 1,500 ($20) with a KSH 350 ($4.50) investment. That’s a 329% return on investment and almost six times what he normally makes doing a day of manual labor!
Another business startup has its roots in Tyler’s life being saved. One day, Tyler was walking down the road to catch a matatu and was pulled out of the path of a truck that had hopped a curb and was heading towards him. Tyler said thank you to the young man and exchanged stories. Alex was from Western Province and was in Nairobi looking for work to help put his sisters through school. He had dropped out while only a freshman following his father’s death and subsequent inability to pay school fees. After a couple weeks of trying to find him work, Tyler realized he is in the business of helping start business and offered to help Alex. They are in the exploring and brainstorming stage of a “partnership” to start a small business. Tomorrow, though, Alex heads out to sell a popsicle type product they developed to start some sort of an income stream. Please say a prayer that he would find favor out on the streets selling.
Ongoing work that could use your prayer support!
--- Developing and marketing conservation agriculture tools with Simon, a small manufacturer; creating a Web site connecting Christians with each other and Kingdom investment opportunities; mentoring of two high school seniors; exploring ways technology can connect rural Kenyans to market products and make better purchasing decisions.
--- Please pray for the high school girls involved in athletics, that doors would continue to open with them. Please continue to pray for the physical, emotional, academic, and spiritual development of the FL girls. Also, we need wisdom as we seek to expand our small business assistance program at First Love.
Praises:
---Tyler was on his way to a business training, when his car was nearly hit by a truck at 60 mph, we praise God that he and his colleagues were kept safe!
--- A full recovery from bronchitis and a stomach bacterial infection for Lydia.
--- A great 25th birthday for Tyler!
You guys are awesome! We could not work here without your amazing support and encouragement. Thank you for the way you are allowing God to use you to partner with our work here, whether through prayer, financial support, sponsoring a child, or sending us a note – you are partnering with us. We love you and thank God for you!
Love (Upendo in Kiswahili :-),
Tyler and Lydia Lund