My Sweet Boy is All Grown Up, Well Almost

Our sweet little guy Clinton is all grown up . . .well almost.  Clinton was the youngest kiddo at our JCO Children’s Home in Kenya up until a few months ago and it has been a bit of an adjustment for everyone. On my last few trips I have noticed that he is definitely getting bigger, just not as big as he thinks he is. You see, he is the youngest of 5 boys that play together every day and he tries really hard to be just as tough as them and hold his own. Sometimes he battles with this though because he also likes being babied a bit and no one does that for him more than me.

Clinton moved in with us when he was 18 months old, after a pretty traumatic start in life. We found him and his brother Austin in really bad shape.  They each had malaria and were suffering from both severe malnutrition and dehydration. The doctors told us that they would have only lived 24-48 hours longer without intensive treatment. I thank GOD everyday that we found them when we did.  After almost 3 weeks in the hospital they moved into our home. I am sure it was a little overwhelming to move into a new home and have people more or less fighting to hold Clinton when, to that point, he had not had much affection or physical contact in his life. Myself, the staff and all of our girls snuggled that boy all day everyday and he let us.

My sweet one fast asleep on me, this is about 2 weeks after moving in with us in 2011.

Snuggling with his new "sister" Sheryl in 2011

While his brother Austin was quick to giggle and just a jolly little guy, Clinton was reserved for awhile and did not smile or cry much at all at first. He just let us all hold him, feed him and care for him, but he just observed it all as if he was not quite sure what to make of it yet. Then one day I tickled him and made a silly face and he smiled! It was one of the happiest days of my life. From that day on he seemed to feel really free to express himself in every way possible.

The first year that we had him his moods were drastic, as toddlers usually are, and his experiences as a baby made it all the more intense. He would giggle and dance one minute and be screaming and throwing food the next. Our staff was overwhelmed to say the least. Everyone had gotten to the point that when he started yelling they just gave him whatever he wanted to stop the screaming. Trust me, this little guy has some lungs on him.

I came to visit again after a few months and saw this and introduced the concept of a “time out” to the staff and they thought I was crazy. Mathe (my partner) also advised them to put him in time out in the other room and let him yell all he wants. We showed them how to do it and the first few times he would yell louder for a bit, but then with consistency and patience on the staff’s part we were able to teach him that this was not the way to get what he wanted. And slowly but surely he began to change.

My husband Boo and Clinton, having a moment.

From that point on he was the baby in every way. Everyone spoiled him and he loved it. Over the years he has grown into a really cute little guy that has quite a lot of spunk and confidence. He is really tough as well, most of the time anyway. The staff informed me years ago that all of the kids, including sweet Clinton, seemed to cry a lot louder when I was around. I am a little over the top when it comes to snuggling, drying tears, rushing into the rescue to kiss boo boos, clean cuts and I always have really cool band-aids with superheroes and princesses on them to boot. So even though I know it doesn’t hurt as bad as their yells might suggest, I love being the person that does this for them. My mom was that person for me, the person to comfort me tons and make it all better. These kiddos have not had much of that in their lives and a lot of that is due to cultural differences, but I think all humans need to be comforted like that sometimes. It just feels good, even if it is over the top.

This last time that I went Clinton seemed all grown up.  He no longer crawled up in my lap (just because) or wanted to snuggle when he was tired. He is now six years old and in his mind at least, he’s really big. So I reluctantly gave him the space he needed and didn’t try to snuggle too much or give him too many kisses. The older boys were watching and he was “big” now. However, about a week into my visit I heard a familiar cry—a very loud one at that, and I rushed around the back of the house to rescue my cutie. He had hurt his knee and it was not bad at all, but I think he just needed some snuggles and I was so happy to oblige. He sat in my lap and let me snuggle him for almost 45 minutes and I was in heaven. The same thing happened a few other times on my trip and even though I hate it when he gets hurt, I am happy that he still needs me a bit.

At the end of my trip we got two new girls, Christine (aka Baby) who is 3 years old and her sister Pamela who is 12. “Baby” became the new baby of the crew and is now the one getting spoiled at every turn by the staff and all the other kids.  I am sure it has taken a little adjusting for Clinton, but he will be fine.  He is still beloved by everyone in that house. He is doing great in Daycare and his teacher Monica tells me he is a very bright little guy. In January he is to start first grade and I am so proud but will definitely be a mess the day he goes—a bittersweet feeling I think most parents experience.

It has been such a gift to know him, love him, and see him grow from such a young age. I still remember the day we found him in 2011 when I had to strap him to my belly for the 45 minute dirt bike ride to the hospital. He snuggled right up to me and his big brown eyes just looking at me wondering “who is this person” and “why does her skin look like that?” I will never forget sitting with him on my lap for hours in the hospital, waiting for doctors and snuggling him while he got his blood drawn. He didn’t want to eat, that was until I gave him his first taste of strawberry yogurt. We could only communicate through our facial expressions and snuggles. I remember sitting in the hot and chaotic District Hospital for hours without food or water, but it didn’t seem to bother me. This little guy was my whole world for that day and I thank GOD so much for bringing us together and helping him to survive. Over the years he has spent hours sleeping on me and giggling with me and we have a bond that is laid down in stone. He is a part of me and I am a part of him and although our relationship must change as his needs do, it is still hard to let go of what was. All of my hopes for him have come true.  He is happy, healthy, strong, and bright and I am excited to see the young man he will become. I just have to accept it and be thankful because my sweet little baby is (at least according to him) all grown up.

Look how much Clinton has grown! The first photo is after he had been with us a few weeks and the one below it was taken this February. 

Dream Big Little Ones

Children amaze me. No matter where they live, what culture, race, or nation they’re from, they all naturally have a sense of wonderment about our world that we should all be learning from. They notice things that adults miss. For them everything is new.  Nothing is too small or insignificant to be fascinating. Just being around children and watching them interact with the world can be so inspiring.  They are not yet afraid to dream big.

However, children’s innocence and sense of wonderment is all too often compromised or stolen altogether when they are made to live in fear or do not feel safe. Or if they are malnourished or extremely sick, their interaction with the world is minimized because how bad they feel.  And of course any child that has suffered the loss of a parent or two needs so much love, support, and healing before they can regain that essential sense of curiosity and awe.

The loss of a parent, a lack of safety, crippling fear, and illness are all detrimental to children in the present but can continue to affect and shape them into the future. All of our children living in JCO Children’s Home have at some point experienced some of these unfortunate things before coming to live with us. Some have very serious chronic issues like HIV.  Many were malnourished with a variety of other health issues.  Many were neglected, some abused, and almost all of them have lost at least one parent.

Children need stability, love, and proper care. They need supervision, loving encouragement, and discipline. They need to feel safe so that they can dream big. Our home does not make these children the amazing people that they are—God did that.  But we try to remove the obstacles and dangers from their path (as much as humanly possible) and provide a solid foundation for them to be the best they can be and live up to their full potential.

They need a safe loving space to be who they are. They should not be worrying about food or water or shoes or their safety. They should get to just be, learn and experience the world—all the while knowing they are loved. Every child deserves that. While we cannot provide that for every child in the world, this is precisely what we strive to do for our 19 children living in our JCO Children’s Home.

The longer they are in our home, the bigger they dream. I love asking each child about their goals, hopes, and dreams. It brings me so much joy.  You can see their eyes start to sparkle.  Many will then hesitate, almost afraid to speak it—afraid to aim so high. Then they tell you and the smile that follows is the most beautiful thing in the world.

One example is our sweet Cathy.  She moved in when she was 4 years old and is now in the 5th grade.  She is one of the top students in her class, reads above her grade level and speaks English really well. She has always been shy (except with her JCO Siblings), but her confidence has grown immensely. She knows she is smart and capable and she is quite happy about it. When I talk with her about her homework and her favorite subjects in school she becomes very happy. My favorite thing to do is ask her about her future, both her academic goals for the school year and what she wants to be when she grows up. Her smile will just melt your heart and it is in full force when she is dreaming big. Before she responds she looks all around smiling from ear to ear,  she giggles, and is hesitant to speak. It is as if so much hope and excitement is bottled up inside her but she is so shy that it is hard for her to say. But when she does, those eyes just light up and you know this little one will change the world.

Our Sweet Cathy Feb. 2016

Another example is our oldest kiddo, Juma.  He is now in Form 4 (Senior in High School) and will be graduating in December. He moved in with us in January of 2012, the beginning of his 8th grade year. The Principal of the Primary School told us about him and how he was an exceedingly bright and driven young man, but that he was coming from an extremely impoverished home.  When he arrived at the JCO he came with the clothes on his back, his school uniform and he did not even own a pair of shoes.  That evening we got to have our first (of many) conversations about his future. I was asking him about school and if he wanted to attend Secondary School (High School) the following year and of course he did. Then I asked him, “And then?” “What do you want to do after Secondary?” “What do you want to be when you grow up?” He stopped and looked at me with so much intensity, confidence, and surprise—all at once—it was as if he had been waiting his whole life for someone to ask him that question. He told me very confidently that he wanted to attend University and be an engineer. He knew exactly what he wanted and had clearly spent a lot of time planning and dreaming about it.

Juma inspires us all

I was so impressed with him because coming from the impoverished situation that he was in, there wasn’t any reason to have much hope that there would ever be money for Secondary School, let alone a University.  Despite that, he dreamed, and dreamed big I might add. Seeing that sparkle in his eye is amazing. Since then he has matured into an incredible young man, excelling in school and dreaming bigger than ever! It is such a joy to see him develop and reach his potential! Nothing brings me more joy than just to sit and listen to him tell me about the world according to Juma. We sit and talk for hours, he inspires me every single time I speak to him.

Our sweet Edwin was beaming the last time I was in Kenya, telling me he wants to be an “airplane” when he grows up—he meant pilot of course, but the mistake was too cute not to mention. He has also improved a lot in his reading since the last time I came, so he was excited to read a book to me to show me how far he had come.  

Edwin was so proud to read this book. He did such a good job.

Every single one of our kiddos has some kind of ambition and hope in them. I love to just ask them what they want to do or how they see their future and then just sit back and watch that excitement in their eyes.  Helping to give them what they need to feel confident and opening up that door of imagination is giving them roots and giving them wings. And what a blessing it is to watch them soar…

The Virtue of Restoring Humanity: Quality vs. Quantity

The Virtue of Restoring Humanity: Quality vs. Quantity

By Herbert Lee “Boo” Buchanan

Since 2006 a lot of wonderful people from many different cultures have collaborated on a variety of worthy projects to help make our world a better place in the name of Restore Humanity (RH).  This September will mark RH’s 10-year anniversary and I couldn’t be more grateful to find myself living a life (happily married to RH founder and CEO, Sarah Fennel) that is to a significant degree, organized around the work we’re doing.  In fact, I love it.  A lot.

Sammie and Boo

I am usually only asked to edit or co-author so what you’re presently reading represents my first solo contribution to the RH blog.  What I want to talk about is an idea that animates our organization and is reflected in the nature of our projects but is unfortunately not always well understood.  When it comes to caring for children in need we believe in focusing our attention and resources on providing exceptional care for a few rather than providing a marginal—but not insignificant amount of help to a great many.  Many commendable organizations focus their efforts on feeding, clothing, and providing medical care to as many people as possible.  This type of work is as awesome as it is necessary.  Life is precious but also (to varying degrees) very difficult.  Anything we can do to help one another or improve each other’s quality of life is surely worth doing.  However, in my attempt to explain the virtue of our principal project focusing on just 19 kids (the JCO Children’s Center) I’ll begin by directing your attention to RH’s core values.  You will hopefully notice that the very first one is a somewhat idiosyncratic, if not suspiciously assertive, version of the Golden Rule.  It reads as follows:

Golden Rule:  We treat others the way we want to be treated.  This means avoiding sensationalizing and perpetuating misconceptions and negative or clichéd stereotypes.  The best way to restore and preserve humanity is to treat the people we serve with the dignity and respect we would want shown to us if we were similarly situated.  Being compassionate requires empathy and kindness—not pity. 

If I were a kid who had suffered familial tragedy—let’s say the loss of one or both parents, then I would want someone to take care of me.  I would want to grow up in a safe environment that kept me well nourished with a consistent and healthy diet.  I would want access to healthcare whenever and to whatever extent needed, and to be aided and encouraged in my pursuit of the best education I could possibly attain.  Perhaps most of all, I would want to love and be loved in return.  Under this horrible circumstance I would want all of these things for myself.  And while I may or may not know you personally I’d venture a (not so) wild guess that you, if similarly situated, would want all of these things for yourself as well.  Thanks to the generosity of our donors and the prodigious efforts of my wife and our friend/partner/Kenyan mother Mrs. Opot (and many others besides) we find ourselves with both the means and opportunity to provide all these things for our kiddos.  Their needs however, are not hypothetical and empathy is the *only* motive we need to meet them. 

Prior to starting RH Sarah spent several months volunteering in a children’s home in South Africa and visited another in Kenya.  She witnessed first hand the good, bad, and ugly of various institutional efforts to take care of large numbers of children.  She saw that good intentions weren’t necessarily always enough, as there can unfortunately be dire consequences for the kids when compassion isn’t accompanied by competence or when resources and personnel are in staggeringly short supply.  The gaining of these particular insights took an emotional toll on Sarah but proved profoundly useful once she and Mrs. Opot agreed to create a children’s home of their own. With it being named after Mrs. Opot’s late husband (James Christopher Opot) it was decided that the JCO Children’s Center would be run efficiently as an institution but would need to feel to its occupants like home—like a family.  The amount of land available, the size of the building they wanted to build on it, the amount of staff required to reliably maintain it and take care of all the kids in it around the clock, as well as the multitude of resources required (attentional, financial, emotional, intellectual etc.) to keep the whole project ongoing once started were of course all major considerations regarding how to proceed, but mainly it came down to one question: how many kids could we have at the JCO and still have it feel like a home?  They started out with just 10 kids initially but decided that 20-ish would be the maximum.

There is an encyclopedic body of research strongly suggesting that healthy cognitive and emotional development (the kind YOU as a loving parent would want for your own children) depends largely on the quality and consistency of a child’s familial relationships.  Having visited the JCO on three separate occasions I can tell you that our kiddos are extremely close with one another.  They intuitively understand and instinctively appreciate one another in a way that only someone who has also suffered tragedy can—and yet they’re also happy in the way kids should be happy before they become burdened with all the obligations and responsibilities that (irritatingly) come along with becoming an adult. They go to school together in the morning, they play games with each other in the afternoon when they return home, and they help each other with their homework at night before they go to bed. They share a strong solidarity that’s further cultivated by the outstanding and attentive staff that feeds them three square meals a day, washes their clothes, and keeps them safe while they sleep.  That’s not to say that everything is perfect or that they always get along because it’s not and they don’t.  They fight.  Sometimes they fight a lot...but they tend to do so when one of the younger boys takes a toy that perhaps doesn’t belong to him or when someone cheats while playing UNO or Candyland—and that’s my point.  They fight, not as orphans concerned about whether or not food and space to sleep will somehow become scarce, but rather as siblings in the same loving family in a shared household led by (more or less) the same responsible parental figures during the entirety of their childhood and adolescent experience at the JCO.  There is a threshold number of kids beyond which there would be both a diminishment in the household’s camaraderie and a compromising of the staff’s ability to form the kind of close-knit relationships with our kiddos that they presently enjoy.  It is our considered opinion that more than 20-ish kids represents that threshold for us and so under 20-ish kids we will stay. 

Evans (middle) shows John (right) and Austin (left) how to put together a difficult puzzle.

Survival is generally a good thing and if you can help other people survive that’s even better but the key to understanding what we’re doing at the JCO Children’s Center is to wrap your head around the fact that merely surviving is just not the same thing as thriving.  We want our kids to thrive just like you or anyone else would want their kids to thrive.  Our oldest kid Jerim was the first to graduate high school and is presently being sponsored through our RH Scholars program to attend the best university in Nairobi.  He is an impressively enthusiastic student of International Business and has a G.P.A of 3.6.  Vincent, a young man who didn’t live at the JCO but whom we helped through our outreach program to get him through high school is another student we’ve sponsored via our RH Scholars program.  He’s attending the University of Arkansas and is studying to be a civil engineer.  And there are more bright young minds where they came from primed to follow in their footsteps.  Without being coached at all, many of them have expressed some desire (with varying degrees of ambition) to improve their community and the world at large.  Sirembe is a place devoid of electricity, paved roads, and running water.  What do you suppose the impact of producing its own successful businessman and civil engineer will be when both of them have such strong civic and philanthropic energy and motivation?  What if Juma, who by all accounts is a Rhodes Scholar-in-waiting, becomes a brilliant scientist?  What if Violet becomes a gifted surgeon and Pamela a formidable lawyer?  They’ve all got the potential to do great things in this life but those things are best facilitated by these kids receiving the kind of love, support, and structure that allows and encourages them to become the best version of themselves—and that my friends is the reason why we choose to focus primarily on the quality of the care we give.  The numbers may look small on paper now but to truly appreciate the merit of our philosophy you have to take the long view before you can understand the impact we’ll have on the communities we’re serving.

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff-- A Lesson from Kenya

 Yala Market-- A nearby local weekly market

Don’t sweat the small stuff—a lesson from Kenya

I just returned from an amazing month in Kenya. It takes some time for my brain and body to transition. It is not just the 9-hour time difference or the changing of continents and hemispheres—it is the changing of culture and pace of life that needs a bit of a transition.

We just move so fast on this side of the world and since I am naturally impatient I usually appreciate this fact. However, being totally unplugged for a month does wonders for me. Being in a village that you can only reach on 45 minutes of dirt roads coming from any direction and staying at a place with no electricity and no running water helps to remind me what is important in life.

What I mean by that is, here in the US, we are so spoiled with so many things and infrastructure is one of them. Do not get me wrong, I love my shower, my refrigerator, my television, my computer, my internet, Netflix, and most of all using my toilet inside my house. However having these things at my fingertips on a constant basis makes me take them for granted. Being grateful for everything is very important, but that is not the biggest issue here. I find that we here in the US tend to lose our minds over any one of these things breaking or not being available even temporarily. We grunt, groan, and curse wondering how we could be so unlucky for this to happen “today of all days”. I say this because I do the same thing. We think we have some control over pipes breaking or lines being down or fill in the blank…

In Sirembe village in Kenya you just roll with it. What else can you do? If it rains too hard, there is too much mud and you just can’t go anywhere, period. You wait until the road dries and then carry on. If that makes you 3 hours late to a meeting, they will understand. If the water being piped near you has a malfunction that takes 4 months to get money to fix, then you just deal with it, you find another way. If your car breaks down on a village road and it takes 4 or 5 hours to fix and there is no where to go you just have to be patient and wait. If you go to the bank on a busy day and you have to wait 5 hours, you just do.

People there do not complain about things like this, this is just life. Having spent years of my life in Kenya at this point, I have dealt with all of these things and just learned to be patient. I mean you can get upset, but it doesn’t change anything. It just makes it worse because now you are stressed for no reason.

We here in the US should take some lessons from this. While I am so thankful, as we all should be, that essentially having a great infrastructure makes many of these things much easier for us. That even when there is a malfunction it is usually fixed immediately. I think we would all be a lot less stressed if we gave up the illusion that we have control over any of it. I know it feels like we do when things are running smoothly—but that is not reality. Things will change and things will malfunction, both big and small. If we can really just appreciate what we have and just accept the bumps in the road we would be much happier for it.

All of these things make life easier, but they are not necessary and they are not what you need to live a happy and fulfilling life. They are the small things. So let’s be grateful for them, but also see them for what they are—the small stuff. Life is easier because of them, but not richer. So just do what you can and the rest will work itself out. Practice gratitude, relax with what is and just roll with it—it will all work out.

Sitting outside our children's home watching a storm roll in.

“Ayieng Maber”—I am Full

Me and one of the new members of our family, Christine a.k.a. "Baby". She and her sister Pamela moved in at the beginning of February. 

“Ayieng Maber”—I am Full

I have been traveling to Kenya, usually twice a year for the past nine years—but this trip felt so much different. It is always wonderfully rich, full of good and bad experiences and many lessons worth learning. However, as I reflect on the past month what comes to mind is “ayieng maber” which is Luo for “I am full” or “I am satisfied”. Luo is the tribal language that they speak in Sirembe and I find when I am there long enough I begin to describe my feelings in a way that would make sense there.

Now you would hear that most often after someone has finished eating, but it is used for other things. In this particular instance what I mean to say is that my heart feels full to the brim. Full of love, full of joy, full of hope, full of peace, full of faith, full of gratitude—Ayieng maber.

Something has shifted in me and I was able to see and feel things so much clearer. For the past month love has just flowed so freely from me to others and others to me. It was so clear to me just how much love these children have for each other and how we have created a real family at our Children’s Home (more on this in a later blog). It is not that all of this was not there before, but this time I was really present, tuned in and I felt more deeply connected to everyone.

Sheryl And Pamela, love these ladies

 Violet and Cathy, beautiful ladies.

Everywhere I went people were congratulating me on my marriage. In fact, the Sirembe Secondary School put together a huge surprise celebration for me to say thank you for what Restore Humanity has done and to congratulate me on getting married. The speeches that people gave were genuine and full of so much love. Teachers, the Principal, School Board members and even the Chief talked about how they first met me or heard about the work we were doing. There were gifts, music, dancing, and of course delicious food. It was beautiful and totally overwhelming at first, but then I just felt humbled and so grateful.

Most days I spent my mornings doing yoga, reading, journaling, and doing administrative stuff for our projects. The afternoons I spent down at our children’s home with the kiddos. We watched movies, colored, read stories, played football and laughed for hours making “slo-mo” videos on my phone. In the evening I would head up to Mathe’s house (Mrs. Opot, my partner, mentor, and Kenyan mother) bathe out of my basin and have dinner with Mathe and my best friend in Kenya—Nyarkisumu (aka Christine). We would eat, “beat stories” (as they say in Kenya, it just means telling stories), and usually dance to some Kenyan songs on the radio. Each day was a gift and full of so much joy.

My Partner Mrs. Opot a.k.a. "Mathe". Love this woman!

In addition to all of this we got to help pay school fees for 44 local children, go shopping for 3 of our kiddos that are starting High School and we admitted two new amazing little girls to our home—we now have 19 kiddos! I also visited the Maternity Ward that we helped build last year to find that nearly 100 healthy babies have been born since we opened. There has not been one death! How amazing is that? As they say in Sirembe—“Nyasaye Ber”—God is good. I look forward to sharing all of the stories from this amazing trip with you. Stay tuned…

"Baby's" big sister Pamela, another new member of our family.

Happy happy ladies, what a blessing.

Restore Humanity Year-End Updates 2015

Restore Humanity in 2015

It has been a really great year here at Restore Humanity and we have all of you generous donors to thank for that! As we finish out the year we would like to send you a quick summary of what we (that includes you) have accomplished! 

JCO Children's Center:
The picture above was taken of our group of amazing little humans this summer. Those smiles are the gas in the tank for us. It is such a joy to do right by those sweet kiddos. They deserve a full and happy life and we strive each day to give that to them. 
All 17 of them are happy and healthy. They are all progressing in school. As with any child there are ups and downs, but overall each one of them is doing great. Thank you for your help in caring for these awesome kiddos. 

Maternity Ward:
As most of you know we helped the local clinic in Sirembe (the Sirembe Dispensary) get a Maternity Ward built, thanks to some amazing donors! This was such a worthwhile project and we are so happy to have completed it! The first baby was born on March 26th, 2015, his name is Titus Omondi and he is pictured below. On behalf of Titus, his mother, and the countless others that will benefit from this for years to come, we thank you.

Titus at 3 months old. What a cutie!

RH Scholars Program:

Moses Vincent Agare, our first Scholar has really matured and made some great progress this year! His final semester at NWACC this fall he got three A’s and one B. It is worth mentioning that his B was an 89.4%. Needless to say we were very proud! In the photo below he is addressing Restore Humanity Supporters at our Wine Dinner at Bordinos.

Jerrym Molla, was one of the first kids that moved into our Children’s Home in 2010 and he is now our second RH Scholar. He is attending a University in Nairobi, studying International Business and he is thriving. His cumulative G.P.A. is 3.4. We are very proud. Thank you to everyone that supported this wonderful program this year!

Outreach Program:

This is our all-encompassing program to provide assistance for other children in need in the Sirembe community. We do this in a variety of ways:

1-We pay school fees for children in need of assistance. In 2015 we helped 13 children (not living in our home) with school fees, that included both Primary and Secondary school assistance. For 2016 we have stepped up our game and have already raised the funds to send 22 Secondary School girls to school and we will continue to add to that as the year continues!

2-We have a monthly Maxi-Pad program that benefits around 200 girls each month. 

3-This year students at Fayetteville High School raised $3,400 to help Sirembe Secondary School build a much needed girl's dormitory. This was enough to lay the entire foundation for the building and they just keep on going! Helping their peers across the globe! Great job FHS!

4-We have a Daycare Center that sits in the same compound as our Children's Home. "Teacher Monica" had around 25 little bitty students from the surrounding area this year and they are all doing quite well. Our two youngest children at JCO Children's Home, Clinton and Austin, attend there as well. Here are some photos taken this summer.

Thank you for all of your support and there is still time to donate to receive tax-deduction for 2015. Help us continue all of these worthy projects and donate today! Every lit bit counts!

Donate here.

 

Have A Happy & Healthy 2016!

 

With Love & Gratitude,

The Restore Humanity Global Team

Help us Educate 20 Girls in 2016

A Quote from a Sirembe Secondary School Student on the door of the girls temporary dormitory at school. An awesome revamp of "You snooze you lose"

As you can see in the photo above these girls are at Sirembe Secondary School to work. They are in school to overcome societal myths that say "girls are not as smart as boys" or "girls are not a good investment", but most importantly they are here to realize their dreams and ensure a bright future for themselves and their families.

These young women wake up before 5am each morning to begin their day. Their entire day is focused on their studies and if you ask each and every one of them, there is no place they would rather be. They value their education in a way that I do not see here in the US. The problem is that many of their families do not have the money it takes to pay the fees. That is where YOU come in. 

The Kenyan school year begins in January, we want to raise $5000 by January 1st to help 20 girls go to school! The cost of a full year of school including a full year of boarding at school (food and shelter), and their required uniform is $500. Many families can pay part of that, but they need additional help to keep these bright young minds in school. 

In our Restore Humanity Outreach Program we usually pay a partial scholarship for each student, and will provide a full scholarship for those in the most dire of circumstances.  The government provides partial funding for secondary students and we have found that encouraging the family to pitch in how they can makes this a real investment for everyone involved. However, there are cases where the family literally has nothing to give, in those cases we cover more, if not all.

We want to give 20 partial scholarships to girls at Sirembe Secondary School for 2016! 

Consider donating a one-time gift of $500 for two girls or $250 for one.

You could also sign up for a monthly recurring payment of $20 per month ( annual total $250 or one educated girl) or $40 per month (annual total is $500 or 2 educated girls).

Need a great gift idea? How about educating a girl in Kenya? 

DONATE HERE

Violet lives at our JCO Chldren's Center and is at the top of her class and Rose is one of our Outreach Girls! These girls are working hard to succeed! Girl Power!

These young women are hungry for education and for a chance to realize their dreams. In fact the first year that girls were allowed to board at Sirembe Secondary School (2014) they averaged higher than the boys for the first time ever! Those amazing women worked so hard to drown out the doubters and naysayers and show everyone just what they were made of! 

Some of the inspiring young women from that 2014 class that defied the odds and beat the boys!

Join us to help these amazing young women realize their dreams! Donate today!

HELP US RAISE $5000 by January 1st!

Do you need more reasons to educate a girl? Check out these stats from a recent UNESCO report:

The education of girls and women can lead to a wide range of benefits – from improved maternal health, reduced infant mortality and fertility rates to increased prevention against HIV and AIDS.

More educated mothers are more likely to know that HIV can be transmitted by breastfeeding, and that the risk of mother-to-child transmission can be reduced by taking drugs during pregnancy.

An extra year of female schooling reduces fertility rates by 10%, according to the World Bank.

In Mali, women with secondary or higher level of education have an average of 3 children, while those with no education have an average of 7 children.30

In Burkina Faso, mothers with secondary education are twice as likely to give birth in health facilities as those with no education

Each extra year of a mother’s schooling reduces the probability of infant mortality by 5% to 10%.

Children of mothers with secondary education or higher are twice as likely to survive beyond age 5 compared to those whose mothers have no education. 

Improvements in women’s education explained half of the reduction in child deaths between 1990 and 2009. 

A child born to a mother who can read is 50% more likely to survive past age 5.35

In sub-Saharan Africa, an estimated 1.8 million children’s lives could have been saved in 2008 if their mothers had at least a secondary education.

Wages, agricultural income and productivity – all critical for reducing poverty – are higher where women involved in agriculture receive a better education. 

Each additional year of schooling beyond primary offers greater payoffs for improved opportunities, options and outcomes for girls and women.

Thank you for your support--

The Restore Humanity Global Team

Vivian is one of our Outreach Girls, she was in 9th grade this year and worked hard every day !

Mercy was one of our Outreach Girls and was in 9th grade this year, she was at the top of her class!

WORLD AIDS DAY & GIVING TUESDAY –It is a Sign

WORLD AIDS DAY & GIVING TUESDAY –It is a Sign

My first real encounter with World AIDS Day was 10 years ago while I was volunteering in South Africa. I attended a World AIDS Day candlelight vigil with an inspiring group of children that had taught me so much in the months leading up to this. Hospice nurses ran this support group for these children (ages 4-16) who were either infected with HIV/AIDS themselves or affected somehow, usually by losing a family member to the disease. They sang songs and performed a play for their community. After their performance we all prayed and stood holding our candles in silence, remembering those who have lost their lives to this deadly disease. I remember looking at their young faces as they held the candles and thought about the loved ones that they had lost—even as I think about it today I am overwhelmed with so much emotion.

Since that moment I have met countless other children both in South Africa and Kenya whose lives have been destroyed by this disease. Three children that I love as my own live in our JCO Children’s Home were born with HIV. In fact every single child in our JCO Children’s Home has been affected in one way or another, many of them losing their parents to the disease, which is how they ended up with us in the first place.  The three children that are HIV+ came from different families, but all three of them came to us in pretty bad shape. Their caregivers at the time were aware that they were infected and had tried to get them some kind of treatment, but were not able to get them everything that they needed.

HIV treatment is available, but it is a very strict regimen.  One must take pretty high-powered drugs every 12 hours on the dot. Missing even one dose can be really dangerous especially for little ones. It is also essential that anyone receiving treatment is given 3 highly nutritious and well-balanced meals each day to keep their bodies strong enough to handle the disease and the treatment.  Another crucial part of their care is very regular doctor visits to ensure their immune systems are functioning and to figure out the specific “cocktail” of drugs that work for each individual. All of this is extremely difficult for an impoverished family to manage and as a result our kiddos were struggling.

The good news is that now all three of them are doing really well! Their health is better than ever, they are growing strong and doing well in school. If you met all of our children now, you would have no idea who is infected and who isn’t. Our staff at JCO does such a wonderful job at keeping them on their strict regimens, taking them to the doctor every few weeks and taking note of even a runny nose because it could indicate their immune system is not in good shape. We are so thankful that they are doing well and pray each day that it continues.

We also pray for a cure. For our kiddos and others on the current ARV regimens that treatment can add 15-20 years to their lives and we are hoping that within that time frame that a real and lasting cure is found. I am encouraged with all of the progress that has been made in recent years and I have to believe that a cure is coming soon.

Since today is both Giving Tuesday and World AIDS Day we would like to ask you to donate any amount to Restore Humanity to help us do our part in the battle against this global epidemic.

I have explained why this disease is so near to my heart, but allow me to tell you some of the other ways we combat this disease:

1-Care for our HIV+ children in our JCO Children’s Home

2-We have an Outreach Program that provides scholarships to local high school students in Sirembe, so that they can get their education. Statistics prove that education is the single greatest weapon against HIV/AIDS especially in sub-Saharan Africa and most especially for girls. Every year that a girl stays in school her chances of getting HIV+ are drastically reduced.

3-Last year we partnered with the local clinic in Sirembe to build a Maternity Ward. One of the major goals of this facility is to encourage more women to get pre-natal care. If a HIV+ woman receives proper ARV treatment while pregnant it reduces the chance of transmission to the baby to almost nothing.

 We are working for prevention and care for those who are infected. Join us and help us fight this disease!

There are two ways YOU can help: CARE or PREVENTION.

Click here and donate any amount to support:

1-Our Children’s Home and help us continue to care for our kiddos.

Or

 2-Send a girl to high school for a year for $500 (That includes full boarding, uniform, tuition, and fees for an entire year)! If you can’t donate the full amount, just give what you can and we will put it towards an Outreach Scholarship.

With Love & Gratitude—

Sarah Fennel & The Restore Humanity Team

Who is my Neighbor?

“Who is my Neighbor?”

Since I started Restore Humanity, there is a question that I have been asked more times than I can count. That question is “Why are you helping children in Kenya when there are children here in the US that need help?” While I understand the underlying thought process, it still always strikes me as such a strange question.

I could answer them by appealing to the magnitude of the need or explaining how the money we raise here goes such a long way there.  Or I could list the many awesome people and organizations that are working hard to build support systems for those in need in here in the US and how they don’t necessarily have counterparts in the rural area where we work in Kenya, but the truth is that the main reason why I do what I do is because I was given an amazing opportunity to really make a difference in some incredible children’s lives and I took it. 

What I want to address today is the problem with that question in the first place. By my lights, every human is important, every person from every race, religion, nationality, or tribe. Everyone, without exception. So it seems strange to me that someone would see a person helping another and wonder—Why are you helping that person, when you should be helping this person? A child in need is a child in need.

While Restore Humanity is not a Faith-Based Organization, I, myself am a person of faith. The Golden Rule is something that I take very seriously and quite literally. “Love your neighbor as you love yourself” is first said in Leviticus and then Christ applies the concept in the wonderful parable of the “Good Samaritan” (Luke 10: 25-37)

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”

28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

What I find fascinating about this story is that Christ uses a Samaritan to be the hero. Samaritans and Jews were historically enemies and did not generally share very positive views about each other. The fact that the first two people in the story walked by their Jewish brother and did not help him says a lot, especially considering one was a Levite (from the priestly tribe) and the other a Priest, two people that would be assumed to be following the "Law" and would be considered this man's "neighbor" in the strictest sense of the word. The Samaritan was just a good person that showed love and mercy in the moment it was most needed. He goes above and beyond to help another human, despite societal norms. What I take from this is that we are to do whatever we can for each other—that means every person regardless of our national borders, tribal affiliations or personal hang-ups.

For the record, if I could help every single child in need in the entire world believe me I would. I was just given an opportunity to help these children in Kenya and I took it. I am so thankful for our Restore Humanity family that supports us, and grateful that so many people share our conviction that even if we make a difference in even one life—that is what is important.

And while many people that support Restore Humanity do not share my specific beliefs about everything, we do share some core values—that every one matters and you should just help whomever you can whenever you can. Period. You do what you can to make the world better. One planet. One People. One Purpose.

And who is my neighbor? Everyone.

Full of Gratitude

On October 9th we had our best Winetopia fundraiser to date! With the help of so many awesome individuals and businesses we raised $63,000! It was a beautiful October evening and Pratt Place Barn was even more so. As soon as we opened the doors our amazing guests came pouring in and set about at enjoying the tables of beer and wine all provided by Glazers Distributing and enjoying some of the best cuisine that this area has to offer. As I walked through the barn getting hugs at every corner I could just feel the joy and generosity exuding from everyone. People taking fun photos in the Making Memories Photobooth, laughing with their friends, or just enjoying the sweet tunes coming from our DJ Matt Boles.

The Buzz Events lounge outside was even more spectacular than the year before, if you can believe it. And inside, my dad (a.k.a Carny in the Corner) had people winning big at the Wine Toss! We had pictures of our sweet kiddos all over the barn bringing the point home that all of the work and care that went into that night was oh so worth it. 

This community never ceases to amaze me! In the weeks leading up to the event there was just an outpouring of generosity from all over this community. So many people and businesses just wanted to do something and help however they could--people bought tickets, offered silent auction items, volunteered, helped spread the word, and donated. I was really moved at the goodness that I was seeing coming from all directions.

Below are some gorgeous photos of the night  taken by the one and only Cole Fennel Photography and please take a moment to look at this list of volunteers, sponsors, and silent auction donors that helped to make this night possible! 

Lots of Love & Gratitude,

Sarah Fennel

Winetopia Core Crew Volunteers

Chris Beavers—Auction Chair

Meredith Adkins—Volunteer Coordinator

Herbert “Boo” Buchanan—Event Coordinator (He “puts out fires”)

Joe Fennel—Carny In the Corner

Kristi Bachelor

Ellie Jones

Tanj Donovan

Jessy Lang

Alannah Massey

Adrienne Johnson

Jinny Lowe

Garrett “Vern” Gunderson

Michael Adkins

Chris Arcana

Chase Hayes

Hassan Huntley

Danielle Ryan

Tareneh Manning

Brooke McDonald

Allison Chilcote

Anna Marie Jarrett

Jean Ann Fennel

Warren Fyfe

Vincent Agare

Darrin Ingraham

Bartus Taylor & Buzz Events Crew

Glazers Crew

Honorary Hosts

Chris & Jeremy Beavers

Ben & Molly Blakeman

Martell Brown & Bethany Sewell

Abdi Dubed

Linley & Dave Dust

Chris Goddard & Bartus Taylor

Jen & John Lewis

Dr. Allyson & William Mertins

Dr. Lance & Tareneh Manning

Neal & Gina Pendergraft

Amy & Brent Robinson

Sponsors

Presenting Sponsor

Glazers Distributing

“Grape Crusher” Level Sponsor

Lucke Dental

Miller Boskus Lack

Blakeman’s Jewelry

Mertins Eye Care

“Planter” Level Sponsor

Quadrivium

FAC

Community Sponsors

Buzz Events

Pratt Place Inn & Barn

Intents

Eventures Party Rentals

Light Works Events

AV Designs

Arsagas

Showerfilter Store by NewMarket Naturals

Making Memories Photobooth

Cole Fennel Photography

Media Sponsors

Citiscapes Magazine

3W Magazine

Northwest Arkansas Democratic Gazette

Restaurant Sponsors

Bordinos

Cafe Rue Orleans

Farmers Table

Cardamom & Curry

Native Nectar

Mia Tarts

Fayetteville Pastry Shop

Silent Auction Donors

All Sports Production

AR State Beauty Supply

Arts Live Theatre

Big Star Lounge and Flying Burrito

Blakman's Fine Jewelry

Bordinos

Brandon & Britney Hurlbut

Brick By Brick

Chancellor

Chef Thomas from Tyson

Chris and Jeremy Beavers

Chuy's

Claudia Smith at Be Fit Studio

Closets to the Max

Clubhaus

Coach Darin Phelan

Cole Fennel Photography

Copper Pig

Country Outfitters

Crisp Studios

Dark Star Visuals

David & Candace Starling

Dickson Street Liquor

Dog Party USA

Dr. Brian Buell

Dr. Rebecca Lucke

East Side Grill

Elevate

Elevate

Ella Shelton

Fayettechill

Fayetteville Acupuncture

Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce

Feel Good Oils

Glo

Good Things

Goodwill Massage/Rebekah Champgne

Greg Dog Vintage Boutique

Gunderpickles

Heidi Brugliera

Hermans

Jennifer Lewis

Joyn

Joyn

Kathy Thompson

Liquor World

Liz Rusher

Lola Boutique

Manning House LLC

Marla Shaver

Masons

Maude

Mertins

Mia Tarts & More

Nitron

NWA Knockerball

Old World Imports

Onemanband

Ozark Escape

Pack Rat Outdoor Center

Pediatric Dental/Dr. Landers

Petra Café

Revive Medical Spa

Rhonda & Mailiah

Robin Devine

Robin Starr

Roblee Orthodontics

Roger Boskus

Romance Diamonds

Salon Bloom

Sara Kincaid & Jessica Phelan

Sarahndipity

Shindig Paperie

Showerfilter Store by Newmark Naturals

Speckled Pig

Spring Valley Anglers

Springdale Liquor Association

Sunshine Broder at Shine Salon

Susie Baker

Swim Ranch

Tareneh Manning @ Bassett Mix

Taylor Plastic Surgery

The Bike Route

The Independent

The Rainbow Lodge

Theo's

Trailside Yoga

WAC

Walker Bros.

Watson Custom Made

Westwood Gardens

WholeFoods

Yard Party- Jamey Sims

Yoga Deza

Right before we opened the doors...

A peak at our Silent Auction

Joe Fennel, a.k.a. Carny in the Corner

Treats from Fayetteville Pastry Shop

Buzz Events Lounge

Buzz Events Lounge

Project #MamasandBabies is complete!

Titus Omondi--the first baby born in the facility!

Meet Titus Omondi—the first baby to be born in the newly constructed Maternity Ward! He was born on March 26th of this year and this picture was taken at the beginning of July. A healthy baby to a healthy mama—does it get any better than that?

Let me back up a moment--early last year we decided to partner with the local clinic in Sirembe, Kenya. It is the same area that all of our projects are based in, as well as the clinic that our children and staff get treated when they are sick. The facility was also where many local women would go to deliver babies and while they did the best that they could with the resources available, it was not very conducive to a healthy delivery. There was no drainage in the room and there was no real separation between delivering mothers with newborns and the other sick patients at the clinic. Many of these sick patients have highly communicable diseases such as TB, which is particularly dangerous for people with compromised immune systems. This is absolutely the case for delivering mothers and their newborn babies. It was very clear that a proper facility was needed.

  At that time the local committee came together and decided what the needs were and had raised $12,000 from the Kenyan government. However, they needed an additional $25,000 to complete the construction that included a septic and drainage system. Our Restore Humanity Medical Committee (made up of local doctors and our Board of Directors) decided to step up and help out how we could.

We began raising funds and sent our first grant to them in April 2014. Each time we would send money we would send a Grant Agreement with it detailing what our money could be spent on. Their committee would report back to us with documentation and receipts of how the funds were spent and then we would send another grant when we had the funding. This went on for the next year and thanks to some very generous donors in Northwest Arkansas we raised the money needed to complete the project! During this time I was able to travel to Kenya twice to visit the site and see the progress.

Then at the end of March this year I got a call that the delivery room and septic system were finished and the first baby was born in our facility—Titus. It was a humbling moment to be sure, but not so much as when I got to meet Titus and his beautiful mother this July. They were both healthy and strong. We even got to give them a handmaid baby quilt with fleece lining to keep that cutie warm on cold nights.

That same day in July my fellow Board Member (and now fiancé) Herbert “Boo” Buchanan, Patrick Lumumba (a Key member of our Restore Humanity Team in Kenya) and I went to see the new facility. We were so lucky to get to meet a beautiful baby girl just a few hours old and her equally beautiful mother, Millicent.

Millicent and her beautiful and healthy baby girl.

What a gift life is and giving birth is such a miracle. It was such a blessing to be a part of making that experience better for Millicent and her sweet baby girl! Every woman deserves to have a safe and clean place to deliver with a qualified person to ensure safe delivery. We are so thankful to every single person that helped us accomplish this goal!

And this is what it is all about! A peaceful moment with a mother and child after a safe delivery! Love this photo!

Another wonderful part about giving is that it inspires more giving! Due to the support that we gave this clinic the Kenyan government visited again, saw how much progress had been made and gave them an additional $3,000 for equipment and a local Kenyan non-profit gave them a delivery bed, a heart Doppler machine, and a microscope for a future lab!

Check out all of the photos below of the new facility and some of the essential Kenyan people that made it possible, namely the Clinical Officer Arthur Wamalwa that put in countless hours in planning, implementing, and reporting for this project--all the while running the rest of the facility! We could not have done it any of this without him!

A special thanks to the Chairman of our Medical Committee Dr. Scott Bailey and his wonderful wife Leslie—they opened their home and hearts to this project and got our entire community on board! You two are amazing!

The front of the Facility

Where our mothers will go through most of their labor until ready for delivery

One of our favorite nurses Caroline is in the blue and the man on the right is Arthur Wamalwa, the man that made this all possible!

Our RH Team member Patrick Lumumba who is also a mid-wife and it now helping to deliver healthy babies at the facility. He is here Millicent and her newborn girl.

The heart Doppler machine donating by an Kenyan non-profit

The delivery room ! One of these beds was donated by a Kenyan non-profit.

Restore Humanity Board Member Herbert "Boo" Buchanan with the head of the Board of Directors for the local Clinic (Sirembe Dispensary) Peter Wanjawa.

Love Will Find a Way--JCO Children's Home Turns 5!

Love Will Find a Way—JCO Children’s Home Turns 5!

My goodness things have changed. This week marks our 5 Year Anniversary of the JCO Children’s Home in Kenya! It was just five years ago that we opened our doors to 10 amazing kiddos and we are all forever changed. Since then we have added more children. Some of them have grown up and moved on, but most of them are still living with us and doing really well. They are an awesome bunch and we are so thankful to have them!

 I just recently returned from spending 5 weeks with our children in Kenya and I have been reflecting on how much has changed over the years.  I can’t think of anything more beautiful than seeing the progress these amazing kiddos have made. The changes have been really drastic and many of you know about their miraculous stories.  And although the changes in my perspective have been much more subtle, I still think that they are important to share.

 I started this journey charging full speed ahead because this is what was right, this was my purpose in life and I was going to get it done. However, at some point something in me shifted. This project went from being a “mission to accomplish” to becoming just a part of me. Our children and our team in Kenya are now a huge a part of my life, my family and feel like an extension of myself. I am honestly not sure what I ever did without them.

This time 5 years ago Mrs. Opot, Patrick, and I were deciding which children we could take, meeting them and learning their stories. We were also negotiating on the prices of bunk beds, buying pink and blue sheets, mattresses, pillows, cups, plates—all for the first ten kiddos that would live at our home. We were hiring and training staff and trying to plan for every little thing, but none of us knew what to expect when we opened our doors and created a new home. It was exciting, stressful, fulfilling, and it wore me out. 

Boys room at JCO August 2010

Girls Room at JCO-- August 2010

A big part of that stress was from me trying to control every aspect of the situation, trying to find comfort in “covering all of my bases.” Don’t get me wrong, all of the details are extremely important and we must prepare as best we can. However, it is also just as important to recognize that when you are dealing with human beings there is only so much that you have control over.  This is a lesson that I imagine most parents learn and that is ok, that is just part of life.

This is where faith comes in, with a healthy dose of patience. These kiddos had been through so much and I instantly wanted to take away all of the pain and hurt and let the healing ensue. But, it doesn’t work that way. True healing takes time. It takes consistent love and encouragement, a true feeling of safety. There is no set amount of time, it is different for everyone and it is part of his or her journey. We just try our best to do everything that we can for them and then have faith that love will find a way…

Five years later, the healing continues for all of us. These 17 children are truly amazing. They have come so far—they are some of the bravest souls I have ever met. They inspire me beyond comprehension and at the same time, they are just children. They sometimes fight over toys and most of our boys abhor the idea of bathing. They love to play soccer, play drums, play UNO, color, watch movies, read books, wrestle in the yard and learn about new things. While they all have good days and bad there is an overall love for life and for each other in our home and I am so thankful. It has been the most incredible 5 years of my life and I look forward to the years to come! Thank you to each one of you in our global family for all of the love and support—we couldn’t do it without you!

With Love & Gratitude,

Sarah Fennel

Founder

Restore Humanity

August 4th, 2010 -- Day 3 of living at JCO--Our first ten kiddos with a few friends, including Vincent (Our RH Scholar right in the middle) 

July 2015-- These are the 17 current kiddos. Just look at those sweet faces! A pretty solid and confident little crew!

We Belong to Each Other

We Belong to Each Other

“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other” – Mother Teresa

Sheryl and I

As I prepare to leave again for my second home in Kenya, I am struck by the oneness, the interconnectedness of us all--that everything that we do has consequences and leads to something else. This community here in Northwest Arkansas has been so supportive of Restore Humanity over the last 9 years and our support network grows seemingly by the day. Almost every thing that we have been able to do to provide assistance to those in need in Kenya has been the result of awesome people in this community donating whatever they can to help others.

It is not the result of the generosity of a few who are well off—it is the result of the generosity of the many who give what they can when they can. It is such an honor to be a part of it.  Our extremely hard-working Kenyan Team has put all of this generosity to good use and as a result lives have been changed for the better. With all of the negativity that we hear about and face everyday, it is so good to know that people do care and we all can make a difference.

We all belong to each other and I am honored to be a connecting piece between all of these wonderful humans. Thank you all on the Kenyan side and the U.S. side for all of your hard work and pure love for humanity. You have made all of this possible!

 On this trip I will be taking lots of photos of the newly completed Maternity Ward that we built at the local clinic ! I will also be checking in on our outreach program at the local school, checking on our RH Scholar, Jerrym, in Nairobi and of course spending hours upon hours with our sweet kiddos at the JCO Children’s Home. I will have lots of exciting blogs with updates when I return at the end of July. In the meantime you can follow me on Instagram and follow me on Facebook to join me on the journey!

Have a great summer and we will talk soon…

With gratitude,

Sarah Fennel

Sammie and Miriam, our Head House Mother

Christine and Wilfrieda, two awesome ladies that have worked at JCO since we opened in 2010, taking a break from work to chat.

Our youngest little cutie Clinton.

Two Exciting Updates!

The month of April was a very exciting one for Restore Humanity! We got wonderful news from Kenya about the Maternity Ward--Project #mamasandbabies and we had an incredible fundraiser here to support our Children's Home! We are so, so grateful!

Project #mamasandbabies

At the very end of the year we were about half-way finished with the construction and thanks to all of you we reached our remaining fundraising goal! Sarah Fennel took that money to Kenya at the beginning of January and they set out to first finish the delivery room, the septic tank and all the plumbing. 

Phase 1--Digging the hole for the Septic Tank (January 2015)

Phase 2 of Septic Tank February 2015

Since this is a partnership with a local clinic we have a very structured way that we handle the money. We give a smaller amount ($5,000-$7,000) and they sign a grant agreement as to what the funds can be used for. When they have used the money, they provide a report as to how it was spent, including receipts. We go over the receipts and the report. If it all matches up, then we send the next small amount and we move forward.

The local clinic has been really thorough on their reporting and efficient on the building. We have been really impressed. At the end of Fennel's most recent trip (Jan-Feb 2015) they had used the funds and presented her with a report. She went over the report and saw the work for herself. So upon her arrival back in the states she sent more money. 

One of the sinks your donations bought!

The Delivery Room in February 2015

We just recently got the next report and sent the final amount to finish it up! AND we got some really amazing news to go with that! Although the building in it's entirety is not finished--they did complete the septic tank and the delivery room a few weeks ago. Since then they have delivered 12 healthy babies to 12 healthy mamas! Pregnant mothers can't wait on the rest of the building!

Our completed Delivery Room April 2015

We were so excited to hear this and we knew you would be too! What can be more exciting than that? It is because of all of you that this is now happening and we cannot thank you enough! Fennel will be headed back to Kenya in June to see the final building, get some great photos, and get more exciting updates about healthy babies and their mothers!

A really BIG thank you is due to all of our Maternity Ward Donors and to our RH Medical Committee--with a very special thank you to our Chairman Dr. Scott Bailey and his wonderful wife Leslie. Thank you for all of the knowledge, advice, leadership, and support! We could not have done this without you! 

Thank you all and look for more updates later this summer!

Our Annual Wine Dinner at Bordinos

Our Annual Wine Dinner at Bordinos took place on Sunday April 19th and was a wonderful success! We sold out again this year and we raised $35,250 for our JCO Children's Home in Kenya! We are so thankful to all of the guests that attended and those who donated, to the incredible Bordinos staff--front and back of the house--for delicious food, perfect wine, and impeccable service, and to our wine-expert Dr. Robert "Wine" Neralich! We also would love to send a big thank you to Cole Fennel Photography for the fabulous photos of our event! Check them out below! (For all of the images and more info click here)

Our Restore Humanity Scholar Vincent speaking to our guests! And the lovely Dr. Allyson Mertins looks on. 

With love and gratitude to you alL,

The Restore Humanity Team

There is No Place Like Home

There is No Place Like Home

(Caring for our Kiddos—Part 1)

A woman in sparkly shoes once said, “There’s no place like home” and I would have to concur. What a gift it is to be able to have a real home—a place of love, safety, and comfort that brings peace to your heart just thinking of it. It is hard to come by, but well worth the effort to create.

I recently found a quote that I love.  “There are two gifts that we should give our children: one is roots and the other is wings.” I could not agree more and by my lights the only way to do that is by creating and maintaining that sense of “home” throughout their development.

From the very beginning this has been a crucial part of our mission in creating the JCO Children’s Home in Kenya. My partner Mrs. Opot and I had very similar understandings of what a “home” meant and just how important it was.  We knew that stability was key, especially for children that had been through so much chaos already. They needed firm roots to help them build a bright future for themselves.

Mrs. Opot is and always has been a wonderful mother to all of her children (I have known them all for years) and she taught elementary school in Kenya’s capital Nairobi for 33 years before we began our project. I have had professional childcare experience myself, but I really learned how to raise children and build a home from the two greatest teachers around—my mother and father.

My parents provided my brothers and I with a wonderful home which, among other things, was safe, loving and stable. While helping us to develop very strong roots they also encouraged us to spread our wings. I was never afraid to venture into the unknown because I knew where my roots were and that I always had a strong support system to return to.

Everyone on our Restore Humanity team had a shared vision for the loving, stable, and comforting home we wanted to create. However, making that vision a reality is easier said than done. I tried as much as possible to create the type of environment that I was raised in because my parents did such an amazing job. And while we couldn’t recreate exactly what I had, for a variety of reasons, we could operate from those same values.

It has taken a lot of learning and adjusting, but our Kenyan team has done an amazing job. In fact, a big part of our success in creating this consistency for our children is the fact that we have had extremely little turnover from our staff. As a result, our children are growing up with and spending years of their lives with the same wonderful people (I will get into more details about the key ingredients that make our staff so spectacular in an upcoming blog).

I have been asked several times, usually by bigger foundations, “Why just focus on a few children? Why only 20? Why not expand your facility? How much do you want this facility to grow in five years?” It basically comes down to the debate over quality vs. quantity. If the question is whether we would like to help as many children as possible, the answer is yes. However, if our children are not receiving good quality care and the higher numbers comprise how well we can care for them individually, then the answer is no.

We have had a guiding principle from the beginning of our project: “We want JCO Children’s Home to be run like an institution, but feel like a home.” When you have more than 20 children in a facility like ours the feelings of “family” and “home” start to dwindle. It actually starts feeling more like an institution. While we could provide supervision and basic necessities to greater numbers by operating in this way (assuming we had the proper funding) we would be sacrificing the cognitive benefits and emotional development enjoyed only by those with the types interpersonal connections and relationships typical of a close-knit family.  Surviving is not the same thing as thriving.

We decided early on that while caring for as many children as possible is wonderful—we aren’t really accomplishing our mission if we are not taking care of them like they truly deserve.  In our particular circumstance we felt that the best use of our energy and resources was to focus on building a well run “home” that provides all the basic necessities as well as love, consistency, encouragement, stability, and a feeling of safety. By doing so we can give our sweet kiddos the proper foundation that they need to create a bright future for themselves, for those around them, and for the world at large.

I just spent the last month in Kenya with our kiddos and I am so happy to say that after observing them for almost 5 years now, that this concept of a “home” actually works! It is what builds the necessary confidence in order to do big things in your life—to take risks and follow your dreams.

As I spend time with our kiddos and think about how far they have all come, it is astounding. There has been steady progress from all of them and while they all have ups and downs, their confidence continues to grow and their inner lights shine brighter with each day. It is a beautiful thing to witness and confirms my belief that there truly is no place like home. 

WE DID IT!!

WE DID IT!

I am so pleased to announce that we have reached our fundraising goal to finish the maternity ward in Kenya! Phase 1 of Project #mamasandbabies is complete! We had a goal of raising the remaining $20,500 to finish the construction and we did it! An amazing group of donors made up of old and new givers made this possible and we are so grateful.

The bulk of the money we raised for this project came as a result of two special events that we had at our donors' beautiful homes. Dr. Scott & Leslie Bailey had the first event in their home in November and Dr. Rick & Julie Roblee followed it up earlier this month at their home. Both parties were amazing and their support was essential to our success. We are so, so grateful!

The ripple effect is still being felt. Carin Schoppmeyer from the Arkansas Democrat Gazette was kind enough to cover our event at the Roblee's home and the article was in this Sunday's paper. In the article she mentioned that we needed a remaining $7,700 to complete the construction. A few hours later, I received an email from an amazingly generous couple that said they will be sending us a check to cover that amount! We also had two other incredible donors commit to buying our beds and helping us to get some of the furnishing that we will need! 

I am beyond excited and am really looking forward to heading back to Kenya on January 7th to get the construction started once again! Now that we have the remaining funds we need we should be completing our construction and delivering babies by May! I will keep you all posted on our progress and THANK YOU ALL for your support!!

It is Giving Tuesday! Please Donate to Restore Humanity

It is Giving Tuesday! Please donate to Restore Humanity

Many people are inspired to give at the end of the year for a variety of reasons and while we know there are many causes worthy of your support we ask that you consider giving to Restore Humanity this year so that we can continue our current projects and expand our support to even more people in need.

Since I founded Restore Humanity eight years ago, the most common question that I get asked is “Why are you helping in Kenya?” Some are just asking out of curiosity and others make it very clear that they don’t understand why we wouldn’t choose to help American children? It is a valid question because there are children in need all over the world, including here in the US and if I could provide assistance to every child that needed it tomorrow then believe me I would.

Unfortunately this is not an option, so we all must do what we can, when we can, and how we can. This is exactly why we help in Kenya because there is a serious need in that area and we had an amazing opportunity to make a real and lasting impact.

Mrs. Opot, our wonderful Kenyan partner contacted me in 2007 and asked if Restore Humanity would help her to create a home for children in need in the rural community that she lived in. She had land with a building on it that she donated for the project and was willing to run the home day in and day out. It is also important to note that we can do much more in Kenya than we could in the US with the same amount of money and by my lights the need there exists on a much greater scale.

We took this awesome opportunity and now have a beautiful home full of 17 bright and loving kiddos that also provides employment for 11 local Kenyan people from the community. Each year we look for more opportunities to help and take advantage of every one that we can. I encourage every person to do the same.  Every child matters, no matter where they are from--ONE PLANET, ONE PEOPLE, ONE PURPOSE. We are all in this together!

Please consider donating to one of our projects or to our “General Fund” and we will use it where we need it. All donations are tax deductible and a donation in someone’s name can be the perfect gift! If you are interested in giving a gift of a donation please send me an email at sarah@restorehumanity.org for details.

Donate Here 

#GivingTuesday—We need your support! Here are some options for you:

RH General Fund:

We use the money where it is needed the most within our projects.

JCO Children's Home:

Our principal project, our children’s home in Sirembe, Kenya that provides a home for our 17 wonderful kiddos. For more information click here.

Project #MamasandBabies--Maternity Ward:

We have partnered with a local clinic in Kenya to complete the construction a much-needed Maternity Ward for the community of Sirembe, Kenya.

RH Scholars Program:

Providing University education (both in the US and in Kenya) for a select few bright young minds from Kenya. We currently have one student in the US and one in Kenya.

Donate Here

With immense love & gratitude,

The Restore Humanity Team

Here are some sweet shots of our cuties and team members this year:

Project #mamasandbabies --Help us Build a Maternity Ward in Kenya

Help us Build a Maternity Ward

Project #mamasandbabies

Our Restore Humanity Medical Committee made up of local doctors (from NWA) and our Board Members came together to try and assist the Kenyan community of Sirembe with some of their most pressing healthcare needs. We found an awesome opportunity to partner with the local dispensary and help them raise the funds needed to build a much needed Maternity Ward for the area. We are half-way there in construction and once completed they will be able to immediately start serving local mothers!

Proper pre-natal, delivery, and post-natal care are essential for the mamas and the babies! The health of the community begins in the womb and families need the mothers to be healthy to care for them all! A recent article in "Business Daily" concerning Kenya's current health issues surrounding both mothers and children:

In Kenya, "72,000 children below the age of one year died in 2012 while another 40,000 did not survive their first month of birth. 

Ministry of Health records show that 7.6 million children under the age of five died in 2010 from diseases that could have been prevented.

It is estimated that half of the deaths that occur within a month of a child’s life occur on the first day of their lives mainly due to lack of access to proper health services for mothers during delivery."

Read the full article here

We are already half-way there and we just need $20,500 to finish construction! Let's all join in and make it happen! Do what you can and join our Construction Crew! So much can be done with a little help from a lot of people!

Join our "Construction Crew" Here are some options"

 

Donate $25-- You are a "Brick Layer"

Donate $50--You are a "Carpenter" 

Donate $100--You are a "Steel Worker"

Donate $500-- You are a "Roof Master"

Donate $1000-- You are a "Foundational Giver"

Donate $5000-- You are a "Structural Sustainer"

 

Donate Here* 

*Make sure to specify "Maternity Ward" when checking out

Restore Humanity Medical Committee

 Chairman: Dr. Scott Bailey

 Doctors: Dr. Mark Olsen, Dr. Allyson Mertins

 Board Members: Roger Boskus, Herbert Buchanan, Devin Cole,

 Jean Ann Fennel, Joe Fennel, Sarah Fennel, Michelle Fyfe,

 Brandon Hurlbut, Tim McFarland, and Miriam Smith

The future pre-delivery ward for our mamas!

This is how far we have come! Help us finish the building!

We are taking it one step at a time...

Step One: Finish Construction of Maternity Ward

Phases of Maternity Ward Construction Remaining:

Phase 1: Frames & Plastering 

Phase 2: Electrical 

Phase 3: Plumbing & Draining

Phase 4: Tiling

Phase 5: Painting & Glazing

Donate Here*

*Make sure to specify "Maternity Ward" when checking out

Step Two: Furnish Maternity Ward

Winetopia 2014 was a success--My Love Letter to NWA

Dear NWA Community,

I LOVE YOU--YOU ARE SPECTACULAR! 

On October 3rd we had our biggest annual event, Winetopia and it was incredible! The NWA community came out in full support of the work we are doing and we could not be more grateful! We raised $59,000 to support our work in Kenya! It doesn't get much better than this sweet little spot in the Ozarks and I had to just take a moment to go through our beautiful night and thank some of the people and businesses that made it all happen...

It was the first crisp night this fall and the Pratt Place Barn looked gorgeous as always, we are so thankful that we get to use this incredible space! Bartus Taylor from Buzz Events created a absolutely spectacular lounge that made you feel as if you were stepping into another world--candles, couches, trees, gorgeous lighting, and real sheep skin on the couches so our guests would be cozy. We are in awe of him yet again and so thankful for the amazing contribution.

Glazers Distributing outdid themselves again! They provide 9 tables of wine, and one high-end beer table and provide the knowledgable staff to man all of the tables! We would not have this event without them and we are so grateful for the years of support! They are spectacular! 

The food was the best of our NWA community! We had our Winetopia regulars (5 years running)-- Bordinos and Cafe Rue Orleans. We also had Arsagas, Mia Tarts, Fayetteville Pastry Shop, Berry Natural, and Old World Imports. It was the best of the best and we are so thankful to each and everyone of them for keeping our tastebuds and our tummies happy! Nature's Water provided us with fruit infused filtered water for the second year in a row!

On the entertainment side of things we have DJ Shortfuze who always provides perfect soundtrack to our evening. Sherry and Ira Schwartzman were kind enough to bring their Making Memories photo booth again this year! It is a wonderful treat for our guests! There nothing like a lot of wine and a photo booth with accessories to make for some epic images.  My dad, Joe Fennel, aka "The Carny in the Corner" runs the Wine Toss that is always the biggest hit of the night!

There were so many people and businesses involved in the making and success of this event, I have done my best to name them all below. Before I begin I would like to give a special acknowledgement to our AMAZING Winetopia "Core Crew"! We have incredible volunteers every year and I will list them all below, but our "Core Crew" is a group of some of my favorite people on the planet that have been volunteering with us for years and spend quite a lot of time and energy outside of the event with me planning, giving feedback, adjusting, and figuring out the best ways to run the event. These people are the reason our event gets better every year and I am beyond grateful to them. The Winetopia Core Crew consists of: Our Auction Chair--Chris Beavers, Volunteer Coordinator--Meredith McKee, Boo Buchanan, Lana Lyon, Tanj Donovan, and Ellie Jones. THANK YOU ALL!! A big thank you to all of the official and unofficial volunteers that made it all possible!

I also want to thank Cole and Mary Fennel with Cole Fennel Photography for taking gorgeous photos again this year! Some of them are throughout this post, but you can see the full gallery here: Winetopia 2014 Photos--Cole Fennel Photography

Here is the lists of all of our Sponsors, Silent Auction Donors, Volunteers, and Honorary Hosts! Thank you all for making Winetopia 2014 a success:

Winetopia Sponsors

Glazers Distributors

BKD, CPA's & Advisors

McDonald's

Blakeman's Fine Jewelry

Pratt Place Inn

Buzz Events & Planning

Intents Party Rentals

Making Memories Photobooth

Nature's Water

Citiscapes Magazine

3W Magazine

Restaurant Sponsors

Bordinos

Cafe Rue Orleans

Arsaga's

Berry Natural

Fayetteville Pastry Shop

Mia Tarts

Old World Imports

Our Silent Auction Donors

All Sports Productions

Arkansas State Beauty Supply

Best Sports & Our Hogs

Bordinos

 Britney and Brandon Hurlbut

Chamber of Commerce

Chancellor Hotel

Chef Thomas from Tyson

Clubhaus Fitness

Cole Fennel Photography

Coach Chris Bucknam

Coach Mike Anderson

County Line Liquors

Dark Star Visuals

Doe's Eat Place

Dog Party

 Dr. Brian Buell

Dr. Jason Landers/PDAO

Dr. Rebecca Lucke

Elevate--CEO Forums

Farmer's Table

Fayetteville Country Club

Glo

 Good Things

 Grey Dog Vintage Boutique

Gunderpickles

Herman's

 Jennifer Lewis

Joe and Jean Ann Fennel

Joyn

 Kathy Thompson

Linley Dust

 Liz Rusher

 Lola Boutique

Lori Vincent

 Massage Matters

Matt Miller

 Maude

 Mertins Eye Clinic

 Mia Tarts and More

Mason’s

Nature's Water

Nitron

 Onemanband

Pack Rat Outdoor Center

Pesto Café

 Powerhouse Seafood

Rhonda Crone & Maliah Pinkleton

Robin Devine

Roger Boskus

Romance Diamonds

Slim Chickens

Southern Trends

Thatch

 The Bike Route

The Independent

The Rainbow Lodge

Trailside Yoga

Walker Bros

 Walton Arts Center

Watson Custom Made

Westwood Gardens

Yoga Deza

2014 Honorary Hosts

Steve & Brittany Adair

Dr. Scott & Leslie Bailey

Jeremy & Chris Beavers

Ben & Molly Blakeman

Martell Brown

Leigh & Candra Davis

Abdi Dubed

Chris Goddard & Bartus Taylor

Greg & Hannah Lee

Dr. Allyson & William Mertins

Steve & Natalie McBee

Neal & Gina Pendergraft

Jeff & Eileen Schomburger

Tom & Debi Smith

Volunteer Crew

Chris Beavers

Meredith McKee

Boo Buchanan

Lana Lyon

Tanj Donovan

Ellie Jones

Rebecca Black

Brooke McDonald

Warren Fyfe

Alannah Massey

Elizabeth Gibbons

Adrienne Seeger

Kristi Batchelor

Anne Michelle Hopwood

Laura Jones

Garret Gunderson

Alexandra Buell

Charlie Hoeven

Seth McCutcheon

Chase Hayes

Chris Arcana

Curtis Willis

Shelia Cole

Devin Cole

Spencer Sabo

Cameron Baker

Bartus Taylor & The entire Buzz Events Crew

Michael Adkins

Kimberly Clinehens

Kristin Wolfe

Stephen Black

A HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR GUESTS!

With immense love & gratitude,

Sarah Fennel

We are Here--Restore Humanity Reaches 8 Year Mark!

I heard this new song that Alicia Keys released today and it just struck a chord in me. She sings “We are here, we are here for all of us.”  It tapped into that part of me that connects to the rest of the world, to the human race as a whole, and that is the best feeling that I know. It is easy to get caught up in the everyday to-do lists or to start sweating the small stuff, but then I remember that feeling—the feeling of clarity or self transcendence where I feel and know with every fiber of my being that there is something greater than us.  Its what connects us.

Restore Humanity reached our mark of 8 years this past weekend and I have been reminiscing and reflecting about how much has changed in my life and within our organization. What struck me most of all is remembering all of the incredible people I have met along the way that have had roles, both big and small, in making this all happen. There have been so many amazing people from all over the globe and from all walks of life that have made Restore Humanity what it is today. I am so thankful for the last eight years and I am so excited for the future to come!  It has been: liberating, joyful, uplifting, inspiring, both heavy and light, and full of more love than I know what to do with. This work has expanded my heart and has taught me so much. I am exceedingly grateful to an ever-increasing number of people for making this happen!

As I prepare for our upcoming fundraiser Winetopia (October 3rd) I am so moved by how supportive everyone is. We hope to have close to 400 guests at our event inside the gorgeous Pratt Place Barn. There will be 10 tables of wine donated from Glazers, Nature’s Water will keep us hydrated, and there will be 7 tables of food from some amazing local eateries (Bordinos, Café Rue Orleans, Arsaga’s, Fayetteville Pastry Shop, Mia Tarts, Berry Natural, and Old World Imports). Buzz Events makes it all look gorgeous and a variety of local businesses and artists donate their goods for silent auction. We also have the really fun “Making Memories” Photo-booth and DJ Shortfuze is playing groovy tunes. What is incredible is that almost every piece of it is donated (check out our poster to see all of our wonderful sponsors) and it is run by an awesome volunteer Event Crew! The joy that people have in participating and giving what they can is amazing! I am so proud to be from this community! We are so thankful for our guests, sponsors, and volunteers!  It really touches my heart to see the support that we continue to have from NWA. Our community comes together to support some awesome kiddos across the globe and to do what they can for their fellow human beings. It is spectacular! (For more information on Winetopia or to buy tickets click here! )

We are here for all of us.

Here’s to the continuation of Restore Humanity—8 years is just the beginning! Here’s to connecting with more people, growing and learning and of course giving a lot of love!

This is what I love, this is what I live for, this is what makes my life beautiful!

Immense love & gratitude to our Restore Humanity global family!