The mission of Jacaranda Community is to meet spiritual and physical needs throughout the city of Nairobi. We do this by creating jobs for widows and single mothers through the trade of sewing and provide the care and protection for their children through education and health care. We are partnering with Jacaranda during this global crisis to help feed families in the slums of Nairobi. A gift of $10 can feed a family for almost a week! To give, please click the link above and select "Jacaranda Community" from the "Give To:" menu. Please take a minute to read this update from Brenda Kean who, along with her husband Garry, started Jacaranda in 2006: The Impact of COVID-19 in Kenya Since Kenya’s first COVID-19 case on March 13th lives around the globe have changed dramatically, especially in our beloved Kenya. By Sunday March 15th the Government of Kenya restricted travel, declared that all schools should be closed and large gatherings cancelled and all non-essential offices were to work from home. We immediately closed our Jacaranda School and worked to get all of our sponsored children who were in boarding school safely home. Our staff are working remotely and our Sunday gatherings moved into homes. Online connections are more challenging for most of our Jacaranda ladies who do not have smartphones or internet access, but we are reaching out through texting and providing food through mobile transfers, and home to home. The leadership team has moved into action while at the same time observing the mandate to “Go Home and Stay Home”. As of yesterday, a 7 pm to 7 am curfew is also in place. Local kiosks and shops are shutting down in the slum areas, and most of our community are living in these informal settlements where access to food is now limited. Social distancing is not really possible as conditions are overcrowded. Prices have skyrocketed and those of our congregation and families in our community who survive on casual daily jobs have lost their ability to provide. Many are already living on the edge, and even the guidelines to wash their hands is impossible because they do not have running water, or the water is rationed to only two or three times a week. Mothers have to choose between washing hands or having water to drink and cook with, but they are almost more worried about not having food to feed their children then of getting sick. Right now, we are asking people to donate as little as $10...this small amount can make a HUGE difference to our family in Kenya right now! Consider this: the $10 we might spend on lunch today could feed a family for almost a week in the slums of Nairobi. Let’s give our lunch to Jesus…our Loaves and our Fishes. Imagine how many families we will touch once Jesus multiplies it! The Jacaranda Community is comprised of 5 main branches:
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