Over the last few years I have been privileged to travel in several African countries meeting many fantastic Christian people. All the pastors and leaders I meet are quite impressive, working very hard to bring the Gospel to their neighbourhoods. Each place I visit in Nairobi is not your nice neat, clean and tidy place but a run down overcrowded slum. You guessed it, I am privileged to go to such areas of Nairobi as Kibera, Mathare, Kawangare, Burabura and Dandora. Here life is tough and poverty is in evidence everywhere you look. But more amazing people you could not wish to meet, hence I count it a privilege to be there.

I meet several pastors with their wives who not only work for their living, run a church but also support small schools for very disadvantaged children. One such school run by Roseanne has 45 pupils all with learning difficulties or physical handicaps or both. As a highly qualified teacher she could command a good wage, yet along with two other teachers and one helper she has dedicated herself to help these forgotten children for little or no pay. Many of these children would be little more than unpaid slaves in the homes where they live. Perhaps the word home is stretching it a bit for many of these children are orphans living with extended families who were already stretched to breaking point. Roseanne has taken these children and is making progress with them. She feeds them and gives them a foundation to their education which they would otherwise not have. Some of them maybe will not make much progress because of the severe handicap they have but they are shown love and are given the opportunity to interact with other children. Some of the slow learners have advanced on well, a good square meal each day working wonders for them.

The school room has no electricity or running water and the toilets as with so many other places in the slums are appalling. There is so very little money but they do their best. What they are achieving is quite extraordinary.

Wherever you look you see incredible need. It makes me feel so helpless as I can only help a few, yet to those, I have made a difference.

A while ago a little bundle of rags was picked up from the gutter. It was a little baby boy, his name is now Moses and he is looked after by Roseanne. He is now a lovely healthy little boy full of life. Roseanne and her pastor husband are typical of so many families who take in orphans or abandoned children. How they stretch their resources I just do not know. But that is where you and I can help. With the resources we have in this country. So will you help? I leave that question with you. Look under the heading for Living Hope Ministries to find out how you can help financially.