After a lot of considerations, I have reached the end of the road. I am seriously considering closing the Halfway House and letting go of my Leader’s Quest. I am between a rock and a very hard place.
I have been having a lot of challenges with raising funds and finding the resources that are required to support boys who have gone through sexual exploitation and abuse, way before Trump happened. As a result, I am requesting any shelter that would be willing to offer housing and educational support to three young men aged 13, 15 and 18 who are currently staying at our Halfway House in Ngong and need school fees. Kindly reach out to me!
This is a message that I posted in WhatsApp groups where I belong.
Since the boys we are sheltering have faced sexual abuse, no shelter is willing to take over from. I received messages that encouraged me to take a break, which I welcomed with open arms. Much as a break is welcome, the boys are not taking a break from issues they need protection, care and support from. Their issues are active and need help and support.
My work with Lifesong Kenya, a charity organization that I run in Kenya is filled with numerous challenges that have a way of putting me between a rock and a very hard place. Don’t get me wrong. I really love and enjoy working with boys who need restoration and healing from stigma and trauma. But, I do not enjoy the challenges that comes with finding resources and funding that our work requires.
I am between a rock and a very hard place
I am currently going through Co-Active Training Institute’s Leadership Program that is happening in Sitges, Barcelona. I have already gone through three retreats and looking forward to the last one that will happen in March this year. To say that the Leadership Program has been a breeze for me would be a blatant lie. If the challenges I have faced during the three retreats is anything to go by then I am in for another challenging retreat ahead of me.
Despite the fact that I am a beneficiary of a scholarship that has enabled me to go through the Leadership Program, I still face numerous challenges. Thankfully, a few of my friends, led by Helen House, have been fundraising for my air fare, meals and accommodation during the retreats. One of my biggest challenges is an attitude and a belief that Kenyans back home have towards anyone who travels out of the country.
By flying out of Kenya and to Spain several times – hmmm, I have only traveled three times – I am considered to have made it. This means I have loads of money, not only for Lifesong Kenya but for my personal use. Therefore, I have no business saying, leave think, that I don’t have money and need help and support. As a result, this belief has put me between a rock and a very hard place. This is because I cannot tell anyone or ask for help when I need help the most.
Pursuing my Leader's Quest
With nowhere else to turn to take the boys I have had to dig deep inside for inspiration. I have decided to go back to the basics and find fuel for my Leader’s Quest.