Welcome to the brand new Children of Bungoma Blog! Our goal is to post on a new topic every Monday. We hope that this blog will keep you informed on what is going on at Children of Bungoma. But we also hope it will do so much more to educate you on such topics as: Kenya's Culture, Politics and Economics, International Nonprofit Giving, How You Can Help, and Much More!
Founder, Nikki Reising, visits one of the kids, Simon, at his High School. Simon was our first kid to graduate from High School!
1. What's Going on at Children of Bungoma
Keep up to date on the kids' lives and what we are doing to make their lives better! See what we are doing on our compound; from what fresh new foods we are growing on our farm to adorable pictures of our caregivers' new baby. He's super cute, trust me! Our lives are interesting and complex and we love being able to share all of our peaks and valleys with YOU!
2. Kenya's Culture
Whether it's learning Swahili, traditional celebrations or local cuisine, there's so much to learn about what makes Kenya, Kenya. How did the boys come to live on the street? Why do you not hear of girls living on the street? What type of schooling does Kenya provide and how much does it cost? What are some cool things to do in Kenya? What is the typical dress? What is the difference between rural and urban living? Stay tuned! We will answer all these questions, and more!
3. Kenya's Politics and Economics
Kenya's government is one of the most corrupt governments in the world. This often times gets in the way of our operations. The local government has threatened to shut us down more times than we can count, often times leading us to give them exactly what they wanted in the first place, a bribe. In a country where people are living with no electricity, insufficient amounts of clean water and limited access to nutrition, a corrupt government does little to help alleviate such harsh living. Learn about how local politics and economics shape the way we operate.
4. International Nonprofit Giving
Domestic and international giving provide two very different lenses of effectiveness. While domestic giving can come in the form of not only giving money but also in giving time to help directly through volunteer hours, international giving does not provide the later. It is difficult to those giving to international nonprofits to know exactly what they are giving to without actually seeing the work, first hand. That's where we come in to help. We have to bring Children of Bungoma to you by sharing what our programs provide, while also promoting the best ways to give. We will share with you the most effective ways to give that will benefit the children and all those involved with Children of Bungoma the most. Learn more about common misconceptions on giving and how best to give.
5. How You Can Help
What do we need to survive every year, month and day? How can you ensure that when you give to Children of Bungoma that it is going straight to programming? What type of giving is best for you? Is it donating directly to Children of Bungoma, a 501(c)(3) organization? Or maybe it's purchasing our merchandise, where all of the sales go directly back to Kenya? Or maybe it's simply spreading the word? We are so excited in your willingness to help and are here to assist with all of your giving needs!
6. And Much More!
Read about our stories (we have so many!) - stories that are meant to inform you, to provoke emotion, to make you think, to entertain and to excite you that you are on this journey with us. Become a part of our story because it is a fun one. Sure there are tough times, lots of tough times, but they only make us better, more resilient and educated. We have great times too, showing how successful our programs are and happy everyone involved in Children of Bungoma is. Be there for every moment, you won't want to miss it!