Rehema Home Returns

Mary Courtney presented our guest Jonathan Schwandt to give us some news about Rehema Home, an orphanage in Kenya.  You may recall Jonathans’ presentation to our club in April of last year.  Mary read about his presentation in the club's newsletter for that week (available here).  Mary teaches at the Rochester Early College International High School.  Rehema means "mercy" in Swahili.  Mary has a student named Mercy, a refugee from Kenya.  Mary suggested that raising funds for Rehema Home would be a good community service project for Mercy to take on.  Through monthly fundraising, from October to May, US$1,100 was raised.

At that April meeting last year, Jonathan told us about the orphanage and its 60 children.  In the months since, Rehema Home has opened a second facility in Kenya.  Our club was awarded a District Simplified Grant to purchase furniture for this second orphanage.  Appearing with Jonathan today was Kilunda, one of the youth living at Rehema Home.  Kilunda had broken his leg when he was younger.  A visiting team of doctors offered to bring him back to the US, where he could undergo a surgical procedure not available to him in Kenya.  Kilunda shared some of his experiences here and answered questions from club members.  Past President Dianne then presented a check for US$2,500 for the purchase of furniture for Rehema Home’s new location.

L-R: Mary Courtney, President Pam Dean, Kilunda, Jonathan Schwandt, Past President Dianne Sloan.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------