what can we do to help create jobs?
Billions of dollars in aid and countless economic and development experts have not solved the desperate poverty that enslaves so many people in the world. Our Luo friends are an example of millions of people in countries with limited infrastructure and corrupt governments who still struggle just to feed their families. Straw to Bread takes its cues from our local partners and adapts over time as we see what works. Guided by their priorities, we have made it possible for individuals to get job training and education in Kenya, and then return to their homes on the Nyakach Plateau. We’ve provided seed money for new businesses and created the context for new employment by building a school, a hospital, and a funeral home. In some cases, we send money for teachers’ or hospital workers’ salaries. We buy local products when we are there and sell their artwork to others. We’re always in conversation about the best path to sustainability. Sometimes our seed money flourishes into a business that quickly pays for itself, expands, and gives back support to the neediest in the community.
It is a privilege to be accountable to each other as we give and receive gifts. The material wealth of Straw to Bread supporters can make the difference between life and death when we share. With the legacy of colonialism and slavery and racism, this is the least we can do. Our work is an offering of reparation and repentance, but it is received with healing, joyful friendship instead of hate. Our Kenyan partners’ spiritual wealth transforms and humbles us as they teach us how to live and love. Our Creator allows us more chances to redeem the past and create a just future, and our Luo brothers and sisters keep offering to celebrate the present with us.
Here are some details and pictures.
