It has truly been a long and beautiful story since Lalmba’s humble beginnings in 1963. But this story isn’t really about Lalmba. It’s a story about wonderful and amazing people living in marginalized communities at the “end of the road” and the challenges they face. It is a story about their children whose future is limited by the lack of health care, education, and income for their families. And most of all, it is a story about poor people overcoming these challenges with the limited resources they have and the support of amazing people like you who believe in Lalmba’s mission and long-term commitment to these wonderful communities.
That is just as true today as it was nearly 60 years ago when Hugh and Marty started Lalmba. Working in these communities is not easy. Every small victory brings new and unforeseen challenges and yet with compassion, courage and faith great things can happen.
So it’s no surprise that in the remote area of Ethiopia where our Chiri Children’s home is, we face numerous challenges and delays, especially from the environment. We have spent the last couple of years making improvements to the children’s home and those upgrades have come along very well. As part of our plan, we intended to repurpose the existing boy’s and girl’s dormitories (built about 11 years ago) as part of a learning center once the new dormitories were built.
Unfortunately heavy rains have caused delays and early last year Aselefich, our children’s program director, started to notice that water had infiltrated the walls in the boy’s dormitory causing large cracks to form. Eventually the damage got to the point where she had to move our boys into the “big house” where everyone gathers for meals, homework, and family fun. So for the last five months what was a dining room now also has been serving as the boy’s temporary bedroom.
The new boys dormitory with Aselefech showing us the inside.
With the limited resources we have we had to reprioritize, but we are happy to say that a new dorm is being constructed! We found a builder who could urgently clear the rubble and rebuild the home with better materials. Today the boy’s home is nearly finished and everyone is excited about that good news.
Leading Together
By Rob Andzik
We believe that empowerment is a critical part of Lalmba’s “special recipe” and a cornerstone to a prosperous future. Rather than sending armies of western volunteers to solve the problems and do the work, we employ local people and whenever possible promote them into key leadership positions and then ask them how they would solve the problems they see.
In 2007, this became a reality when we handed over the management of Lalmba’s Kenyan programs to Marico Osiyo Awino. Marico was hired in 1984 as a carpenter and then started moving up through the ranks. He successfully managed and led the staff and programs in Kenya for the past 16 years through both good times and bad. You probably have heard his name before through our newsletters and if you follow our social media posts, you may have seen that this past January our Kenyan staff, along with members of the local community and Lalmba USA representatives, celebrated Marico’s retirement and thanked him for his many years of service. He has been both a blessing and a true champion of the work Lalmba has done serving the people in Kenya and we extend our deepest gratitude to him for everything he has done.
As with any organization, the immediate question when such a critical leader leaves is “who is going to take over now? Well, we have been working on that for quite some time. Fortunately we have a very strong leader who has been serving as our Deputy Project Director. Jenipher Atieno has been Marico’s right hand and Deputy for well over a decade and we are very excited to announce that she has now taken over as Project Director.
But that simply resolves who will be next. We want to ensure an enduring and prosperous future for Lalmba Kenya and the people in and around Matoso. Over the last year and with the help of our first volunteer in Kenya, Gruffie Clough, we have been conducting a leadership training initiative that the team in Kenya named “Leading Together”. Utilizing her background as an executive coach and working with organizations like Outward Bound, Gruffie put together a curriculum specially tailored for our leadership team and the challenges we face in and around Matoso.
Gruffie and the Leading Together team
The training aimed to empower the leadership team to effectively lead and manage their programs and staff, with a focus on improving the quality of our services and impacts they have. The Leading Together sessions consisted of workshops and one-on-one sessions with experienced trainers, covering topics such as team building, conflict resolution, and financial management.
Our New Volunteer in Kenya
We are excited to introduce our new volunteer in Kenya, Dr. Jamie Reed. He will be working with the clinic staff in Matoso and Ochuna for the next year. Here is a little bit on his background.
Immediately after my Army discharge as a Medic, my 3 children and I began serving communities in need. It began with ministering to youth groups within our country, with the heart filled with selfless service and love of our fellow man. I began my 11-year educational journey shortly thereafter and obtained my Doctorate of Chiropractic and Doctor of Nursing Practice degrees with a focus on HIV medicine. I then began serving in underserved communities suffering from HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases. These communities included those of Mexican descent and Indigenous peoples from the US and Canada. Being of African descent myself, it had always been my life’s goal to one day visit the continent of Africa. Once I was presented with an opportunity to serve in Kenya, I knew that my prayers were answered. I look forward to learning, growing, laughing and serving with the Lalmba family.
The tradition continues! In July of 2023 we will be stepping off on our 5th Tembea Na Mimi charity walk across Kenya. Tembea Na Mimi means “walk with me” in Kiswahili. It is a transformational journey of the heart, mind, and soul, as we walk in the footsteps of the people Lalmba serves. If you haven’t heard about these amazing walks, we spend 10 days trekking across the Maasi Mara and rural Kenya to Lalmba’s clinic on the shores of Lake Victoria.
Each walker pays the cost of their own journey and is challenged with the goal of raising $10,000 for Lalmba. For more information, please check out www.lalmba.org/tnm. Most importantly if you are interested in joining us, or know someone who might be, please let us know! To contact us email tnm@lalmba.org or call 720-260-6785.
This year’s Christmas gift for you is a brightly colored African Katanga apron, perfect for preparing a holiday meal or gift of sweets while guaranteeing that Lalmba’s programs provide meals and nutrient enriched foods for babies and folks who are recipients in our malnourishment program called Chakula Bora.
Each handmade apron is quilted together by a group of women tailors, who are successful Lalmba Kenya micro-loan recipients. This is a one-of-a-kind gift – made up of a collection of fabric “scraps” from African Katanga – brightly colored cotton material with bold patterns.
This year’s Christmas gift, a quilted Katanga apron, comes with a secret recipe inside the front apron pocket and Lalmba’s unique guarantee. If you are a long-time reader of Lalmba newsletters, or “Hugh’s News” then you may remember this: This Guarantee remains true!
Lalmba’s annual Christmas project started in 1984 during the Great African Famine when Hugh and Marty Downey began selling hamburgers for $100. The proceeds went directly to starving people in Africa. Decades later, the tradition continues. Lalmba’s valued supporters are presented with an opportunity to acquire something unique and special while offering a creative way for you to participate in this important work in East Africa.
Tucked into the front pocket of Lalmba’s Christmas gift is our secret “Recipe for Hope”. While the secret recipe won’t be fully revealed here, we want to share this moving story of one of our heroes at Lalmba’s Ochuna Dispensory, Kenya.
Mary Okeyo is our head nurse at the Ochuna Dispensory and a vital part of Lalmba’s recipe for hope. She is a unique woman whose hands bring healing and whose voice brings comfort – and whose dance brings hope. Mary has a tangible presence of “joyful hope” about her being.
Each day at the Ochuna clinic brings its own challenges and joys. This day was no different as Mary moved from one room to another in her joyful, soft, and even dance-like walk, proudly leading a group of visitors on a tour through the clinic. Her knowledge and sense of ownership was palpable as she vistied the pharmacy, treatment rooms, and offices. Every step seemed to take Mary from one state of mind to a even higher one as she described the facilities, the community and work Lalmba does. She was in her element and her smile broadened even more with each patient she saw.
Yet her focus switched in an instant to the realities of working in such a remote area when an emergency suddenly required her undivided attention. A young mother had just arrived with a screaming baby who was in terrible pain. The mother explained how her child had been healthy and happy until a few weeks ago. She didn’t know what led to her child’s suffering but was desperate to see the child recover – so desperate that she walked for hours to reach the clinic. Mary comforted the mother as she gathered medical information. Then she moved the mother and child into a private treatment room and began to cover the baby with soothing zinc ointment. This ointment soothes skin irritation, and hopefully prevented further skin damage, but the peeling skin, the source of the baby’s agony, is a likely symptom of Severe and Acute Malnutrition (SAM). Mary gently bathed the infant and prescribed “plumpy nut” a form of nutrient enriched food and follow-up visits until the child has graduated from our Malnutrition program called Chakula Bora.
Grandmother and her grandchildren at Chakula Bora
Chakula Bora aims at preventing death due to malnutrition and starvation through regular nutrition classes, weighing and measuring children’s growth, and the distribution of life-saving foods.
We cannot begin to thank you enough for your support as our staff passionately care for these babies whose mothers and grandmothers arrive desperately seeking medical and food assistance.
God bless you, and may your Christmas be filled with Hope.
The tradition continues! In July of 2023 we will be stepping off on our 5th Tembea Na Mimi charity walk across Kenya. Tembea Na Mimi means “walk with me” in Kiswahili. It is a transformational journey of the heart, mind, and soul, as we walk in the footsteps of the people Lalmba serves. If you haven’t heard about these amazing walks, we spend 10 days trekking across the Maasi Mara and rural Kenya to Lalmba’s clinic on the shores of Lake Victoria.
Each walker pays the cost of their own journey and is challenged with the goal of raising $10,000 for Lalmba. For more information, please check out www.lalmba.org/tnm. Most importantly if you are interested in joining us, or know someone who might be, please let us know! To contact us email tnm@lalmba.org or call 720-260-6785.
A chicken is known the world over as a source of food, either through eggs or as a meal itself. If you have a chicken, you can use it to feed your family or trade it for other goods and services. In many ways a chicken could be considered a global currency. If someone said “I’ll trade you one chicken for that ” most people would inherently know the value. For example, in the US a whole chicken costs about $7-$8, plucked and ready to cook. In Matoso Kenya, where Lalmba’s programs are, a live adult chicken costs about 700-1,000 Kenyan shillings. At the current exchange rate $7 is about 840 Kenyan shillings, so the value of a chicken is surprisingly about the same. It’s similar in Ethiopia at about 400-500 birr ($7.66-$9.58). Maybe a chicken really could be considered a universal currency.
But it sure doesn’t feel that way. Imagine a family about to enjoy a delicious chicken dinner. How many hours would they have to work to earn that chicken? Someone in the US, working at a minimum wage of $8/hour, can easily earn about one chicken an hour, leaving plenty of time to earn breakfast, lunch, and much more. Earning a chicken doesn’t feel very hard at all.
What does earning a chicken feel like in Matoso? Well, a typical family receiving Lalmba’s RCAR support in Kenya makes about 500 to 1,200 Kenyan shillings a month. Using chicken currency, that’s about one chicken a month. A whole month’s worth of work to earn one simple chicken to feed your family.
Inflation is impacting everyone worldwide. We all feel it when we go to the grocery store or at the gas pump. Yet only a few months ago in the communities Lalmba serves, that chicken was half the price it is today. That’s two more weeks of work for the same chicken. It is when we put it in terms like this that the “Economy of a Chicken” hits home as we remember women like Grace.
Lalmba’s Long and Beautiful Story Continues
By Rob Andzik
It is in the journey of searching for someone new that we learn the most about ourselves. Over the last few months we have been praying for and actively searching to find Lalmba’s new President.
We cast a big net, met many people, and contemplated exciting futures for this amazing organization. Through this journey, we have reaffirmed that Lalmba is about the people in Kenya and Ethiopia. Amazing and wonderful people who struggle daily to provide for their children, for their elders, and for their communities. Lalmba’s heart and soul are dedicated to those people and empowering those communities to find a way out of the cycle of poverty.
As part of our search we put that dedication to action and facilitated our first ever African interviews for a Lalmba USA role via Zoom. We are very happy to announce that our search has come to a fruitful conclusion. We would like you all to meet Lalmba’s new President.
Meet Lalmba’s New President Jennifer Wenningkamp
By Jennifer Wenningkamp
I lived with my husband and three sons in Mozambique, serving desperately poor children and elders for over ten years before we all moved to Colorado. After achieving my humanitarian aid career goals, I earned a dual Master’s degree in International Human Rights and MLS in International Law. Then, as I searched for a job, I wondered if my time in Africa was behind me. Until, they asked me if I was willing to schedule another interview – with African leadership. My final round of interviews was with Joan and the Kenyan and Ethiopian Directors. To my joy, this African-based organization chose me. As Lalmba’s President, I will endeavor to educate and empower Africans by continuing Lalmba’s ongoing work “at the end of the road”.
For the past 9 years we have been blessed to be at the helm of this efficient, thoughtful, and effective organization. We want to let you know that we will be moving on from Lalmba this summer. Our departure from Lalmba will take us on a new path in development work. Though our hearts will yearn for the people and places that have marked our lives and touched our souls, we take great pride in knowing that Lalmba’s wake still spreads wide and, tucked neatly within that long and rich timeline of Lalmba history, is the birth of a family, our family.
After 18 years of our affiliation with Lalmba (We just celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary last month!) we will be pursuing other work in development that will continue to allow us to work together as a team, which we have learned to do well. This change will bring us closer to what is dearest to us, families. We will be leading a small organization called Maternal Life International, which aims to promote safe births and healthy families in the developing world. If there are paths out of poverty and gateways to redemption, this surely is one of them, and we feel called to help.
We want to assure you that Lalmba also remains our family, and Lalmba has great parents. The Lalmba board of directors is dedicated and extremely capable of sailing this ship until new leadership is in place, and we will always be supporters, like you!
Hillary: When I think back to my beginnings with Lalmba, our first night as volunteers on our way to Lalmba’s project in Ethiopia comes to mind. Jeff and I had married just a month before and volunteered for an adventure to serve for 2 years in the rainforest as project directors. Jeff already knew Africa, as he had spent several years living in Kenya. We arrived at our hotel in Addis Ababa, an unsanitary hole-in-the-wall place that offered rooms by the hour. As we lay in bed my first night in Africa, I looked up in the rafters and saw a long rat tail moving along the roofline. I put my head on Jeff’s chest and cried and cried, telling him, “I can’t do this! I want to go home!”
Jeff reassured me and told me, “It will get better. You will learn how to do this.”
And he was right. My time living alongside the poor for those 2 years and then leading the organization since 2013, I have ‘learned how.’ Poverty is just one of many features of the rich lives we encountered, and what an honor to represent Lalmba to them, a force for hope and opportunity to pursue their dreams, dreams that are no less grand than ours.
Jeff: In September 2005, our son Gideon was just 4 weeks old when we returned to Ethiopia from home leave. This time around, I was the one who needed reassurance. To call me overprotective and worried is an understatement. I feared if we put him on the ground the fire ants would envelop him and carry him away. Or that every spoon that entered his mouth was a petri dish for amoebic dysentery.
Hillary and Gideon, Tejbet, Chiri town, 2005
But then I saw Hillary mothering him with confidence in the same manner as every other mother in the village, innately knowing the difference between a hungry, tired, and wet cry – and I realized that I had a lot to learn, but with her great example, I would “learn how” to do it.
Probably because it was here that I first became a father, what I remember most about all my years of project work, are the worried and desolate parents, perched on the edge of a hospital bed, hopeful that being in this setting would bring forth a cure. Although Lalmba has saved many lives, there remains an outsized amount of heartache for the poor in this world.
Chiri, Ethiopia 2005 – Mother and son
I remember a tender scene of a mother gently caressing the cheek of her sick child as he labored to breathe. Her hand seemed to fold into the contours of his cheek, as if hoping his peaceful expression would be permanently marked on her palm. I wanted a picture of them because, as a tableau, it illustrated to me what pure love looks like. But as I lifted the camera to my eye, I heard her gasp, and saw his eyes cloud over, and her body slump forward into heaving sobs. All I could do was bow my head and pray.
I don’t know why I share this sad story. If you’ve learned our style, it is the joyous moments that we strive to share, for their impact resonates longest. But we all also know the ache of losing a loved one, that process of letting go, and the strength and sense of purpose that can be derived from grief. Closing this chapter of our life feels a bit like that.
When we reflect on our tenure, we appreciate what your support has helped Lalmba accomplish in that time. One key shift was the reduction of dependence on food aid in Kenya, with a transition to a microloan program to allow families to make sustainable income instead. Lalmba successfully handed over Chiri Health Center in the now booming town of Chiri, Ethiopia, to a partner, moving to a much more remote area of Agaro Bushi which had no adequate health care options. We managed to build a clinic without a fully functional road and have begun orphan care services there. It wasn’t easy, but Lalmba has always chosen the difficult path that other development agencies avoid due to the hardships.
Some of our favorite memories are moments shared with those of you we have been able to meet over the years, supporters who have believed in our mission. Cars have pulled up to our house with people getting out saying, “I’ve been sending checks to this address for so many years, and I just wanted to see what Lalmba’s office looks like.” We shared coffee, you met our children and saw our home which also served as “Lalmba’s International Headquarters.” Everyday people like you are the lifeblood of this organization.
Working with our volunteers and alumni has been a joy as well. If you want to feel hope in the inherent goodness of human beings, point to a random name on our long list of Lalmba field volunteers and you will feel inspired. Our volunteers are the key to the efficiency and accountability that Lalmba enjoys in the field.
And finally, to our friends in Africa. The children who are running through our children’s homes, the staff who have patiently taught us how to think in order to be successful in Africa, and the countless people who have influenced us along the way.
We have tried to be true to all that founders Hugh and Marty Downey modeled in their first 50 years, remaining simple, with the motto, “Ordinary people on their way to accomplishing extraordinary things.” God has blessed us with this opportunity to know Him through the poor and through you.
Hugh Downey, Eritrea 1963
The Long and Beautiful Lalmba Story
Rob Andzik, Chairman of the Board for Lalmba Association
You may have heard these words echo in newsletters past. Lalmba’s story began in 1963 with Hugh and Marty Downey and over the years countless volunteers have added their chapters. Across four countries Eritreans, Sudanease, Kenyans, and Ethiopians have contributed their own beautiful perspectives. Stories of family, challenges, successes, and tragedies have pulled on our hearts and inspired us to support Lalmba’s amazing work.
Today we recognize and thank a very special couple who have given so much of themselves to the people Lalmba serves and left their mark, shining bright, in the long and beautiful Lalmba story. Jeff and Hillary James have served Lalmba both as volunteers in Ethiopia and as our President and Vice President in the US. For nearly two decades their compassion, dedication, and frankly, blood, sweat and tears have helped empower and transform communities. They have struggled through difficult times and united us in joy for the successes.
Chiri, Ethiopia – Posy and Jeff, a sad farewell
They did all of this while raising a family of four. Jeff and Hillary alternated who stayed home and who traveled to Africa, sacrificing their family time, holidays, and significant life events while they were apart. Like all our volunteers, they willingly and humbly took personal risks to reach the remotest areas and help those at the “end of the road”.
Sometimes it is in saying goodbye that we become most aware of the impact someone has had on our lives. Recently I had the privilege of traveling with Jeff to inform our staff. While our staff was surprised and disappointed, their heartfelt statements of gratitude testified to how many lives have been touched from Jeff and Hillary’s work. The voices that rang the loudest and most pure were those of the children, many of whom have only known Jeff and Hillary as the face of Lalmba. Some of the older children, names you might recognize like Posy, Meskerim, and Kocheche, stood and with tears streaming down their faces expressed their love and thanks. They know that without Lalmba’s support their lives would be very different, if they had survived at all. And with those same tears in their eyes, they turned to me, to all of us, and simply said please don’t forget us.
Those words have echoed in my thoughts and prayers. Lalmba’s long and beautiful story is a story about children. Children in desperate need and whose future is so intimately tied to the situation they were born into. We, as Lalmba’s Board of Directors, are fully committed to helping these children and these communities lift themselves out of the cycle of poverty and into a bright and prosperous future. And it is with your continued love and support we can do this.
We have already begun the search for the next leaders of Lalmba. Someone who will adhere to Lalmba’s mission and values, join us in our love for children and the poor, and carry forward our vision of empowerment and self-sufficiency. We hope that this process will be short but we know how important it is not to rush. If you know of someone who you think would be perfect for this role please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Ongoro Children’s Home, Kenya – Rob Andzik, Lalmba board chairman, face painting with the children
In the meantime, Lalmba’s Board, and myself personally, will be stepping in to ensure uninterrupted services in these remote communities. We will be working closely with our African leadership teams and our new East African Director, Joan, to make this transition as seamless as possible. But we need your help to do this. It is only with your continued support and generosity that Lalmba can do what it does so well. So please, keep us in your thoughts and in your prayers as we enter into the next chapter of the long and beautiful story of Lalmba.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of Lalmba, I wish to express our sincere and heartfelt gratitude to Jeff and Hillary for everything they have done for Lalmba. They have touched us all with their passion and devotion to Lalmba’s mission. I know they will keep their friendships and the love they have for Lalmba as they enter a new and exciting chapter in their own lives.
So, you might be asking yourself: who is this guy and how did he end up as East Africa Director for Lalmba? Let me start by giving you a glimpse of what my life has been before I came across Lalmba. Born and raised in Barcelona, I had a very standard life for a boy in Catalonia. I was lucky enough to grow in a loving and caring family who made sure I always felt supported to pursue my dreams. I studied education as an undergraduate.
Joan Marques Comerma, Lalmba East Africa Director
In 2011, I joined a Salesian NGO and traveled to Ethiopia, a country I did not know much about except for the long-distance runners and the horrifying news I saw about droughts and famine. That summer in Ethiopia sparked my interest in international development, and a special love for Africa.
After graduating from university, I still had Ethiopia and its people in my mind and I felt I was not in the right place as a primary teacher. I was afraid, but I knew I had to step forward to focus on what I really wanted to do. An NGO offered me to volunteer in Ethiopia for one year. That experience was so enriching and transformative that I decided to pursue a master’s in international development in the UK. I was offered a volunteer position as a District Teaching Advisor in Rwanda with Volunteering Service Overseas (VSO). I was based in a small village in a northwestern district and was responsible for building the capacity of volunteers who conducted teacher training in 94 schools. After my time with VSO, most countries in the world were in lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I grew tired of spending hours submitting applications for organizations and not getting any positive response. One day, I got an email from Jeff and Hillary about working with Lalmba in Ethiopia.
I arrived in Chiri in early June 2021. I started working side by side with the staff, especially with Aselefech, the Children’s Director. She has been living in Kaffa all her life, working with Lalmba for more than 20 years and has a wealth of experience. Her commitment and her determination make her easy to work with, despite the communication barrier and cultural differences.
As RCAR Program Director, I oversaw operations while building a strong organizational structure and empowering the local staff. I have been able to more individualized support to the staff members, especially the ones working in the office.
Now, as the East Africa Director, I will be responsible for directing the operations of the projects in Ethiopia and Kenya. This will involve traveling back and forth between countries and working closely with the project managers to strengthen the organizational structure and ensure the operations are in line with Lalmba’s vision and mission.
On January 31, 2022, we officially inaugurated the Agaro Bushi Medium Clinic. Bishop Markos Gebremedhin of the Jimma Bonga Catholic Secretariat blessed every room and the grounds from corner to corner. Government officials marveled at the quality of the construction and the improbability of constructing such a clinic in this remote place. It truly was an amazing feat. During the rainy season, the mountainous roads were treacherous and impassable for days on end; more times than we can count, our 4-wheel-drive Land Cruiser sank to the doors in mud, only to find good people descending from the countryside, wading into the thick of it to pull our vehicle out. Other times, large construction trucks carrying tons of cinder block, sand, stone, cement, iron bar, and other building materials made half the distance before having to abandon the supplies on the side of the road. And again, the community came to the rescue, carrying the supplies the rest of the way by pack animal and on the strong and slumped shoulders of local men and women.
The local people’s labor and good will are a testament to the need of this clinic. Carrying the weight of a heavy physical burden pales in comparison to the burden of losing a loved one for lack of adequate medical care.
After the blessing ceremony, numerous speeches were given, all of them sincere, with expressions of hope for the poor people of this community, that a healthier and more prosperous future is within sight. I was asked to say a few words, and I felt compelled to express the warm wishes from you, our supporters, who funded the bulk of this project. But also, I reminded the gathering that this is truly a partnership, and each partner is responsible for the success of the construction, and the future success of services to come.
As with so much in development work, partners are essential to success. Our partnership in Agaro Bushi is fourfold:
our Swiss partner SAED Etiopia, whose founder Ruth Brogini is a pioneer in this community. 13 years ago, she was moved to tears by the heart wrenching fate of a young woman who died in childbirth because of no access to healthcare. She set about building the first clinic here, a small primary clinic, but struggled to manage it. It was then that she reached out for help to Lalmba, whom she knew was successfully running the Chiri Health Center just 20km away and had a good reputation for quality health care in rural areas. Soon after, our partnership in rural health care began.
Next, there is the Ethiopian Catholic Church, which has called us to assist them in God’s service, to heal the sick, feed the hungry, and care for widows and orphans. If there’s a higher calling than that, I know not what it is.
Then there are the government entities, which have established high standards and “fair” laws for us to follow. Sometimes, it may feel the opposite, that the laws and standards impede our success, and truth be told, we’ve felt great frustration for being judged harshly and held to account for just barely missing the mark on unachievable goals. But we recognize that if we were not pushed to accomplish the seemingly impossible, we may aim too low. So, for their high standards, we are grateful.
And last, but not least, the most important partner in the collective is the people of the community of Agaro Bushi. We say this a lot, but it’s profoundly true, that the people who live in these rural communities are not pitiable souls. They are hardworking, humble people, who laugh and smile with ease, and gracefully go through life enduring problems inconceivable to most of us. They are an inspiration, and it is our honor and duty to help where we can.
At the ceremony, I spoke about how the strength of these new buildings is not merely a reflection of the quality construction, but also a symbol of the potency of our partnership. If our foundation were built on shifting soil, the structure would collapse. Our partnerships too must have a solid foundation of mutual trust and respect, a shared vision of what a healthy community looks like, and how to get there.
As for the walls that create the interior space, if the blocks were laid crooked and the cement mixture impure, the walls would crack and crumble within a year. The walls of our partnership need to be made of pure intentions as well – a love and respect for human life and dignity, and a commitment to compassionate health care. The windows and doors that open to allow in good things like fresh air and sunshine, can also be closed to keep out harmful elements. The doors and windows of our partnership should be the same, always open to those who are in need, and those who wish to fortify the quality of our work. But we should be quick to close them upon anything that might divide us or create cracks in our walls.
And lastly, no building is complete without a roof; the roof of our partnership is our conscientious stewardship. We must be thoughtful in our decisions, especially when it comes to spending and the use of our limited resources. If we spend wastefully or misuse the resources, who suffers the consequences? It is the people of Agaro Bushi, the humble and good people whom we’ve been called to serve. And that would be unconscionable!
The symbolism of a well-built house is easy for people here to understand, where men and women share in the effort to construct their own homes by hand using locally sourced materials. An unstable foundation, sloping walls or a leaky roof are disastrous for the family, and often the whole building needs to be torn down and reconstructed. So, with our clinic opening celebration, I hope I was able to illustrate that the strength and beauty of the building is only as good as our shared commitment, good effort and pure intentions for the people of Agaro Bushi.
One year ago, I was here in Ethiopia, right where I am now at the time of this writing, following a girl named Birhane around for a 24-hour period, making the above video, “A Day in the Life of a Chiri Orphan.” You can find the video on our home page at www.lalmba.org or here on YouTube. (https://youtu.be/03-z1s1l-Y8).
For as long as I’ve been doing this work, I had never before had such an intimate look into the daily life of a person we support. One can glean a lot from brief encounters, but bearing witness to an entire day is an awareness-raising experience. The gritty details of life are often overlooked, as our biases paint a veneer that conforms to our expectations. But with enough time to observe the mundane details of life, my spirit grew, and I discovered that despite our vast cultural differences, the palette of our lives is similar — a mixture of drudgery, heart-swelling happiness, boredom, loneliness, hope-inspiring and deflating moments, speckled with the tedious routines of daily life. The key difference between Birhane’s life and, say, my 14-year-old daughter’s, is the relative physical comfort with which daily functions are performed.
And so, this video had a dual purpose: 1) To give you, our supporters, a peek into the world of the children you help support, and 2) to show you the context of where life takes place, the Chiri Children’s Home. And thanks to you, we’ve made a big difference in improving the amenities of the place where life happens for these precious children. See for yourself!
This year, our goal is to complete a plumbed water system, rebuild the dormitories and remodel one of the old dormitories into a learning resource center with textbooks, novels, and computer learning stations. Thank you for your support!
“That manger, poor in everything yet rich in love, teaches that true nourishment in life comes from letting ourselves be loved by God and loving others in turn.”
Every year when Christmas comes, we relate to this manger Nativity scene. We have been privileged to enter countless traditional homes in Ethiopia and Kenya to meet families living similarly to the setting in which Jesus was born—-mud walls and thatched roofs, families sharing space and warmth with animals, a thick bed of straw for comfort, houses devoid of running water for cooking or cleaning, no electricity for light, nor any of the comforts we consider essential. We know that the poor understand hardship and fortitude in ways we never will, and we honor their position on the world stage. To the billions who live so simply, we wish you a very blessed Christmas! We know God shines his light on you in a special way.
This Manger Scene is our Christmas gift to you.
Each one is a hand carved relief sculpture of the Holy Family carved from a single piece of wood with the bark still intact, a unique item from Kenya that will surely compliment, if not be the highlight, of your Christmas decorations. We’re sure you’ll be impressed by how innovative the artists were when carving them and adding hinges so that you can close it up and store it away safely until next Christmas. Although we might just leave ours out year-round as a reminder of how precious our family is and how blessed we are to have each other.
Please remember the people of Ethiopia this Christmas, as their nation grapples with violence. We have removed our volunteers from the country for the time being, with the hope to return soon. Our clinic and children’s operations continue with our loyal local staff, curing the sick and providing support to vulnerable children who are victims of political conflict beyond their control.
JOIN OUR TEAM
AND BECOME A PART OF THE LONG AND BEAUTIFUL LALMBA STORY
Lalmba is searching for strong, compassionate, and adventurous volunteers to work at our projects. If you or someone you know would like to give 1-2 years of service in exchange for lifelong memories and rewarding experiences helping some of the neediest people on the planet, please get in touch with us. We need project managers and medical volunteers (doctor, nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant) to help train, lead and manage our clinic and public health programs. If you have a love for children and are interested in working at our children’s projects, that position will be opening within the next year.
In the last edition of Lalmba News, we told you about all the wonderful improvements we’re planning this year for the Chiri Children’s Home. Those upgrades are well underway. The protective wall along the front of the compound is about 70% complete, the new kitchen is finished, and the existing buildings have been repainted with new windows and doors installed. A pair of generous brothers has donated towards the water system and the learning resource center. We are reviewing bids from contractors to begin those projects. Our 2021 Tembea Na Mimi team is dedicating all of its fundraising efforts towards raising the $160,000 we need to complete all the work (see diagram below).
So far, our intrepid walkers have raised $30,000 towards our goal, with each of them pledging to raise $10,000. It works out perfectly, as we have a group of 16 walkers this year! After a year of social distancing and working from home, I think people are more than ready to rip off those masks, stretch their legs, and show their beautiful smiles again. I know I am!
We are all meeting in Nairobi, Kenya on August 3, and after acclimating for a couple of days we will take our first steps across the Great Rift Valley on August 6th – 160 miles of fleet-footed (perhaps sore-footed is more like it) walking to Lalmba’s project on Lake Victoria. You know the deal. It’s a noble adventure for a needed cause, and we call it Tembea Na Mimi (Walk With Me).
Perhaps you’re interested in who’s walking with me this year. We have an assortment of TNM alumni, new walkers, fathers and children, Canadians, former Lalmba volunteers, and current board members. I would like to introduce you briefly to this group, and if you have a heart for the people, the cause, or the adventure, please offer some of these folks your sponsorship.
Like in the past, we have family groupings walking together this year. Harry Lindmark, a Lalmba board member (and former Lalmba volunteer in Sudan), is walking with his sons Rhys from San Francisco and John from Denver. From Charlottesville, Virginia, we have the Ragsdale family, Jim with his children Quinn and Audrey. Audrey is 17 and will be a senior, and Quinn is 15; both are athletes and scholars. They are also my niece and nephew, and I am beyond thrilled to share with them this experience, the people, and the places that have changed my life. Perhaps most excitingly for me, I will be walking with my son, Gideon, who spent his first year of life with Hillary and me in Ethiopia when we were Lalmba volunteers. He will turn 16 on this trip, a major milestone, and I want it to be a significant rite of passage for him. I’m looking for ideas on how to make it as impactful and memorable as possible, but Hillary has already told me scarification and fighting a lion are not permitted.
Dr.Charlie Evans (Former Lalmba volunteer from Kenya) who last time walked with his son Dan, and Rob Andzik (Lalmba’s board chairman) and son Nate will be joining us again this year.
Other Coloradans on this journey are Chris Atencio (Lalmba volunteer in Sudan) from Grand Lake. Chris is a retired schoolteacher and author of several marvelous books. One of them, Into Africa, is about his time serving as a Lalmba volunteer. Also from Denver, we have John Desmond, a retired urban planner and an experienced African explorer. From Westminster, Terry Robinette will be embarking on her third trek. Terry is on Lalmba’s board and is our treasurer. She is difficult to keep up with and brings so much faith and enthusiasm to every adventure. And last, but certainly not least, we have our friends from Canada, Bev Hooper and Kathy Moore. They have started the Lalmba Canada program which focuses primarily on providing high school scholarships for Lalmba’s orphans in Kenya.
We’re a big group, who plan to make a big impact for the children of Chiri with every step we take.
By Katherine Greene, certified nurse midwife
I have dreamed of visiting Africa since I was a college student. Life occurred and children and work responsibilities placed the dream on hold. As a nurse midwife, my passion is serving mothers and babies with maternity care. Learning of Lalmba’s mission from Hillary and Jeff, I was thrilled with the opportunity to visit their project in Kenya.
Matoso Clinic – Idah arrived at the clinic around 1 pm on Saturday. She had traveled approximately 45 minutes via motor bike (Imagine riding on the back of a motorbike while in labor!) from her village of Tagache. Idah’s closest government health facility had been closed for the prior 3 months due to employee strikes. There was a fivefold increase in deliveries at Matoso clinic during these months. How busy the staff were caring for all of the medical needs of people from the surrounding attachments!
As Idah’s labor continued, she wandered around outside leaning on trees and in the center of the compound. Wilkester, the clinical manager and experienced nurse midwife, comforted and reassured her. “Pole, pole,” Wilkester would say as she massaged Idah’s back, “sorry, sorry” in Swahili. Evening arrived and Idah returned to the hall of the maternity ward, which is an office building with the back end converted into a delivery room, two postpartum rooms and a bathroom. The front end of the building is shared with the offices of 3 lovely gentlemen who oversee data and IT. Idah was there on a weekend when the offices were vacant, allowing her more freedom to labor as women do, moaning and at times bare. When her time came, Idah stepped gently from the old wooden step stool on to the narrow delivery table covered with a large green plastic pad. With a stoic and graceful ferocity, she gave birth to a vigorous baby boy. Beautiful new life! We wrapped the babe in the blankets that Idah had brought with her. Wilkester hastily cleaned up after the delivery of the placenta with 4 small strips of gauze. Idah was supplied with a bar of soap and assisted to the bathroom for a highly coveted shower with running water. Wilkester sprayed down the bed and I mopped the floor. Wilkester rinsed the delivery supplies to be placed in the autoclave. I collected the small trash bag with the meager amount of waste supplies: 2 pairs of gloves and 4 strips of gauze and placenta. I marveled at how much more disposable material is used during a delivery back home! Also, it amazed me that the midwives here are responsible for all aspects of care, including cleaning up after deliveries. Idah was assisted to a postpartum bed and cuddled up with her sweet baby boy. Early in the morning, Idah headed home with her husband and baby boy on a hired motorbike.
I had the opportunity to tour a government facility in nearby Got Kochola, a 20-minute car ride from Matoso. For a patient to deliver here at night like Idah, an on-call nurse who lives in Matoso would be called in and would arrive via a lengthy motorbike ride. This presents a risky situation as a laboring woman is left outside in the dark awaiting care to arrive. And one must hope that all goes well, as the government facility lacks any emergency transport.
Sub-Saharan Africa, which accounts for 38 percent of global neonatal deaths, has the highest newborn death rate in the world. Kenya’s maternal mortality rate is 20 times that of the United States. Lalmba’s clinic serves the community of Matoso by providing 24-hour access to skilled nurse midwives and emergency transport to an operating room.
During my short stay, I was present for 7 deliveries. One was the delivery of a preterm infant to a 15 year-old mother. We were able to transfer the pair to a higher level of care in Migori, about 90 minutes away. I feel certain this was a lifesaving event for the infant.
Just a few weeks ago I learned very exciting news that Lalmba will now be able to accept government antenatal and delivery care reimbursement. It will be wonderful to watch maternity care services grow in Matoso!
Katherine Greene, a nurse midwife from Longmont, Colorado, volunteered as a mentor for our antenatal and delivery practices.
As a small organization, we enjoy the flexibility to modify our programs based on the changing needs of the communities we serve. We have been encouraged by the myriad ways that community health in Matoso, Kenya has improved in recent years, particularly with the availability of anti-retroviral medications for HIV and a promising new vaccine for malaria.
Concerning, however, is the stubbornly high rate of HIV transmission for the 15–24 year old age demographic in this area of Kenya around Lake Victoria. We also noted an increase in the teen pregnancy rate in the Matoso area during the COVID crisis when schools were not in session.
To that end, Lalmba contracted with a Kenyan consultant group that specializes in educational seminars. In April, the team facilitated a week-long seminar for 50 of Matoso’s most promising youth leaders. The facilitators were particularly impressed by the young man who walked 10 km on foot back and forth for the seminar each day and never missed a moment of the training. The high level of engagement reinforced to the team the area youth’s sincere interest in opportunities like this.
Throughout the week, the students participated in education sessions about HIV in their community (most were shocked at the high rate compared to the rest of the country), including role-playing about the most pressing issues they face, particularly in the areas of HIV, drug and substance abuse. The wise insight that came from these young people inspired many. One particular shining star compared the differences between the rich and poor in society. He said, “A poor man spends hours walking each day to find food for his family. A rich man spends hours walking to lose weight from all the food he has consumed that day.” Another wise youth said, “A rich man has a house with 10 rooms for 1 person to live in. A poor man has 1 room in which 10 people live.” In an attempt to understand their own place in the world, the students first processed the dichotomies that exist in society.
At the end of the week, Lalmba’s public health team identified those most promising candidates to form ongoing support groups and peer leader activities on campus. We envision a support group for pregnant teens, for example, and one for HIV+ youth, as well as further seminars to encourage healthy choices and focus on professional development. We plan to further develop our focus on Matoso’s youth, to improve their health and professional outcomes in an area that currently has so few options for their future.
I was crouching down in the common room of the Chiri Children’s Home (CCH), taking a picture of Yegerem, our youngest family member. He held a large yellow trumpet flower in each hand, and the sparkle in his eyes, and inquisitiveness in his face, showed no trace of the sad day he was found, wrapped in a banana leaf and covered by fire ants, discarded on the side of the road. Today, he’s a happy little guy, with 14 brothers and sisters who adore him, and will raise him to know that there is hope even for the abandoned and destitute. They should know, because each of them arrived at the Chiri Children’s Home with their own sad story of loss and abandonment; each in turn found a sense of belonging as they grew up in this cheerful home in Chiri, Ethiopia.
5 years ago, I introduced you to Posy. She was abandoned because her epilepsy was misunderstood by her family and community. Today she’s a teenager, a little too bossy with her brothers, and like teenagers the world over, a bit too willful with her housemothers. She tempted fate last year, standing around a fire at the home to keep warm. She knew that this was against the rules, and that fire tends to trigger her epilepsy, but she did it anyway. She had a seizure and fell into the fire, burning her legs. She has since recovered, with difficult lessons learned.
After taking Yegerem’s picture, I turned to see Posy watching me. She studied the camera, reaching for it, and cradling it in her hands, she simply asked, “How?”
I showed her the basics, how to look through the viewfinder and take a picture, and how to view it afterward.
When I got back to my house that night, I looked through her pictures over dinner, and saw the soul of a young woman finding beauty in a life saddled with burdens that only the poor must carry. She made pictures of her siblings doing their chores, her bed, empty and guarded by the Blessed Mother, the housemothers preparing meals, portraits of pregnant women and children in the community, etc. See for yourself; I think they are marvelous, and that she has a gift for visual storytelling.
Senayt, CCH Housemother
Hewan, Yegerem, and Meskerem relax in the dormitory.
Housemother, Aster, prepares a meal
Ashenafi, front porch Chiri Children's Home
Kocheche, CCH's oldest sibling. Kocheche hopes to go to medical school
Housemothers, Senayt and Atsede
Meskerem gets a lesson in cooking doro wat.
Posy, self-portrait
In her hours not in school those weeks, Posy composed images that were at once typical of a teenager, but also advanced in artistic expression beyond her years. Before I left, I promised to bring her a camera on my next visit, on 2 conditions: 1) She listens to her housemothers’ advice and avoids fire at all times, and 2) she treats her brothers more kindly.
Of course, my mission there was not to teach photography to our orphans, as fun as that was. I had a more administrative task that drew me away from new year’s celebrations with family … I went to Ethiopia to broker our first ever agreement (after 20+ years) with the Ethiopian government for our children’s program.
Geremew and Yegerem walk the crooked path to the CCH gate.
Our children’s program in Ethiopia began organically, as a side project to the Lalmba Chiri Health Center. In the early days, we were simply trying to help a small group of orphans whose mothers died at our health center or who spent their days begging in order to survive. We rented a mud house in Chiri, bought them food, and helped them go to school.
Over time, we built better houses on the health center land, hired staff to help care for the children, and tutors to help them catch up from years of being unschooled. As the children’s program grew, the first Lalmba children grew up, went to college, and have since moved back to their community as leaders. There are so many success stories of destitute children overcoming insurmountable odds. Geremew, above, holding Yegerem’s hand, is one of them. He’s in his 3rd year of law school in Mekele, and wants to come back to Chiri to be one of the first practicing attorneys here. He grew up in the Chiri
Children’s Home, and although he doesn’t live here any longer, it’s still home.
The government has taken notice as well. They’ve encouraged us to take this step and officially register our program. They promise more community support and have offered us more land to expand. But before we expand, we need to improve the current compound, raising the living standards to make this home a safe and loving environment for raising Chiri children.
Our goals are fairly ambitious, and we will need to complete the work in 2-3 phases over the next several years. Early estimates of the construction work are in the ballpark of $160,000, on top of current program expenses. But when the work is complete, we will have a home for children that inspires hope. Here’s a basic list of the work we have planned:
Agenyo plays with a toy car on the pathway to the dormitory.
Do you remember the Empowered Seamstresses of Lalmba, the widows sponsored by Lalmba to develop their tailoring businesses to support their children? Last year they sewed table runners to grace your tables as our Christmas item. They, and all of our staff in Kenya and Ethiopia, have been concerned about how their friends in America are coping with the various challenges of 2020. We have received messages of love and concern from them over the past several months.
Recently we received a package from them in Kenya. They have been working hard to create new masterpieces for their Lalmba friends for Christmas. This year, they created colorful hot plates made from discarded bottle caps wrapped in fabric. This is a popular way that Kenyans repurpose bottle caps that come off their soda and beer bottles. You can use it as a trivet to protect your table when your hot items come out of the oven.
Africans find ways to reuse discarded items in ways that are nothing short of genius. One of Jeff’s favorite Kenyan souvenirs is a wicked kerosene lamp made from a discarded hot cocoa tin. In small shops in the countryside we often see old plastic water bottles holding single-serve gasoline servings to power customer’s motorbikes, plastic sacks tied together to form makeshift soccer balls, and all manner of containers, candles and children’s toys made from tin cans. We hope you enjoy your own gift of repurposed bottle caps with an African flair. May it grace your dinner table and protect your surfaces in a uniquely African way.
Jeff’s treasured Cocoa lamp
We celebrate the creative spirit of our friends in Africa. They are perfect models of the ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’ mantra! Please know that in the midst of our country’s current struggles, there is a little corner of Africa sending you a message of love and peace. Blessings on us all as we navigate the world’s challenges together. May we model our own lives on the simplicity and innovation of the lives of the poor.
Lately we’ve had some of our supporters ask “Who is writing these newsletters?” We realize some of you may not know who is now behind the scenes running Lalmba. Many of you remember Hugh and Marty Downey, the organization’s founders who ran Lalmba for 50 years. They retired and passed the reins on to Jeff and Hillary James at Lalmba’s 50th anniversary in 2013.
Jeff and Hillary James, originally from Virginia, served as newlywed volunteer project directors from 2004-2006 at Lalmba’s project in Chiri, Ethiopia. Jeff had previous experience in Kenya running an American boarding school for several years. Upon our return to the US, Jeff took a job as photography manager at Rosetta Stone language learning company, and Hillary worked part-time as a speech therapist. We always dreamed of continuing our work in development.
Then one afternoon in 2012, Marty and Hugh called with an offer. They were ready to retire, and would we take on their roles? The decision made, we moved to Colorado and have been running operations since 2013, doing our best to honor the legacy of Hugh and Marty and the character of the organization they created.
We have 4 wonderful children and are blessed to call Lalmba our life’s work.
This past month, Physician’s Assistant Carly Hunt from Illinois returned to Kenya to continue her volunteer service. She left Kenya amidst the coronavirus scare in March, but things have now calmed enough worldwide to enable her return.
Carly’s impact shines beautifully even in the short time since her arrival. She recently saw little Brighton in Lalmba’s clinic. He suffered from a compound left femur fracture when he was 4, and the leg never healed. When Carly met him 2 years later, he walked on a broken femur. His left leg was much shorter than his right leg, and he suffered so much pain at the fracture site that he couldn’t walk more than 100 yards without having to stop to rest. Brighton never attended school because he couldn’t manage to walk the distance. Carly connected with an orthopedic surgeon in Nairobi who performed surgery to stabilize Brighton’s fracture so that he can walk without pain. Carly also made him a shoe raise so that the legs are even, which should help the muscles to grow more correctly and to improve his gait. With the generous help of Carly’s friends and loved ones back home, she raised enough money to pay for Brighton’s much-needed surgery. She is in Nairobi with Brighton and his mother this week. We look forward to following his story, and are grateful to Carly for her hard work to make this happen. Stories like Brighton’s are dramatic examples of how Lalmba’s presence has life-changing impacts for people who otherwise have no options. Godspeed, Brighton! May you soon be joining your friends on the football field and in the classroom!
A river of generosity poured in after we broke the devastating news to you about the floods in Kenya. Your kindness and quick response allowed us to react rapidly and send $20,000 to Kenya to aid the community of Matoso in their recovery.
Caroline Awino Okoth, pictured above and below, is delighted with her new home. She is one of those unfortunate people whose house was destroyed by the flooding, yet she and her children continued to live in their ruined home until help arrived.
Marico Owino, Lalmba Kenya project director, says:
“Your decision to urgently send funds to support food relief, housing assistance, mask making and distribution, and microloans to small businesses truly came at the right time. People were really suffering from the flooding, while already feeling great anxiety about the Covid19 pandemic. Many people lost their farms, residential houses, and places of business. Small-scale day labor jobs disappeared overnight, which made putting a meal on the table impossible for many people. People are very grateful for your support. I wish you were here to witness how joyful they were, and the smiles on their faces when they received assistance. We managed to feed 1,135 households with maize, supplied 1000 masks to the community and have so far built 1 complete house (more home repairs are in progress). Microloans are being distributed. The business owners who receive a loan will be given a 3 year, 0% interest repayment schedule. Our community will rebuild and rebound. Thank you!”
As we walk through our current lives, trying to navigate a new and unexpected reality, one where smiles are only revealed by the crinkling of the eyes, and greetings are awkwardly expressed by subtle head nods from 6 feet away (or if you’re feeling in need of some intimacy, with a fist or elbow bump), it’s hard to fathom life returning to normal. It’s difficult to see goodness or justice through the smoldering debris of America’s once most beautiful cities. It’s politics and pandemic all the time, everywhere. These sad new realities are taking their toll on us, and keeping us from seeing and planning beyond the next few months. But, dagnabbit, I refuse to be so shortsighted!
My eyes are set and my soul is solidified to plow through the mire of today, and set foot once again on the breathtakingly beautiful ground of the Great Rift Valley in Kenya. God willing, on 6 August 2021, we will take our first steps on Lalmba’s 4th semiannual, 10-day charity walk, crossing valleys and rivers and through vibrant communities where children squeal with delight when they see us, all the way to Lalmba’s project in Matoso.
Tembea Na Mimi is Lalmba’s largest fundraiser. Each time we’ve done it, we have collectively raised more than $100,000 to support our lifesaving work in Kenya and Ethiopia. The money raised supports the operations of 4 clinics, where more than 36,000 people were treated last year. We also provide education, health care, and nutritional support for more than 1,100 AIDS orphans, instilling them with a sense of hope for their futures … something that seems to be in short supply these days.
Do me a favor, look to the future with me, pray with me that hope and prosperity return to this great country of ours, and that this special Lalmba event becomes a reality. For as you can see, the needs of these impoverished communities we support have grown even greater. Or even better, sign up and walk with me!
