Nurse Gives Great Health Update on Our Kids!

This January I went on my first trip to Daylight School and I was blown away by the these amazing children and their teachers. When we first arrived after two days of travel I was extremely tired and ready to rest, but as we drove into the school grounds and saw the children running and yelling the exhaustion turned to excitement! We were greeted with smiles and “Jambo!” from the littlest preschoolers to the more reserved 8th graders.3176b163-f8e8-4f2b-b9b1-3394bbc7fc0f

Their enthusiasm is contagious!

I am a Registered Nurse and my role at the school was to help Dr Lenny Snellman conduct clinics for the children. The children were dismissed by classes to see us in one of the new dormitories. They lined up and watched as we examined their classmates.

Many of the older children were able to communicate with English, but we had the talent of the teachers to translate for the younger children. The next time I visit Daylight I promise to know more Swahili!

During the clinics we addressed health concerns that they had and provided Mebendazole tablets a two week supply of Vitamins with Iron. Mebendazole removes intestinal worms which interfere with the absorption of nutrients from the food they eat.

They have enough food to fill their bellies however the food does lack sufficient iron and many of the children are anemic. We also provided toothpaste and reminded them to brush their teeth to keep those smiles so nice and bright!b3863f8e-8bac-4a06-902a-c266bc8369bc

The children at Daylight have good food provided by loving cooks and teachers. They have water and beds to sleep in. They work hard at school, play hard on the playground, and do the required chores. Just like the children in America, improved nutrition, including vitamins with iron, will help them maintain their focus and energy.

One day these children of Daylight may be a part of the solution to the issues facing Kenya and the World!

Nurse Susan Garofano

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Luther Seminary Highlights Daylight in Alumni Magazine

There was a great article about Daylight in US Director Nathan Roberts’ Alma Mater Luther Seminary “The Story” Magazine!

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“With the success of Daylight, Roberts says that the challenges involved with conducting an on-the-ground ministry and educational effort in Kenya have evolved.

“It’s a growing ministry and in a lot of ways, we’ve been really blessed,” Roberts says. “We’ve had exponential growth in our first few years and it’s really starting to get big now. We had a $219,000 budget last year, and we have 25 staff people [there], but one of the things we really want is to have longterm staff. As teachers wait to get a government job, they spend a couple of years at Daylight, get a great reference and then move on. And we’ve realized that really can take a toll on our kids, to have temporary relationships like that. A lot of our kids have lost their parents, and the teachers take on the role of being almost like aunts and uncles. We’re really hoping to get to the point where we can offer competitive wages, to keep up that discipleship that starts between these kids and their teachers.”

Although Daylight serves a group of children who have often seen both immeasurable suffering and been orphaned by fighting in the region, Roberts says that the students have gone on to thrive at the school.

“We really infuse the gospel principles of loving your neighbor, and overcoming things like tribalism, which is this notion that people from a different region or different tribe are less than you or are not part of the real Kenya,” he says. “We really are assertive about overcoming those biases in our children. And we are actually one of the top performing schools in our area. There are about 150 schools in our district and ours is the third-ranking school.”

Read the entire article here.

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Michael Kimpur is a Featured Alumni of Daystar University

Michael Kimpur is a featured Alumni of Daystar University in Nairobi Kenya!
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Graduated in 2003 with a degree in Community Development. “My education at Daystar helped me ground my faith in solid ethics and gave me practical tools to make a difference in others’ lives. I am currently using those skills to manage Daylight Center and School’s numerous staff, gain funding opportunities abroad, work effectively in cross-cultural contexts, and provide education for over 200 children, which all ultimately allow me to empower children to break long-standing generational patterns of violence. I thank God and Daystar University for making this calling a reality for me.”
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Daylight Co-Founders to Give TED Talk June 22!

Co-Founders Nathan Roberts and Michael Kimpur have been invited to give a TED talk! And we are so proud of them.

They will be speaking at TEDx RapidCity June 22 in Rapid City, SD on the power of cross cultural friendship to change the world.ted x

TED is a worldwide organization that has invited some of the greatest minds and biggest hearts of our time to share their stories.

We are so excited to join their ranks! Thank you for being a part of this incredible story. YOU have made this possible!  

The YouTube video will be available this summer.  But if you have yet to hear their story you can listen to their interview on This Is Radio Cast or get a copy their book Poor Millionaires.15e185b94e4e2e5a-11428731_1111516758864653_2535180518279309621_n

 

 

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