What's Life if You Can't Spend It?

CES Alumni at Divine Providence Orphanage - Kakamega County KENYA

What’s life if you can’t spend it -

What’s it all about if you can’t share it

What's the meaning of life if you can’t feel it

How can you spend what you don’t have?

Several times a year and always on Valentine's Day, CES Alumni visit the Divine Providence Orphanage in Kakamega Kenya. They spend time, mostly holding and hanging out with the orphans, some as young as just a few weeks old. They bring much needed clothing, games, toys, sports equipment and as much food as they can carry in their knapsacks. Who has the most fun? Hard to say, but what they tell me, is that the alumni have a blast and feel they have had the best time 'spending a day' at the orphanage. Some have described it as a very special place where you get a little closer to heaven.

Who comes here to live with 100 others at the Divine Providence Orphanage, to be loved and cared for by the Benedictine Sisters of Divine Providence? Some just show up, bullied and pushed by the police to disappear into the darkness of night; others aged four or five without a home; the one whose father will never know or call him son — the one who never saw her mother; the one sniffing glue to dull the pain of abandonment; the one who cares for younger siblings — orphaned — alone; the one whose hunger drives him to hustle and steal some roasted maize; the one who walks barefoot and whose torn shirt is three sizes too big; the one who can only dream of a life in school; the one left to die in the gutter - now raised by these extraordinary women.

I invite you to read this blog about what I describe as an 'oasis of mercy'

And here's how one alumnus spent Christmas Day...2020

CES Alumnus Wetende Busuku Musli writes: “I am happy to mention to you that on Christmas day I was pleased to visit and share my day with an elderly couple at Bushiri. Their names are Paulo Ashiko and Jane Anyona. These two, old man and woman have no child and there is nobody apart from the Almighty God who takes care of them. Paulo is deaf and it is mainly Jane who cares for him. To them Christmas means nothing because there's is nothing new that makes their life different and they have nothing to celebrate for. To them the Christmas spirit is not there. After having gotten their life history, I sympathized with them and promised to share this Christmas day with them. I did some shopping for them which included: rice, meat, maize flour, tea leaves, sugar, milk, bread, onions, tomatoes, cooking oil, match-sticks, salt, and bar soap. They were both so happy and I hope to return to visit them once again."

Wetende Musli is a CES Grad, currently a medical doctor. He operates the Uzima Medical Clinic in Bushiri, Navakholo sub-county.

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." Jim Elliot