International Outreach
Even though our parish is small, we have extended ties all over the world. Currently, our efforts on the international front take us to Africa. These are fascinating and heartwarming stories of real people who need our help.
Kenya
The parish sponsors a family of AIDS orphans in Nairobi and is covering the expenses to put them through school. We are also trying to raise enough funds to send two older children in the family to trade school. This is a three year commitment that ends in December 2013. If you want more information or want to help in this project, please talk to Kim Orchard through the church office.
Recently the family we are helping lost one of their aunts. With the assitance of Pam and their church family at St. Barnabas, they were able to weather the storm. Several of the older family memeber wrote lettters of thanks. Here are Kent, Winnie, Paul, Harry, Melinda and Bethsalel.
"My name is Bethsalel, I am 17 years-old and aobut to graduate from high school.
That means I am very busy. All the Grade 12 students at my elite national high school study, study, study. We even cut short our holidays so that we can return to school for extra tutoring during school breaks.
Not too surprising, considering we were all hand-picked as university material when we started high school. competition for the best universities is very keen and school life is very hectic as a result.
One university in South Africa has already accepted me but students at our school will be applying to more colleges and universities in the fall term that begins in September. We should see the results of that fairly soon.
My dream is to study medicine or economics at university. Help from Kenyan Outreach has helped me to focus on my high school studies instead of worrying abotu school fees. But I know university will be different because the parish cannto support me after high school. God willing, I will make it."
NOTE: University education in Kenya costs $2,000 - $3,000 a year. If you cn help Beth realize his dream, please speak to Fr. Eugene or Deacon Bev
"My name is Kent. I am the youngest of the original eight AIDS orphans helped by Kenyan Outreach. Now 7, I am in Grade 1 at my neighbourhood primary school.
My mother is Anne, the oldest orphan. She also goes to school – at a special adult school where she is upgrading so she can write her Grade 8 final exams and go on to learn about computers.
In 2001, my grandmother died. And since 2007, my grandfather has lived in Uganda. I live in an apartment in Nairobi with my Auntie Risper, my mother and 13 other cousins. Six of those cousins joined our family when their mother, my Auntie Rebecca, died suddenly and unexpectedly.
I am happy to go to school and learn. I wear a uniform and carry a big backpack. The newest members of our big family will also be going to the same school.
One day, our class went on a school trip to an animal rescue station. It was fun. I hope my class can go on other school trips soon.
Thank you, people of St. Barnabas, for all your help with our schooling."
"My name is Winnie and at 14, I am the only girl in my large family who is attending high school. My mother – sister of Pam Wyldes of St. Barnabas – died in 2001.
I am a talented musician who loves singing and hope one day to study music. For now, I am in Grade 9 at the same boarding school as my cousins Felix and Babu. Unfortunately, drought and famine has closed our school and we were sent home to Nairobi.
Kenyan Outreach has been so important to me. Thanks to my private sponsor, I can get the education I need to one day get a good job. Many Kenyan girls my age have to drop out of school in favour of sending the boys in the family. School fees and uniforms cost so much that families have to choose which child gets the education. Other girls drop out to help with household chores or to marry young.
Many sponsorship programs focus on girls because educated girls go on to support many members of their extended families. They also do well for themselves and become leaders in their communities
While our school is closed, the members of our large family are focused on the six newest arrivals – some of the eight cousins left homeless when their mother, my Auntie Rebecca, died suddenly and unexpectedly.
Thank you to the people of St. Barnabas for helping my family and me and especially for supporting Auntie Binti (Pam Wyldes) when her sister died and we were so far away."
"Hello. My name is Melinda. At 23, I am the second oldest of the 13 cousins living with my Auntie Risper in Nairobi, Kenya. My mother died of AIDS in 1992 and I had to leave school and stay home.
My cousin Anne and I help our aunt in her hairdressing salon and also help care for her very busy household. When our Auntie Rebecca died suddenly in June, six of her children joined our family and we had to move to a larger apartment.
I attend a special school near our home where I am studying for my Grade 8 examinations in December. I also take extra classes to improve my English.
When I earn my Grade 8 certificate, I hope to attend the same Anglican Church-sponsored trade school where my cousin Harry is learning to be an auto mechanic. My dream is to become a caterer and the food service training course is two years long.
Education is making a big difference in my life. I used to be very shy and rarely left home. Now I take the matatu (private bus) into town from the suburb where we live. I am also able to run errands for my family.
Thank you to Kenyan Outreach and to my private sponsor for helping to make my dreams come true. Thank you also for supporting my Auntie Binti (Pam Wyldes) when her sister died so unexpectedly in June."
"My name is Paul but most people call me Babu. I am 17 years-old and Auntie Binti (Pam Wyldes of St. Barnabas) is my mother.
I have not had a very good year. A couple of weeks ago, my high school closed because of the drought and famine affecting the Horn of Africa. Now I live at home in Nairobi with my 13 cousins and my mother’s sister, Auntie Risper. We have moved to a larger apartment after six of the eight children of my late Auntie Rebecca joined our family.
The high school that closed was the second one I attended this year. In the fall, I was injured and missed school because it took time to heal. Then I joined my cousins Winnie and Felix at another school – the one that is now closed.
I want to do well at school and worked hard with a tutor to make up the time I missed because of the injury in the fall. Then, I was rushed to Nairobi with a stomach ailment earlier this year. Fortunately, the medicine is helping and now that I am home I can get special meals to help speed the healing.
Once I had hoped to become a pastor like my grandfather. Now I am not so sure.
Whatever direction I take, the support of Kenyan Outreach means so much to me. Now I know that I can go to school every day because my tuition has been paid and I have a uniform and books. Many students I know have to drop out when their parents find they can`t pay school fees or buy uniforms.
Thank you to the people of St. Barnabas for taking such good care of my mother. It was very hard for all of us when her sister Rebecca died suddenly and she was half a world away."
"Hello. My name is Harry. I am 21 years old and live with my Auntie Risper and 10 other cousins in an apartment in the capital city of Nairobi, Kenya.
I had to leave school after Grade 9 when my parents died of AIDS. My Auntie Binti (Pam Wyldes) took me in then but now she lives in Peterborough where she sings in the choir at St. Barnabas Anglican Church.
Thanks to St. Barnabas’ Kenyan Outreach and my Canadian sponsors, I have returned to school. I now study auto mechanics at the Christian Industrial Training Centre that is operated by the Anglican Church of Kenya. I am halfway through the first of two years of training.
A short while ago, a man came to me with a car problem. I listened carefully¸ diagnosed the problem and fixed it. I was so proud. Now I am more determined than ever to finish my course and someday open my own garage.
When my Auntie Rebecca died three weeks ago, I realized how much I will need a good job to help my family. It also drove home to me that so many in my parents’ generation are missing and this has left me and others of my generation to look after one another.
Thank you, people of St. Barnabas Church, for all you do to help me and my family step into a brighter future. And God bless you."
Recently the family we are helping lost one of their aunts. With the assitance of Pam and their church family at St. Barnabas, they were able to weather the storm. Several of the older family memeber wrote lettters of thanks. Here are Kent, Winnie, Paul, Harry, Melinda and Bethsalel.
"My name is Bethsalel, I am 17 years-old and aobut to graduate from high school.
That means I am very busy. All the Grade 12 students at my elite national high school study, study, study. We even cut short our holidays so that we can return to school for extra tutoring during school breaks.
Not too surprising, considering we were all hand-picked as university material when we started high school. competition for the best universities is very keen and school life is very hectic as a result.
One university in South Africa has already accepted me but students at our school will be applying to more colleges and universities in the fall term that begins in September. We should see the results of that fairly soon.
My dream is to study medicine or economics at university. Help from Kenyan Outreach has helped me to focus on my high school studies instead of worrying abotu school fees. But I know university will be different because the parish cannto support me after high school. God willing, I will make it."
NOTE: University education in Kenya costs $2,000 - $3,000 a year. If you cn help Beth realize his dream, please speak to Fr. Eugene or Deacon Bev
"My name is Kent. I am the youngest of the original eight AIDS orphans helped by Kenyan Outreach. Now 7, I am in Grade 1 at my neighbourhood primary school.
My mother is Anne, the oldest orphan. She also goes to school – at a special adult school where she is upgrading so she can write her Grade 8 final exams and go on to learn about computers.
In 2001, my grandmother died. And since 2007, my grandfather has lived in Uganda. I live in an apartment in Nairobi with my Auntie Risper, my mother and 13 other cousins. Six of those cousins joined our family when their mother, my Auntie Rebecca, died suddenly and unexpectedly.
I am happy to go to school and learn. I wear a uniform and carry a big backpack. The newest members of our big family will also be going to the same school.
One day, our class went on a school trip to an animal rescue station. It was fun. I hope my class can go on other school trips soon.
Thank you, people of St. Barnabas, for all your help with our schooling."
"My name is Winnie and at 14, I am the only girl in my large family who is attending high school. My mother – sister of Pam Wyldes of St. Barnabas – died in 2001.
I am a talented musician who loves singing and hope one day to study music. For now, I am in Grade 9 at the same boarding school as my cousins Felix and Babu. Unfortunately, drought and famine has closed our school and we were sent home to Nairobi.
Kenyan Outreach has been so important to me. Thanks to my private sponsor, I can get the education I need to one day get a good job. Many Kenyan girls my age have to drop out of school in favour of sending the boys in the family. School fees and uniforms cost so much that families have to choose which child gets the education. Other girls drop out to help with household chores or to marry young.
Many sponsorship programs focus on girls because educated girls go on to support many members of their extended families. They also do well for themselves and become leaders in their communities
While our school is closed, the members of our large family are focused on the six newest arrivals – some of the eight cousins left homeless when their mother, my Auntie Rebecca, died suddenly and unexpectedly.
Thank you to the people of St. Barnabas for helping my family and me and especially for supporting Auntie Binti (Pam Wyldes) when her sister died and we were so far away."
"Hello. My name is Melinda. At 23, I am the second oldest of the 13 cousins living with my Auntie Risper in Nairobi, Kenya. My mother died of AIDS in 1992 and I had to leave school and stay home.
My cousin Anne and I help our aunt in her hairdressing salon and also help care for her very busy household. When our Auntie Rebecca died suddenly in June, six of her children joined our family and we had to move to a larger apartment.
I attend a special school near our home where I am studying for my Grade 8 examinations in December. I also take extra classes to improve my English.
When I earn my Grade 8 certificate, I hope to attend the same Anglican Church-sponsored trade school where my cousin Harry is learning to be an auto mechanic. My dream is to become a caterer and the food service training course is two years long.
Education is making a big difference in my life. I used to be very shy and rarely left home. Now I take the matatu (private bus) into town from the suburb where we live. I am also able to run errands for my family.
Thank you to Kenyan Outreach and to my private sponsor for helping to make my dreams come true. Thank you also for supporting my Auntie Binti (Pam Wyldes) when her sister died so unexpectedly in June."
"My name is Paul but most people call me Babu. I am 17 years-old and Auntie Binti (Pam Wyldes of St. Barnabas) is my mother.
I have not had a very good year. A couple of weeks ago, my high school closed because of the drought and famine affecting the Horn of Africa. Now I live at home in Nairobi with my 13 cousins and my mother’s sister, Auntie Risper. We have moved to a larger apartment after six of the eight children of my late Auntie Rebecca joined our family.
The high school that closed was the second one I attended this year. In the fall, I was injured and missed school because it took time to heal. Then I joined my cousins Winnie and Felix at another school – the one that is now closed.
I want to do well at school and worked hard with a tutor to make up the time I missed because of the injury in the fall. Then, I was rushed to Nairobi with a stomach ailment earlier this year. Fortunately, the medicine is helping and now that I am home I can get special meals to help speed the healing.
Once I had hoped to become a pastor like my grandfather. Now I am not so sure.
Whatever direction I take, the support of Kenyan Outreach means so much to me. Now I know that I can go to school every day because my tuition has been paid and I have a uniform and books. Many students I know have to drop out when their parents find they can`t pay school fees or buy uniforms.
Thank you to the people of St. Barnabas for taking such good care of my mother. It was very hard for all of us when her sister Rebecca died suddenly and she was half a world away."
"Hello. My name is Harry. I am 21 years old and live with my Auntie Risper and 10 other cousins in an apartment in the capital city of Nairobi, Kenya.
I had to leave school after Grade 9 when my parents died of AIDS. My Auntie Binti (Pam Wyldes) took me in then but now she lives in Peterborough where she sings in the choir at St. Barnabas Anglican Church.
Thanks to St. Barnabas’ Kenyan Outreach and my Canadian sponsors, I have returned to school. I now study auto mechanics at the Christian Industrial Training Centre that is operated by the Anglican Church of Kenya. I am halfway through the first of two years of training.
A short while ago, a man came to me with a car problem. I listened carefully¸ diagnosed the problem and fixed it. I was so proud. Now I am more determined than ever to finish my course and someday open my own garage.
When my Auntie Rebecca died three weeks ago, I realized how much I will need a good job to help my family. It also drove home to me that so many in my parents’ generation are missing and this has left me and others of my generation to look after one another.
Thank you, people of St. Barnabas Church, for all you do to help me and my family step into a brighter future. And God bless you."
Uganda
St. Barnabas has undertaken a new project that will involve assisting a community in Uganda to secure an reliable supply of clean drinking water. More on this project to come.
