Portraits

For those who are fans of us on Facebook, this post may be repetitive - but I just realized I never posted our full series of updated portraits of all the kids, taken in December. They're getting so big and beautiful! 

Our newest little one, Peace (less than 1 year)

Gorgeous smiley Shujah (less than 1 year)

Ebenezer, who was so tiny and sick! (1 year)

Sweet Filipo (1 year)

Beautiful happy Vicky (1 year)

Serious, sweet Maureen ndogo (1 year)

Huggable Frankie (1 year)

Supermodel Gracie (1 year)

Dramatic David ndogo (2 years)

Charming Ester (2 years)

Stubborn Zawadi (2 years)

Smiley Neema (2 years)

In charge Maureeni kubwa (2 years)

Beautiful (sometimes shy!) Miriam (3 years)

Baracka Boo (3 years)

Independent, sweet Pray (3 years)

Sweet silly Simoni (4 years)

Beautiful Loveness (4 years)

Delicious Andrea (Needs sponsorship to start school in January!)

Devilish David (Needs sponsorship to start school in January!)

Girly Pendo (Needs sponsorship to start school in January!)

Sweet Abdulli (Needs sponsorship to start school in January!)

Sensitive Ericki (thriving in his first year of school thanks to his sponsors)

Dynamite Dainessi (thriving in her first year of school thanks to her sponsor)

Silly Stevie (thriving in his first year of school thanks to his sponsors)

Eman (at the orphanage during a boarding school break)

Asimwe (Nisima's twin, at the orphanage during a boarding school break)

Nisima (Asimwe's twin, at the orphanage during a boarding school break) 

Little mama Tumaini (at the orphanage during a boarding school break)

There are of course more kids who have gone on from Nkoaranga orphanage to boarding school and are thriving - these are just the kids who live there full time or were home during their school break (usually if they don't have family who is willing or able to take them). We're hoping to repeat the portrait process at least every six months to show how beautifully the kids are progressing, and to help former volunteers continue to feel involved in their lives - it means a lot! Please don't forget, we still need yearly sponsors for Abdulli, Andrea, and David - a full, half, or quarter sponsorship is $1,100, $550, or $225 per year (or $92, $46, or $23 per month) - and it's a ten year commitment, during which you will see these little ones blossom into incredible young adults ready to take on the world. 

Thought you might enjoy a full look at what 30 kids looks like - now imagine keeping them all happy, healthy, fed, clothed, bathed, and diapered, usually with the help of one other staff person, 24/7, all for an average salary of about $100 per month. This is why it's so important to support the mamas, through recruiting volunteers, giving them pay bonuses, and just generally letting them know we appreciate everything we do!