Lowes Travels

Aug 20-27, 2023

After our amazing safari adventure, we remained in Kenya to join The Giving Exchange (TGE) and the second group of their 2023 ambassador visits. The purpose was for us to learn about TGE projects there and then visit several project sites to meet the beneficiaries to assess how effectively the funding is assisting them. We also engaged in activities with many people (especially the children) benefitting from the efforts of this excellent organization.

But, What is The Giving Exchange?

The Giving Exchange is a nonprofit organization based in California. They connect people in need with the help they require, focusing on teaching valuable skills to promote self-sufficiency rather than just providing temporary assistance. It’s like the saying: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” They have been working and partnering with communities in Kenya since 2013 to empower individuals and foster independence.

In June they celebrated their 10-year anniversary, click here to see their accomplishments during the past decade.

Over the years, the mission and reach of TGE have expanded from Kenya and into Uganda. The beneficiaries we visited were just a few of the many that TGE has helped in empowering themselves. Click here to read more success stories where these partnerships have been useful in improving the lives of so many hard working people living in difficult situations.

So, What’s it Like to be an Ambassador?

Two groups visited Kenya in August. We were part of the second group of nine ambassadors. We were excited and felt privileged to be able to see firsthand how and where donations are being used. Our team visited ongoing projects and talked with their leaders. We made several new friends from different walks of life and worked side-by-side with them. Most importantly, we experienced TGE’s mission in action.

Highlights

We had a busy week!

Musical Instruments for schools

Eight schools received musical instruments from TGE just as the pandemic started. We visited two of them in Kiambu County and they played for us. We observed that one of them was seeking a skilled instructor, but other schools have won competitions and are using YouTube to enhance their skills and knowledge.

Njoo Dada Trust

Njoo Dada Trust is a center that supports pregnant teenagers and abandoned women. They help them become independent by teaching them valuable skills like tailoring. TGE helped in securing a 40′ container with windows, and by donating sewing machines which they use to create beautiful handcrafted bags. I now own one of their hand made bags and a custom-embroidered T-shirt!

Divine Mercy Children’s Home

DMCH is a children’s charitable organization that specializes in the admission and care of infants and young children. To sustain themselves and meet the daily needs of the children, they raise farm animals like goats, pigs, poultry, cows and rabbits. TGE purchased some livestock for them in 2018 and the herd has grown since then.

SONS OF MANASSEH

This children’s home is a registered community-based organization. Their main focus is to rescue and rehabilitate vulnerable children. The home runs a number of sustainable projects including gardening, embroidery and raising animals. To increase income, TGE funded the start-up cost of their chicken coop which initially was for layer chickens but has switched to broiler chickens.

Baraka Women’s Center

This community-based organization (CBO) is a self-help group whose goal is to empower disadvantaged and vulnerable women and youths, by providing them with training and supporting the need to positively transform their lives. TGE has funded the center until the end of this year to assess their holistic approach to transformation:

St. Anne’s Greenhouse

TGE says that greenhouses are a favorite because they promote both environmental AND financial sustainability. We visited one of three schools, St. Anne’s Secondary School where they built a TGE funded greenhouse and planted peppers. This has been a good income stream for the school:

Morning Star Ministries

For the entire week we were hosted by Morning Star Ministries, founded by Reah and Francis, who along with 49 children warmly welcomed us. Morning Star Ministries and TGE have been partners since TGE’s founding, and over the years several projects have been successfully implemented.

We were able to watch their new cow-milking machine be installed and started while we were there!

We saw firsthand how TGE makes a difference in Kenya. People there use every bit of support from TGE to improve their lives. They believe in compassion, collaboration, and positive change. Through their efforts, they improve communities and empower individuals for a fairer world.

We had a unique opportunity to see TGE up close. We really believe in them and think they deserve both recognition and financial support to continue their work, which they’ve been doing for a decade now. It was a week of discovery and enlightenment.

Click here if you’d like to consider donating to this excellent organization. We know for a fact that 100% of donations go directly to the people and communities they serve, because TGE has “angel donors” who cover all of their administrative costs. We’ve never written a blog post promoting a cause, but after going all the way to Kenya to check this one out we can say it’s a tremendous help to a lot of people.

I want to thank my family and our friends (Allison, Pam, Sue, Becky, Hazel and Karla) who have made donations since I started a fundraiser on Facebook. Thank you for your support, you’ll be happy to know you’ve made a difference!