Just click below to hear the 22 minute sermon…

Cynthia sharing at Hope Community Church

Right now the elections in Kenya are still not decided so the children we support are still not in school. I’d hoped my birthday gift would be their return today as they had planned. Please keep them in your prayers as many are in vulnerable circumstances when at home.

I’ve witnessed children walk that could not even crawl, and entire families transformed by what God is doing through Kupenda. However, there is so much to do and so many more children to assist especially during this uncertain time in Kenya.

Would you be willing to join our efforts by donating $10 for every year of Kupenda’s existence ($100) or $1 a year for every year of mine ($39)? It might lessen the blow as I enter the last year of my thirties.

Thank you for all the ways you support Kupenda and me. We couldn’t do any of it without people like you.

With much love and appreciation.

Cindy

Cynthia Bauer

Founder/Director

Kupenda for the Children

www.kupenda.org

cynthia@kupenda.org

With Presidential elections in Kenya coming this Monday, March 4th, children at the Gede Special School gather to pray for a peaceful outcome before they are sent home to avoid any potential violence.  Please read more from our Kenyan director on our blog

Dear Friends,

It has been a wonderful year for Kupenda so far and I am blessed to have started it in the presence of the kids I love in Kenya.  Perhaps a glimpse into the work you are a part of in Kenya will provide a bit of a warm escape from these cold temperatures.

I just returned from a two week trip to Kenya with 4 amazing volunteers. We led a week long class, worked in two special needs schools, had the first Kupenda Kenya 5K race, visited children at home, did some admin work and hung with the kids a little.  I’m so grateful for the beautiful hearts of the Dokkens and Mortensons who joined me in Kenya January 9^th - 21^st.  They were perfectly equipped for the work we had before us.

Eric Dokken is a pastor and had a sister with severe cerebral palsy whom he loved well.   Tania Dokken is a family therapist with experience working with autism (autism is growing in Kenya too).  Ben and Carissa Mortenson are the intentional parents of 4 children with disabilities.  Ben also works as a caregiver to people with severe autism.   Carissa is the director of the disability ministry at Grace Chapel Church in Timonium and is on Kupenda’s board of directors as treasurer.  Cynthia, Eric and Carissa taught a week long class on disability to about 14 people who had already shown an interest in disability issues so that they can be better equipped to teach in their own communities.  Ben and Tania worked in two special needs schools, with the teachers Kupenda funds, to help them with challenges in teaching children with severe autism.

We had an amazing response to our class with students already starting classes in their own churches and making plans for inclusion of people with disabilities in their communities.  Work with the children who have autism was productive and hope now exists in what seemed like impossible situations.

Please visit our blog for pictures and a full report of our latest trip.

Thank you for the role you play to support these amazingly beautiful children.

With Love and Affection,

Cindy

Julianne, January 2012 volunteer, and Diana, one of our beautiful kids in Kenya.  Smiles are contagious

Dear Friends,

I hope that your Christmas celebration of Jesus Christ was meaningful, beautiful, and bright! 

As we eagerly await 2013 I am reflecting on the faithfulness God and His people have shown to the remarkable children we serve.

Thirteen years ago I joined a few family members and friends in taking a step of faith – a large one for a financially challenged graduate student! – by committing to pay the school fees for thirteen students with disabilities in Kenya. When I think about how many of you have partnered with me since that time to provide education, advocacy, and, above all, love for our beloved students I am overwhelmed with gratitude.

Before the clock strikes twelve tonight, please give one last gift to Kupenda.

Even the smallest one time gift or monthly commitment can make an eternal difference for the over 600 students we will serve in 2013. If you choose to join me and over one hundred other supporters by sponsoring a child, I promise you will not regret it.

Thank you for partnering with me to continue making the Kupenda dream a reality. Our students, Kenyan staff, and I are deeply grateful.

With Love and Affection,

Cynthia

]]> http://www.kupenda.org/2012/12/31/1170/feed/ 0 http://www.kupenda.org/2012/11/28/give-neema-the-gift-of-education/ http://www.kupenda.org/2012/11/28/give-neema-the-gift-of-education/#comments Wed, 28 Nov 2012 01:03:33 +0000 cindy http://www.kupenda.org/?p=1144 Dear Friends,

The Christmas season is upon us and for many it is filled with shopping, attending parties, going to kids’ holiday concerts, and eating lots of great food.

Thanks to you many children with disabilities in Kenya will have a Christmas like never before. They will not be hungry and they will know they have value. Most of all these children have hope…something that was absent without people like you.  Children like Neema Shikari now have a previously unimagined hope this holiday season.

Neema was born in a drought prone, impoverished area of Kenya. She contracted cerebral malaria as an infant which resulted in permanent cerebral palsy. Additionally, her father died while she was still young and her mother’s only income comes from the small amount she can sell from her farm to support her 6 children. Neema’s condition caused her to fall often as she walked and the other children laughed at her.

Neema was unable to attend school for most of her life. However, due to the support of people like you, she just finished first grade at a mainstream school at the age of 17 by staying at the Marafa special needs boarding facility. She is now an enthusiastic girl who works very hard at school. In spite of her delayed start in school and her disability, she has hopes to become a teacher one day. We want to do everything we can to make this dream a reality. Thank you for giving her hope during this holiday season!

You can continue to provide hope to children like Neema by:

1. Making a donation in the name of a loved one equivalent to a wheelchair, medical treatment, surgery, education or physical therapy for children with disabilities in Kenya through our online Christmas Campaign
2. Purchasing a Kupenda gift and 30% of your purchase will be used to assist these children
3. Host a Christmas party fundraiser where the stories of these children can be told just email us Kupenda@kupenda.org if you would like videos, brochures or any other materials to spread the word and even provide Kupenda ornaments to your party guests by purchasing them
4. Sponsor a child for less than $1 a day and be a part of a child’s story of hope by signing up here

Thank you for continuing to support these beautiful children and giving them hope this holiday season.

In the love of the one we celebrate this season,

With Love and Affection,

Cynthia Bauer, Founder and Director Kupenda for the Children

Fall is here and we’re kicking off a new year of school here in the United States.

In Kenya the teacher strikes are ending and we’re helping over 600 students make the most of their education because friends like you are biking, conspiring with, and partying down for Kupenda!

Saturday, September 29th Rob Irias and his amazing students at Annapolis Area Christian School will be doing another bike-a-thon on the Baltimore-Washington International trail.  Visit their bike-a-thon page to donate to their efforts online.  Last year Rob’s team earned over $5,800 – enough to fund physical therapy for 100 of our students for a year. Every dollar Rob’s team raises goes to Kupenda, so help them beat last year’s goal!

Saturday October 27th from 7 – 11 pm Kupenda is hosting the First Annual Harvest Fest and Costume Dance Party at the Community House of Hamilton-Wenham.  Tickets are $40 if purchased online and $50 at the door.  Kids 12 and under are free! Please buy your tickets online, mark your calendars, join the Facebook event page and tell your friends.  We’re going to have a frightfully great night and help children with disabilities at the same time!

Each year more churches are partnering with Advent Conspiracy to turn Christmas upside down. Last year Mosaic Christian Church in Maryland challenged their congregation to buy one less gift so that our students could enjoy the gift of clean water. Their efforts raised $6,606 for water tanks and water at the Marafa Special Boarding School. If your church would like to sponsor a project that supports children with disabilities in Kenya please shoot me an email. We’re looking for a few good conspirators!

If you have additional ideas for fundraising events we’re all ears! Kupenda is a grassroots organization whose mission is completely dependent upon God’s provision and your generous support.

Thank you for partnering with us to empower students with disabilities. Your compassion and support mean more to our students and to me than I could ever express.

With Love and Affection,

Cindy

This Valentine’s Day we are celebrating our love for you and marveling at how your love is transforming the lives of Kenyan students with disabilities!

Because of your love we are proud to report that in a district where only 2% of children in public school advance to high school, 13 of the deaf children we serve at Gede Special School are going to be freshmen next year. That’s almost the entire eighth grade class!

We could not be more proud of these students and we believe that their success is due in part to the sign language workshops that your donations have made possible over the past few years. As the teachers have increased their fluency in sign language our students’ academic progress has improved substantially. Due to the passionate advocacy of the Kenyan staff that your generosity supports, the national exams now provide more accommodations for deaf students.

Because of your love I had the opportunity to join five Kupenda supporters on a mission trip this January. James Kennedy and Julianne Cargill, who have training in physical therapy, worked with our Kenyan physical therapists to provide training and ensure that our students get the best treatment possible. Lauren Blair, the chair of our board of directors, continued researching the book she’s writing in order to share the love she’s experienced through Kupenda and her husband Patrick used his innumerable computer skills to set up new computers for our staff and provided training for our new database system. Alan Shearer, a musician and carpenter who is hard of hearing, worked with our hard of hearing students and their families to encourage the proper use and maintenance of hearing aids. Alan also worked with our deaf students who just finished carpentry school to help prepare them for a successful career in their chosen field.  Photos and descriptions can be found on in our photo album on Kupenda’s Facebook page.

Because of your love our students are thriving in school, their chosen occupations and in their communities. Every time you pray for Kupenda, share your resources with our students or set aside some time to volunteer, you are touching the lives of our students and testifying that God is love.

As many of you know, the word Kupenda means “to love” in Swahili. Because of your love, we are living up to our name in Kenya! Thank you for making Valentine’s Day a little more meaningful for our students and everyone at Kupenda.

With Love and Affection,

Cindy Bauer
Founder & Executive Director
Kupenda for the Children

Thank you for your continued encouragement, financial support and prayers.  We have continued to meet our commitments to these amazingly special children because of you. 

People like Rob Irias exemplify the kind of support that keeps this organization running.  Last month Rob Irias organized a bike-a-thon for the Annapolis Area Christian School girls’ and boys’ soccer teams and raised over $8,000 for Kupenda!  This is in addition to funds raised through his 2009 bike-a-thon ($5,582.64) and 2010 solo 200-mile one day bike ride($2,394.42).  Thank you again Rob!  Rob did all of this as a member of Adventures for the Cure (AFC) who are Kupenda’s biggest and most consistent support.  Thank you AFC!!! 

This kind of support is especially needed with so many difficulties impacting our work in Kenya.  In addition to ongoing conflicts with Somalia and fears associated with the  upcoming presidential elections, we lost another sweet child. 

Shehe Kitsao died on October October 28th, 2011 at the age of 16 years old.His death could have been avoided as it was ultimately the result of his family’s poverty, ignorance and neglect. We did what we could and it was not enough.  Shehe was an enthusiastic child as you can see in the short video clip of him posted on  Kupenda’s Facebook page.  

In response to my sadness and frustration at Shehe’s death, a friend emailed me the following Proverb that truly represents what you do as Kupenda supporters:

“Open your mouth for the speechless,

In the cause of all who are appointed to die

Open your mouth, judge righteously,

And plead the cause of the poor and needy.” -Proverbs 31:8-9

Let us remember Shehe by serving those still with us and pleading their cause.  Hundreds have lived because of Kupenda’s efforts, but it is hard to think on this when we lose a life like this.

As the Christmas season approaches, we have two ways to support children like Shehe and better equip Kupenda to avoid his fate. 

1. December 9th come out to Hamilton Congregational Church for a Christmas Benefit Concert by the very talented, folksy sounding, Christian trio,  Maeve. More details on the event can be found here.
2. In lieu of a traditional Christmas gift, make a donation on behalf of someone you love or as an end of year gift to Kupenda. 

 Thank you for continuing your support of Kupenda! As we prepare to celebrate Advent – a season that reminds us that even the greatest darkness will be overcome by new life – please keep us in prayer and on your gift list.

Your partnership and fellowship truly change lives.

With Great Love and Affection,

Cynthia Bauer
Founder/Director
Kupenda for the Children
www.kupenda.org
PO Box 473 Hampton NH 03843

Shehe Kitsao died October 28th, 2011 at the age of 16 years old unrelated to his cerebral palsy. His death could have been avoided as it was ultimately the result of his family’s poverty and neglect when he was not in school. We did what we could and it was not enough.  Shehe was an enthusiastic child as you can see in a short video clip on the Kupenda facebook page.  His life was better because of his generous sponsors and the love of the teachers and staff in Kenya.

“Open your mouth for the speechless,

In the cause of all who are appointed to die

Open your mouth, judge righteously,

And plead the cause of the poor and needy.” –Proverbs 31:8-9

Let us not give up on pleading the cause of beautiful children like Shehe.