Tuesday, January 22, 2019

Sodzo Rescue Center

We took a "guys trip" on Thursday to visit the Sodzo boys home. Being that I was in "mission trip mode," I thought we should be working but Stanley really wanted us to go visit. It probably didn't help our working mission trip mindset when we stopped at a tea field and coffee field on the way. But after visiting the Sodzo Rescue Center I think I know why we did and what I was supposed to learn. 

We got to find out a little bit about what they do there at the Sodzo Rescue Center. They have a "motto" that they go by: Rescue, Rehabilitate, Reintegration. It is a two year program where they rescue boys between the ages of 7 and 14 off the streets. The Sodzo staff first go into Meru and Maua and look for boys that are living on the streets. They get information on the kids and they don't even ask them about joining Sodzo until after six months of finding out about the boys in the community. The boys have to agree to join and live at the rescue center. Once they are in the program they stay for two years and are rehabilitated by receiving an education and are given an area of the land which they farm and take care of. They have other things there such as a greenhouse and a soccer field. The boys are even divided into smaller groups so they can make connections and form relationships with the other boys. Groups go by the names of such concepts as Peace and Love. Once they are released they go back to their families and are reintegrated back into their community. From January 2016-January 2018 there were 37 boys at the center. Currently there are 44 boys living at the rescue center for the next two years. The program is now so well known that when the Sodzo staff go into Meru and Maua there are kids begging to go to the rescue center so they have a better chance at success and life. They have plans to expand and hope to be able to build larger buildings there so they can help more kids at one time.

Unfortunately they can't reach them all. But that reminds me of a story that Jay Fraze reminded me of that he probably heard from somebody else who heard it from somewhere else who heard it from somebody else...well you get the point, it's not my story. 

There's a man walking down the beach and he's picking starfish one by one and tossing them back into the ocean. There are hundreds of starfish on the beach and another man asks him: "Why are you doing that? There are so many of them that you can't possibly make a difference." The man picks one up and tosses it back into the water and says: "it made a difference to that one."

The point is that sometimes we see a need and are discouraged because the need is so great and needed by so many that we ask ourselves what's the point because we can't help everyone.

Well, do you think Sodzo made a difference to those 37 boys and is making a difference for those 44 boys off the street? Individually I can't help everyone but I can help everyone I can, or just one and so can you. Don't be so discouraged by the needs that you see that you don't help just one. Help in any way you can.

Grace & Peace

Kevin

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