Child Sponsorship Program

In September of 2011 a child sponsorship program was started with a Sabbath School program at a church in Parsons, Tennessee. At that time I had no plans of starting up a sponsorship program with AMS but within a couple of weeks I received an email from Kensington that a woman’s group was coming and the leader was interested in sponsoring two girls. In October the Broad Horizons Women’s Group visited the Emurototo Primary School – and in total sponsored 17 children! Since that time others have heard of the program and it has grown to now involve over 40 children!

It has been a privilege to be the eyes on the ground watching the children grow and continue their studies. Every year there are new challenges and situations to work through. One child with a severe congenital leg deformity was sponsored for an amputation and prosthetic leg – where once she was stuck at home as a disabled child she is now happily in boarding school and playing with the other children. Sadly we have lost a few girls from the program over the years as they have become pregnant and dropped out of school… Last year the mother of two girls was killed in an accident that involved milking a cow. Time was spent working through the grief and placing the girls in boarding school where they would be cared for.

Being part of the “sponsored” children is a great honor to each child. The teachers seem to drill in the idea that they are special and their sponsors are “watching to make sure they do good in their studies!” – a tactic used to help improve grades! While the program is still in its baby stages we are excited to have 34 in our primary school program,7 in secondary boarding schools, one in a sewing trade program, one taking Community Health and Development at boarding college, and our first two to graduate nursing school this summer!

We believe that giving a child education gives him or her the opportunity to choose what they want to do their life, what they want believe and an ability to better serve their community. We look forward to the day when we have Maasai nurses, doctors, teachers, lawyers, and other skilled individuals who can serve their own people and protect their way of life.

Thank you to all of you who believe in these children and have used your means to give them an opportunity for greater education!

~FJA