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NLN Christmas 2019 appeal for Wilfred
Dear Supporters and friends,
This Christmas, one of our children in Kenya particularly needs your help. Wilfred Muthomi John was one of the first street children to be given a home and educated by New Life Nyambene in 2000.
His story is very sad: one of the brightest and hardest-working of our children, he achieved high enough grades to go to university to study science, with hopes of becoming a teacher. However, unknown to us, Wilfred's plans were derailed by the corruption that is so rife in Kenya and which we, like so many charities operating there, must continue to fight against. Robbed of his university fees, Wilfred ended up back on the streets - something we would never have allowed had we known.
This blow was deeply traumatic to Wilfred, and when we finally found out what had happened, traced him and brought him back home, he was in a pitiful state, frightened, hungry and drinking too much. We were heartbroken, did all we could to comfort and restore him, and at his own request, sent him back to university, where he has been ever since. However, after a hopeful start, he is failing his courses because he cannot give up his drinking addiction.
As with all the street children we have rescued, we are committed to walking with Wilfred through to a restoration of wholeness and the hard-working, independent life that an education can give him.
Can you help Wilfred? There is a rehabilitation centre in Meru called The Methodist Treatment Centre that can support him. Their core programmes include the Alcoholics Anonymous 12 steps; individual and group counselling; and medical support. The staff to patient ratio is 1:4, with a physician, clinical psychologist, addiction counsellor and general nurses running the multi-disciplinary programme. Their after-care includes individual exit plans incorporating enrolment in appropriate support groups and relapse prevention programmes.
Wilfred has visited the centre and is keen to give it a go. He desperately wants to get his life back on track, and we want to give him the best chance we can. The price is subsidised by the Methodist Church, who pay almost half of the fees, so that we only have to find £191.00 monthly (by today's exchange rate) for the three months that Wilfred's care programme as an inpatient would last - £573 total.
With much appreciation for your care and commitment, and best wishes for peace and joy this Christmas,
Miriam Westendarp
Co-founder of New Life Nyambene
