We DID IT!!

Wow, Friends and Family we did it!!!! We were able to gift 860 children this past Christmas(2009) across Kenya! None of this would have been possible without your love, support and above all, the trust you bestowed on me to pull this off! I am eternally grateful as this was such a humbling experience that you allowed me to knock on your doors as many times as I did for help and you were always there for me! Now granted it was the most exhausting but most rewarding experience of my life and for those that took part on this whole journey can bare witness to this! We visited a total of 11 orphanages and in all of these homes we were touched, moved and so inspired by the courage and the strength in these children. What was also amazing was the depth and reactions of each home we visited! For example the kids in Kibera and the Machaka slums most of them had never seen a binoculars or even a coloring book! I remember being so excited about spider man and this boy in Machaka (in Meru) had no idea who that was or why I was so excited about a coloring book with spider man on it! Ooooh let me tell you this moved me deeply as to how many things we take for granted! What was also very evident for me was that we do has a huge impact on these children's lives contrary to what many people think. This is beyond just giving a christmas gift for these children. You know one of the directors of the homeswe visited said to me, "Lorraine, we each have our own calling. For some of us is to be able to give food, shelter and help educate these children the best we know how. But for you and Xmas Torch is to remind these children that are loved and giving them gifts during christmas which is what all other 'normal' children get during this season is validating them! We as an orphanage have bigger issues and therefore gifts are the last things on our agendas. So we thank you." Listen this just affirmed that what we do has value and therefore will keep doing it again and again. Therefore 2010 is here and we look to you for support again! Thank You from the depth of my heart! All the children asked me to pass their sincere Asante (thank you) to all my friends and people that helped buy them gifts!