Malawian Coffee at Starbucks
What a fun surprise to see coffee from Malawi at my neighborhood Starbucks shop! I sent a WhatsApp message to Canaan, our partner in Malawi, to tell him about it and let him know it was good. “What?? Malawi coffee in Toronto!!! Very exciting. We are really a global village,” was Canaan’s joyful response.
Poem calling for unity in Kenya
“Stand up. Get up. Show up. And say no to violence, no to terrorism, no to instability, and live as one.”
I first read the full poem, written by Shanize Njeri Wanjiku (age 10), who lives in one of the poorest neighborhoods of Nairobi, Kenya, in this blog post from the New York Times. Later I watched the video of her reciting it. An inspiring and hopeful message, indeed. Join me in praying now for peace during Kenya’s election season next year.
New Businesses in Nairobi
In the same Nairobi neighborhood, Mathare, Spirit in Action has supported three new family businesses with $150 start-up grants. One of them is named “Mama Laban Veggies” and they will sell vegetables along the roadside.
The mother of the family – and the business leader – is named Violet. She is called Mama Laban as a sign of respect. In Kenya, parents are called Mama and Baba followed by the name of their first child. Violet’s son is named Laban, and so she is called Mama Laban. The family is planning to use their profits for school fees for Laban, who is six years old.
Poem about how we are a beautiful bouquet
We come in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes. Some of us grow in bunches. Some of us grow alone.
Some of us are cupped inward, And some of us spread ourselves out wide.
Some of us are old and dried and tougher than we appear. Some of us are still in bud.
Some of us grow low to the ground, And some of us stretch toward the sun.
Some of us feel like weeds, sometimes. Some of us carry seeds, sometimes. Some of us are prickly, sometimes. Some of us smell.
And all of us are beautiful. What a bouquet of people we are!
by Thomas Rhodes
Thank you for being a part of the bouquet of Spirit in Action!
