KEMIN SENIORS HOME
WHERE HOPE AND DIGNITY HAVE BEEN RESTORED
Kyrgyzstan is among the
poorest countries in the world, and the second poorest in Central Asia. Many homeless simply cannot survive its harsh
winters. To escape the cold many hide
under manholes. Those who do not live in
manholes often lose limbs due to frostbite, according to socialdocumentary.net.
A World Bank report in
September 2007 showed that 43.1 percent of Kyrgyzstan’s people lived in poverty
in 2005, of which 11 percent were deemed to be living in extreme poverty. And food prices continue to skyrocket, while
wages remain the same or creep up slowly.
Homelessness is a tragic
result of the conditions of poverty and lack of resources for those most
vulnerable – the widows and orphans of Kyrgyzstan.
As Kyrgyzstan struggles to
gain economic strength, the social issues are so large, they simply cannot do
all that needs or should be done. That
is the primary reason the help that comes from churches, NGO’s and other
volunteer foreign groups is so important to Kyrgyzstan.
In Kemin, a Kyrgyz family sacrificed
all to start the Kemin Gift of God Friendship Center. This home – which is a building that was a
kindergarten, was deserted and in terrible condition when they were given
permission to use it for bringing in homeless seniors.
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OLYA - Always asking about a young woman that was with our team in the past,
she love her and just wants to see her again. |
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LtoR
Masha, Valentina, Katcha, Reeta, and Olga (LAMb Team) |
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Olga, Lydia and Ruby
For years Lydia has been my dear friend, we are sisters in so many ways. She
is now blind from diabetes, but knows my voice the minute I walk in.
We love her dearly - she was a mathematics teacher - she had a family,
and she had trauma in her life. But today, she is safe. |
Through the efforts of many
different organizations and individuals, repairs were made and today it is very
different from what it started to be.
Yet, improvements now have brought a new challenge. They were recently told by the prosecutors
office that the city wanted the building back for a kindergarten and that they
needed to go and find another place. We
cannot believe this is happening, as they were promised a permanent place – and
now with improvements, this challenges them to be once again homeless.
For today – all is safe, as
there is no one standing in the doorway asking for the key, but the fear is
there. What can we do? Pray, continue our presence there – show the
authorities the good work they are doing and speak boldly for their stability
in their home.
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It is winter in Kyrgyzstan - cold and getting colder.
The seniors sit wrapped with coats, sweaters, thick socks.
We need your help. |
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Tanya, the director at Kemin - stands and watches us leave. I often wonder
what she is thinking, what she hopes for, what she worries about,
what she needs from us. Sometimes I am just afraid to ask. |
Kemin Senior Home is a
blessing to 43 seniors – all have a NAME, A HISTORY, A PAST, AND are sitting
together in Kemin praying for a HOPE.
We will be taking all our Dayspring Children to Kemin next week - they have prepared a beautiful Christmas play and concert. We will cook a meal for them.
Might you want to share some Christmas Blessing with them? We ask you to go to the donate button and consider gifting something to help in their blessing this Christmas.
The LAMb Team
