Immanuel Christian School for the Deaf
Ringa, Kenya
UPDATE: Combined our With Matching Donor gifts we have raised almost $70,000 on this Project to date.
GOAL: $95,000
YOUR GIFT IS VITAL NO MATTER HOW LARGE OR SMALL.
LEARN HOW YOU CAN GIVE TO THIS IMPORTANT PROJECT AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE
The Work has already begun!!!
We sent what we had in hand which was enough to dig the footings! We are NOT WAITING on funding, we are waiting on God!!! He has never failed us yet!
In 2005 I was traveling through the Western Province of Kenya conducting a series of meetings. Along our way, we encountered a little school for the Deaf in the town of Oyugis. It was then called Kenya School for the Deaf. The school was poor, with inadequate facilities and weak leadership. My heart was broken for the school and on my way home to the states, I was "counting pennies" to see how much money I might give them for food and other necessities. Somewhere over the North Atlantic, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart, suggesting that I needed to do more than just give them a little money.
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A plan began to form in my heart to align myself with the school as a strategist and fundraiser. Over the course of the next several years and despite a number of serious setbacks, the Immanuel Christian School for the Deaf was opened in the town of Ringa. One morning, I stood drinking a cup of coffee as I looked at a vacant field next to the rented property of the school It was filled with weeds and standing water, but that morning God gave me a vision. In my spirit, I saw the most beautiful campus which could truly become a safe, healthy environment in which the children of the school could live and learn. Believing that God was in it, I set out to see what He would do to make this vision come to life. Long story short –– the photos you see above are the end result of our labors in that damp, weed-filled lot. My goals were simple –– to improve the opportunity for Deaf students to flourish in an environment that didn't offer them much hope, and to see the school become "donor independent," no longer surviving on donations from the West.
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I closed down the Kenya Development Fund in June of 2021 believing that the school could now move forward without my involvement In the year since I shut down the KDF and stepped away from the school, Headmaster Wesley Agengo has proven to be everything I thought he was. He is dedicated, creative, and driven. Under his careful direction, the school has grown and expanded –– literally becoming a force in the community there in the greater Oyugis area. Several months ago, I was notified that the government of Kenya has redesignated the Immanuel Christian School for the Deaf as an "integrated educational facility." This means that now the school has both Deaf AND Hearing students. It was felt by the Ministry of Education that the school was providing a superior learning environment and wanted many of the hearing children in the area to benefit from the amazing learning environment that the school has developed.
After more than fifteen years of involvement with the school, I felt that we had completed all that we had set out to do . . . and more. Then, along came COVID –– lockdowns, travel restrictions, and on and on and on, I felt that perhaps it was time to step away. I notified the school and Deaf Ministries International that I would be shutting down the Kenya Development Fund (a non-profit I had started for funding our work) and staying home for a while to take care of my wife and myself. One of my goals at the start was to see the school become self-sufficient and I felt they were well on their way. And they are!
To be blunt –– the school I encountered in 2005 had 28 students. The school today numbers around 160 students, Deaf and Hearing. The work we did over the past ten years that we thought would last for many years is now inadequate to meet the needs of their bludgeoning enrollment. The school needs to build again. Pictured here are the architect's sketch and elevation for a proposed new classroom building costing $95,000. I received an urgent message from our Headmaster asking if I would work here in the US to help raise funding for this new building. I can say "No" to a lot of things, but I can't say no to these kids.
ONE MORE THING YOU CAN DO
Share a blog post I have written with any and all folks in your email and social media circle. The most successful efforts we have made have been person to person, mouth to mouth.
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Read the whole story in my book
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MAKUTANO
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You can purchase your copy which tells the story of ICSD and much more by clicking
We need to raise $95,000 to build this new classroom building and I'm going to tell you how YOU can help (and there are a couple of ways besides the obvious). However, I wanted to encourage you by telling you that ONE WEEK into this effort, I have already received a matching gift. A very generous donor will match every dollar I raise with a dollar up to
$30,000
My Home Church is acting as Banker for this project. You can send a check for your donation of any amount to
AGAPE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
30 Canal Street
Brattleboro, VT 05301
(make sure you put a memo to ICSD)
You can navigate to the church website and give a donation via
PayPal or Credit Card at
www.acfellowship.net/contact-donate
Make sure you leave a memo on your gift designating that it is for ICSD.
Thank you so much!
THE 211 HOME
A FILM THE ENTIRE FAMILY CAN WATCH TOGETHER
From New Shepherd Films
Directed by Jim Huggins
Best Picture,
Best Director (Jim Huggins)
Best Editor, (Jim Huggins, Jeff Schnieder)
Best Producer, (Jim Huggins, Jeff Schnieder, Leslee Huggins, Abel Martinez)
Best Actor (Nick Dent)
Best Actress (Sharonne Lanier)
Best Supporting Actor, (Michael Gantt)
Best Supporting Actress (Amy Day)
Best Child Actor (Kaylee Wootan)
THE 211 HOME TRAILER
THE 211 HOME STORY
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A heartwarming and poignant award-winning script, The 211 Home is the story of 13 year old Daniel O'Malley. A young teenager who loves baseball but hates the gift he just received; a ragged, worn-out old glove from his grandfather.
Afraid of the embarrassment and ridicule he knows he'll receive from his friends, his frustrations at the unfairness of life are about to explode.
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Set in a busy commuter airport at the busiest time of year, Daniel begins to learn lessons about what's really important in life from an unlikely duo; a retired union worker and a soon to be retired Navy Chief Petty Officer.
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The question is, will he learn the true lesson about giving before it's too late?
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After all, grandfathers don't live forever...
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I am so privileged to be a part of THE 211 HOME and New Shepherd Films. This is my second film with director, Jim Huggins and I continue to be impressed and blessed by his zealous commitment to telling good stories with the highest of standards that the entire family can enjoy together.
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