Meet Our New Director of Kenya Operations

My name is Augustine Mumia Wanyama. I turned 36 years and I am married to Everline Nanjala and a father to five kids. I am a third born son and child to my mother Florence who is the second wife to my father Andrew. In total, my mother gave birth to ten of us. Our rural home is in a town called Bungoma which is found in the western part of Kenya. Due to the climatic conditions, my home area is one of the poorest areas in Kenya. This, among other factors made our lives very difficult as we grew up. It was a total struggle but all in all I am where I am. Most of my brothers and sisters dropped out of school due to lack of school fees. After I graduated from high school, I managed to come to the city of Nairobi. At that time I had nothing; no high school certificate of any kind nor a national identity card, I just came. That was back in 2001. As I got used to Nairobi I came to learn a lot. Among these was the common sight of the street kids. I felt bad whenever I saw […]

What inspires generosity?

What do we need to feel inspired to give?  Does a child have to suffer to make the need urgent enough to forgo our shopping lists?  Can we support children to reach for the dreams, not simply end their suffering? Can we give generously without attending a party complete with a linen tablecloth, a three course meal and a fancy dress? al·tru·ism ˈaltro͞oˌizəm/ – noun – the belief in or practice of disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others. Light Up Hope believes in the goodness of the human spirit. We believe altruism is alive and well.  We believe in the individual’s desire to help those who need help, and to take a swing at structural poverty by standing up and saying “I can help and therefore I Will help”.  This strong belief is why we are not holding an annual gala this year, and are instead holding a Stay at Home Gala/Annual Give.  And our founders are willing to match every gift through October 15, 2015 up to $40,000 to show we believe our supporters will donate to heal and care for orphans without needing to receive a party in return.   Are you in?

Enter the Fight for Love Challenge

Every child deserves love.  Every. Single. Child.  Children in the U.S. and children in Africa, every child around the world.  But for many children this love is taken from them. Taken by disease and tragedy, taken by abuse, taken by poverty.  Children find themselves alone in life without a family, without support for their hopes and dreams and feeling a deep hole in their hearts that should be filled with love. Every day at Light Up Hope we fight to provide love for these children.  We fight to keep families together through our LIFT program, we fight to bring healing to their fragile hearts through counseling, we fight to keep their hopes and dreams alive through education and empowerment programs.  We do this because we love them, and they deserve to know though life has taken so much love from them; we are in their corner, fighting to bring love back in. Love isn’t something you find. Love is something that finds you ~ Loretta Young For the next four weeks we are issuing a challenge, a challenge to spread more love to the people around you.  Maybe you want to stand with us and help fuel our programs to […]

It's Christmas, Be Generous to an Orphan!

In 2012 we have been able to grant $48,118 to Hands with Hope Safe House in Nairobi, Kenya and the year is not yet at a close!  With the donations received we have paid off 80% of the money due on the land that has been purchased as the home of the new orphan refuge, we have grown and harvested our first crop from the farm and we have completed construction on the first housing building for the children. Before the year comes to a close we will have moved 25 children out of the slums of Nairobi and into their new home! This year has been an incredible blessing on the children. We have received over 75 letters thanking our organization for the love and support we have been able to show them over the months.  Rodgers, one of the older boys from Hands with Hope writes, “I thank you for what you have done in our lives…you bought a very special piece of land where the home will be built in Kitale which will be our new environment where we will not have any troubles or fears or worry”. We know that having basic needs met is important but […]

It’s Christmas, Be Generous to an Orphan!

In 2012 we have been able to grant $48,118 to Hands with Hope Safe House in Nairobi, Kenya and the year is not yet at a close!  With the donations received we have paid off 80% of the money due on the land that has been purchased as the home of the new orphan refuge, we have grown and harvested our first crop from the farm and we have completed construction on the first housing building for the children. Before the year comes to a close we will have moved 25 children out of the slums of Nairobi and into their new home! This year has been an incredible blessing on the children. We have received over 75 letters thanking our organization for the love and support we have been able to show them over the months.  Rodgers, one of the older boys from Hands with Hope writes, “I thank you for what you have done in our lives…you bought a very special piece of land where the home will be built in Kitale which will be our new environment where we will not have any troubles or fears or worry”. We know that having basic needs met is important but […]