BRINGING HOPE TO THE HOPELESS IN KENYA

Featuring Benjamin Oyoo Ondoro, Founder, Rafiki Children’s Home and Hope for the Nations Ministries

September 2023

Benjamin Oyoo Ondoro was born in 1985 in a small city called Oyugis Rachuonyo South in Kenya, Africa.  His parents, Allan Nussa and Joyce Akinyi, were both Christians and raised him in a Christian household.   But Benjamin also found his own Christian faith and was born again in 2015.

In 1992, Benjamin started primary school and continued there for 8 years, followed by high school for 4 years. He furthered his studies in college in the School of Plant operation/ civil engineering for another 3 years.  But it was difficult for him to find work in that field.

In 2017, he felt a call to go a different direction than his studies.  Benjamin and his Mom started the foster care of 5 children at Jambo Rafiki Children's Home. Jambo Rafiki has since grown and now supports 27 children and 30 widows.

His faith prompted Benjamin in 2019 to join the School of Theology for 2 years.  Then in 2020 his family started a home fellowship together with children, widows, and the people in their community.  God enabled them to reach many people in and out of their community with the gospel according to the Great Commission.  Benjamin’s work and ministry followed a call from the Lord. Knowing God’s love for him, he felt called to share Christ’s love and continue to help widows, orphans, and the poorest people in and out of the community

Benjamin furthered his ministry to include Hope to the Nations - Kenya ministries in Oyugis. Hope for the Nations - Kenya is a faith best organization proposed to implement programs that provide education, spiritual formation, food security, health and sanitation, and water and environmental stewardship to communities.  Through an integrated approach for the well-being of the rural poor, Hope for the Nations – Kenya brings hope to the hopeless in Kenya without discrimination.

The Bible teaches that “religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” This is what the work of Hope to the Nations ministry and Jambo Rafiki Children's Home is all about.

Benjamin’s ministry is now in the process of building dormitories and other facilities for the orphans in their care. They are in great need of resources to continue this work.  Visit:

https://www.facebook.com/jamborafikichildrenshome  for more information and to support.

ENVISIONING A BETTER FUTURE THROUGH TRADITIONAL WEAVING

Featuring Teresa Perez, Miriam Novichoc and Delfina Par 

September 2023

Casa Flor Ixcaco, a weaving cooperative in San Juan La Laguna, Guatemala, represents the very best of their region and their culture.  That representation is embodied in three key women who have established and led the work of Casa Flor – Teresa Ujpan Perez, Miriam Novichoc, and Delfina Par.

The vision for Casa Flor Ixcaco began in 1950, when Teresa was just seven years old.  She had a keen interest in back-strap weaving. She moved to the coast to work as cotton picked. But through that work she learned much about the cotton plant and its cultivation.

After marrying and starting a family, she returned to her weaving loom to provide financial support for her family. She eventually formed her own group of weaving women to generate a more substantial income for each of them.
In 1984, Teresa learned how to spin cotton, and in 1996 she began organizing the weaving group with the goal of commercializing their own handmade products. In 2009, the market for these products had grown, and the women decided to weave exclusively with organic cotton, planting their own cotton just outside of town in the mountains.

Even after Teresa passed away a few years ago, her entrepreneurship continued through the work of the weavers that she taught and mentored in her craft.   Her key mentees were her daughter Miriam and her daughter-in-law Delfina. 

Miriam, a creative and smart business woman, helped develop Casa Flor into what it is today.  She continues to support her community not only through Casa Flor but also by establishing Licor Marón – a  chocolate business with a cafe, restaurant, and shop. 

Delfina now leads Casa Flor’s cooperative of 38 women and their families.  Her exceptional entrepreneurial and management skills as well as her own remarkable weaving have broadened the products and impact of Casa Flor. 

Casa Flor is dedicated to producing handcrafted woven items created in the most natural way possible to share with the community and the world.  G.L.O.B.A.L. Justice is pleased to provide a range of Casa Flor handmade goods through our GLBL MRKT.

G.L.O.B.A.L. Justice also welcomes Miriam and Delfina to Colorado during the month of September. We will be featuring them at our monthly Cultural Tea, Coffee in the Conservatory, and other special events that will highlight their work through Casa Flor Ixcaco.