Rev. Bill Hybels wrote in his book Leadership Axioms that, Leadership is a lot about asking. After casting bold visions, leaders ask people to help them became reality. Leaders describe pressing problem that are imperiling mission achievement and then ask people to devote their best thinking and most innovative ideas to solve them.  He continues to say that, Leaders ask staff members, volunteers and donors and contractors to show up and give their best time, money and energy and heart- all because they believe so much in the cause they are pursuing.

Opening Village Doors Foundation®’s vision is simple; we envision a time when the villages we touch are prosperous, healthy and self sustaining and suffering has been relieved because of the micro loans, community projects, training, education and technical expertise we have provided. It is my hope you will join us to make this vision a reality to one individual, family and village at a time.

If you will like to help a family in poverty start an income generating project so they can break from the shackles of poverty, if you want to help with providing training to individuals ready to start a small business or want to help make community projects like a health care clinic a reality for thousands of women and children? Contact us to find how you can help.

Dear Friend,

This year you have helped us tell the story of Mama Kapante, Mrs Gintinji, Mrs. Washeli and others. You helped tell their story of starting small businesses that in turn are generating enough revenue to pay tuition for their kids in school, feeding their families and generating employment for others. The stories could have not been possible without your donation to Opening Village Doors Foundation®. We thank you!

In the coming year we plan to make an even bigger impact by increasing the number of families that start small businesses. Your donation to Opening Village Doors Foundation help families get out of poverty by empowering them through their own ideas.

I hereby kindly ask you to prayerfully consider making a year-end donation to Opening Village Doors Foundation®. Opening Village Doors Foundation® is a non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. Your contribution is tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

Contribute today!

Thank you!

Frederick Bw’Ombongi

President

www.openingvillagedoors.org

Merry Christmas from Kenya!

During my recent visit to Kenya, I had a great opportunity to interview one of the individuals who receives support from Opening Village Doors Foundation® as a result of your support to us. Please click on the link above to listen to her story and her kind words to you!

Thank you is a universal ‘magic word’ used in many cultures and languages in various circumstances to express that deep feeling in our hearts conveying gratitude. Today, as families gather to celebrate another year of goodness or milestone or life’s little moments that continue to glue the families together for another year, we at Opening Village Doors Foundation® are grateful for you and those that we serve in Kenya!

We are grateful for making it possible to give 100 students school uniforms, books and are now able to attend school not worried about missing class. We are thankful for the 17 projects going on in Kenya and as we look forward to starting 40 new projects, we hope that you can walk along with us in prayer, well wishes and support.

On this day, we raise our eyes above and pray that the Lord bless you and your family. Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Starting a business or a project that generates income to sustain a family sometimes can be a daunting task even in developed countries where the access to capital is a little easier that developing countries.

I was explaining to some colleagues today, what Opening Village Doors Foundation does in Kenya. After talking for almost five minutes or so. One of the gentleman looked at me and said, so, what you do is ” A person who wants to start a small business comes to your team with an idea, she gets training on how to implement the idea, she is encouraged to save whenever small she has, after six months, she is given capital to start a small business?” I said, exactly!

As we both looked at each other in agreement, I added one point, ” this are individuals that banks cannot lend money to because they don’t have collateral” he nodded his head in agreement.

As part of our strategy to the individuals, families and communities that we serve, it has been our goal to have a place to call home. A place where families can walk in with questions, know where we are located and to show a commitment that we are here to stay. In simple terms, it brings stability, predictability, trust and commitment- OVDF is part of the community we serve!

In many African communities, once a young man has been initiated to adulthood, it is customary for them to have a place of their own. It signifies a stage in their lives that they are mature enough and ready to take on responsibilities as they curve out their own niche in the process of their grown. With the new office space, Opening Village Doors Foundation® seeks to provide space to our team so as to be effective in  furthering our mission and vision.

As you can see in the attached picture, the door is in with some final touches to be finalized tomorrow. The electric is wired and now what is left is to set up a computer and printer.

Individuals and families that we serve will come to the office tomorrow to pray and bless the office as we embark in this journey. Thank you for making it possible!

Coming tomorrow, read about our new Community Development Coordinator and a new office look!

Electrician at work!

New door installed, final touches tomorrow

The poor face a lot of challenges that confront them each day. It is only those with hope and determination that can see beyond the current challenges who thrive. On a given day, many families skip one or two meals a day because they don’t have enough food. Many families’ savings are wiped out or the only asset they had in form of livestock [cow, chicken, sheep, goat] is sold to meet a medical bill of a loved one, funeral expenses and tuition.. The same it true on education, as kids go without schooling or not having the needed uniform, books or school fees to continue with their studies.

The impact of all these challenges can lead to hopelessness and focusing on the present moment than looking at what tomorrow can bring and planning out the future.

All the families that Opening Village Doors Foundation® serves in Kenya are in these situations every day. What we are uniquely suited is that; we are a small non-profit organization that has built relationship with those that we serve. Our team in Kenya visits each family and knows where they live, the challenges they are going through and helps them to start addressing the barriers that face them so that they may succeed. In the midst of all these challenges Opening Village Doors Foundation® belief is; the individuals and families have potential within them, our role is to enable them to reach within their depths of being and stand strong again.

Our presence and support is a source of ‘strength and a ray of light/hope’ as one of the individual put it in the midst of the barriers that surround them.

Because of YOU, we were able to give hope and EMPOWER individuals and families in Kenya to start a small business so that they can reach their full potential. Your support helped individuals help themselves to put food on table, pay tuition for their kids, grow their businesses and look forward to another day full of hope and promise.

In 2012, we plan to support more individuals start small business, support them with training and help them build their villages and communities through their own ideas. We envision a time when the villages we touch are prosperous, healthy and self sustaining and suffering has been relieved because of the micro-loans, community projects, training, education and technical expertise we have provided.

Your continued help makes the story of Mrs. Gintinji possible! Click on the link and read more.

We raise our eyes above and pray that 2012 bring good health, happiness and good will to you and your family.

Sincerely,

Opening Village Doors Board of Directors[ Fred Bw'Ombongi, Paul Brink, Karynn Sikkema, Dana Boals, Bob Garvey & Mark Piersma]

www.openingvillagedoors.org

Today’s bible reading has been in my mind. The reading was Mt 25:14-30, it is about a master who goes for a journey and gives his possession to his servants. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one. When he returned, the servants who were given 5 and 2 talents each had invested them and doubled them, however, the one who was given 1 talent, because of FEAR, hid the talent.

The reason the reading has stayed with me today more than it has other years when I read it is because I can see the families that Opening Village Doors Foundation partners with in Kenya through this reading. On the other hand it reminded me of the first meeting that I had with prospective individuals three years ago, because this was the bible story that I used to drive the point home – they all have potential and they can succeed and get out of poverty!

So today, I have been asking myself, what will make the servant who was given 1 talent fearful and not take a risk and invest it? As I ponder this question, my mind shifts to quotes that I read in Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkerts’ book ‘When Helping Hurts’.

The authors share the following quotes; from Moldova, one person states,  “For a poor person, everything is terrible-illness, humiliation, and shame. We are cripples; we are afraid of everything; we depend on everyone. No one needs us. We are like garbage that everyone wants to get rid of?”  While from Cameroon, another person states, “[The poor have] a feeling of powerlessness and an inability to make themselves heard” and finally, one person from Uganda states “When one is poor, she has no say in public, she feels inferior. She has no food, so there is famine in her house; no clothing and no progress in her family” It is no wonder the individuals are afraid due to poverty to take risk even when they have great ideas to thrive and grow!

It is very easy then to see the poor and see them as lacking or deficient. We often choose to give them money and other gifts in hope that our gifts will get them out of poverty. Opening Village Doors takes a different approach, and removes the FEAR through training, education and by giving them a small loan to start a small business so that they can support their families, and villages.

Due to the support of our donors and supporter, Opening Village Doors’ message to the individuals and families that we partner with, is “we have confidence in you, you are capable, you are created in God’s image, you have potential. Go and multiply the loan you have been given, we will walk along side you as you seek to gain ground, as you stand on your own and as you walk and eventually run, we will smile and pray and wish you well that you touch others as others have touched you!”

Social entrepreneurship is finally in the mainstream but with different meanings. The definition that articulates Opening Village Doors Foundation is what the Skoll Foundation aims for  and that is “ value in the form of transformational change that will benefit disadvantaged communities and ultimately society at large. Social entrepreneurs pioneer innovative and systemic approaches for meeting the needs of the marginalized, the disadvantaged and the disenfranchised—populations that lack the financial means or political clout to achieve lasting benefit on their own.” This  is not a simple goal rather, a journey that is taken over time, learning from mistakes and best practice models that exist.

Change doesn’t happen overnight, it starts with helping an individual start a small business, out of the business, they can support their family by being able to put food on the table to paying a child’s tuition. These are steps that build on each that eventually lead to sustainable change in an individual, village and eventually country!

What are your thoughts on social entrepreneurship?

Mrs Gintinji at her shop selling clothes and beauty products