Before we go any further…it’s Mathare.
That’s MATH+(the letter)R+(the letter)E.
Imagine you’re trying to say “Mass sorry”, but you’ve got an awful lisp. Yeah…that’s it. Mathare.
Now take a look at what Mathare is.
Mathare is a slum. To be more precise, it’s the most dangerous slum in all of Kenya. It’s estimated that some 500,000 - 800,000 people live in this 3 square-mile area. There is no garbage collection. There is no running water. It is truly a disgusting sight.
This is a store.
This is a street.
This is a home.
And this is a child. One of hundreds of thousands who live in the Mathare slums.
We had absolutely no idea what we were getting ourselves into today. The weight of the most extreme poverty I’ve ever witnessed culminated as the stench of feces, rotting garbage, and the body odor of half a million people filled my nostrils. I stepped carefully over slippery rocks as I dodged used condoms, dead animals, and broken glass. Plastic bags known as flying toilets were everywhere. With no bathrooms to be found, we discovered that the normal process for nature’s calling in these slums consisted of expelling one’s waste into a grocery bag - swinging it around one’s head - and throwing it as far as you can. Culture dictates that wherever the bag lands is where it’s supposed to be. It doesn’t matter if it’s in someone’s home, or landing on a person. I truly wish that I were kidding.
In America, we believe that we have “slums”. We should stop believing that.
Mathare is a collection of sheet metal and cardboard homes, local businesses, and illegal operations. If there was ever a time when I regretted having my Tetanus shot renewed, it was now.
Compassion International has made it’s presence known in the slums of Mathare by setting up 3 different project areas. We visited one of those projects today. As we wound our way through the narrow openings between homes and businesses, I couldn’t help but think of this area as a living hell.
We eventually reached our destination, and when we did, I felt as if I had been holding my breath the entire way through. Finally we had reached some sort of sanctuary and I could breath again. I was never so happy in my life to reach this dingy project area.
Our spirits were conflicted as we were excited to see Compassion sponsored children moving about, and yet deeply troubled that there were Compassion sponsored children moving about. They lived there.
The room had many windows, but I have no clue why you would want to look out of them.
Beautiful children looked up at us and I found myself thanking God that they had shoes on their feet.
The heaviness of all that was around us began to lift as we got to the point of why we were there.
These children wanted to show some Compassion sponsors the difference that was being made in their lives since they have been sponsored. I can remember being excited in school when we got to break from our normal routine and host visitors of various sorts, but I was never as excited as these kids.
They even baked for us.
Then they sang for us to showcase their music classes.
Here’s a video I took of one of the songs:
They performed skits for us about crime and drug resistance.
People often wonder what their $38 a month is going towards with child sponsorship, but it’s not the easiest question to answer. What I’ve really learned during this trip is that the money goes towards whatever it needs to. Each project is different and depending on the area, it may go towards food, shelter, education, etc.. For these kids, it was clear that a lot of education was being implemented to help these children reach a goal of getting out of this place.
These kids were about as poor as you can get, but you couldn’t tell by the looks on their faces.
Psalm 34:18 says,
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
The weird part is…we were the brokenhearted! We were crushed in spirit! There was not one of us among our group that could keep tears from rolling down our faces as we saw these heroic children swim upstream towards a better existence. I could feel the compassion of God for these people as I’ve never felt before. His love and His presence filled the room and all of us were overcome with empathy.
My favorite part of the day was having plenty of time to talk with the sponsored kids about anything and everything. I had a group of 6 or 7 around me and they were firing off questions in perfect English.
“Is it true that you only study one subject at university in the United States?”
“How long do you have to go to school before you can attend college?”
“Is it winter where you are from? How cold is it?”
“What are your hobbies?”
“Do you have children? What are their names?”
“Do you sponsor children? Where are they from?”
These questions went on and on and I’ve never been so happy to be grilled in all my life. I must confess that I thought these kids would be less advanced than American children and I admit that I had that one backwards. These amazing children were getting everything out of school that they possible could.
Perhaps it is due to incredible people like Maurine and Rafael.
Maurine has just completed her fourth year in the Compassion International Leadership Development Program…or as they call it, LDP.
LDP is another opportunity for sponsored children to move on to become responsible and contributing members of society. It has to be earned, and so it places a strong emphasis on doing well in school so that you can move on to a university. Rafael has just completed his first year with LDP.
We were floored to find out that Maurine and Rafael have achieved success through sponsorship to the point that they are now volunteers with Compassion International - not only that, but they have pooled their resources with other LDP students to sponsor 10 children! They wanted to be sponsors themselves as they couldn’t imagine life without the opportunities given them through the child sponsorship program. To see something like this happening…in action…well, I’ll just say it. I cried. A lot.
To think, moving from SPONSORED to SPONSORING others. Incredible.
As we made our way out of the slums, it was interesting to see all the different containers lining the streets to collect rain water. A community of more than half a million people is living without any running water whatsoever, and yet - somehow - hope flows freely through the streets of Mathare.
One child at a time, we can change the world together. This isn’t fluff. I’ve seen it with my own eyes and you’re seeing it too. It’s time to stand up and make a difference. It’s time to do what is right and fight for those who are worth fighting for. In this case, impulse buys are a good idea. 
55 Comments
Coming home is going to be very hard after all you have witnessed.
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Hope is being sung by the mouths of those children. Beautiful. What powerful spirits they have. And I love how the sponsored are now doing the sponsoring. Awesome.
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Good post brother. Thank you for sharing with us.
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I just sponsored my first child, David, he is 7 years old. I can’t wait to show Landon his new brother. Thank you so much for bringing us on this trip with you… Love you.
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Dear Lord. Sponsored children sponsoring children. Your blog makes me weep. For everything not right in this world. For the children……………just for the children
My heart aches.
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Great post! Thanks for sharing. I sponsored a child through Compassion last year because of you. It’s been on my heart to sponsor another.
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Oh well. Thanks a lot. Now you have me in tears as well.. I have never felt moved to sponsor a child until this, now I want to sponsor a dozen.
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I cried. Then I sponsored a child. 5 year old Vincent.
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I, too, cried. And then I sponsered 7 year old Christoper. Thank you.
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Allison and Ryan, we were just at group talking about your trip and how moving everything has been for us… and then some excuses… and then we sponsored 2 children together as a team!!!! Love you guys!!! Thanks for the inspiration!
All the girls!
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Ryan, God has truly blessed you with the ability to “see with your Heart” your pictures say so much!
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wow….as tears are rolling down my face….thank you for sharing. This has been on my heart for awhile…I think God is really trying to tell ME something.
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The singing, it is beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. To see what they endure everyday makes me feel so blessed to have everything I have. They are singing from their hearts and you can tell they FEEL every word. God bless.
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You’ve opened the eyes and hearts in this household. My wife and I are joining Compassion now. Thank you for inspiring us, Ryan.
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Your trip opened our eyes to the great work that Compassion International is doing in the world. Dad and I just sponsored our first child, Abdalla. He is 8 yrs. old and I’m excited that he gets to find out that he is sponsored and that he doesn’t have to wait another day for his new, promising and hopeful life to begin!
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Wow! I am in “aww” at the beauty and brightness inside all of that. Ryan and Allison, “You are royalty, you have destiny, you have been set free and you are going to change the world” Awesome! Feel like we are right there with you!
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Just wanted to let you know that today I had my 3 year old Ava help me decide on a child to sponsor. We are now sponsoring an 8 year old girl from Kenya. Thanks for saving us from our wealth.
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It is just crushing to see these things, hear about them; you know they are true, but when confronted with them…I don’t know that I could do what you are doing. We sponsor through World Vision, and what you are inspiring me to do is to be more diligent/intentional about communicating with them. Thank you for your honesty. It is pretty awesome, the story about the sponsored who now sponsor. Wow. (That “Wow” might be the understatement of the year.)
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Wow! Thanks for sharing your trip with us!
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You’re absolutely right - most Americans don’t know didly about how poor a lot of the REAL world is. Heartbreaking. Do you think these kids would care if a sandwich hit the ground for longer than the 5 second rule?????? REally makes ya think about how we live.
And it makes ME a little ashamed….
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I have sponsored a child for a few years, but have been pretty bad at keeping in touch. You have opened my eyes to the importance of maintaining that contact.
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Thank you so much for sharing your trip with everyone! I have spent a great deal of time in Africa, though only a day in Mathare, and your depiction is exactly the way I felt walking through there several years ago. Only, I didn’t have the chance to witness the Compassion International refuge there, and I am so glad to see that some progress is being made by such a wonderful group of people!
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Ree Drummond directed her readers here and I am delighted that she did. With the ground work laid by her family last year, I was able to read more about Compassion leading me to the decision to sponsor a child. Thank you for sharing your experience. I pray that many more will be moved to make this commitment to share in the gifts given to us.
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Your stories are amazing. I just sponsored 8 year old Isaac. What a difference you’re making by sharing your experience!
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So moving. We just sponsored Joseph (19) from Mathare. Thank you for bringing this story to us.
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We decided to sponsor a CI child in Honduras about a month ago but we keep looking at the faces and none of them are jumping out to us. So we keep putting off the decision on which one.
Today, with the help of your blog, I’m going ask CI to pick one of the most needy children in Honduras and that is the one that we’ll sponsor.
Your blog these past few days has kept my heart in line with where God wants it to be. I know you’ll come home soon - is there someone who stays there and blogs regularly? I would love to hear more about what’s happening in Kenya. Thanks!
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Oh my goodness. This post broke my heart (again). It seems like I cry every time I read your posts. Praise God that He’s doing mighty work there, but I wish that no one ever had to live in these conditions. I can’t even imagine. I thought that it was rough when I went to Panama a few years ago, but seeing these pictures, it just doesn’t even compare. If only God would release all of America from our wealth! I want our nation to be known as the most giving–not the most selfish. Praise the LORD that those once-sponsored children are now sponsoring other children as young adults.
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Thanks for sharing this. You guys are doing a good thing.
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We sit here is our safe, comfortable homes and make assumptions about where the money goes. I have to be honest. I used to make a few cynical assumptions.
I think the sponsored children going on to sponsoring others is the best evidence for how well this system works.
Thanks for blogging about this! It’s enlightening quite a few of us
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Wow.
WOW
WOW!
Amazing post. I’m crying at my desk at work here…
I just looked at the kids available for sponsorship, but I can’t decide on one. How did you choose?!
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Thank you so much for your honesty and moving photos. A lot of things are moving about in my mind and spirit. One thing I found moving was the fact that the store has painted on the door “In God We Trust”. I don’t know the owner’s reason for painting it on the door (is it b/c that’s what is on US money?) but I hope that it’s a testament to the work Compassion and others are doing in Mathare.
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Thank you! The photos are amazing. The video breathtaking! The children PRICELESS! The mission POSSIBLE! Because God is leading the way for all of us to see His heart through the eyes of the least of these. Time for the body of Christ to use our hands and feet for His glory and it alone!
You are never going to be the same. I will be praying for your transition once you all come home. I have yet to feel “normal” again after visiting the poorest place in Ethiopia 3 weeks ago. I understand your heart and wanting to do exactly what God is asking you now that you have truly seen!
Our family sponsors children around the world through Compassion Intl and now I’m praying to go on the next blogging trip! Please join me in praying for God’s will on this mission if I am to go!
Blessings,
Jill
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I just… I… I… how do you not bring them all home with you?
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I am speechless! This deserves action anyway!
Thank You!
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I know this probably comes off as harsh, but is Compassion International doing ANYTHING at all for birth control counseling to the people of third world countries?? Helping the children and the parents of these children is full of God’s Grace, no doubt. But, unless the people of Kenya and other third world countries practice birth control, it’s like putting a bandaid on an open and infested flesh wound. The help is needed, but it wouldn’t be so drastic if birth control was actively practiced. Is Compassion International actively teaching birth control to the youth of these countries, along with it’s other teachings and good deeds? Or does Compassion International not believe in intervention in that way?
This is an honest question, not intended to be sarcastic. But it is a harsh reality that people need to be educated and take responsibility to at least try not bring children into the world if they cannot be cared for. Seeing pictures like these troubles me on so many levels. One of those levels is a sense of responsibility for ones own actions, and the effects of overpopulation.
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Humbled….Compassion is awesome….
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When I read through the comments of this and your other posts, and see how many people have sponsored children because of your testimony and your willingness to go and share what you see….all I can say is Praise God!
Thank you.
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Thank you for sharing your journey with us. I cannot imagine what these kids go through on a daily basis…….I believe I will show my children your blog tonite and hopefully they will learn something from it! I always hear “so-and-so has this, so-and-so has that” and I tell them they don’t know what it is like to not have anything, we are very spoiled compared to these children in Kenya! This certainly makes one think twice, or more, about life in general.
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Thank you for sharing your experiences - your pictures are amazing and they bring the harsh reality to my mind that I have no idea what poverty is. Truthfully, I have no idea what being poor is.
Thank you so much for going to Kenya.
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My heartstrings could take it no longer. We just sponsored our first child. Musee, he is 6 and beautiful. Thank you Ryan and Allsion for everything that you are doing.
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Ryan and Allison - thanks for your words and pictures and for being eloquent speakers of incredibly hard things. My husband and I just sponsored Niyitanga from Rwanda - ironically, he shares my husbands birthday and I’ve already been thinking about what to get him. I’m looking forward to the rest of your trip.
Thanks again,
Jen
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I sat and wept while watching your video of the Mathare children singing. We sponsor one child and are correspondence sponsors for another. I am praying as to how we can do more.
Thank you for your posts the past few days.
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The slums in Kenya look so much like some areas here in the Philippines. Thank you for sharing this journey with us. I think Compassion International has local offices here, it’s probably worth checking out, thanks for the reminder!
Here via Pw!
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I am really enjoying reading your posts about your experience in Africa. I am currently living in Luanda Angola which is on the west side of Africa. My husband, two sons and I moved here in Aug 07 to take an expat job with Chevron. It has been a WILD ride. The pictures that you are posting could very well be straight out of my camera. The poverty level is equal to what you are seeing. It is quite overwhelming when you try to think of how to help. I am currently supporting a creche run by Fransiscan Nuns…it is located in one of the poorest areas in Luanda. It is a refuge for sure…
I would love to visit about this more when you are back home and settled. We have approx. 6 more months in Angola and I want to make sure I do what I can before I leave…this is something I have grappled with since we first arrived…leaving something sustainable.
Rachael
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Wow.
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amazing and heartbreaking. thank you so much for documenting this for us.
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Ryan, I’ve read all your posts this week, but I haven’t commented. For some reason, it seemed too intrusive for me, a newcomer, to speak.
But this post in particular moved me, and I want you to know that. I’m no stranger to Compassion - we sponsor 2 children - and my own husband grew up in poverty. (There’s a small piece of his story on the Compassion blog.) But the conditions in Mathare, such as we can experience them on a computer screen, truly horrify me.
Last November, my husband traveled to Haiti, and he come home saying he’d seen the worst poverty of his life in the Haitian slums. These pictures look a lot like what he saw.
I’m praying for all of you as you return home, marked by God’s grace against the backdrop of the world’s darkness.
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I once sponsored a child and wrote to her and received letters from her for years. Then one day I received a letter from the organization saying the money was being misused and there would no longer be a sponsorthip program. I was shocked! I couldn’t believe I would never receive another letter or picture of the child I had grown attached to. Needless to say I am afraid to sponsor again but since you have been there personlly and seen the good being done and have shared with us your story I will sponsor again. Thank you!
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I don’t know why it took me so long but I just sponsored a beautiful little girl named Joseph because she is worth it.
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Because of you, McMama, and Ree, I have sponsored 2 children. Thank God that people like you can help open our eyes beyond my tiny little world here in NW Wisconsin.
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I was drawn into your post by the beautiful pictures, but I was touched by the words. It sounds like Compassion International is really making a difference there, and that they really made an impact on you.
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The monetary assistance is wonderful, but why force your religion? The children do not know any better. There’s a song & dance for you and a stiff pose behind religious drawings so you feel warm and fuzzy inside, but the religion you impose on them is not part of their culture. The religion you impose causes murder among the tribes.
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after I pulled my self off of my knees and I sponsored Stephanic 6 years old….Ryan thanks for sharing…It is amazing to see how Gods speaks to us through your talents…thank you for surrendering yourself for Him…you are truly living the story you were called to. Love you Mighty Warrior!
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Thank you! I was in Mathare in 1993 working with the Compassion Project Mlango Kubwa. We sponsored a little girl from there, who is now 18 and working! The pictures show that not alot in the streets have changed, but neither have the smiles and hope of the people! We now have another child to sponsor!! yippee! Hopefully we can return to meet them as we did our little girl so many years ago!
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Apoyar a Un Niño, permitirle seguir soñando, Apoyarlo en su vida dura, Estar ahí con él Cuando todos se olvidaron de él, Es Lo que aprendí. Valoro mucho el Apoyo y amor que mi Padrino dio por mi, me enseño que los sueños no están perdidos que aun podemos Lograrlos que necesitamos aun lograr valorar muchas cosas en la Vida, Le agradezco a Dios por ser parte de esta gran bendición en mi vida, COMPASSION me enseño a Valorar que aunque mi padre y mi madre me dejaré MI DIOS estará conmigo pase lo que pase, Gracias a Todos los Padrinos del Mundo sin su bendición La Felicidad de Muchos niños en el Mundo no seria posible, Les Agradezco y Lo que siembran en la tierra sera recompensado en el CIELO, se los aseguro, muchas gracias, estoy tan feliz de ver como Dios usa la vida de nuestros padrinos para Bendecir a cada uno de nosotros y devolvernos la felicidad que muchas veces estaba Perdida. Habacub 2:3 El señor cumpla sus propósitos en todos, bendiciones saludos de aquí en Perú.
Traducción:
Support a child, allowing him to continue dreaming, leaning on his hard life, be there with him when everyone forgot about him, is what I learned. I appreciate the support and love my Godfather gave me, taught me that dreams are not lost even though we can achieve that we need to achieve value many things in life, I thank God for being part of this great blessing in my life , COMPASSION Rate taught me that although my father and my mother let me MY GOD be with me no matter what happens, Thanks to All Sponsors of World without his blessing the happiness of many children in the world would not be possible, and I thank them they wreak on the earth will be rewarded in heaven, I assure you, thank you very much, I’m so happy to see how God uses the lives of our sponsors to bless each one of us and bring back the happiness that often was lost. 2:3 Habacub Mr. fulfill its purposes in all, blessings, greetings from here in Peru.
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