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Projects Widow Care Many women living in sub-Sahara Africa are subject to a wide range of plights and deplorable conditions. This is intensified immensely following the death of a spouse. Voice of Hope provides assistance to 80 women and their children or grandchildren in rural Kenya who find themselves in these conditions. Read More Secure Housing It was common for our women to live in homes that had no security or protection from the elements. Many lived in homes that were falling apart. Personal hygiene was nearly impossible with no latrines or wash houses in which to bathe. Read More Education and School Tuition It was apparent when other members of the widow’s family were expected to pay school fees, there were often gaps in support, which would result in the children missing school and falling behind. Read More Spiritual Groups Loneliness and isolation is prevalent in the day to day toil in our dear women’s lives. A sense of hopelessness and fear often prevails because life is hard. In 2019, it was decided amongst the women to create small groups in each community to study the Word of God and to encourage one another. Read More Medical Support Access to medical care has been a game changer for our women. Living such hard lives, often performing heavy, manual labour in the fields, brings with it a toll on their physical bodies. Read More Food Support Based on careful ongoing assessments and on the advice of our field partners Aggrey and Everlyne, monthly supplemental food support is distributed. Read More Adult Education Receiving education is a rare privilege for most of our widowed women. Some of our ladies were able to receive a primary education. Few were given the opportunity to graduate from high school. Many in our program did not have the advantage of any formal schooling. Read More Community Development An important aspect of the work of Voice of Hope has been to fund clean water wells and facilitating piped water access. We have also focused on proper sanitation with new latrine and wash house facilities, improvements to existing homes or as needed the construction of new homes. We have also been able to facilitate adding some classrooms to an existing school. Read More Shiphra Centre We work with a childrens’ home called Shiphra Centre in Nairobi. Thanks to your compassionate and generous donations, this little home has been receiving help with student tuition for many years. Read More

< Back Widow Care Many women living in sub-Sahara Africa are subject to a wide range of plights and deplorable conditions. This is intensified immensely following the death of a spouse. Voice of Hope provides assistance to 80 women and their children or grandchildren in rural Kenya who find themselves in these conditions. As widows move through their own experiences of grief, loss, or trauma after the death of a spouse, they may also face economic insecurity, discrimination, stigmatization, and harmful traditional practices on the basis of their marital status. They struggle with food; at best, most live on the edge of hunger. They struggle with insecure shelter. Having their land taken by in-laws and distant relatives is not uncommon. They struggle with the woeful lack of access to adequate health care and consistently good education for their children. Mothers, by their very nature, long to provide well for their children. Often, this is the biggest challenge our women face. Sadly, due to the high incidence of premature death in adults, many of our women have buried children. Some have buried many children. This leaves an aging grandma to care for her grandkids. An example of this is Grandma Margaret: Margaret R. is a sweet woman who, at the age of 76 years, we’d expect to see loving her grandchildren from a rocking chair. Instead, due to the death of her son and the hardships her other adult children face, Margaret labours as a full time grandma to six of her grandchildren. While the task of providing for these little ones is daunting, Voice of Hope offers assistance, allowing Margaret to provide food and education for her family. Donate Project Gallery

< Back Education and School Tuition It was apparent when other members of the widow’s family were expected to pay school fees, there were often gaps in support, which would result in the children missing school and falling behind. Over the past few years, we have become more intentional in supporting the education of our women’s children. Our field partners, Aggrey and Everlyne, conduct regular check ups with the schools to ensure attendance and progress. We are taking steps to transition struggling high schoolers into polytechnic schools to learn a trade. We have developed protocols for this assistance and have also extended assistance to several post-secondary students. Esnas is an example of an elderly grandma struggling with school fees. She is 71 years old and has 6 grandkids that she feeds and tries to send to school. Some of these grandkids have lost their mothers to illness and some of their mothers may be working in cities like Nairobi, trying to send money home. Tuition payments were made inconsistently, but with assistance from Voice of Hope, Esnas now sends her grandchildren to school regularly, without the burden of scraping together funds. Security in education can be instrumental in breaking the cycle of poverty for many of these families. On a recent visit Helen wrote: “Esnas came to us singing as we approached her home. The little ones look well and well loved.” Arise & Shine School The Arise and Shine ECD program was started by a compassionate woman named Beatrice who noticed children in her community were not attending any ECD programs. With a desire to prepare them for school, she started a program for less fortunate children in her home. Shortly after, Beatrice built a classroom and took in 45 children between the ages of 2-6. Many of these children do not have parents but are cared for by a guardian/family member. Through the support of Voice of Hope the school is now expanded to four classes, a kitchen/dining hall, a sturdy playground, clean latrines and wash houses, a fresh water well, stipends for teachers and cook and up to date curriculum. Westbow Gives Back Donate Project Gallery

Our VOH Ladies Day in Seje Written by Linda Koopman We began our day together over breakfast, grateful for the strength and fellowship God provided before the work ahead. With thankful hearts, we set out for Ladies Day at Seje Glory School, eager to gather with the women. Although we waited quite some time for the program to officially begin, the delay did not go to waste. We spent those moments visiting children in different classrooms—singing songs, colouring, playing games, skipping, blowing bubbles, and sharing countless smiles. These simple interactions were deeply meaningful.  When the program began, Patricia Ahaya—a woman supported by VOH—shared a powerful message that resonated throughout the room:“The grace of the Lord allows us to go on. Trust in the Lord and dwell in Him, and He will keep you safe in His hands. There is nothing we can do without the Lord.” Her words spoke clearly of dependence, perseverance, and God’s daily, sustaining work in our lives. The women then enjoyed a lively   “This or That”  icebreaker game that brought laughter and connection. Would you rather sing or listen to songs? Drink tea or soda? Spend time in quiet or talk together? The joy and ease among the ladies were evident as barriers fell.  Everlyne followed with practical teaching on seeds, planting, and fertilizer, emphasizing the importance of being prepared for the planting season. Her lesson carried both physical and spiritual meaning—calling the women to readiness, patience, and faithful stewardship. Everlyne also encouraged the women to remain committed to their spiritual groups, reminding them that gathering together, supporting one another, and staying grounded in God’s Word is extremely important. She left the ladies with words centered on stewardship, grace, obedience, justice, responsibility, and dependence on God—ending with a searching question for every heart: “Am I connected to Christ, the true vine?” Helen then shared about our all-powerful, good God. She reminded us that we can come to Him freely, speak with Him openly, and trust that He truly desires to hear from us. This naturally led into a beautiful time of singing, worship, and prayer. Afterward, we shared refreshments—Fanta, Coke, Sprite, and muffins—enjoying fellowship,  conversation and more pictures.  Our final home visit of the day was especially memorable. We cooked together with Rosaline, preparing a simple yet nourishing meal of rice with cabbage, carrot, onion, sausage, and tomato. It was a fitting end to our work in this area—sharing food, fellowship, and the love of Christ.  As the day drew to a close, it carried a bittersweet weight as we prepared to leave the Siaya area. Saying goodbye is never easy when hearts have been knit together through shared faith, service, and joy. We arrived back at the hotel and it was time to say our goodbyes to Cathy, our field partner in Siaya. We will miss her greatly and pray she is richly blessed as she continues her work among the VOH Women. We also rejoice with her as she awaits the arrival of her first baby in May.  Closing Hymn God be with you till we meet again;By His counsels guide, uphold you,With His sheep in love enfold you;God be with you till we meet again. God be with you till we meet again;’Neath His wings protecting hide you,Daily manna still provide you;God be with you till we meet again. Till we meet, till we meet,Till we meet at Jesus’ feet;Till we meet, till we meet,God be with you till we meet again. Ladies arriving for Ladies Day Bible Story time for the eager children. Beautiful and sweet little faces at school Cooking at Roseline’s home A fitting end to our work in this area—sharing food, fellowship, and the love of Christ.

Written by Janet Pennings Today marked our second Sunday in Kenya, and we had the joy of worshipping at Yogo Glory Centre Church. The message, “Go with us,” came from Exodus 33:12 through Exodus 34:9—a powerful reminder of Moses’ plea for the Lord’s presence to go before His people. We were encouraged to bring our fears honestly before the Lord and to expect Him to work in ways that bring glory to His name. It was both convicting and comforting to remember that God’s presence is what truly sets His people apart. After the service, we visited a water power plant, where solar panels provide energy for a pump that brings water uphill to nearby communities. Just yesterday, a water tank was delivered to a family living on the hill—after 15 years without access to water, they now have it. You can only imagine their gratitude. Seeing such a practical provision was a beautiful picture of God’s care expressed through faithful hands and simple technology. We returned for lunch and later in the evening gathered with Patricia, Pamela, and several other women from the area. Together we shared Scripture and personal testimonies of God’s faithfulness. The children also sang for us, and incredibly, a seven-year-old girl led the group. Watching her confidently lead others in worship was deeply moving—one of those moments that reminds you how God is already at work in the next generation. Once again, we traveled along rough, dusty roads, surrounded by breathtaking scenery—views we never seem to grow tired of. Each journey feels like a quiet reminder of God’s creative beauty and the privilege it is to witness it firsthand. Today was a strong reminder that God is everywhere at work. Seeing the women here flourishing in faith and confidence is incredibly encouraging. We are grateful to be witnesses to what the Lord is doing and humbled to walk alongside Him in it. Morning church service Hiking Water Power Plant

This morning we were able to sleep in a little. A slower start was appreciated by the team as our days had been full, long and hot. But, we still managed to get six visits in today. Again we were faced with the enormous challenges our women face day to day. Water for household consumption. Water for drinking, water for cooking, water for personal hygiene, water for laundry. All of it to be gotten in jerrycans- 10 or 20 litres - that’s 22 to 44 pounds! Up to 4 miles away! Our women have all received gutters and a water tank but that’s been of little help in the Seje region. It’s usually a dry climate but this year there’s been a drought. When we ask about their crop and kitchen garden the common reply has been, “The sun has burned it up” The water in the tanks have long been used up. Another challenge is their health. Thankfully God has enabled VOH to provide care but still, pain from arthritis, eye problems and cataracts that are being treated but not always as easily treated as would be back home. Unemployment has caused many of working age to migrate to the larger cities in search of jobs and hopefully a better life. Most leaving their children behind to be taken care of by their grandmother. Monica, a sweet old lady, has 6 grandchildren living with her. Two of her daughters have dumped their children, left and broke all contact with her. She is heartbroken but lovingly cares for them all from little tykes to adult age. Her heart steadfastly trusts in God. The delight of the day was to meet Charles, a serious, Godly young man who has produced miracles in his garden. He has studied landscaping and agriculture. His garden is a delight with orange bushes, pineapple and so much more. He takes loving care of it, and praise God is just as gentle with his aging mother. We are thankful he helps our VOH women with their gardens, crops and chickens. Around his mother’s house were so many children- to the delight of Jenna, Tessa and Linda. Bible stories, colouring pages, crayons, bubbles and lollipops. Such a treat for them! They followed the team from house to house as we did three nearby visits. It was another full day. The sun was burning hot but thankfully we were able to visit outdoors in the shade. God has enabled us to do the work we set out to accomplish. To Him be the glory. Join us in prayer that the seed of the Word of God sewn in our visits will sprout and bring forth fruit to the glory of God. Written by: Helena