Projects
Passion Partners is committed to the communities where projects are strategically designed to contribute
to the development of its people.
The faces of community development
ru·ral : adjective ˈrur-əl
of or relating to the country, country life, or agriculture
Many of you, especially some of our hometown friends from Tennessee, may know what it’s like to live out in the country. Rural life in America often entails driving 30 minutes to get to the grocery store, living in a house you can’t see from the road, and having the pizza man tell you you’re too far out for them to deliver. (I can attest from personal experience, this is heartbreaking news.)
In East Africa, however, rural life means something very different. One of our primary projects in Kenya, the Siaya Community Development Initiative, which includes the Ashburn Ohuru Medical Clinic & Usingo Primary School, are located in a rural region of the Nyanza Province.
The Nyanza Province is one of the most impoverished areas of the country, with nearly two-thirds of the population living on less than $1 a day.
The area in which our community development initiative is located, the Siaya District, is one of the poorest in the province.
Needless to say, the need is great.
We all know that wrapping our minds around faceless statistics can be difficult, but they do plainly expose areas of need. And we at Passion Partners believe that in order to address the need, you’ve got to know the need.
So, here are some numbers….
• Over 90% of rural Kenyan households do not have electricity.
• Over 70% live in houses with floors made of earth, sand, or dung.
• Almost 50% of rural Kenyan households do not have access to an improved source of drinking water….and almost half of those who do, have to walk 30 minutes or more to obtain it. (Ever carried a jeri can full of water?)
• In the Nyanza Province, only 6.4% of females have completed secondary school.
….The need? Invest in clean water projects.
….The need? Enable children & teenagers stay in school.
… The need? Provide low-cost, quality medical care to combat treatable illnesses common in rural areas as well as common water and sanitation related diseases.
Our partners in Kenya are on the ground, every day, leading the way in this effort, fulfilling THEIR Call.
The Siaya Community Development Initiative and the Ashburn Ohuru Medical Clinic are seeking to address these very real and dire needs…not just “statistics about places, but people with faces.”
Our intent is to help meet these practical and pressing needs while working to uncover the giftings of our brothers and sisters in rural Kenya to eventually meet their own needs and fulfill their God-given purposes…
“I know the plans I have for you…and will supply all of your needs.”
Jer 29:11, Phil 4:19
What an amazing privilege to be involved in God’s redemptive work around the world.
Allie
Strategic Development & Project Manager – Africa
Pajamas…and other things taken for granted
Whenever possible, I like to share with you emails and messages we receive from our partners in Africa. Walking alongside these men & women, laboring with them for the Kingdom, and celebrating what God is doing in their ministries is big part of my day-to-day work. I know…tough job, right?
I hear from them almost every day, if not by Skype, then by email. And everyday, I’m challenged and encouraged by their perspectives on life and ministry. Their words, so refreshingly authentic and humble, often convey much more than we can about the impact of our projects.
So, I know I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again – they’re just too good not to share.
Here’s a recent email Candice and I received from our Kampala Director, Fred Kaddu. The “shopping” he’s referring to was done for our newest girls moving into the Restoration Home. We wanted them all to have a fresh pair of PJ’s to celebrate moving into their new home. A relatively small thing for us, but as Fred reminded us, no small thing for them.
Gratefully,
Allie (Strategic Development & Project Manager – Africa)
2012: A look back
26 local people employed as Passion Partners extended staff in Kenya & Uganda
Over 48,800 miles traveled by domestic staff visiting African partners on site
Within 4 months of opening, 3,000 cases treated at Ohuru Medical Clinic
18,000 people given access to clean water through 3 well projects
Over 500 girls achieved app. 13,500 more days of learning through feminine product distribution
180 families in Kibera slums received life-sustaining food
School renovation underway to launch feeding program for over 400 children in 2013
42 girls to receive food, shelter, and education as residents of Wakiso Girls Restoration Home
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us…” Eph 3:20
Letters from home
In late November, 17 girls moved into a new home. But not just any girls, and not just any home.
Girls who, before joining “Restoration”, as they call it, yearned for safety, security, and provision–things they have not known in the past. But now, they have a new place to call home, where the aspiration everyday is to ensure they are well-loved, cared for, provided for, listened to…restored.
We’ve been hearing just how much they are enjoying and adjusting to life in the new Restoration Home. Their favorite things?
Three certain meals a day . . .
Water–clean water, that is just steps away . . .
And having their very own bed.
I thought their words were too redemptive not to share with you, so here a couple “letters from home…”
From Winnie:
From Agnes:
Want to see more of the home and the girls? Check out our Restoration Home albums on Passion Partners facebook page!
* testimonies have been shared with consent of the girls.
Snapshots from Uganda
We had been so anxious for months to lay our eyes on the work that God was doing among our partners in Uganda. We knew that pictures just weren’t quite doing it justice and couldn’t wait to see it ourselves.
Over the past several years, our partners in Kampala, Fred Kaddu and Wakiso Baptist Church, have been oh so faithful and committed to the vision of a full-scale Restoration Home for girls. And on November 10th, that vision became a physical reality, as Passion Partners officially opened the Wakiso Girls Restoration Home.
Being present at the Dedication Ceremony was certainly a highlight of our trip…I can only describe it as a day of sheer joy and celebration over what this house will mean to this community and especially to the 42 girls who will call it “home.”
Another milestone for Passion Partners took place during our trip, as the Jitambue Purity Project (a program originally started by our partners in Kenya) formally launched in high schools in Kampala. And what an honor for our team to be able to attend one of the first meetings of the project at Onwards & Upwards High School in Wakiso. The project will begin with 200 girls in four different schools, who will receive the truth of God’s word about their value & their purity, education about their bodies and reproductive health, and feminine products that they would otherwise go without each month. We’re thrilled to be able to replicate this project, which has already had an impact on thousands of girls lives in the slums of Nairobi, in Kampala! We ask you’d pray for our new Ugandan J-Project staff members who will be investing in these girls and partnering with us for eternal impact.
Here are just a few some snapshots from our time on the ground…we have much to rejoice over….hope you enjoy!
Blueprints to bricks…a progression of the Restoration Home build.
Restoration Home – past (top) and present (bottom)
A moment of celebration on the steps of the new home.
A sign made by one of the Restoration girls…doesn’t get much sweeter than that!
Sunday morning with our friends at Wakiso Baptist, Pastor Fred’s church, and the congregation which has cared for the Restoration Girls over the past several years.
The first meeting of Jitambue Purity Project – Uganda. Earthly partnerships…eternal impact.
For more pictures, check out our Passion Partners Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Passion-Partners/243305275705987?ref=hl
Passion Partners: defined
di-‘fīn
v. 1. to determine or identify the essential qualities; 2. to discover and set forth the meaning; 3. to fix or mark the limits of: demarcate; 4. to make distinct, clear, or detailed ; 5. to explain or identify the nature or essential qualities of
pӑsh-‘ən
n. 1. a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity, object, or concept; 2. intense drive; 3. boundless enthusiasm; 4. the sufferings of Jesus
pärt-‘nər
n. 1.a person who shares or is associated with another in some action or endeavor; sharer; associate; 2. one that is united with others in an activity or a sphere of common interest
For almost 2 years Passion Partners has been laying the foundation of more than just the buildings we’ve been constructing around the world…
February 2011: ground was broken on the Ohuru Medical Clinic in Kenya; August 1, 2012, the doors opened and, already, more than 1000 people have been served. It exists as a reminder that God goes to the ends of the earth to manifest His love and involves us to do so.
January 2012: ground was broken on the Wakiso Girls Restoration Home in Uganda; October 2012 it will cover the heads of 42 abandoned, abused and/or orphaned girls, shelter their hearts, and shepherd them in a “hope and a future.” It exists as a reminder that restoration is a promised part of God’s eternal plan.
And though these projects are the Fruit of our recent labor and evidence of the recurrent faith of our partners whose visions long precede our association, “identifying the essential qualities” of Passion Partners, has been as crucial as laying the physical foundation for the Clinic and the Restoration Home.
Since January 2010, a series of events have unfolded that defines Passion Partners and continues to guide every decision we make . . .
At it’s simplest, Passion Partners is the global missions organization of Her Passion ministries. To a more multifaceted extent, it is social entrepreneurship guided by principles of Kingdom investment whose metrics are ultimately eternal. Yet, excellence in organizational management is esteemed with the intent of establishing and maintaining a solid foundation in principles, process and policy.
Our mission is to mobilize people to be the hands and feet of Jesus with the sole purpose of reconciling the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.
Our vision is to provide leadership and funding to existing as well as emerging ministries around the world with the express goal of walking alongside our partners in a collaborative effort allowing them to be more productive in their purposes and in fulfilling their passion.
Passion Partners is committed to the communities where projects are strategically designed to contribute to the advancement of its people through immediate “relief” and long-term “development.” Sometimes, practical, yet common everyday needs have to be addressed in order to take the good news of the Gospel. That is what we, at Passion Partners, are doing . . . meeting practical humanitarian needs in order to bring the greatest humanitarian need: the Hope of the Gospel.
At the core of Passion Partners are our values . . .
1. Sacrifice
I will not offer to the Lord that which costs me nothing. (2 Samuel 24:24)
2. Purpose
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to give you a hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)
3. Responsibility
Look after orphans and widows in distress . . . (James 1:27)
4. Generosity
Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord . . .(Proverbs 19:17) Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth . . . (Matthew 6:19)
5. Accountability
So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God…(Romans 14:12)
6. Collaboration
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Sprit. There are different types of service, but the same Lord . . . Now the body is not made up of one but of many. (1 Corinthians 12:5-6, 14)
7. Unity
I appeal to you . . . that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. (1 Corinthians 1:10)
This is “the nature” and “essential qualities of” Passion Partners. We have learned much about what defines us and what does not…and we would be remiss not to acknowledge that we have much more to learn. Our desire is that our organization will grow only as proportionately as our commitment to maintain our values, our mission, our vision, and our mission; so that only while preserving our identity in the foundation which we were formed, we were able to advance…and all for the glory of God.
Hundreds of Siaya community members sought treatment at Ohuru Clinic on its first day of operations – August 1, 2012
Construction is nearing completion on the Restoration Home in Wakiso, Uganda. Move-in date for the girls is set for November 2012.
“The Launch”…a look back
Throughout the past few weeks, we have been sharing with you the heart and soul of Passion Partners…our mission, our vision, our values….getting “back to basics,” if you will. And we know for many of you, simply hearing “the basics” for the very first time.
Today, I, Allie (Strategic Development & Project Manager – Africa) want to take you back a couple of months, to our official launch of Passion Partners, and share with you the first communication our founder and Executive Director, Candice Ashburn, sent out to supporters.
This was the first time we formally extended the invitation for others to “be a part” of Passion Partners…a significant moment in our ministry, to say the least.
Candice knows, and we all know, that it is both an exciting and intimidating task to invite others to join others in the work God is calling you to. Yet, we, Passion Partners, firmly believe that this is exactly what He’s asked us to do…invite others to join us.
Why? Because the work God is doing is just too big, too significant, too good to keep to ourselves.
So, in case you missed it, here it is…
the “launch,” the “invitation”… in retrospect.
From Candice:
“I want you to know . . . that what has happened to me has really served to advance the Gospel.” Philippians 1:12
Dear friends,
This is a moment which I have been greatly anticipating for some time . . .
In 2010, 2 ½ years after my husband, David’s, death, God gave me a vision much larger than I could have ever imagined, let alone predicted the result of God’s ability to bring hope out of such tragedy.
But today, it is with my greatest expression of joy that this side of the screen can deliver that I formally introduce Passion Partners, the global missions organization of Her Passion ministries.
The mission of Passion Partners is to mobilize people to be the hands and feet of Jesus with the sole purpose of reconciling the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.
Love your neighbor as yourself . . . Mark 12:31
. . . go and make disciples of all nations . . . Mark 28:19
All for the glory of God.
In January of 2010, God began to turn my heart toward a global reach, and I felt impressed to expand Her Passion ministries (www.herpassionministries.com) from not only teaching the Word of God, but to include reaching the world for God . . . being the hands and the feet of the Gospel. And that was the literal beginning of what is now Passion Partners.
Passion Partners exists to provide leadership & funding to existing as well as emerging ministries all over the world. Our goal is very simply this: to walk alongside our partners in a collaborative effort allowing them to be more effective in their call and fulfilling their passion.
Passion Partners also exists to mobilize ordinary people into extraordinary opportunities to serve the Kingdom and discover and uncover their own passions and purposes.
You can find out more about our most rapidly expanding partnerships and projects (which are in Kenya and Uganda) at www.passionpartners.org which is set to launch this fall. But until then, you can “like” us on Facebook and “follow” us on Twitter (@pp_global). You can find photos of our current projects and partners which include the Siaya Community Development Initiative: the Ohuru Medical Clinic, Usingo School; Swahiba Youth Networks: Jitambue project; and the Wakiso Restoration Home for girls in Uganda.
We continue to travel back and forth to Africa to visit our partners and see the work God is doing with our own eyes. And we return again and again, testifying to Ephesians 3:20 and sharing that He is doing “more than we could have ever thought, asked or imagined” and more than words can adequately describe. Before the end, our invitation will be not only will you “follow us” and “like us,” but will you “join us?” We look forward to sharing the many adventures to come!
For His Glory,
Candice
Lessons learned on bumpy roads
I would like introduce one of the most outstanding 18 year-olds I’ve had the privilege of getting to know. Genny Kate Gurley has nannied for me for the last couple of years. She is one amazing young woman with incredible discipline to place herself before God and His Word. Her work ethic is beyond reproach and if her willingness to be taught is any indication of her life trajectory, she is a shooting star. Thank you, GK, for sharing your last summer “at home” with me, my family & my ministry. You really have become a part of our family.
Candice
Read on to hear about Geny Kate’s experience with Passion Partners in Kenya, in her own words…
Geny Kate & Anabelle in the now infamous “safari van”
I had no idea what to expect on this trip to Kenya with Passion Partners. Not only had I never been to Africa before, but I knew very little about the Passion Partners projects we’d be working with and barely knew the other trip participants, besides Candice and her children. I was just an eighteen-year-old girl, recently re-settled from Birmingham to Nashville, who was about to start college at Mississippi State.
I was thrilled when Candice asked me to be a part of the team to help take care of her sweet kids for a few weeks. I boarded that plane open minded and ready to help in whatever capacity she needed me to. I was excited to visit Kenya and Uganda, places I had only heard of and enjoyed reading so much about. Doing mission work and babysitting? There couldn’t be a trip better suited for this girl! I was ready, open, and prepared…
…or so I thought. People, I’ll just say, there is nothing that could have prepared me for some the things I was about to experience. No amount of documentaries, travel narratives, or missionary biographies can prepare you for something like visiting the slums of Kibera and rural Africa. Sure, I had an idea what it would look like. I’d seen pictures and heard stories from those who had been, and really felt prepared. I thought I’d know how it would make me react. Yet, all of it caught me completely by surprise. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing and was more in a state of shock than anything else. Shocked that this was everyday reality for some people, not a photo-shopped image a photographer took. It was a lot to take in. And I could have never really prepared for it.
Something else I was not prepared for… the beauty of Kenya. Everywhere we went was absolutely beautiful. And really, that wasn’t something I expected to find in the midst of such poverty. Even walking through the slums of Kibera, I saw it. The beauty of the people. The beauty of how different this world was from everything I was used to. The beauty of being unplugged from iPhones and internet.
At the same time, though, it was hauntingly sad to see such crime and poverty, despite the efforts of so many ministries and non-profits. The contrast to me seemed very post-Eden: the hopelessness of losing what was perfect and now living in a fallen world against the hope still visible in child’s face, a student’s dream, a ministry’s outreach, and all those worshipping Jesus’ name, content with what they have.
A student whose home we visited one day in the slums told me that she was proud to be from Kibera. She felt that all the struggles she faced had built up her faith. Her confidence and self-assurance despite her surroundings and the criticism she received from unbelieving friends inspired me…more beauty.
Obviously, the Masaai Mara Game Park we ventured into was also utterly amazing and beautiful, as well. Though, it was sometimes hard to appreciate the sights when I was in literal physical agony (a little exaggeration there) from, as the wise and clever Candice Ashburn put it, “being catapulted about in the back seat of a safari van.” (Even now, every time I see a speed bump, I instinctively cringe and brace myself for the jolting about and whiplash–it’s intense, people.)
Though I didn’t have any expectations regarding the work we were doing, I did have expectations about how I thought I would react and feel about certain things. I figured this trip would affirm and highlight the particular parts of ministry for which I’m gifted. The few things I have always been passionate about are working with kids, traveling, and spreading the Word. I also have enjoyed doing things like hurricane clean up and building Habitat for Humanity houses. You see, my heart has always been a little all over the map. There are so many places I want to go and so many different kinds of ministry opportunities to be involved in. Will I work with under privileged or impoverished kids? Special needs kids? Disaster relief teams? High school or college ministry? Will I stay at home or live in a third world country, an environment hostile to Christianity, or in spiritually barren Europe? I expected this trip would highlight my gifts and make my future path a little clearer. I expected to feel like I was on a “spiritual high,” moved by everything I saw, ready to swear off my Western consumerist ways and speak up for the under privileged.
Instead, an apathetic spirit reared its ugly head. Satan capitalized on my physical exhaustion and discomfort and really tried to mess me up. After my initial sentiment, I became numb to Kibera and those coming to the clinic in Siaya. I felt bad for them, but that was the extent of my sympathy. I’m the Geny Kate who tears up at Voice of the Martyrs articles and reads classic works of Christian literature for pleasure, shouldn’t all of this mean so much more to me?
It really was a moment of identity crisis, realizing my sins, and falling to my knees. I thought “missions” was my thing, but all I could think about was my bed at home and scrubbing my feet. I felt so incredibly guilty. And though I was, perhaps, being too hard on myself, it really was an important realization to me: What do I have to offer these people? Am I actually helping them or just asserting myself on them? What do I say?
The truth I learned is that I’m not and will never be “good at mission work.” What I am, is a temple of the Holy Spirit and one of God’s children, who He uses as He desires to see His name proclaimed. He sends me. He guides me. He teaches through me. And He draws people into His kingdom. I, in and of myself, have nothing to bring. But He gave me the Holy Spirit, who gives me willing hands, an open heart, and the words to say.
Even though I was passionate about missions, I was way too focused on my goals, my gifts, and my expectations. That was important for me to realize!
Satan kept telling me that I didn’t have anything to offer, but thankfully, God kept speaking Truth into me. Telling me that though I am a creature of dust, He cares so much for me and has incredible plans ahead for me.
So, why do I have to be anxious about college and mission work? He provides for the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, so how much more will He provide for me? He gives me the courage, confidence, and strength I need…I can’t muster it up myself.
Just writing all of this is making me cry again. The grace and love of God totally amazes me, a girl worn from years of battling self-loathing and also nervous about my college experience. I am beyond thankful for the amazing people God has put into my life, like those on the Her Passion team and in RUF at Mississippi State. People who speak truth to me and remind me of my worth in Him.
The trip was an incredible learning experience and time of self-evaluation and offering service with a fun team, in a beautiful place, with unfortunately, many terrible roads. I definitely don’t want to end talking about those bumpy roads, so I’ll end on a happy note…Kenyan pineapple and Pineapple Fanta! I miss it so much! I still eat pineapple or watermelon every day, but it doesn’t compare. Fresh Kenyan pineapple is probably the closest thing we have to the perfection of Eden. I would’ve taken the fruit, too, Eve.
Familiar Faces
It was a late arrival and my daughters and I had never been in the Nairobi airport. We navigated our way through customs and baggage claim and headed for the door, hoping someone would be there to receive us at midnight. As I looked around, there she was. The beautiful blond-headed girl whose face was familiar to me. In an instant, I went from uncertainty to confidence, knowing that even though we were sojourners in a foreign land, we were safe.
Allie (Passion Partners staff member & trip leader) had been in the country several times before. She was familiar. Although it was late, she greeted me, and I could easily identify it. There was Jesus, all over her face.
We got to the van, and I was introduced to a young Kenyan man named Chris. Chris is on staff with Swahiba Youth Networks, the partner ministry of Passion Partners based in Nairobi. I greeted him and saw it a second time. Though well past midnight, he still had a certain sparkle in his eye. It was clearly Jesus.
We reached our destination and fell into bed. The next morning there it was again when I met Peter Abungu, the Founder & Director of Swahiba Youth Networks. I spotted it almost instantly…the common thread…the look on his face. There was a glimmer in his eyes as we exchanged polite introductions. It was Jesus shining from him.
As I continued to see Christ in the faces of those I met, a portion of Scripture came to mind. Revelation 5:9 speaks of Jesus’ representatives from every nation, saying, “And they sang a new song saying,
“Worthy are You to take the book and break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation”.
I was seeing the fruit of Christ’s work on the cross right before my eyes. And it continued throughout our journey…
On Sunday morning, we set out from Nairobi and trekked several hours over bumpy roads to a church in Maasai Mara to worship alongside the people of the Maasai tribe where Candice was teaching. These are a people who have protected and preserved their culture with great pride, and so, while we did not share a common language or dress or custom, we could praise the God who was familiar to us all…the same God who delivered His people from bondage. The same God who created our earth. The same God who nailed His son to a cross so that we could be grafted into his kingdom. The God of the Maasai and the God of the eleven Americans who stood with them that day. On the side of a mountain, with more familiar faces, we all worshiped Yahweh.
A few days later, we set out for the village of Ohuru, Kenya, where Passion Partners has funded the construction and operation of a rural medical clinic. We pray the clinic is a place where the people of this community can come to receive quality medical care and physical healing. But just as importantly, that they see a clearer picture of who Jesus, the One who “will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken and strengthen the sick…” (Ez. 34:16a). As I watched a myriad of people standing in line to receive treatment, I knew that this clinic would be a place where people could come and find help. I saw more “familiar faces” as I walked through the clinic making observations and praying that the Lord would be glorified as people entered through each door.
I met two men who had traveled from Nairobi to help out at the clinic. Their names were (both) James. As we exchanged introductions, they each gave testimony that they were believers and I saw it again…Jesus in more familiar faces. And the Lord reminded me that even though my time in Kenya was short, someday I would spend eternity with these very people…
all familiar faces…
all just sojourners…
all seeking our Homeland.
The most familiar face of all was that of a woman who we fondly call Grandmother Joan. Grandmother Joan is 94. Being that the average life of a Kenyan woman is 64.5 years, it’s obvious that God had called her out for a specific plan. Grandmother Joan is a prayer warrior. She had prayed for years that there would be a clinic built on her land for people who needed help. I watched Grandmother’s face as she interacted with Candice, the founder of Her Passion ministries. Her eyes were full of Jesus. She was so thankful that we had traveled half way across the world to be in her yard for the opening of the clinic. She said how blessed she was by our being there, but I am certain that we were even more blessed just to know this special woman. She has a certainty of hope in Christ Jesus. Yes, she was the most familiar face. One whom I thanked God for. One with whom I’ll live for Eternity.
As each of you go about your daily lives, please be sure to slow down and enjoy the familiar faces that cross your path. You may never travel to Africa, but there are those who need Jesus right outside your front door. Live intentionally, and most of all, be that easily identifiable “familiar face.”
Thank you Candice, Raeanne, Allie, Chris, Geny Kate, Lauren, Sophie, Maddie, Annabelle, and David for letting your light shine on this trip!
Sandy Barnard,
Her Passion ministries Board Chair & Passion Partner
Sandy and her daughters, Lauren (top) and Sophie (bottom) taking part in the Ohuru Clinic opening day celebration
There are some days you’ll never forget…
and without a doubt, August 1, 2012 is one of those days for all of us at Passion Partners. On this sun-drenched Wednesday, deep in Western Kenya, the Ashburn Ohuru Clinic opened its doors for the first time.
What had once been the God-given dream of a 94 year-old Kenyan widow (who, by the way, has lived almost twice as long as the average life span of a Kenyan woman!) became a God-ordained reality for a young widow from Nashville, TN, whose late husband, himself, was a physician.
Walk back with us through this unforgettable day…
Before our team even arrived that morning, hundreds of residents from the surrounding community had already gathered to celebrate the opening of this long-anticipated clinic and to receive treatment at the free medical camp.