Unapologetic Plea for Assistance!

This week a 13 year old girl came to our office in Kasambya with her two younger sisters and her grandmother. All three of the girls are orphans and they had come in the hope that we might be able to help them to pay their school fees. Two of them had been able to go to school this term, but they had failed to find the extra £1.60 to enable the third to go back to class. When I asked them how the older two had managed to find the money, the eldest explained that she goes to work on somebody's land every Saturday - earning 50p for a day's work. She does this every weekend and saves enough throughout the term for her fees and a few books and pens. Going to work on some one's land is no walk in the park - it is backbreaking work in unforgiving sunshine, often without food or drink from sun rise to sun set. She's thirteen. THIRTEEN!

The nature of KISS means that we are always going to come face to face with unimaginable hardship. But, every now and then, something hits you particularly hard, and this was one such case. She looks so young - but her strength and determination struck me like a sword to the heart. She came today for our Xaverian prayer meeting - she was jumping about and singing as though she didn't have a care in the world - which is exactly why we have such a huge emphasis on pastoral outreach - we might not be able to offer financial assistance - but we can offer a smile or two.

There will always be more financial need than KISS will ever be able to meet. And we are always going to have to say no to people. But, at the same time, there is always more that can be done - and this is my unapologetic plea to you now - please help KISS to do more! We have recently launched a new website which will tell you a lot more about what KISS does - and, once you've had a look around, please do consider helping us out in whichever way you can - financially, prayerfully, practically or all of the above! www.kiddiessupportscheme.org Thank you!!!