Thank you for generosity and Christmas spirit! On behalf of Lalmba, it is my joy share how successfully our Christmas fundraiser is going: We kicked off the holiday season with Colorado Gives Day and brought in over $10,000 of online donations. We’ve just shipped out the first 120 Christmas gift masks and raised $45,006!
With over $55,000 our programs will continue serving thousands of patients and caring for over 1000 at-risk children. It is because of your support and dedication to Lalmba and the folks we love in Ethiopia and Kenya that we are able to make such a big impact with so little!
A generous couple is inspired by your giving – and is matching up to $40,000 of new Christmas donations through the end of the year. That’s right, you can help us turn $40,000 into $80,000!
Spread the word to family and friends about this great opportunity:
Now through the end of the year – your Christmas donation will be matched dollar for dollar. This is the perfect time to boost your year-end giving, and receive a lovely shepherd’s mask* as our Christmas gift to you.
Your donation will be matched, dollar for dollar* through the end of the year. *up to $40,000
There are 380 of these beautiful shepherd’s masks ready to be shipped and placed along side your Lalmba Christmas treasures.
We will send our Christmas Gift to you through the month of December.
With your support and God’s blessing, we are loving at-risk children, saving lives, nourishing the hungry, comforting elderly and providing relief and assistance to those in need in our very remote locations “at the end of the road.”
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,
Jennifer Wenningkamp & Lalmba Christmas elves!
Jennifer WenningkampChristmas Gift Match is Going on Now!
This holiday season, we are honoring a symbol of enduring strength and hope: the east African shepherd. Much like the shepherds of yore, the individuals we serve hold stories of resilience and tenacity. Our Christmas emblem, a beautiful hand-carved wooden mask, about the size of a smiling infant’s face, represents the spirit of an East African shepherd whose life and struggles are, in some ways, similar to a shepherd’s life over 2,000 years ago.
We have all imagined that dark starry night – when silence was broken by the cry of a wee babe. Humble shepherds were amazed to receive a message of HOPE from hosts of God’s mighty angels announcing the birth of the promised Messiah, the embodiment of living hope.
That moment rings across time, traditions, and cultures. During this holiday season, that same message of hope and joy reverberates through the hills and valleys of Kenya and Ethiopia. It’s in the smile of a child receiving education, in the relief of a farmer cured of illness, and in the bright faces of families empowered and lifted to a better future.
Your support weaves you into this tapestry of giving and receiving, of past and present. With this mask, we celebrate the connection between your giving spirit and the hope it brings to so many. Thank you for your heartfelt generosity. May your Christmas be filled with the joy and HOPE you help spread.
Send your Christmas donation early to be one of the first recipients of these limited hand-made masks!
We will ship the first masks on December 8th so they arrive in time for Christmas.
A Shepherd’s Journey to Life-Saving Treatment
By Jennifer Wenningkamp & Rob Andzik
Recently Jeremiah, Jenipher and Wilkesta, Lalmba Kenya staff members, shared several stories of some of the young patients who visited the clinic. We wish we could share them all. Instead, keeping true to the stories they shared, we have creatively combined the stories to provide a look through the eyes of the children they talked about. Brave children who turned to Lalmba for help.
The sheep woke me up this morning. They’re louder than the cows but I like their curly hair and funny tails. They want their breakfast. They are always hungry. So am I.
We had to get up earlier today to tend to our neighbor’s animals as well. Our mom was feeling labor pains last night and the neighbor took her to the clinic on the back of his bicycle. Dad would have taken her but dad isn’t with us anymore. I hope she is ok.
I woke my sister, got dressed and we went outside. It was still dark and my sister doesn’t like the dark. I don’t either, but we pretended we’re strong and courageous like grown-ups. We left our farm and started to head to the pastures, encouraging the cows with a sturdy “eheheh yah”. The animals are stubborn and never go where we want them to. They kick up a lot of dust too. It was hard, and we had to cover our faces to keep the dust from burning our throats and nostrils.
As we walked, my sister started choking and coughing. It wasn’t like the little coughs you get from the dust. This one sounded deep and frightened me. I remembered the people from the clinic talking about more serious coughs. She was making the same sounds that sapped our dad’s strength at the end. I was worried.
It was our job to look after the animals and make sure they eat and drink, especially now with the new baby coming. Since dad isn’t here anymore, mom says we have to be responsible. But my sister’s cough was really bad and she was struggling to breath. It got me thinking, ‘What would mom do?’ I knew we needed to get help. So I decided we had to go to the nearby clinic.
But what do we do with the animals? Then I saw my friend watching her sheep nearby. I left my sister sitting and coughing by a big rock on the side of the road and ran to my friend. I begged her to watch our animals so I could get my sister to the clinic. At first she didn’t want to help, but when she heard that raspy cough, like the one that took her little sister away last year, she got scared too.
I tried to help my sister when she struggled and fell down. I thought I wasn’t big enough to carry her on my shoulders, like my dad did when she was smaller. But I was strong and carried her the last part, down that dirt path by the lake to the clinic. It was far and it seemed like forever but we made it. The clinic has always been such a nice place, but it can be confusing too. I was really nervous. Did I make the right choice leaving the animals?
A nurse in a white coat saw us and took us inside. She looked worried as she listened to my sister’s cough. She was a nice lady and told me we did the right thing by coming to the clinic. She said this was tuberculosis and that it could spread throughout the house. She asked me if anyone else in our family had a bad cough? When I drew in a deep sigh and held back tears, she patted my shoulders and let me explain more about my dad and my mom, and the baby on the way.
She comforted me like mom does and explained that my sister has a sickness but it will go away after she finishes taking medicine. I had a hard time believing her. I told her my dad took medicine and he didn’t get better. His cough didn’t go away. She asked me a few more questions and then explained that the sickness my dad had was really bad. People with that sickness need to be treated with special life-saving medicine and they have to take it for the rest of their lives. It wasn’t the cough alone that took his last breath, but the hidden sickness in his blood.
My sister is doing a little better but I’m still worried. Will mom or the new baby need life-saving medicine for the rest of their lives too?
The remote corner of Kenya where Lalmba works has long been a hot spot for HIV. At first those who contracted the disease were shunned and often hid the fact that they had it to avoid the stigma. But with new medicines came a new chance at life.
In Matoso and Ochuna, nearly 800 Kenyans living with HIV contribute to their communities and families and boast seamlessly productive lives. Seen by a Lalmba clinician every 2-3 months and routinely taking HIV medications, these men, women, and children attend school, fish in Lake Victoria, and grow maize, taro, and barley.
However, Congress’s failure to renew PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) in October may compromise their health and stability. Without this funding, HIV medication and clinical support will dwindle, and affected communities may see a return of epidemic proportions similar to that in 2000-2002.
Finally, during this Christmas Season we want to recognize Lalmba’s Founders, Hugh and Marty Downey for the amazing organization they created 60 years ago, and Jeff and Hillary James for carrying the torch for 9 amazing years. Without their vision and leadership we would not be where we are today.
On September 21, 1963, Hugh Downey stepped out of his US Army post in Eritrea and began a journey serving the people in Africa. For 60 years Lalmba has continued helping the poor and destitute, those forgotten at the “the end of the road”, achieve a better life. Celebrations for the 60th anniversary have been held in Kenya and Ethiopia. This month we are celebrating in the US. Yet we are constantly reminded there is still suffering and poverty. Lalmba’s journey continues.
Meet Mekdes
By Joan Marques
Lalmba’s 60th celebration at the Chiri Children’s home had just ended with joyful screams of children scrambling after candy falling from a piñata. As the guests were leaving, Aselefich, our RCAR Program Director, received word from the local department of social services that a newborn baby girl had been brought to the nearby government health center. Her mother had tragically died from malaria less than a week after giving birth and her father was not capable of caring for his daughter. Aselefich, Atinafu, Lalmba’s Country Director, and Minalush, Outreach Assistant, quickly drove to the health center where they found a young man, with tears in his eyes, holding an infant. An infant named Mekdes.
It is no small task taking in an infant and our staff fully understands the responsibility. Working with the head of the local social services, our staff learned more about the situation. The young couple was from a distant part of Ethiopia. They were unemployed and destitute so the government relocated them to this remote area and lent them a plot of land to farm. Neither the mother or father spoke any of the local languages and couldn’t communicate with anyone. After the mother tragically passed away he felt lost and abandoned with no way to care for his daughter. So he brought her to the local woreda (county) office and they brought her to Lalmba’s attention.
With compassion and empathy, our staff and the social workers tried to communicate the plan but we could see in his eyes that he didn’t understand. Finally a translator arrived and was able to share the plan, inform him of his rights and obligations, and confirm his consent for Lalmba to care for Mekdes for a few years while he gets his farm started.
We will do everything we can to reunify Mekdes with her father in a few years. Meanwhile, she will be living in the Chiri Children’s Home where she will receive love and loads of attention from our house mothers and her new siblings. She is our newest and youngest family member. Welcome to your new home, Mekdes!
60th Celebrations in Kenya and Ethiopia
By Rob Andzik
We want to extend a very special thank you to the TNM 2023 Team for walking and helping kick off the celebrations in Kenya, and to all those in both Kenya and Ethiopia who helped organize the celebrations!
Compassion, Courage, Empowerment, and Community
By Rob Andzik
Not everyone can make a journey like Tembea Na Mimi, visit the remote communities Lalmba supports, and witness the transformative impact of your donations firsthand. But if you could, what you would see is nothing short of a testament to the power of compassion, courage, empowerment, and community.
Many organizations do great work, promise efficient use of your donations, and aim to help the poor and destitute. So, what sets Lalmba apart? Lalmba’s uniqueness lies in these four words: Compassion, Courage, Empowerment, and Community.
Since 1963, Lalmba has been dedicated to serving some of the most remote and underserved communities in Africa. These are places that are hard to reach, far from the global media spotlight, where impoverished people are marginalized and virtually invisible to their own countries. It takes a great deal of Compassion and Courage to work in such challenging environments.
What truly sets Lalmba apart is our unwavering commitment to Empowerment. We don’t dictate; we collaborate. Lalmba provides for basic needs and also creates employment opportunities. We help single mothers start businesses through microloans. We help children receive an education and grow up healthy, with the potential to prosper. Above all, we prioritize the African people we serve, empowering them to lead change, and take ownership of their own futures. An example of this will be our new Education Center in Kenya, teaching skills needed to thrive in today’s world.
This philosophy leads us to Community. Lalmba is an integral part of the communities we work with, and the local people, together with our dedicated African staff, embodies the spirit of Lalmba as a People of Hope. Throughout Lalmba’s history, there have been countless stories of communities rallying together to overcome challenges. This spirit remains as strong as ever.
We witnessed this in Agaro Bushi, where we’re currently building staff housing. The trucks carrying materials couldn’t make the final steep climb due to mud and rough roads, stopping 3 km away. What we saw was remarkable: the community united, transporting building supplies on horses and their backs to ensure our clinic, which is, in truth, their clinic, could serve those in need.
The next day, in the cold pouring rain, it came full circle as three small boys walked into the clinic shivering with hypothermia. They had traveled alone and barefoot for two hours, from an even more remote community, so that their youngest brother could receive medical attention for a wound on his head. With Compassion, our staff tended to the wound, warmed these small boys to stop the shivering, and made sure they got safely home.
I invite you to join us on this remarkable journey. Your generosity fuels Lalmba’s work, ensuring that the impact continues for years to come. Together, with Lalmba’s staff and local leaders, we are transforming lives – one community, and in this case, three small boys, and an infant named Mekdes, at a time.
Reflections on the Road – Tembea Na Mimi 2023
By Jennifer Wenningkamp
It was the final day of our charity walk – Tembea Na Mimi 2023. About half of our staff joined the TNM team and walked the journey between Ochuna and Matoso and I loved every moment of it. The glorious sounds of children singing and playing drums, people walking with us, dancing, and carrying banners, the taste of dust in my mouth, and the smell of camels overwhelmed my senses.
I closed my eyes, took a deep, warm breath, and was struck by the stark contrast between this day’s celebratory trek connecting Lalmba’s two clinics in Kenya and one of Lalmba’s earlier epic journeys years ago. What must it have been like to walk hundreds of miles from Keren, Eritrea, with the hope of finding safety in Sudan? It must have been eerily silent in 1977 when Sium led hundreds of children through the desert in the middle of the night, escaping a dangerous war zone that threatened the lives of Sium’s family and all of Lalmba’s 250 children.
That journey saved the lives of hundreds of children and and fundamentally reshaped Lalmba as an organization. It shifted us from being anchored in one city, a Place of Hope in Keren Eritrea, to being an organization firmly rooted in protecting the children and patients in our care. At great risk, Lalmba became a courageous people of hope.
Today, Lalmba remains committed to the essence of its name. Wherever we operate, we establish a Place of Hope. Wherever we go, we are a People of Hope. As we celebrate Lalmba’s 60th Anniversary, we reaffirm our dedication to being both a Place and a People of Hope.
Here are some exclusive TNM 2023 photos not included in the printed version of this newsletter.
We invite you to be a part of the 60th celebration by sending a special donation of $60 or more. Why are we asking for your help? We don’t rely on massive grants or government contracts; we operate at the pace of your generosity and we have so much more to do. We honor your contributions by keeping costs low here in the US. Approximately 90 cents of every dollar donated directly supports our programs. We are unwavering in our commitment to our mission and our vision for the people and communities we serve.
That’s why your participation in Lalmba is crucial. Your donations, gifts, and volunteerism are what keep the organization going and fuel the work of Lalmba.
If you are passionate about bringing HOPE to the future of rural communities and folks in Africa, join us for a special mass followed by Reception and Dinner as we recognize the legacy of Lalmba’s Founders, Volunteers, and East African Directors who have been bringing hope to the people of East Africa for 60 years, and launch into a brighter future.* There are a limited number of Reception tickets available for Purchase online at:
1:00 PM Catholic Mass at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church 969 Ulysses St. Golden, Co 80401
2:30 PM Reception and Dinner at Table Mountain Meetings and Events 16035 Table Mountain Parkway Golden, Co 80401
Guests will Enjoy a welcome cocktail, dinner reception with Ethiopian and American food, cash bar, silent auction, and dessert.
Contact information:
call 720-260-6785, email: Lalmba@lalmba.org, or write to: P.O. Box 2516, Monument Co 80132
Here’s how our long and beautiful story started…
In the early 1960s the founders, Deacon Hugh and Marty Downey, moved from the United States to Keren, Eritrea where they started a journey that turned into a life-time commitment of spreading HOPE through concrete humanitarian aid, medical services, education, and empowerment. All this started by one act of kindness when a young man, Hugh Downey, offered to teach villagers how to build a sturdy school outside of Keren, Eritrea in September 1963.
The founders, Deacon Hugh and Marty Downey are a lovely couple in their 80s, who currently live in Westminster although their hearts are often in Africa. They love sharing stories about their children, many of whom are grown and successful adults! They also love envisioning a brighter future for Africa and emphasize it is only possible when we are dedicated to empowerment.
As Lalmba’s new president, I love spending quality time with them so that Lalmba can build on their legacy while launching into a brighter future. We’re committed to empowering folks, caring for children, and providing basic medical care so that we become more than a place of HOPE, we aim to become a people of HOPE who ignite a brighter future!
Their courage inspired hundreds of Lalmba volunteers, Africans, and thousands of donors to join them in caring for orphans, desperately poor refugees displaced by conflict, and providing medical care in many East African communities.
Through these 6 decades, Lalmba has grown into an organization with multiple clinical operations, public health outreach programs, community-based care for vulnerable children, and much more in Kenya and Ethiopia. Thousands of orphans became RCAR children, and many of them have grown into successful adults who are breaking the cycle of poverty. We are not only meeting immediate needs, we are committed to bringing sustainable change to rural communities. Our mission is to empower people in Africa to provide their own people with high quality basic health care, effective public health initiatives, elder care, micro-finance, and support for vulnerable children to ensure that they have the ability to go to school. We have a special love for children who we see –not as a burden—but as a part of a brilliant future for Africa.
Our commitment to spend individual donations on programs:
Lalmba has no big office in the US – in fact, we work from home to keep costs down. That commitment to keeping finances focused on the programs in Kenya and Ethiopia is one of the reasons we have been lovingly called “the world’s smallest relief agency” with a HUGE impact! That’s right, in the 80s and 90s Lalmba was recognized for touching a MILLION lives during the Great African Famine.
Each year, Lalmba’s clinics and vulnerable children’s programs in Kenya and Ethiopia continue to save patients’ lives and provide essential medical, food, and educational assistance to thousands.
Our name is synonymous to many as “A place of hope” because we believe in being a people of HOPE. Please join us in celebrating this beautiful legacy of “Bringing hope to the people of East Africa for 60 years.”
Jennifer WenningkampPress Release: Bringing hope to the people of East Africa for 60 years.
We want to update you on the recent challenges faced by the communities surrounding our Matoso Clinic in Kenya. As you may recall, we previously mentioned the nearly 2-year-long drought that had taken a toll on these remote areas. The lack of rainfall not only parched the land but also devastated crops, starved farm animals, and left vulnerable elders and children struggling for food.
However, a sudden shift in the weather has brought about a new set of difficulties for these communities – excess rain and flooding! The rains, which were initially received with prayers and feelings of relief, have now become a source of distress.
In mid-May we received a note from Jenipher Atieno, our Lalmba Kenya Country Director, providing more information on what’s going on:
Flood has affected some areas in the community and their farms are being swept away, which increased famine in our community. We are planning to give some Relief food in two weeks time for the vulnerable and desperate people who were affected.
Jenipher Atieno, Lalmba Kenya Country Director
Thanks to your generous support, Lalmba’s staff in Kenya was able to distribute this much needed food to people desperately effected by these dramatic changes in the weather.
Photos of the flooding and food distribution by Jenipher Atieno, Lalmba Kenya Country Director
A Behind the Scenes Look in Ethiopia
By Jennifer Wenningkamp
As you know, Lalmba focuses on serving the most destitute and poor, yet it wouldn’t happen without the constant efforts of our amazing staff. With that in mind, we want to give you a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes efforts that make it all happen.
We recently submitted the Agaro Bushi Medium Clinic’s 5-year report. This report summarizes our operations from 2018-2023. Our Ethiopian staff did an amazing job! The local and regional government officials attending the presentation were impressed by the great work Lalmba is doing, and even offered suggestions for other communities in need of help.
All the administrative work our staff does behind-the-scenes plays a vital role in Lalmba’s operations in Ethiopia. It helps us secure the resources we need, form valuable partnerships, and navigate the maze of regulations and policies. By running things efficiently, we make sure that your generous donations have the biggest possible impact.
Moving forward, we’ll keep focusing on transparency, accountability, and excellence in all our endeavors. It’s the combination of impactful work on the ground and diligent behind-the-scenes efforts that creates lasting change and empowers the communities in both Ethiopia and Kenya.
Lalmba is Turning 60!
On September 21, 1963, a young man named Hugh Downey started this incredible organization. For 60 years Lalmba has served the poor and destitute in Africa and in doing so touched well over 1,000,000 lives. It is time to Celebrate! We are planning parties in Kenya, Ethiopia, and the U.S. this July, August, and September. Contact us for details if you are interested in joining one of the Celebrations!
How Were Your Generous Donations Used in 2022?
In our commitment to transparency, we want to share with you how your generosity and support of nearly $800,000 transformed lives in remarkable ways over the past year.
We Have Upgraded Our Communications
For over two decades Lalmba has used the same donor database to track all our amazing supporters. The system though was becoming cumbersome and a distraction from the real work, so we recently transitioned to a new, online system. Please let us know if you notice any incorrect information (names, addresses, etc) in any of our communications.
But don’t worry, we’re still the same Lalmba you know and love!
A Special Walker Joining Tembea Na Mimi 2023
By Dickens Otieno
Hi, my name is Dickens Otieno,
I am honored to be in the team of walkers in this wonderful adventure!
I was born and raised at Matoso, a small village in Kenya (where Lalmba is actually located). I am glad to inform you that I’m a pure product of Lalmba. I joined Lalmba Ongoro Children’s Home in 2006 till 2011, when I completed my primary education. Lalmba proceeded to pay for my high school until I finished and still, Lalmba supports me at the University.
I generally have no other way to say thank you for all these. That’s why I requested for this opportunity to join the walk and also raise money to help fund other needy children. I’m just one of the thousands of needy children Lalmba has supported, there are thousands of children currently in the program and there are thousands who are also not in the program but still need help, that’s why I’m joining this walk, coz there is still a bigger task.
I am a third year student at Mount Kenya University pursuing my Bachelor’s degree in International Relations. Kenya has a rich and unique diversity of culture, wildlife and resources. I in advance welcome all the walkers to Kenya and welcome all to come and see the good work Lalmba is doing right here. Lalmba supported me, I will always strive to pay back in whatever means so that other needy persons can also get help. Lalmba has played a major role in community development and has also steered its growth. Please help me in supporting my young brothers and sisters.
Thank you!
Please take a moment to watch Dickens’ interview and hear his story in his own words at www.lalmba.org/tnm
It has truly been a long and beautiful story since Lalmba’s humble beginnings in 1963. But this story isn’t really about Lalmba. It’s a story about wonderful and amazing people living in marginalized communities at the “end of the road” and the challenges they face. It is a story about their children whose future is limited by the lack of health care, education, and income for their families. And most of all, it is a story about poor people overcoming these challenges with the limited resources they have and the support of amazing people like you who believe in Lalmba’s mission and long-term commitment to these wonderful communities.
That is just as true today as it was nearly 60 years ago when Hugh and Marty started Lalmba. Working in these communities is not easy. Every small victory brings new and unforeseen challenges and yet with compassion, courage and faith great things can happen.
So it’s no surprise that in the remote area of Ethiopia where our Chiri Children’s home is, we face numerous challenges and delays, especially from the environment. We have spent the last couple of years making improvements to the children’s home and those upgrades have come along very well. As part of our plan, we intended to repurpose the existing boy’s and girl’s dormitories (built about 11 years ago) as part of a learning center once the new dormitories were built.
Unfortunately heavy rains have caused delays and early last year Aselefich, our children’s program director, started to notice that water had infiltrated the walls in the boy’s dormitory causing large cracks to form. Eventually the damage got to the point where she had to move our boys into the “big house” where everyone gathers for meals, homework, and family fun. So for the last five months what was a dining room now also has been serving as the boy’s temporary bedroom.
The new boys dormitory with Aselefech showing us the inside.
With the limited resources we have we had to reprioritize, but we are happy to say that a new dorm is being constructed! We found a builder who could urgently clear the rubble and rebuild the home with better materials. Today the boy’s home is nearly finished and everyone is excited about that good news.
Leading Together
By Rob Andzik
We believe that empowerment is a critical part of Lalmba’s “special recipe” and a cornerstone to a prosperous future. Rather than sending armies of western volunteers to solve the problems and do the work, we employ local people and whenever possible promote them into key leadership positions and then ask them how they would solve the problems they see.
In 2007, this became a reality when we handed over the management of Lalmba’s Kenyan programs to Marico Osiyo Awino. Marico was hired in 1984 as a carpenter and then started moving up through the ranks. He successfully managed and led the staff and programs in Kenya for the past 16 years through both good times and bad. You probably have heard his name before through our newsletters and if you follow our social media posts, you may have seen that this past January our Kenyan staff, along with members of the local community and Lalmba USA representatives, celebrated Marico’s retirement and thanked him for his many years of service. He has been both a blessing and a true champion of the work Lalmba has done serving the people in Kenya and we extend our deepest gratitude to him for everything he has done.
As with any organization, the immediate question when such a critical leader leaves is “who is going to take over now? Well, we have been working on that for quite some time. Fortunately we have a very strong leader who has been serving as our Deputy Project Director. Jenipher Atieno has been Marico’s right hand and Deputy for well over a decade and we are very excited to announce that she has now taken over as Project Director.
But that simply resolves who will be next. We want to ensure an enduring and prosperous future for Lalmba Kenya and the people in and around Matoso. Over the last year and with the help of our first volunteer in Kenya, Gruffie Clough, we have been conducting a leadership training initiative that the team in Kenya named “Leading Together”. Utilizing her background as an executive coach and working with organizations like Outward Bound, Gruffie put together a curriculum specially tailored for our leadership team and the challenges we face in and around Matoso.
Gruffie and the Leading Together team
The training aimed to empower the leadership team to effectively lead and manage their programs and staff, with a focus on improving the quality of our services and impacts they have. The Leading Together sessions consisted of workshops and one-on-one sessions with experienced trainers, covering topics such as team building, conflict resolution, and financial management.
Our New Volunteer in Kenya
We are excited to introduce our new volunteer in Kenya, Dr. Jamie Reed. He will be working with the clinic staff in Matoso and Ochuna for the next year. Here is a little bit on his background.
Immediately after my Army discharge as a Medic, my 3 children and I began serving communities in need. It began with ministering to youth groups within our country, with the heart filled with selfless service and love of our fellow man. I began my 11-year educational journey shortly thereafter and obtained my Doctorate of Chiropractic and Doctor of Nursing Practice degrees with a focus on HIV medicine. I then began serving in underserved communities suffering from HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases. These communities included those of Mexican descent and Indigenous peoples from the US and Canada. Being of African descent myself, it had always been my life’s goal to one day visit the continent of Africa. Once I was presented with an opportunity to serve in Kenya, I knew that my prayers were answered. I look forward to learning, growing, laughing and serving with the Lalmba family.
The tradition continues! In July of 2023 we will be stepping off on our 5th Tembea Na Mimi charity walk across Kenya. Tembea Na Mimi means “walk with me” in Kiswahili. It is a transformational journey of the heart, mind, and soul, as we walk in the footsteps of the people Lalmba serves. If you haven’t heard about these amazing walks, we spend 10 days trekking across the Maasi Mara and rural Kenya to Lalmba’s clinic on the shores of Lake Victoria.
Each walker pays the cost of their own journey and is challenged with the goal of raising $10,000 for Lalmba. For more information, please check out www.lalmba.org/tnm. Most importantly if you are interested in joining us, or know someone who might be, please let us know! To contact us email tnm@lalmba.org or call 720-260-6785.
This year’s Christmas gift for you is a brightly colored African Katanga apron, perfect for preparing a holiday meal or gift of sweets while guaranteeing that Lalmba’s programs provide meals and nutrient enriched foods for babies and folks who are recipients in our malnourishment program called Chakula Bora.
Each handmade apron is quilted together by a group of women tailors, who are successful Lalmba Kenya micro-loan recipients. This is a one-of-a-kind gift – made up of a collection of fabric “scraps” from African Katanga – brightly colored cotton material with bold patterns.
This year’s Christmas gift, a quilted Katanga apron, comes with a secret recipe inside the front apron pocket and Lalmba’s unique guarantee. If you are a long-time reader of Lalmba newsletters, or “Hugh’s News” then you may remember this: This Guarantee remains true!
Lalmba’s annual Christmas project started in 1984 during the Great African Famine when Hugh and Marty Downey began selling hamburgers for $100. The proceeds went directly to starving people in Africa. Decades later, the tradition continues. Lalmba’s valued supporters are presented with an opportunity to acquire something unique and special while offering a creative way for you to participate in this important work in East Africa.
Tucked into the front pocket of Lalmba’s Christmas gift is our secret “Recipe for Hope”. While the secret recipe won’t be fully revealed here, we want to share this moving story of one of our heroes at Lalmba’s Ochuna Dispensory, Kenya.
Mary Okeyo is our head nurse at the Ochuna Dispensory and a vital part of Lalmba’s recipe for hope. She is a unique woman whose hands bring healing and whose voice brings comfort – and whose dance brings hope. Mary has a tangible presence of “joyful hope” about her being.
Each day at the Ochuna clinic brings its own challenges and joys. This day was no different as Mary moved from one room to another in her joyful, soft, and even dance-like walk, proudly leading a group of visitors on a tour through the clinic. Her knowledge and sense of ownership was palpable as she vistied the pharmacy, treatment rooms, and offices. Every step seemed to take Mary from one state of mind to a even higher one as she described the facilities, the community and work Lalmba does. She was in her element and her smile broadened even more with each patient she saw.
Yet her focus switched in an instant to the realities of working in such a remote area when an emergency suddenly required her undivided attention. A young mother had just arrived with a screaming baby who was in terrible pain. The mother explained how her child had been healthy and happy until a few weeks ago. She didn’t know what led to her child’s suffering but was desperate to see the child recover – so desperate that she walked for hours to reach the clinic. Mary comforted the mother as she gathered medical information. Then she moved the mother and child into a private treatment room and began to cover the baby with soothing zinc ointment. This ointment soothes skin irritation, and hopefully prevented further skin damage, but the peeling skin, the source of the baby’s agony, is a likely symptom of Severe and Acute Malnutrition (SAM). Mary gently bathed the infant and prescribed “plumpy nut” a form of nutrient enriched food and follow-up visits until the child has graduated from our Malnutrition program called Chakula Bora.
Grandmother and her grandchildren at Chakula Bora
Chakula Bora aims at preventing death due to malnutrition and starvation through regular nutrition classes, weighing and measuring children’s growth, and the distribution of life-saving foods.
We cannot begin to thank you enough for your support as our staff passionately care for these babies whose mothers and grandmothers arrive desperately seeking medical and food assistance.
God bless you, and may your Christmas be filled with Hope.
The tradition continues! In July of 2023 we will be stepping off on our 5th Tembea Na Mimi charity walk across Kenya. Tembea Na Mimi means “walk with me” in Kiswahili. It is a transformational journey of the heart, mind, and soul, as we walk in the footsteps of the people Lalmba serves. If you haven’t heard about these amazing walks, we spend 10 days trekking across the Maasi Mara and rural Kenya to Lalmba’s clinic on the shores of Lake Victoria.
Each walker pays the cost of their own journey and is challenged with the goal of raising $10,000 for Lalmba. For more information, please check out www.lalmba.org/tnm. Most importantly if you are interested in joining us, or know someone who might be, please let us know! To contact us email tnm@lalmba.org or call 720-260-6785.
Ominous clouds warned that there may soon be another rainstorm. My first visit to Agaro Bushi had already highlighted how the life-giving rain can make travel here so difficult. Just to get here we had to leave our vehicle on the side of the road and travers the last hour on horseback to this beautiful mountain village. Now, we were walking again, down a squishy foot path because the fertile soil under our feet hadn’t had enough time to soak up the previous day’s rain.
This was an important visit and one that could only be made by foot over beautiful mountain sides and through lush meadows to reach our destination. Led by Lalmba staff members, we set off from Lalmba’s clinic and hiked for about twenty or thirty minutes to the closest home of a family supported by Lalmba’s new RCAR program in Agaro Bushi.
Lalmba’s RCAR (Reaching Children At Risk) program is by no means new. But the remoteness of Agaro Bushi has limited its development here until just recently. Led by one of our newest staff members, Ayinalem, the program now supports 29 families, most of whom live much farther away from the center of this remote village. Lalmba’s staff visits each community identified family to assess their situation and, if selected, enroll them in our RCAR program. Ayinalem has been working diligently since March to establish the RCAR program and on this trip she was conducting a follow up visit.
When we arrived, the team was greeted by a feverish child resting in the garden of his traditional home. He quickly called into the lush vegetation for his sisters and their mother to inform them that we had arrived. This family, a single mother and her three children, found themselves in desperate need of assistance after her husband passed away. Their living conditions spoke to why the community identified them for RCAR support. Many details of her home highlight simplicity and
tradition, which themselves are not always an indicator or poverty. However, her home showed signs of wear and tear, and the look in her eyes indicated that she and her family could no longer keep up. Yet there was still strength in her, and pride in the little she could do. Her beautiful garden attested to that. This was not a woman who had given up and it was obvious that she wanted to provide the best possible love and nurture for her family. Her situation and tenacity touched me deeply.
Through the hard work of Ayinalem, and Lalmba’s staff, we hope that the RCAR support she is now receiving will help alleviate some of her worries. Her children will have uniforms and materials to go to school. The food assistance and medical care will help her and her children remain strong. And, hopefully, the community connection will encourage her and help foster the strength that her beautiful flowers and small vegetable garden stand witness to.
It is our great joy to spread hope and remind the RCAR families and guardians that they are not alone. The visit to this very special home ended with fun photos and tender instruction from our Ethiopian staff to come to the clinic for the school uniform distribution the following morning.
We stayed with them for a few more minutes to share in their beautifulsurroundings and celebrate their lovely garden before beginning the walk back to the clinic.
A Muddy Mile In Their Shoes ….
By Jennifer Wenningkamp
The moment I felt the horse falter beneath me to bear up my weight and struggle through the deep mud, I knew more than I ever imagined. I had been told about the challenges in these remote areas, but suddenly it had become so real. Yes, it was time to dismount this gentle beast of burden, but it was also time to “walk a mile” in Lalmba’s shoes.
Lalmba’s staff often traversed this path at the end of the road with the sole purpose of saving a patient’s life. It wasn’t coincidence that I arrived for the first time in Ethiopia during the rainy season, it was perfect timing for me to come and see the difficulties they are facing firsthand. The tremendous responsibility of providing lifesaving health service is often overshadowed by limitations. Some of those limitations are manmade, and others are the consequence of where Lalmba’s Agaro Bushi Medium Clinic is situated.
Unlike a hospital or health center, the medium clinic is permitted to provide specific services and refer others to the nearest hospital. For example, a laboring mother in need of a cesarian section must be referred and transferred to the closest hospital in Bonga, about a 2-3 hour drive when the road is open. Just two weeks before we arrived, a laboring mother found herself in a nearly impossible situation. The baby was in the wrong position and our medical staff determined that a cesarian was the only medical solution for a saving both the life of the mother and her baby.
The only choice they could make in the following moments was “who will help carry her down the muddy path to the road?”. Lalmba’s staff and several community members answered the call.
Two weeks later, as we journeyed in to Agaro Bushi, we had the privilege of meeting this new mother with her baby as they themselves returned home.
Photos taken the night of September 10th, 2022 by Atinafu Gebreyohanis.
The tradition continues! In July of 2023 we will be stepping off on our 5th Tembea Na Mimi charity walk across Kenya. If you haven’t heard about these amazing walks for a great cause, we spend 10 days waking across the Maasi Mara and rural Kenya to Lalmba’s clinic on the shores of Lake Victoria. For more information, please check out www.lalmba.org/tnm. Most importantly if you are interested in joining us, or know someone who might be, please let us know! Contact Rob Andzik (rob.andzik@lalmba.org) or call us at 720-260-6785.
A chicken is known the world over as a source of food, either through eggs or as a meal itself. If you have a chicken, you can use it to feed your family or trade it for other goods and services. In many ways a chicken could be considered a global currency. If someone said “I’ll trade you one chicken for that ” most people would inherently know the value. For example, in the US a whole chicken costs about $7-$8, plucked and ready to cook. In Matoso Kenya, where Lalmba’s programs are, a live adult chicken costs about 700-1,000 Kenyan shillings. At the current exchange rate $7 is about 840 Kenyan shillings, so the value of a chicken is surprisingly about the same. It’s similar in Ethiopia at about 400-500 birr ($7.66-$9.58). Maybe a chicken really could be considered a universal currency.
But it sure doesn’t feel that way. Imagine a family about to enjoy a delicious chicken dinner. How many hours would they have to work to earn that chicken? Someone in the US, working at a minimum wage of $8/hour, can easily earn about one chicken an hour, leaving plenty of time to earn breakfast, lunch, and much more. Earning a chicken doesn’t feel very hard at all.
What does earning a chicken feel like in Matoso? Well, a typical family receiving Lalmba’s RCAR support in Kenya makes about 500 to 1,200 Kenyan shillings a month. Using chicken currency, that’s about one chicken a month. A whole month’s worth of work to earn one simple chicken to feed your family.
Inflation is impacting everyone worldwide. We all feel it when we go to the grocery store or at the gas pump. Yet only a few months ago in the communities Lalmba serves, that chicken was half the price it is today. That’s two more weeks of work for the same chicken. It is when we put it in terms like this that the “Economy of a Chicken” hits home as we remember women like Grace.
Lalmba’s Long and Beautiful Story Continues
By Rob Andzik
It is in the journey of searching for someone new that we learn the most about ourselves. Over the last few months we have been praying for and actively searching to find Lalmba’s new President.
We cast a big net, met many people, and contemplated exciting futures for this amazing organization. Through this journey, we have reaffirmed that Lalmba is about the people in Kenya and Ethiopia. Amazing and wonderful people who struggle daily to provide for their children, for their elders, and for their communities. Lalmba’s heart and soul are dedicated to those people and empowering those communities to find a way out of the cycle of poverty.
As part of our search we put that dedication to action and facilitated our first ever African interviews for a Lalmba USA role via Zoom. We are very happy to announce that our search has come to a fruitful conclusion. We would like you all to meet Lalmba’s new President.
Meet Lalmba’s New President Jennifer Wenningkamp
By Jennifer Wenningkamp
I lived with my husband and three sons in Mozambique, serving desperately poor children and elders for over ten years before we all moved to Colorado. After achieving my humanitarian aid career goals, I earned a dual Master’s degree in International Human Rights and MLS in International Law. Then, as I searched for a job, I wondered if my time in Africa was behind me. Until, they asked me if I was willing to schedule another interview – with African leadership. My final round of interviews was with Joan and the Kenyan and Ethiopian Directors. To my joy, this African-based organization chose me. As Lalmba’s President, I will endeavor to educate and empower Africans by continuing Lalmba’s ongoing work “at the end of the road”.
For the past 9 years we have been blessed to be at the helm of this efficient, thoughtful, and effective organization. We want to let you know that we will be moving on from Lalmba this summer. Our departure from Lalmba will take us on a new path in development work. Though our hearts will yearn for the people and places that have marked our lives and touched our souls, we take great pride in knowing that Lalmba’s wake still spreads wide and, tucked neatly within that long and rich timeline of Lalmba history, is the birth of a family, our family.
After 18 years of our affiliation with Lalmba (We just celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary last month!) we will be pursuing other work in development that will continue to allow us to work together as a team, which we have learned to do well. This change will bring us closer to what is dearest to us, families. We will be leading a small organization called Maternal Life International, which aims to promote safe births and healthy families in the developing world. If there are paths out of poverty and gateways to redemption, this surely is one of them, and we feel called to help.
We want to assure you that Lalmba also remains our family, and Lalmba has great parents. The Lalmba board of directors is dedicated and extremely capable of sailing this ship until new leadership is in place, and we will always be supporters, like you!
Hillary: When I think back to my beginnings with Lalmba, our first night as volunteers on our way to Lalmba’s project in Ethiopia comes to mind. Jeff and I had married just a month before and volunteered for an adventure to serve for 2 years in the rainforest as project directors. Jeff already knew Africa, as he had spent several years living in Kenya. We arrived at our hotel in Addis Ababa, an unsanitary hole-in-the-wall place that offered rooms by the hour. As we lay in bed my first night in Africa, I looked up in the rafters and saw a long rat tail moving along the roofline. I put my head on Jeff’s chest and cried and cried, telling him, “I can’t do this! I want to go home!”
Jeff reassured me and told me, “It will get better. You will learn how to do this.”
And he was right. My time living alongside the poor for those 2 years and then leading the organization since 2013, I have ‘learned how.’ Poverty is just one of many features of the rich lives we encountered, and what an honor to represent Lalmba to them, a force for hope and opportunity to pursue their dreams, dreams that are no less grand than ours.
Jeff: In September 2005, our son Gideon was just 4 weeks old when we returned to Ethiopia from home leave. This time around, I was the one who needed reassurance. To call me overprotective and worried is an understatement. I feared if we put him on the ground the fire ants would envelop him and carry him away. Or that every spoon that entered his mouth was a petri dish for amoebic dysentery.
Hillary and Gideon, Tejbet, Chiri town, 2005
But then I saw Hillary mothering him with confidence in the same manner as every other mother in the village, innately knowing the difference between a hungry, tired, and wet cry – and I realized that I had a lot to learn, but with her great example, I would “learn how” to do it.
Probably because it was here that I first became a father, what I remember most about all my years of project work, are the worried and desolate parents, perched on the edge of a hospital bed, hopeful that being in this setting would bring forth a cure. Although Lalmba has saved many lives, there remains an outsized amount of heartache for the poor in this world.
Chiri, Ethiopia 2005 – Mother and son
I remember a tender scene of a mother gently caressing the cheek of her sick child as he labored to breathe. Her hand seemed to fold into the contours of his cheek, as if hoping his peaceful expression would be permanently marked on her palm. I wanted a picture of them because, as a tableau, it illustrated to me what pure love looks like. But as I lifted the camera to my eye, I heard her gasp, and saw his eyes cloud over, and her body slump forward into heaving sobs. All I could do was bow my head and pray.
I don’t know why I share this sad story. If you’ve learned our style, it is the joyous moments that we strive to share, for their impact resonates longest. But we all also know the ache of losing a loved one, that process of letting go, and the strength and sense of purpose that can be derived from grief. Closing this chapter of our life feels a bit like that.
When we reflect on our tenure, we appreciate what your support has helped Lalmba accomplish in that time. One key shift was the reduction of dependence on food aid in Kenya, with a transition to a microloan program to allow families to make sustainable income instead. Lalmba successfully handed over Chiri Health Center in the now booming town of Chiri, Ethiopia, to a partner, moving to a much more remote area of Agaro Bushi which had no adequate health care options. We managed to build a clinic without a fully functional road and have begun orphan care services there. It wasn’t easy, but Lalmba has always chosen the difficult path that other development agencies avoid due to the hardships.
Some of our favorite memories are moments shared with those of you we have been able to meet over the years, supporters who have believed in our mission. Cars have pulled up to our house with people getting out saying, “I’ve been sending checks to this address for so many years, and I just wanted to see what Lalmba’s office looks like.” We shared coffee, you met our children and saw our home which also served as “Lalmba’s International Headquarters.” Everyday people like you are the lifeblood of this organization.
Working with our volunteers and alumni has been a joy as well. If you want to feel hope in the inherent goodness of human beings, point to a random name on our long list of Lalmba field volunteers and you will feel inspired. Our volunteers are the key to the efficiency and accountability that Lalmba enjoys in the field.
And finally, to our friends in Africa. The children who are running through our children’s homes, the staff who have patiently taught us how to think in order to be successful in Africa, and the countless people who have influenced us along the way.
We have tried to be true to all that founders Hugh and Marty Downey modeled in their first 50 years, remaining simple, with the motto, “Ordinary people on their way to accomplishing extraordinary things.” God has blessed us with this opportunity to know Him through the poor and through you.
Hugh Downey, Eritrea 1963
The Long and Beautiful Lalmba Story
Rob Andzik, Chairman of the Board for Lalmba Association
You may have heard these words echo in newsletters past. Lalmba’s story began in 1963 with Hugh and Marty Downey and over the years countless volunteers have added their chapters. Across four countries Eritreans, Sudanease, Kenyans, and Ethiopians have contributed their own beautiful perspectives. Stories of family, challenges, successes, and tragedies have pulled on our hearts and inspired us to support Lalmba’s amazing work.
Today we recognize and thank a very special couple who have given so much of themselves to the people Lalmba serves and left their mark, shining bright, in the long and beautiful Lalmba story. Jeff and Hillary James have served Lalmba both as volunteers in Ethiopia and as our President and Vice President in the US. For nearly two decades their compassion, dedication, and frankly, blood, sweat and tears have helped empower and transform communities. They have struggled through difficult times and united us in joy for the successes.
Chiri, Ethiopia – Posy and Jeff, a sad farewell
They did all of this while raising a family of four. Jeff and Hillary alternated who stayed home and who traveled to Africa, sacrificing their family time, holidays, and significant life events while they were apart. Like all our volunteers, they willingly and humbly took personal risks to reach the remotest areas and help those at the “end of the road”.
Sometimes it is in saying goodbye that we become most aware of the impact someone has had on our lives. Recently I had the privilege of traveling with Jeff to inform our staff. While our staff was surprised and disappointed, their heartfelt statements of gratitude testified to how many lives have been touched from Jeff and Hillary’s work. The voices that rang the loudest and most pure were those of the children, many of whom have only known Jeff and Hillary as the face of Lalmba. Some of the older children, names you might recognize like Posy, Meskerim, and Kocheche, stood and with tears streaming down their faces expressed their love and thanks. They know that without Lalmba’s support their lives would be very different, if they had survived at all. And with those same tears in their eyes, they turned to me, to all of us, and simply said please don’t forget us.
Those words have echoed in my thoughts and prayers. Lalmba’s long and beautiful story is a story about children. Children in desperate need and whose future is so intimately tied to the situation they were born into. We, as Lalmba’s Board of Directors, are fully committed to helping these children and these communities lift themselves out of the cycle of poverty and into a bright and prosperous future. And it is with your continued love and support we can do this.
We have already begun the search for the next leaders of Lalmba. Someone who will adhere to Lalmba’s mission and values, join us in our love for children and the poor, and carry forward our vision of empowerment and self-sufficiency. We hope that this process will be short but we know how important it is not to rush. If you know of someone who you think would be perfect for this role please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Ongoro Children’s Home, Kenya – Rob Andzik, Lalmba board chairman, face painting with the children
In the meantime, Lalmba’s Board, and myself personally, will be stepping in to ensure uninterrupted services in these remote communities. We will be working closely with our African leadership teams and our new East African Director, Joan, to make this transition as seamless as possible. But we need your help to do this. It is only with your continued support and generosity that Lalmba can do what it does so well. So please, keep us in your thoughts and in your prayers as we enter into the next chapter of the long and beautiful story of Lalmba.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of Lalmba, I wish to express our sincere and heartfelt gratitude to Jeff and Hillary for everything they have done for Lalmba. They have touched us all with their passion and devotion to Lalmba’s mission. I know they will keep their friendships and the love they have for Lalmba as they enter a new and exciting chapter in their own lives.
So, you might be asking yourself: who is this guy and how did he end up as East Africa Director for Lalmba? Let me start by giving you a glimpse of what my life has been before I came across Lalmba. Born and raised in Barcelona, I had a very standard life for a boy in Catalonia. I was lucky enough to grow in a loving and caring family who made sure I always felt supported to pursue my dreams. I studied education as an undergraduate.
Joan Marques Comerma, Lalmba East Africa Director
In 2011, I joined a Salesian NGO and traveled to Ethiopia, a country I did not know much about except for the long-distance runners and the horrifying news I saw about droughts and famine. That summer in Ethiopia sparked my interest in international development, and a special love for Africa.
After graduating from university, I still had Ethiopia and its people in my mind and I felt I was not in the right place as a primary teacher. I was afraid, but I knew I had to step forward to focus on what I really wanted to do. An NGO offered me to volunteer in Ethiopia for one year. That experience was so enriching and transformative that I decided to pursue a master’s in international development in the UK. I was offered a volunteer position as a District Teaching Advisor in Rwanda with Volunteering Service Overseas (VSO). I was based in a small village in a northwestern district and was responsible for building the capacity of volunteers who conducted teacher training in 94 schools. After my time with VSO, most countries in the world were in lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I grew tired of spending hours submitting applications for organizations and not getting any positive response. One day, I got an email from Jeff and Hillary about working with Lalmba in Ethiopia.
I arrived in Chiri in early June 2021. I started working side by side with the staff, especially with Aselefech, the Children’s Director. She has been living in Kaffa all her life, working with Lalmba for more than 20 years and has a wealth of experience. Her commitment and her determination make her easy to work with, despite the communication barrier and cultural differences.
As RCAR Program Director, I oversaw operations while building a strong organizational structure and empowering the local staff. I have been able to more individualized support to the staff members, especially the ones working in the office.
Now, as the East Africa Director, I will be responsible for directing the operations of the projects in Ethiopia and Kenya. This will involve traveling back and forth between countries and working closely with the project managers to strengthen the organizational structure and ensure the operations are in line with Lalmba’s vision and mission.
Through the hard work of Ayinalem, and Lalmba’s staff, we hope that the RCAR support she is now receiving will help alleviate some of her worries. Her children will have uniforms and materials to go to school. The food assistance and medical care will help her and her children remain strong. And, hopefully, the community connection will encourage her and help foster the strength that her beautiful flowers and small vegetable garden stand witness to.
