Did you find out what “pachyderm” means? Here he is! Say “Jambo” to Wass!

Wass is one of the many orphaned elephant calves that Compassion alumni, Edwin, has rescued. Here’s a clip of Wass arriving at the rehabilitation center where Edwin is the Head Elephant Keeper.

As a sponsored child in Compassion’s program, Edwin (pictured below) learned that although he lived in poverty, he had hope for a better future.

Support from his sponsor enabled Edwin to leave his impoverished Kenyan town after high school and study computer science in Nairobi. During college, he offered to help a friend and earn some extra money by watching orphaned elephants overnight at a wildlife sanctuary. The job ended up lasting much longer than one night. Eighteen years later, Edwin is head keeper and project manager at the world-renowned David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Nairobi Nursery for Orphans. Through his work, Edwin educates dignitaries, celebrities and tourists from around the world who come to see the remarkable creatures he nurtures.

Edwin cares for baby elephants that come to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust as orphans. These calves have lost their mothers through poaching or natural disasters and arrive traumatized. Some are so depressed that they die of broken hearts. Edwin urges the distressed calves, “Please heal. Please fight. Don’t give up.” It’s a spirit of hope he credits learning from the mentors at his Compassion center as a child in the program. His sponsors, Sean and Jennifer Ryan of Ohio, also wrote him letters of encouragement. In his office desk drawer, Edwin keeps the Bible he received as a boy at his Compassion center. “Compassion molded me in a religious way,” he says. “It brought my faith to where it is today.” It also deepened his empathy for vulnerable people and animals.

Just like Edwin’s sponsor and local church nurtured his spiritual and physical needs, Edwin now does the same for the elephants — like the 6-month-old above named Musiara. Without their mothers, calves like Musiara have few survival skills and are particularly vulnerable to psychological despair.

Newborn elephants weigh 170 to 250 pounds at birth. They drink about 3 gallons of milk per day and need the milk every three hours. That’s why Edwin arranges the schedules of 100 keepers so they will be with the calves 24 hours a day, providing a stable “family” environment. They play with them and care for them as a group during the day and sleep beside them in stables at night.

About 200 people a day visit the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, including groups of Kenyan schoolchildren. Edwin loves to educate children about the importance of caring for God’s creatures.

Edwin’s childhood in poverty motivated him to help the elephant keepers who work for him. He started a co-op in which staff members pool savings. Edwin then distributes the money to his keepers in the form of small loans. Edwin says that most staff members in the co-op have bought land and put their children in better schools as a result.

Edwin never thought he’d become an elephant keeper as an adult. But now he can’t imagine life without the elephants. “Conservation is in my heart now. We are all God’s creatures, and I get to help vulnerable animals. I don’t want to leave this place.”

Written by Katy Causey, Photography by Silas Irungu

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We have one more important relationship to share with you today.

Born six months and 7,500 miles apart, Praise and Sienna live in different worlds. But these 10-year-olds have a beautiful friendship that crosses cultures and continents.

After four years and countless letters, they had the opportunity to meet in Kenya, in-person, for the very first time.

Celebrate a relationship more powerful than poverty, with Sienna Meets Praise!

Meet Praise:

Age: 10

Hometown: Oloontoto, Kenya

Loves: Swimming, dancing, Manchester United, and her friend Sienna!

Meet Sienna:

Age: 10

Hometown: Sydney, Australia

Loves: Going to the beach, public speaking, Western Sydney Wanderers, and her friend Praise!

Story and photos from our friends at Compassion Australia

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Describe a relationship that is important in your life.
2. How did Edwin say he received a “spirit of hope”?
3. Who can you encourage today? How will you do it?

CLOSING

To bring our time in Kenya to a close, read this verse aloud and then take a moment to pray for the children of Kenya.

BIBLE VERSE

Luke 6:38 (NIV) –  “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

PRAYER

Jesus, thank you for giving me a family – a big global family of people all over the world who believe and trust in You. I pray for the children around the world who don’t know You yet. Make me an example for them. Help me to use my words to share about Your love and what You did on the cross for them. Amen.

WILL YOUR FAMILY CHANGE THE STORY FOR A CHILD IN POVERTY?

You have the power to end the wait for another child in need. You will have the opportunity to exchange letters, send photos and offer encouragement in Jesus’ name. Your love can bring hope to a child that will last a lifetime.

Start sponsoring a child today!

Your tax-deductible contribution of just $38 a month connects a child living in poverty with a loving, church-based Child Sponsorship Program.

Your support provides:

• Medical checkups, which often save lives
• Nutritious food
• Health and hygiene training
• Educational assistance
• Access to special services like surgeries and disaster relief
• Mentoring to help children discover their incredible value as God’s children

Most important of all, your sponsored child will hear about Jesus Christ and be encouraged to develop a lifelong relationship with God. Just imagine how exciting it will be when one day you get to heaven and your sponsored child is there with you because you chose to sponsor him or her.

When you sponsor a child, you’ll receive your child’s photo, personal story and a child sponsorship packet by mail in approximately 10 days.

When children find out they’ve been sponsored, the joy they feel is indescribable. Just knowing that someone across the globe cares means more than you can imagine. Sponsoring a child in need will profoundly change the future for your child and will change your own life as well.

Become A Sponsor Today

If you are already a sponsor, you can make a big impact today by praying for your sponsored child and writing him or her a letter. Here are some letter-writing prompts to get you started. You can also download the Compassion mobile app to upload photos from your phone and send a message there. Your letters matter!

Watch this special reminder for all of us from Candy, age 7: “Receive Love. Give Love. Repeat.”