Same Image Different Package Visits Kenya

Most of you will know Carol Collier, who works as a Pastoral Assistant with for those with special needs across New Community. She developed Same Image Different Package, a teaching and training initiative designed to equip people to embrace those with special needs and intended to help us find the 'treasure' God has hidden in difficulty, difference and disability.

Carol is flying out to Kenya on Wednesday 3rd September to visit some people that have heard of Same Image Different Package and set up their own groups. Please find below extracts from Carol's letter that communicate something of what she will be doing and how we can support her in prayer...

"I will arrive in Nairobi on Thursday 4th and spent the first 3 days in the area with Paul and Gill Leppit, we will visit some craft projects they have been involved in previously and observe the progress of a bee keeping venture and a local ladies self help group.

On Sunday they fly to Kisumu to visit a farm situation they are involved with. I will meet up with Nderitu Samuel and his colleague Kennedy who have heard of ‘Same Image - Different Package’ training and established, groups in Ruiru and Dadora who have named themselves ‘Same Image- Different Packages School of Orphans and Disabled People’ and registered as a self help group. I understand there are about 50 adults involved and no less than 250 children! I think I may feel a bit overwhelmed when I meet with them.

For the next 4 days I hope to get to know some of them a bit better and be able to offer some encouragement to them and I also expect they will be able to teach me some new things too. I am taking some of my teaching materials with me and also plan to take a number of exercise books and pens. I have arranged for all of then to have the ‘Same Image - Different Package’ logo on so they are special to this group. I hope to give these to the adults in particular though I do have some children’s toys with me too, including a parachute!

On Thursday morning I will take an 8-9 hour bus ride to Eastern Kenya and a small town called Bumala, which is beyond Kisumu and near the Ugandan boarder. Here I will stay with my nephew’s wife’s family, he married a Kenyan lady whilst doing VSO. Here I will get a taste of local family life and an opportunity to visit St Cathrine’s School in Bitula where they both worked for several years.

Of course this is only a rough outline and I have to be prepared for things to change at a moment's notice, however I am sure God will let me use my time and energies constructively and I am hopeful for a lot of new experiences, most of them fun hopefully! I would value your prayers and any insights you may wish to share with me. If you would like to contribute to the cost of the books and pens I should tell you a book and pen costs £1, I plan to take about 50, if you would like to pay for a few sets please send your contributions via Central Hall marked FOA Carol Collier.
After I return from Kenya I have an opportunity on 20th September to attend and contribute to the ‘Through the Roof’ training day held in Epsom. After that date I will try and let you have an update on my experiences and hopefully news of how /when others may be able to join me in future trips."