One month after a school and living quarters were “accidentally” razed to the ground by Kenyan government railway authorities clearing space for a pipeline project, children have returned to school at Humble Hearts. Parents, nearly all of whom live in absolute poverty, have scraped together enough funding to erect the basic poles and structure necessary for a new building, and young children have begun using the shelter. Ten blackboards and a water tank saved from the demolition are in use again, as well as the schools latrine system. A church in the community has opened its space for the older classes, and the children are safely living in alternate quarters. Despite the rapid resumption of classes, hard work of the students, family, school officials and community, much remains to be done. The Kenyan government is unwilling to provide material or economic assistance, even though admitting the forced demolition at 3 am on a December morning was a mistake in planning. Support is urgently needed to replace lost books, desks, learning materials, and for further construction efforts.

Why rebuild if the people lack control of land ownership rights? Luckily, Beatrice, the principle, human rights lawyers, and others are working through the necessary government offices to ensure that such an event does not happen again. In the meantime, they are building a more temporary shelter to continue classes so that the children have a place to go during the day, a meal to eat, and do not fall behind in course work. The deaf children from Humble Hearts have already been moved to a new school located some distance from the congestion of the outer ring road area, and work continues on the finishing touches for that campus area. With time, all the children will be moved to the newer building.

Fair Oaks School

Similar to the Humble Hearts tragedy, Fair Oaks School, Redeemed Church, and the vocational center were also demolished by outside parties during the fall of 2009. Since then, Pastor Brown, his wife and the congregation have been working furiously to secure land rights, put up a temporary structure, and resume classes and vocational training, which in turn opens up economic opportunities for youth. By the end of November there were 10 more graduates in tailoring and dress making, 8 graduates in computer development, and 5 graduates in furniture upholstery and interior design. The community had a peaceful Christmas season and the congregation continued to grow and support the educational activities of the ministry. The temporary shelter has transitioned from a tent to a solid structure with iron sheeting for a roof, and land ownership rights to the land it now sits on.

How You Can Help

Please consider making a donation to provide the The 1010 Project with the resources to assist our partners, such as Humble Hearts School, when faced with unforeseen emergencies and tragedies.

Join us at the Bovine Metropolis Theater for an improv show by Bovine’s most seasoned players. After the show head around the corner to the Rilato Cafe and enjoy 20% off of your dinner for the night.

The Bovine Metropolis theater will donate a large portion of the night’s ticket sales to The 1010 Project. There will also be an opportunity to make tax-deductible contributions at the show. Have a laugh and help us out!

Whether you are looking or an early Valentine’s Day date, or you just want to start the weekend a little early, this night promises to be a good one.

The show starts at 7:30 and tickets are only $16 (price includes a 20% certificate at Rialto Cafe).

Find a date, grab some friends, or treat your sweetheart on February 11th. You won’t be able to stop laughing!

For tickets please vist the Bovine Metropolis Theater’s website or email The 1010 Project at events@the1010project.org if you are a DU student, you can also visit the Explore Denver table in the Driscoll Student Center for tickets.

See you soon!

Brian Rants
Executive Director

Mark and Kristie Call Out Trivia Questions

Trivia Night a Success!

On January 15, The 1010 Project partnered with DazBog Coffee at 12th and Clayton to host a charity trivia event. Forty members of the Denver community came out to prove their smarts, drink free beer and wine, and help support The 1010 Project’s cause in Kenya. The first place team of four won over $250 in prizes and the event raised over $700 for The 1010 Project!

Special thanks to:

Mark Despalmes, Mark Mann, Erin Shaw, and the rest of the crew at DazBog Coffee 12th and Clayton

An extra-special thanks to our the following donors:

Marc and Erin of DazBog Coffee

Beer and Wine
Stone Brewing Co (Twitter: StoneBrewingCo)
Bull and Bush Brewery (Twitter: BandBManBeer)
Deschutes Brewery (Twitter: DeschutesBeer)
Bristol Brewing Co. (Twitter: Bristolupdate)
Left Hand Brewing Co. (Twitter: LeftHandBrewing)
Alaskan Brewing Co. (Twitter: AlaskanBrewing)

Prizes
Stranahans Colorado Whiskey (Twitter: Stranahans)
Landmark Esquire Theater
Encore Restaurant (Twitter: Encoreoncolfax)
Twist and Shout (Twitter: twistDenver)
Tattered Cover (Twitter: TatteredCover)
Bull and Bush Brewery (Twitter: BandBManBeer)
Dazbog (Twitter: Dazbog)

Year End Campaign Results

Your contributions to our year end campaign will go farther than you can possibly imagine. Enjoy this slideshow which reminds us of the incredible social entrepreneurs we have the privilege of supporting.

• Tumaini Pamoja

  http://www.the1010project.org/wp-content/uploads/slideshow-gallery/stand-with-us-3-pamoja.jpg

  Tumaini Pamoja

• Candlelight School

  http://www.the1010project.org/wp-content/uploads/slideshow-gallery/stand-with-us-2-candlelight.jpg

  Candlelight School

• Mother's Concern

  http://www.the1010project.org/wp-content/uploads/slideshow-gallery/stand-with-us-1-mothers.jpg

  Mother's Concern

What an amazing country, what amazing people, what an amazing trip!  Just 7 days in Matopeni, Kenya changed 6 American lives.  7 days of witnessing the dire circumstance of life for the majority of the people living in Matopeni and the surrounding area.  7 days of witnessing the incredible joy, hope and spirit of the people who call this part of the globe home.

Our church, Discovery Christian Church has been partnered with The 1010 Project, as well as with Fred and Alice Afwai through their Candlelight Ministries in Matopeni for several years now.  Discovery Church considers Candlelight Church our sister church, so when we began to plan for a mission trip to Kenya we knew that it would be a special time for all involved, but we really didn’t know what to expect.

Each time we have heard Fred speak, whether at our church in Broomfield, CO or at a 1010 Project function we have been repeatedly touched and inspired to travel to Kenya.  But it was not until we rode down a bumpy Nairobi road into the slum of Matopeni that we began to understand why it is so important to know the people of Kenya.

Perhaps the reason we could never get a handle on what to expect on our trip is because Matopeni is a completely different world than Broomfield, CO. But in the end it was not the differences in the landscape or living conditions that made the impact but the differences in the people in Matopeni. We had a hope to go to Kenya and dig in to get to know the people who were part of Fred and Alice’s lives.   We wanted to serve alongside them.

We arrived in Kenya and placed ourselves in the hands of Fred and Alice to serve their community under their guidance and leadership.  Our pastor spent the week teaching and learning with the Candlelight Ministry pastors and several pastors from Uganda and Kibera slum.  We brought with us 6 donated laptop computers so that we could teach computer classes to men, women and children in the area.  We worked side-by-side with students and teachers at Candlelight School to encourage and support them in their work.  We held a women’s empowerment seminar where we spoke with some local women and encouraged them in their personal struggles.  We held a business seminar to pass on whatever knowledge we could of running a small business in the short period of time that we were there.  We were always striving to teach and to learn about their challenges and to encourage them.

And here is where we found what makes the people of Matopeni different.  The people we met were not overwhelmed or concerned with their daily struggles and challenges.  Rather they were optimistic and excited about their future! They lived in the moment and allowed themselves to fully embrace the joy and excitement of the day.  They were anxious to learn and be educated and excited to put their new knowledge to work.  We met so many people who wanted to be successful so that they could build up others and give back to their community.  And we were saddened by the reality of the hurdles they must overcome to do this simple thing.  There is simply a lack of opportunity and resources.  These two things we have plenty of here in America, such abundance that we have become almost complacent about it.

I feel that in the end we learned a lot from the Kenyans about hopefulness and happiness and celebrating the joy of today.  And our love for the Kenyan culture has grown ten times since witnessing it for ourselves for the first time.  This trip has truly inspired us to remember our friends in Kenya and to do anything we can to further their country’s growth.  Because we know with the proper resources, and a friendship to offer encouragement there is no bounds to what they can accomplish!

Not only is [Social Entrepreneurship] potentially more rewarding financially, it is absolutely more rewarding personally. As Muhammad Yunus pointed out in “A World Without Poverty,” we aren’t one dimensional beings, simply motivated by profit. Or as you would say, “Making money isn’t a compelling vision.”

We are designed to do something significant…and social entrepreneurship is, for me, the definition of significance!

Brian Rants

Q: In this current economic climate, it is difficult for all organizations, including churches. Why continue to sacrifice on behalf of Redeemed Church and The 1010 Project?

God has continued to bless us and reach out to the lost here in Spring and we believe that partly is due to the fact that we are willing to sacrifice to build God’s Kingdom here and throughout the world.  We pray that we won’t have to ever look at cutting our spending in Missions.  As long as it is possible

Q: Redeemed Church was recently rocked by a demolition of the whole Quarry community they minister to, including their property. Northside’s response was immediate and sacrificial, tell us about how you responded and why:

We have built a friendship and a partnership with Redeemed.  They are our brothers and sisters and when they hurt even though we are thousands of miles away, we hurt.  We are praying for them and for the ministry they are doing in the Quarry slum.  Our hearts will never let us turn our backs on Pastor Brown and the community there.

Q: Finally, how does your partnership with The 1010 Project allow you to accomplish your mission as a faith community?

We long to see everyone and everything brought in to God’s Kingdom.  We believe that 1010 is doing incredible work in Kenya and they open our communities eyes to the Kingdom further than Spring.  1010 is destroying poverty on a person to person level (in a relational way).  We long to build relationships with innovative people and organizations.

Do you belong to a faith community? Contact us about a partnership that will allow your community to meaningfully and effectively engage people in the developing world, partnering together to break the cycle of poverty.

1200 Clayton St Denver CO 80206

Click here for a printable flyer you can put up at your workplace, church, or school!

Dust off your brain and show what you know…

On Jan. 15 th, The 1010 Project will be joining Dazbog Coffee to present the ultimate trivia challenge! Pull out those old textbooks, Recall all the useless information you have stored away in your memory, and join us for a fun night of trivia. We will have free beer and wine flowing throughout the night to help keep your mind fresh and Dazbog will be offering deals on coffee all night long. Grab 3 of the smartest people you know to create your Dream Team of Knowledge and prepare for some intense competition.

Doors open at 6:30 pm with trivia from 7:00-9:30 pm. Dazbog Coffee is located at 12th & Clayton. The game will be played in teams of 4. There is a suggested donation of $20 at the door. Your donation will get you free drinks, a spot in the game and will help our cause in Kenya!

A little goes a long way in the hands of our creative and innovative partners in Kenya. Together with your support, we provided the capital needed for YOCHAN to purchase land, pay title fee, and construct a new Resource Center. Charles Owino, founder of YOCHAN, listed the ways this investment is changing his community:

• “Alleviate poverty since the needy youths…earn livelihood from the proceeds of the detergent business
• Our community will be more empowered by information accesible in our resource centre on issues of hiv, drugs, development,human rights-youth,children,women and health.
• OPTIMISTIC ATTITUDE DEVELOPED THROUGH OUR PEER COUNSELING AND EDUCATION SESSIONS IN THE RESOURCE CENTRE.
• Prolonged lifespan due to ability to protect oneself against hiv through our advocacy programs in hiv/aids.
• Increased security since most of the youths are kept busy through the games available in the resource centre and other YOCHAN activities.”

We are in the final 2 days of our “Stand With Us” campaign. We are about half way to our goal of 200 investments. Will you stand with us so we can continue to stand with our incredible partners like Charles and YOCHAN?

1. The 1010 Project came in 1st (disclaimer: it was an alphabetical list! ) on Lon Cohen’s list of “26 Charities on Twitter“, which attracted a lot of attention (and followers) on Mashable in April. We were in very, very good company on that list.

2. Follow Fridays have been good to the organization this year. We are regularly grouped into #FF tweets with other luminaries like charity:water, Save the Children, and the National Wildlife Federation.

3. Yasamin Beitollahi, a marketing strategist and Huffington Post blogger, included The 1010 Project in her “Tis the Season for Charitable Giving: 7 Extraordinary Nonprofits on Twitter“. Some of the other luminaries? LIVESTRONG, Habitat for Humanity, and Susan G. Komen For the Cure.

Tim then notes that “compared to these other nonprofits, The 1010 Project lags behind in almost every conceivable dimension,” but that we’ve earned our audience through being “genuine,” not worrying about ROI but about relationships.

Again, since it is poor manners to toot your own horn, I will address the only GLARING OMISSION from Tim’s article. Our success is directly connected to the skills and passion of people like Tim Brauhn, and staff like Mark Mann.

You can’t help everyone, but you can help someone

Whether your skills are with social media, stocks and bonds, or swinging a hammer, your support of humanitarian organizations helps them achieve incredible things. As 2010 approaches, is there a charitable organization you can support through the gift of your expertise?