A Letter From the Founder
Wela's Kids Foundation was named after my late grandmother, Maria Rios. Everyone called her, Wela, which is short for, abuela, grandmother in Spanish. During the summer of 2016, my husband Miguel, my daughter Meagan and I went to Kenya on a missionary trip. While there, we received word that Wela had passed away. Although this grieved us a great deal, we knew our perfect God had a perfect plan.
There's no denying that every time we went to Wela's house we felt welcomed, loved and safe. We were cared for, fed and taught about Jesus. When Miguel, Meagan and I returned from Africa, we presented an idea to our family. Why not open an orphanage in Kenya where children could feel welcomed, loved and safe...a place where they could be cared for and fed both physically and spiritually?
This is when Wela's Kids Foundation was birthed.
Trees and garden planted by the children in Kenya
While in Africa, our Kenyan friend Collins, told us about some land he'd inherited that was infested with street kids. Street kids are somewhat of a foreign concept to us here in America because it's not customary for us to see young children wandering the streets having to fend for themselves. Many of these kids have either been abandoned or their parent(s) have died from disease.
Although some children in the area live with a parent or caretaker, many have never attended school because they can’t afford to pay tuition. Education is not free in Kenya. Because of our foundation, the children of the Kibos village now have a safe place to attend school without the financial burden.
Through our foundation, we have been able to build and fund an orphanage on Collins' land.
In January of 2017, the doors to Gabriella's Gracious Child Support Center were opened. As of now, we serve 206 children from nursery class through 3rd grade. We've received a few donations, but most of the money to fund the school comes from our pockets.
Funding is needed to feed the children three meals a day and to pay the teachers' salaries. They also need uniforms, shoes, desks, school supplies, and medical treatment. There is a great need for another nursery classroom, a third grade classroom, kitchen repairs and updated curriculum.
It is our goal that this school will continue to grow and prosper. We want to offer hope through nutrition, education, and love for each of these forgotten children. Please consider partnering with us both financially and through prayer.
Blessings,
Normalicia Saucedo