St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church
Laytonsville, Maryland

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Helping Girls Become Women

St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church is making a difference in the world,
one child at a time and we invite you to join us.

We are families growing in Christ, and the girls of Mirembe are our family. Though oceans and continents apart, God has given us to each other, so He might show us the immeasurable riches of His grace and kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.

The work of St. Bartholomew’s International Outreach Ministry has been to organize sponsors for the twelve high-school age girls who will shortly move into the Mirembe Children’s Home that we helped build in Kenya.

The good news is that we now are now supporting eight girls! This ministry is engaging fifteen individuals and households in the parish, a group of coworkers at Sandy Spring Bank, and St. Bartholomew’s Church. The girls began school in September, which is the final term of the Kenyan school year. Please keep Fr. Sosiness and Mary Demo and all the girls of Mirembe in your prayers.

The 2005 Update is now available. Click here

The Home that St. Bartholomew's Helped to Build

When completed this summer, the home will house 12 young ladies (2 girls to a bedroom) and one "matron" or house mom. It will have indoor plumbing, several indoor toilets (as well as a few outdoor privies), bath tubs, kitchen, and a study/dining area. It will have electricity and phone access. The grounds are large enough that the girls will be able to assist in their own support by growing, and possibly selling, their own produce. Equally important to housing, is the girl's education. All of the participants have completed their elementary education and are now in the secondary, or "High School", phase of their education. Another goal will be to teach the girls various livelihoods that will equip them with the skills to enable them to be productive and self supporting adults.

Making A Difference

At St Bartholomew's, we have a way to make a big difference in the lives of some of these children. Through our affiliation with Rev. Sosiness and Mary Demo, we can directly support the care and education of a number of children that otherwise would be left homeless and hopeless.

The Demos have been struggling for many years to support numerous young girls orphaned by AIDS. They have helped numerous young people achieve a healthy and productive future with educational opportunities, basic necessities, and moral and spiritual guidance. With our help the Demos can finally realize their dream of providing a stable home life too with the construction of the Mirembe Children's Home.

The Reverend Sosiness Demo is an active Anglican priest and Mary Demo is a teacher in Kenya. Their experience with the social and practical concerns of their country make them an ideal partner for our church in its effort to reach out to those in need.

The home is located in Western Kenya just outside of the city of Migori, east of Lake Victoria:

Kenya Mirembe Children's Home

There are two very compelling reasons to continue to support this effort; the first is that the U.S. Dollar is so strong compared to the Kenya shilling - what seems like a small amount of money to us, goes a long way there. And second, there is no administration cost - our money goes directly to the support of the children

How you can help

The total cost to support one girl for an entire year is $900.00 ($75.00 per month). This amount covers all living expenses including shelter, food, clothing, books and school tuition. Our aim is not only to meet a child’s financial needs for support, but also to introduce someone into her life who will care about and pray for her. Correspondence between sponsor and child is encouraged.

We are looking for individuals, families or organizations who are willing to commit to a period of one year in support of these promising young ladies. One year's support is important in order to maintain some stability in their lives. Sponsor participation will require a one-year commitment, and can be for a minimum of $25 per month.

Contributions are fully tax deductible

If you are interested in making a big difference
in the life of one of these girls please contact:

St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church
P.O. Box 5005 Laytonsville, MD 20882
301-948-8201
E-mail: stbart@comcast.net
www.saintbartholomews.org