Ilona Helmholz
| Year Joined MKLM: 2008 Country: Kenya City: Kitale Focus: Economic Development, Education Project(s): Kipsongo Slums, Oasis of Hope People Served: 30 women and 150 children |
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Project Goal(s): Teach women basic education and skills to earn their own money. Teach street children mathematics in preparation for entrance into Kenya schools.
Personal Data
Ilona Helmholz came to MKLM in 2008 from Saint Dominic’s Parish in the Diocese of Sacramento, CA. Prior to moving to Kitale, Ilona and her husband spent 18 months in Mombasa where they worked on a Village for Aids orphans in the Taita Hills and Ilona also worked with street children, sexually abused children, pre school children and taught Sunday School.
Current Ministry
Having accomplished as much as they could in the implementation of the Taita Hills Children’s Village project, and waiting on the Government for the title of the property, Ilona and her husband wife moved from Mombasa to Kitale in November, 2010.
Kitale is an agricultural town with many missioners from different denominations who are very heavily involved in working with children in the form of orphanages, homes and schools and their care. These are mostly children who have been affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Street children are present in Kitale too and this phenomenon is on the increase all over the world.
For part of her time, Ilona works in Kipsongo Slums where people mostly from the Turkana region have fled and sought refuge here. The rest of the community does not think very highly of them and as a result are marginalized. The Good Shepherd Sisters have built a shelter where they have developed programs to help them become self sustainable. In the morning when they arrive, devotions are held, after that the group is divided into two and they are taught Swahili/English and Math and English (depending on their level). Thereafter they break into 2 groups – one which crochets sofa covers and the other make rosaries and crucifixes. Among other development activities, Ilona is encouraging them to stuff empty water bottles with plastic so that these can be placed within the mud walls of the homes they are building, for insulation from heat and cold. Weekly, they prepare the mud and build a small home with the help of men. This is very rare and very welcome that men should help.
In her remaining time, Ilona works at “Oasis of Hope” which is a drop in center for children living on the street and/or in extreme poverty circumstances. She teaches mathematics to 2nd graders, and through this work, helps them change a pattern of bad choices to one that embraces new life options that offer hope.
