Stancy Norah is 17 years old now and has been sponsored by the Kenya Relief organization since 2004.

Many area residents have heard the story of Kenya Relief and Brittney James, the young lady whose prayers started a movement halfway across the globe from where she lived in Cullman, all the way to Kenya. 

The Cullman contingent of people who journeyed to East Africa because of Brittney’s prayers for children in need have brought back the spirit of love and compassion that is the essence of Brittney James’ innermost heart. 

Because Brittney did not live to see her dream fulfilled, her father, Steve James, continues to work to make the world a better place.

Because so many of Cullman’s citizens have responded to the ministry, what was once only a home for a few orphans has grown to include a school and a hospital. Since the humble beginnings of the orphanage, it has grown to encompass 60 acres, and is home to 163 children. Kenya Relief has been a home for homeless children for over 10 years now. 

Some of the children who’ve grown up in the orphanage recall when they first came to live there, and how so many people, including many from the Cullman area, have changed their lives. And then there is Steve James, who is known to many of them. 

Here are some of their stories, via excerpts taken from heartfelt letters.

Victor Jr., 14, is now in the eighth grade. He was a baby in 2002, when James happened to meet his father, who was dying from AIDS. “I am the last born in my family and being the only boy in the family, my parents died with HIV and Aids, leaving me behind at three months old and even me getting infected with the virus. There was nothing to enjoy after the death of my parents because poverty was the greatest challenge in the family and nothing good could be reaped out of our family,” the young man writes. 

“Hope and focus were lost in us, we lived in hardship and I never knew that somebody would come and lift us up. But I want to thank God for He brought Steve James into my life, he adopted me together with my sister, Stancy, as the founders of Kenya Relief.”

Victor and Stancy’s plight made such a deep impression on James that he became determined to do what he could to see that they were cared for, educated and introduced to the Christian faith. Because of the faith he had in a God-given vision, children like Victor and Stancy are well on their way to becoming productive citizens in their village. 

“Before my adoption, I could not get my regular medical suppliers from the county hospital. Now through the program of Kenya Relief, I am now accessible to such services,” Victor explained. “My life now in Kenya Relief is awesome with hope, privileges, needs like food, shelter, clothing and education. I am looking forward to be an engineer in future and I strongly believe that with God I am going to be a strong pillar in my family,” he wrote. 

“I therefore appreciate the donors to Kenya Relief for giving such a great support to this community and I encourage others to step in, in order to convert hopeless into hope. May God bless you all,” Victor concluded.

His sister was a little older when James entered her life. Stancy Norah is 17 years old now and has been sponsored by the Kenya Relief organization since 2004. She is currently a student at Moi Suba girls secondary school and in the twelfth grade.

“In our family, my parents gave birth to three children,” Stancy wrote to The Cullman Times. “My elder sister died due to illness at tender age and now I being the second born with a brother as the last-born. My parents died of HIV and aids leaving us orphans with poverty as a major challenge in the family. No worth could be seen in us and we never had anything to own. Before the death of my father, he met a doctor by the name Steve James, in a local hospital where my dad asked him not to let us starve. Life after the death became so hard; nothing to gain but to lose — food, shelter, clothes and education could not be met by us.

“The grandmother who remained with us could not meet the daily bread, but I thank God because He brought Steve James in my life and began an orphanage program. Since then Kenya Relief has been a blessing to me and it has also changed my way of living and even provision of my needs. I am looking forward to be a doctor,” wrote Stancy, her pride evident. 

“I therefore thank Steve together with my sponsor for giving such a support to this community and I do encourage donors to come in and help fellow friends that are in needs. God bless you all,” wrote Stancy. 

For 19-year-old Kevin Omondi Joseph, known affectionately as Jambo, Kenya Relief has been home since the third grade, through sponsorship. “I got the sponsorship program in 2004 while I was in grade three and up to date that I am out of high school,” he writes. 

“Before I got this golden opportunity (sponsorship), my life was in darkness, nothing to count because I was left hopeless at the three months old with my two elder sisters. My parents died of HIV and aids leaving behind orphans in a miserable, desperate and hardship life. Poverty was paramount as a challenge in the family and none, even my relatives, could meet my situation as a total orphan. God brought Steve James through Pastor Fred in my life.”

Now, Kevin says that his life in Kenya Relief is “generally awesome!”

“I have enjoyed great privileges, shelter, clothing, food and education. I even had a growth and an ear drainage that went for 16 years before. God brought a medical team through Steve James who did the two surgeries and my ear and truly I got healed.”

Kevin gives back to Kenya Relief by helping mentor the kids at the orphanage as he waits to begin college, where he is looking forward to studying to be an engineer. “I can’t forget to acknowledge the tireless efforts of my sponsor, Carole Williams, and other friends that donated their support to Kenya Relief and I do assure you that it is never in vain,” Kevin wrote. 

“As my life is making a turning point to prosperity, I thank, appreciate and besiege many friends and donors to chip in and transform many lives. Thanks to Steve James for his greater vision, God bless you much.”

Perhaps one of the most heartbreaking stories, but nonetheless one with a wonderful ending, is the story of the first child to enter the outside world from Brittney’s Home of Grace (Kenya Relief) Nancy Akoth. 

“I remember when I first joined the home for the homeless, Britney’s Children Home of Grace as it called itself before it became Kenya Relief,” writes Nancy. “That is back in the year 2005, after the death of my mother who was then the only parent we had.

“I was left with my uncle who also strived to meet our need but due to his huge family, he could not manage ours and the need of his dual family. So it forced him to find me a school near my mother’s home in Migori. I lived alone in a lonely home with no relative or friend to share with being my first time to stay in Migori. It is in the same year that I met a man of God, Pastor Fred, who was by then managing Kenya Relief. I feared everybody around because I didn’t know who was good and who was not good.” 

The pastor interviewed Nancy, telling her that she was living in dangerous conditions, a young girl alone in a strange place. “He told me that I was risking my life since that surrounding was of full of weird and evil people and they could take advantage of me living alone.”

Pastor Fred insisted on introducing Nancy’s case to the president of the organization, Steve James. She was in fear of this meeting because she had never met James.  

In March 2005, Steve James went to Kenya. “It was the first time I met a kind and generous God-sent man who was ready to save lives of the hungry, poor and homeless, he could toil walking down the streets looking for support from friends to help the needy. It was a gospel well preached as it stated in James 1:27. Steve worked harder to find me sponsor parents.” 

James and Pastor Fred began to make arrangements to have Nancy move to the orphanage, but that night their worst fears were realized.  

“I experienced an attack from a stranger who knocked the door acting like a neighbor,” wrote Nancy. “Upon opening, I got a drunkard with evil thoughts, he struggled to open getting in as I from inside pushed to close the door. I screamed out for help but none came for rescue.

“That month that I moved to the orphanage and Steve got me and my youngest sister, Rehema, sponsor parents. Lisa and Mike Eckenrod became good parents to me. I must acknowledge their effort towards my life. Through Kenya Relief my life changed and all the pain of losing parents fade cause I got new parents who were loving and caring. It surprised many relatives because those who left promises of educating us after death of parents didn’t manage on my older siblings, but still they still saw me going to school and proceeding to different levels.” 

“I must say it was God’s purpose for all this to happen,” she writes.

Steve James once asked her, “Nancy, do you think what is happening to you now is in vain?”

“Indeed it wasn’t in vain, because all that happened, happened in a miraculous manner and I thought to some point like it was a dream! Living a better life with good health and shelter was not all, but also getting education in a good school. Indeed, God works in a way that no man can understand. It was God working!” 

Through Kenya Relief, Nancy has managed to complete her secondary education, and to help others in the same way she has been helped. “I did my computer course and later joined a college where I did my diploma course in Social Work and Community Development. My dream was to serve the community and at least find one or two who can also benefit under my care just like I got it from others.” 

Those others, like Nancy, have had life changing experiences through the support from people in the United States, through the organization called Kenya Relief. “Today we have a small city in deserted place; the land that was used for grazing today has become a home to 168 children and employment firm to many community members,” Nancy points out.

“Today I am what I am courtesy of Kenya Relief,” she continued. “From a despised and jeopardized orphan to a respected lady, and I must thank Kenya Relief fraternity for the good work they did into my life and lives of many other needy sisters and brothers.”  

Many of the influential people in the lives of the children you’ve just heard from, as well as others of the Kenya Relief “family” have come from right here in Cullman. Because of their impact on those young lives, the world has become a vastly different place for them, one in which they now have a voice. Through education and a work ethic driven by memories of abject poverty, these children have excelled in their studies, and now have the opportunity to become productive members of their communities.

One such person, Dr. Robin Hall, was a colleague of Steve’s when his daughter passed from this life. “I was internally motivated by the story,” said Hall. “God has so richly blessed us. I was moved by Brittney sponsoring an African child by the name of Newton.” 

Three years ago, Dr. Mike Hall, Robin’s husband, also felt drawn by Brittney and Newton’s story. He and Robin had worked together on other missions, which mostly included general medical clinics. “But to have a facility where we could put our specialties to use was amazing. I finally felt that I would be able to use my knowledge,” Robin said. 

As she disembarked from the plane, she couldn’t help but notice the depth and extent of the poverty. “There were miles and miles of slums and shacks,” she recalled, “but in face of all that, the people were friendly and gracious.” 

“They have some of the most wonderful worship services — they are so beautiful that it is an absolute joy to see people who have so little be so thankful.” 

She felt the same emotions when she saw the compound. “It was the most heartbreaking beautiful thing when you see what God has built there. The hospital and orphanage are from donations from people who are moved by Brittney’s legacy.”

The first night in Africa, she was greeted by children who came to sing a greeting to the visitors. Of course, they were very curious about the Americans. 

She recalls one girl whose father had tried to murder her, “There were scars on her face,” Dr. Hall said. “He had left her for dead.”

“She showed me around the school and when the visit was coming to an end, she looked at me and said, ‘Would you keep me forever?’”

Some visitors, like Carol Williams, go back. Others like Curtis and Devry Coghlan (Curtis is the former editor of Huntsville Times and Birmingham News), quit their jobs to move there fulltime.

Dr. Glori Short, of Cullman, has been a part of several specialty teams. Dr. Hall was the anesthesiologist for one of Dr. Short’s operations in the Kenyan hospital built by donations. “It is phenomenal to me the scope of one man’s vision,” Hall said, referring to James. “It started with a broken heart and developed into a whole community,” she said. “To see the vision of one man, empowered by God, is phenomenal.”

For more information, contact the Kenya Relief office at 888-60KENYA-FREE or kenyarelief@kenyarelief.org.

January 6-17: Steve James, CRNA (ret.), nonmedical prep team

January 20-31: Steve James, general surgery/ENT

February 3-14: Dr. Heather Estopinal, ophthalmology

February 17-28: TEAM TBD

March 2-13: Cove Church, construction/maintenance

March 17-27: Elizabeth Studley, CRNA, ENT/general

March 30-April 10: TEAM TBD

April 20-May 1: Dr. Paul Sherman, ENT/general

May 4-15: TEAM TBD

May 18-29: Steve James and Dr. Mark DeLacure, ENT/general

June 1-12: TEAM TBD

June 15-26: Dusty Stanley, Vacation Bible School

June 29-July 10: Jeanne Williams, Ph.D., children’s education

July 13-24: Dr. Mike Stevens, GYN

July 27-August 7: Molly Shaw, CRNA and Dr. Merry Sebelik, ENT/general

Early August (TBD): Photo safari

August 18-28: Pam Kuhl and Dr. Mark Kuhl, dentistry

September 1-11: Dr. Tim Page, Ophthalmology

September 15-25: Elizbeth Studley, CRNA, ENT/general

September 28-October 9: Paula Simmons, CRNA, ENT/general

October 12-23: Steve James, CRNA (ret.), ENT/general

October 26-November 6: Drs. Zaria Murrell and Kevin Potts, pediatrics/ENT

November 9-20: Karen Roane, PA, general surgery

For more information, contact Molly Shaw, Medical Missions Coordinator at molly@kenyarelief.org; Dusty Stanley, Administrative Assistant at dusty@kenyarelief.org; Steve James, founder/CEO at sjames@kenyarelief.org; or visit www.kenyarelief.org.