Imana Kids {Non Profit Feature}

Omaha! Somewhere in the middle of America!

I’m not sure if you’ve ever been out of town when someone’s asked you where you live and they blurt out this catchy little lyric from the Counting Crows. There’s something comfortable about being in the middle of something, but also isolating. Have you ever felt that way? In a country full of political upheaval and debate, Omaha sometimes seems separate from it all. But it can also make you feel like you can’t do anything important, especially as a mom. We get caught up in the day-to-day wondering what next activity our kids have planned, what’s for dinner, what time the Husker game starts, etc. But when I talked to Kara Higgins, co-founder of Imana Kids, the thing she emphasized the most is that moms are the ones who change the world…simply by choosing, each day, to parent.

About Imana Kids

Imana Kids is a Christian faith-based organization, based here in Omaha, that aids Rwandan orphans through education, foster care, and basic needs through sponsorship and visitation. Volunteers are there to aid and not to act as a savior. It is the simple act of being kind by helping someone get back on their feet after ugly, political upheaval. I wish I could expound on every single thing they do, but in all actuality, it is simply the act of loving people in another country with a different culture who have suffered from deep trauma. 

Kara

If you want to know more about Kara and her husband’s story, read about it in this Omaha.com article. But here’s what I want you to know about her. She’s the mom who worries about when she’s going to pick up her child at school. She’s also the mom who doesn’t mind when your toddler wipes his snot on her leg (true story! My youngest is quite fond her). She’s the same mom who gets frustrated with Omaha traffic in the middle of snow if they haven’t plowed and it takes an hour to get somewhere. She’s a mom. When she first adopted her Rwandan sons Etienne and Ezekiel, she struggled. She made a conscious effort to parent her son Etienne because of the trauma he experienced. Out of love for her child, she sought to look outside of her neighborhood to help others. Moms shouldn’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know, but I’m going to try my best”. Omaha doesn’t just have to be in the middle of America. It can also be a place where a mother’s love can reach the farthest places on Earth like in Rwanda.

What can you do?

The easiest thing you can do is share the story. Not everyone is called to care for orphans or even have the financial means to sponsor a child, but it might reach someone who might be called to do so. Or perhaps you’re thinking about sponsoring an orphan, but just need some wisdom on how. Finally, a great way to support Imana Kids is to donate on their website. Donations are welcome and appreciated and go to Phase 1 or their new community center.

In any circumstance, remember that motherhood changes us in a very real and beautiful way—so much so that our love may reach the ends of the earth. Consider donating to Imana Kids. They are currently raising funds for a new community center which will house classrooms, foster care training, and worship space.