A Weekend with Bob Lupton

From charity to development…to transform a city!

January 14-16, 2012

Sponsored by the churches and ministries of The Co-Op*

Bob Lupton, author, community developer and founder of Atlanta-based Focused Community Strategies (FCS) will be a guest to our city over the Martin Luther King, Jr weekend, January 14-16. He will be speaking to ministry and marketplace leaders out of his 40 years of experience with neighborhood transformation and how charity hurts the very people we try to help.  His message and firsthand experience is one of hope and possibility when we are willing to embrace the hard, longer-term work of development over charity.

Hear Bob speak at any of the following events over the weekend:

Saturday, January 14

Sunday, January 15

Monday, January 16

 *The mission of the Co-Op is to recruit, develop, equip and deploy Christian, community-minded, collaborative leaders for the purpose of creating holistic, sustainable community transformation that reflects Christ’s plan for a just and reconciled city.  For more info on the Co-Op click here or send email to  info@theco-opkc.com.

I came to the United States in the early 1980s with a single mission…to further my education, so I could facilitate community development in my homeland of Kenya.  At nineteen years of age and with an academic scholarship to study in Southern California, I was ready to begin the journey. My village of Machakos even pooled their resources to pay for my airfare and provide $200 for expenses. On arriving in the U.S., however, I learned that my scholarship had been a mistake on the university's part and I was left with the option to return to Kenya at the University’s expense or stay in the US at my own expense.  I chose to stay.

 For a time I lived among the homeless in downtown LA, found refuge in the love and care of an African-American congregation who took me in and, no doubt saved a young 19 year old boy far from home, from all kinds of unknown perils.  Eventually I made my way to the mid-west where I attained my degree, met my wife, started a family, earned more degrees and attained leadership positions in corporate America.  I found the personal success I had come to this country to pursue.  However, my mission for my boyhood village of Machakos remained elusive. I had the passion. I had the vision. But I needed help to bring it to life.

That help came a couple of years ago when I met Tom Bassford with Significant Matters (SM) and shared my dream. He began by helping me develop a strategic plan for what I wanted to do. My commitment was rejuvenated and I began to understand that I COULD turn my passion into reality. I could actually be a part of community transformation in my hometown of Machakos. However, even with my advanced degrees, I had a lot to learn.

First, I needed to clarify my mission. Taking time to think about the problems in Machakos helped me to do that. With high rates of HIV and AIDS, I envisioned safe places where families could be educated about healthy lifestyles. These centers for learning would offer education that would benefit the entire community. I wrote a mission statement and defined my vision.

The Mission of Hope Kenya

We exist to help community leaders develop self-sustaining resource centers within their communities to be used to train and educate people in economic, spiritual and physical development.

I had clarity!

Next we worked on the idea of collaboration; a core and strategic value of SM. I could see the value and necessity of partnerships if you’re going to create any kind of sustainable change. We looked at various models around the world, from America’s inner cities to South Africa and India. Seeing how those partnerships WORK gave further direction for my journey.

It was a journey that I knew would include big challenges. One of those would be acting as a “cheerleader” from here in the US for holistic community development in Machakos, where government officials do not often listen to those advocating change. We continued to lay the groundwork and think through contingencies to help increase the long-term success of the program. The process has taken a lot of time and I’ve learned a bit of patience along the way. After all, my mission had been 20 years in the making. Another year or two to build confidence and partnerships began to make a lot of sense.

In December of 2007, I began to build those partnerships. On a trip to Kenya, I met with government officials, social workers, educators, and the director of the Kenya National Public Library. The exposure SM gave me to some “best practices” and the clarity I had gained about creating sustainable partnerships prepared me for a series of difficult discussions with my Kenyan partners on this trip. Through those discussions and a lot of prayer, the barriers slowly began to dissolve, allowing a spirit of cooperation to develop.

I was able to form a leadership team in Kenya that is actually doing the work on the ground and SM helped me form a strategic advisory team here in Kansas City. They help me think through strategies, develop policies and evaluate the ongoing effort. I’ve been fortunate to be able to raise the necessary funds for this project and SM has helped give oversight and accountability to how those funds are spent.

As a result Machakos Hope Preschool opened as planned on May 5^th with 30 students.  Our plans are centered around the idea of a “Village Community Center” which serves as a hub to provide services for the whole community in the four areas of: Child Care & Education, Leadership Development, Economic Development and Health & Wellness.  Additionally, we have piloted a micro-finance/industry with a local man to raise and take to market chickens.  Our first loan was for $300 to raise 100 chickens which were then sold for $420 at the end of six weeks.  We have so far to go but are filled with deep gratitude that finally, 20 years later the dream is alive and coming to pass!

John Gakuha (Wilson)

SM Center for Sustainability Banquet: The Hope Kenya Story

Saturday, December 3, 2011 from 6:00-7:30 at Indian Creek Community Church in Olathe

To RSVP – CLICK HERE

You are invited to a special evening to hear the story of Hope Kenya.  

It’s the story of one man pursuing his passion to make a difference in the world. It's also the story of how we can and must move from charity to development in our efforts to help people and communities in need.

John Wilson, born and raised in Kenya, came to the US at age 24 to get his education.  Now over 20 years later he is making good on his dream to give back to his homeland of Kenya.  But not in the traditional "charity" model.  Hope Kenya in partnership with Significant Matters is working toward the goal of self-sustainability with it's community center in Machakos, Kenya. 

Significant Matters Center for Sustainability is working with various organizations and individuals to develop models of philanthropy that can become self-sustaining over time.  Come learn how local partnerships throughout the Kansas City area with individuals, schools, and other not-for-profits are working toward that end and the lessons we’re learning along the way.  You will see how The Hope Community Center is providing education to children, access to medical services and economic development opportunities in an environment that reflects God's love for people and His interest in their circumstances.

Our Special guests include Mama Njeri, the director of The Hope Kenya Community Center (all the way from Machakos, Kenya). You'll also have a chance to hear from John Wilson, founder and Executive Director of Hope Kenya along with Tom Bassford, Executive Director of Significant Matters.

A meal will be served.  Please RSVP to let us know you are coming.  We look forward to sharing the evening with you.

Special Speaker – Tom Bassford

Topic: From Charity to Development

Date: Dec. 8, 2011

Time: 6:30 – 7:45am

Location: Soleran Offices

Chiefs / Dolphins – Sunday, Nov. 6, 2011

Cheer on the KC Chiefs, have some fun and help out the work of Significant Matters at the Nov 6 Chiefs/Dolphins game!   We have 100 tickets to the game for $40 and $15 of each ticket goes back to support the work that Significant Matters does to "connect those who want to help with those who want help" here in the KC area and around the world.   It's a family friendly event, food's included.  We'll be tailgating in the parking from 9:30-11:30. 

Pay for tickets through PayPal – Chiefs Game Tickets – Click Here!

Or for more information and tickets contact Christopher Edwards at  cae219@gmail.com / 913-226-3959 or Tom Bassford at tom@significantmatters.com / 816-419-3291.

Hope you'll join us for a lot of fun and a worthy cause!

Tom Bassford
Executive Director/Significant Matters
Area Director/I am Second, KC
816-419-3291

Sustainable change through collaboration only happens when both those who help and those who are helped see their work together not so much as a transaction bound by timelines but as a relationship worthy of deep sacrifice, careful listening, hard work and creative problem-solving.  We call this “redemptive entanglement”  and have found it to be the salient ingredient in any relationship or circumstance that needs growth, nurturing or change.   Without it neither true understanding nor real accountability is possible. 

Success accompanies many who invest deeply in their careers.  Yet significance is elusive to most.  Where can we turn when success is not enough and we are looking to add a greater degree of significance to our lives?  How do we find opportunities to make a difference that match our skills, experiences and passion?  As an organization, Significant matters works to help people explore and pursue their God-given passion to make a difference.  You can do it…we can help!

Give a man a fish…teach a man to fish” is a common saying that points to the bigger conversation around sustainability.  How can we help tackle the underlying problems that perpetuate the cycle of poverty?  How can we help without hurting?  The key is healthy sustainability.  All the charitable giving in the world won’t break the cycle of poverty and its associated ills.  There is a kind of helping that moves beyond charity to development.  It’s a long-term “patient capital” approach and it’s the only way to real sustainable solutions.