Boys at an orphanage in Kenya smile while eating a simple lunch. Photos courtesy of Louisa Winter.

Visiting an orphanage in Malindi, Kenya in 2012, Louisa Winter said, was a humbling experience that forever changed her life.

“My heart instantly melted in ways I didn’t know existed,” said the 41-year-old Long Beach resident in an interview with the Long Beach Post. “Right then, I knew my life would never be the same. I knew the impact of their voices, their pride and their hope was life altering and that I could only endeavor to be so humble. It took every ounce of me not to cry at the beauty of their unison.”

Walking through the orphanage, led by two teenage boys and followed by a gaggle of toddlers, Winter said she saw no closets and no toys, rooms with no air conditioning, made of simple block structures, tin roofs and meals—all basic beans, meat and bread—prepared over a wood fire. 

And, she noted, despite these children’s’ profound losses—like Felix, whose parents were killed in the post-election civil unrest and riots—Winter said the children maintained smiles on their faces.

“The inspiration I gained from the children was profound,” she said. “Not once did I see a frown or hear a complaint. The orphanage’s pledge is to encourage each and every child to reach their full potential. Some of the children have gone on to university. For example, one child went on to become a world authority on bees and apitheraphy, which is the medicinal use of products made by honeybees.”

The orphanage relies solely on donations and volunteers, she said, but they still manage to get by week by week, with a bag of maize costing only $30 and can last a week.

Winter has made it her mission to support this orphanage, as well as others in Kenya, by encouraging people to donate to Blessed Generation Children’s Centers (BGCC) through raffles, events, online auctions and social media campaigns. She is currently in the running to receive $10,000 from KIND Healthy Snacks, and she said all the money will be donated to BGCC.

KIND hosts monthly contests for a person to win money for a charity, said KIND spokeswoman Sarah Black, based on a voting system. People can vote through the end of the month for which organization they want to win the money.

Winter said that if she wins, the grant will be divided between the three BGCC orphanages in Kenya.

“BGCC would distribute funds to their orphanages; provide education, stock food reserves, purchase medical and clothing. Each child will attend primary school and have the opportunity to move on to secondary school, where students have the chance to continue their education by enrolling in college or attend university. Additionally, BGCC offers an outreach program for children who have not lost their parents, but are in need of the opportunities offered by the centers. Many of these children reside with parents who are suffering from HIV or other illnesses; leaving little income for food or medication. BGCC aims to empower the parents with training, medicine and provide schooling to the child thus enabling them to stay in their home environment.”

Winter is encouraging the community to vote for her so she can help BGCC.

“The children have very few advocates,” she said. “They need all the help they can get in a country stifled by poverty, crime and conflict. After seeing the children living in an orphanage yet in unison with such an overwhelming sense of family, I knew that Ria and her staff were amazing, selfless people. We are all in this together. No one gets to choose what circumstances they are born or entered into, but we do get to choose to help.”

To vote for Winter’s cause, click here. Voting ends on February 28.