FAQ

CGI was initially founded out of a church in Baltimore, Maryland called Captivate Christian Church. The meaning of the word captivate is “to hold attention through irresistible appeal.”

We believe that God loves every person on the planet and that this love is God’s irresistible appeal. God appeals to people through grace, hope, mercy, forgiveness, kindness, and a host of other ways.

When people join our Dream Team, they join to be part of that irresistible force to tell a hurting world, “You are loved. You matter. There is hope.” In the time since our founding, we have grown well beyond the walls of one church and are comprised of people from all across the spectrum representing the bigger capital “C” Church. We even have supporters with no affiliation at all, but they can affiliate themselves with a group of people who love.

How does CGI work?

CGI believes in relationships. From the founding of our organization, we have chosen to work directly with people doing the most good in the most challenging places. We also believe in giving our donors the opportunity to go and see the field with their own eyes. Whether it be a slum, a school, a water tower, or a rural village, we build relationships with great people who simply need a helping hand. We are presently focused on projects involving education, livestock, clean drinking water, and orphan care. When you partner with us, you partner according to the project of your choice.

How and when did CGI start?

CGI started in 2013 when a native-born Kenyan named Shadrack Were brought some of his American friends and fellow church members over to the slums of Kibera, Kenya and the rural areas of Muhuru Bay. Shadrack refused to tell his friends of any needs. He simply said, “God will show you.” By the end of the trip, the Americans knew that we could no longer go on with religion as usual. CGI was born. We built a $50,000 water well and tower to provide clean drinking water to people who, until that time, had never had access to clean drinking water. We have since started a school, purchased animals for distribution, brought in technology, and started hosting vision trips. Great work has been started and even greater work is to come.

What is your view of sustainability?

Everything we are doing is done with an eye toward sustainability. It is not our goal to create a dependency class. Our goal is to help people gain the education, tools, and resources needed to become self-sustaining and successful. Our desire is to create ecosystems that can generate internal support. This philosophy is exercised in a thoughtful approach to every project we take on and in those we do not. We are very sensitive not to disrupt the local economy by an infusion of outside charity. We will ultimately seek to build businesses within the communities that are designed to support the humanitarian work right next door.

Where does CGI work?

Presently, we primarily work in the East African nation of Kenya. We have existing projects in the Kibera Slum as well as a very rural area of the country called Muhuru Bay. Future plans include expanding to other rural places and eventually to other nations.

How did CGI choose these areas?

Relationships. We were blessed to meet a brother by the name of Shadrack Were who served for many years with the USAID program and their HIV/AIDS initiative in East Africa. These areas are some of the world’s poorest regions and they happen to be Shadrack’s home areas. Shadrack has a great testimony of God’s grace on his life. As our team saw the need, we knew that we were called to take on some of these challenges.

What makes CGI unique?

We are faith-based. Founded and run by Christians, we bring a faith-based approach to our humanitarian relief efforts.

We are hands-on. Everyone who serves with CGI has been to Africa or has personally invested in these projects. All of the money we raise goes right to the projects and the people we serve. With nearly no overhead, we can do more with less.

We welcome people to join us on-site. Because we are personal and hands-on, your connection to us is much closer to the areas of need. Over the years we would welcome you to join us on upcoming mission trips, possibly help in the collection of relief supplies, or correspond with our team on the ground to bring the human back to the humanitarian aid.

Would you work together with non-religious groups?

Yes. For the sake of humanitarian work, we will gladly serve alongside anyone doing good in the world. Our school in Muhuru Bay, Kenya works regularly with government school officials. Our nurses have put on health clinics with secular NGOs. We respect and appreciate our partnerships across denominational, ethnic, and secular lines.

What might the future look like with CGI?

The harvest is plentiful. We want to be faithful to what is in front of us while being agile enough to meet new needs as they arise.

How much does it cost to sponsor a child?

Our program costs $30 per child each month. Since we have essentially no overhead, our sponsors give an average of 22-33% less than other organizations while our students receive an equal or greater direct benefit.

What specific benefits does a child receive through sponsorship?

Students receive an education 5 days per week.
We have a 20-1 student-to-teacher ratio.
Each child receives daily meals that many would not have otherwise. (The government schools do not provide free meals.)
Access to wraparound care such as medical, dental, and other support services as there is a need.

Your support also allows us to pay each of our teachers and cooks a prevailing wage which ensures stability for the children and joy among our faculty.

All teachers are professionally accredited and our school is an approved and registered school in Kenya. At each turn, we exceed the criteria required by the government. In 2022 we were named the top-performing school in our region according to Duke University and the Kenyan government. This assessment was made after our students out performed everyone on two consecutive national tests.

Does each child have only one sponsor?

Each child has one cost but that cost may be split among two or even three people.

Our sponsorship program builds upon our value of relationships. You can become part of the Dream Team by sponsoring one or more children on your own, or by sponsoring a share of the child’s program costs. When you sponsor a “share”, you can then share via social media and invite your friends to join you in sharing the cost of that student. For as low as $10 a month, a share may be sponsored. This is a perfect opportunity for children, teens, young adults and seniors with less disposable dollars to invest in a great cause. All gifts are tax-deductible.

May I give one-time gifts or end-of-year contributions?

Yes, you may.

On our Donate page, you may give financially toward a particular location or project. Your gift may be used for supplies, building materials, construction, vehicle transportation, data charges, or other miscellaneous costs that come with operating our programs. We will certainly put your gift to good use.