Kropf September 2026

“You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many” (2 Corinthians 1:11).

Hope you are doing well. We are so thankful for your partnership in the work that God has called us to do and could not do this without you. Your financial and prayer support has resulted in many blessings through the work we have been given to do. We give God the glory for this!

In this newsletter I (Lisa) would like to share with you one of the things I do in my role as I manage the ChildCare Program at Rafiki. When Rafiki’s orphans finish high school, they take a national exam and graduate. Rafiki has an opportunity for them to apply for a Rafiki Scholarship which enables them to further their education after high school. To receive a scholarship, they fill out an application, write an essay, and get recommendations. In each Village, we have a Graduate Management team that oversees the graduates who qualify. If the graduate is approved for a Rafiki Scholarship, they have six specific I Wills (behavior and guidelines based on Scripture) they have to agree to abide by during their scholarship period. After the graduate finishes their application, the Graduate Management team will write up recommendations and send them to me along with a Scholarship Cost sheet.

Graduate from Ghana

Graduate from Malawi

I spend a lot of time looking over each recommendation and the cost. Rafiki has a budget that each scholarship must fit in. I look back at past behavior, what their interests are, talk with the ChildCare Director for guidance, and write the Village back with what we will approve. This takes a lot of time and consideration. Some of our graduates go to university to get bachelor’s degrees, some a two-year diploma, and others a shorter vocational route. These are big decisions that make an impact in the lives of each of these young people.

Rafiki has 260 graduates that we are supporting right now across our ten Villages and there are always situations that arise. The Graduate Management team meets regularly to keep each other informed on how the graduates are doing and discuss if they are abiding by the I Wills. If there are problems, the Village sends an email to us at the Home Office that I must read and respond to. One of the big decisions I have to make is whether a graduate’s scholarship should go on probation or not. We give the graduates warnings but if they continue to disobey the I Wills, then their scholarship goes on probation. This is a decision that is not made lightly because after probation the next step is a loss of the scholarship.

Recent ninth grade graduates in Ghana

Graduates with ChildCare staff from Nigeria

When I travel to Africa, one of the things I do is meet with the Graduate Management teams in each Village. I always thank and encourage them to keep up the good work. I spend some time listening to situations they have had, answering questions, and doing some training. You have seen some pictures when they take me to visit the graduates at their school.

Thank you for your generous support, which makes trips like this possible. Your partnership enables Del and I to serve “the least of these” in Africa and witness the incredible work God is doing. We are seeing disciples being made across our ten Villages—among the orphans, national staff, school personnel, and day students. Your continued support plays a vital role in making this transformation possible. If you are in Florida, we would love to have you visit us and to give you a tour of the Rafiki Foundation Home Office. Thank you!

Praises

By the time you receive this we will have been to our son’s wedding. Work responsibilities went well and we had a wonderful time with family.
We have a part-time assistant who has been helping me get some of my work responsibilities completed before I travel in October to Africa. This has been a big praise.
God’s equipping as I work with the ChildCare Program in Scholarship costs.

Prayer Requests

God’s continued guidance in daily responsibilities and commitments.
The Rafiki children who are in tertiary studies, that they would apply themselves and remain steadfast in their commitment to the Lord.
God’s equipping as I prepare to meet with the Graduate Management teams and the national Mothers in each Village, that it would be a good encouragement to them.
That I would remain healthy and strong on this next trip. We travel October 13-30.

Learn more about Rafiki’s expanding opportunities.

Visit our newly designed website RafikiFoundation.org to learn how to:

Purchase the Rafiki Bible Study for small groups for your church or neighborhood
Serve as a missionary with Rafiki
Sponsor a child with the Rafiki Foundation to bring God’s Word and the best education in the world to some of the neediest children in the world in Africa.

Explore the Rafiki Foundation YouTube channel.

Visit (youtube.com/@RafikiFoundation) for videos from Rafiki children, teaching at our annual Enrichment conferences, and the teaching at our African classical Christian conferences.