Most girls Emily Bullington’s age are focused on boys, clothes, and all things pop culture. However, Emily’s focus is on the preservation and sustainable future of an entire African slum in Kitale, Kenya. Armed with this information going into my discussion with Emily, I anticipate a very serious, driven 12-year-old girl. Upon arrival to her home, I am warmly greeted by her mother, Kelly, and introduced to an excited, happy Emily.
“Nice to meet you,” say both women as they shake my hand and show me to a table in their kitchen. Despite the rainy conditions outside, the home feels warm and bright – both words also applicable to Emily.
Emily, also a flautist and a girl scout, learned of the plight of the slum when missionaries Opp and Karen Guenard from Wooster presented at the Harvest Church of the Nazarene, where her father, Tim, is pastor; she was ten years old. “[The] missionary photos broke my heart, and I wanted to do something about it. I didn’t sleep for that whole night; I stayed up and jotted down ideas in a notebook,” she stated. The next morning she discussed the calling and her ideas with her parents and brother, Caleb. Emily credits Caleb with coming up with the idea to do a lemonade stand but says she was concerned it wouldn’t raise enough money. “I wanted to do a bakery sale, but Mom said it was too much work! We had lemonade stands when we were younger, and we would make like a dollar the whole time and split it halfway. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to bring enough money in to help the people,” she says. “Now I have raised over $28,000,” she says with enthusiasm.
Kelly says of Emily’s initially coming to her with the idea, “The day after missionaries came and Emily told me her idea, I just felt it was right. It was during a political crisis over there that the missionaries came; there was violence over a disputed election, and they were raising money for emergency food relief. I knew it would cost $8,000 to feed all 2,500 people. Emily felt like God was asking her to raise the money. It felt right but the practical, adult side kicked in and said it was a lot of money.” Kelly prepared Emily for rejection, then was amazed by the positive response.
From the initial calling and the decision to raise money through lemonade sales, Emily and her family had to implement the idea. They started by sending letters requesting initial donations, then they set up their first stand and sold the first cup of lemonade to Senator Gilbert Baker; their second stand was held at their church. They mix big coolers full of lemonade and place them in the back of a truck bed or car with her sign and donation jar, and then sell lemonade for donations. “Luckily we have a big car with a big trunk!” says Emily. She has sold lemonade for $.02 to a four-year-old girl. She has also received over $3,000 from a single donor, which helped her reach her first goal. “My first goal was $5,000, and I had $2,000, and this person wanted to make up the difference.” Her stands to date have raised $28,449.05.
While Emily’s initial goal was raising $5,000, Kelly attempted to persuade Emily to think in smaller increments. “I encouraged her to set a goal of $1,000, and I thought it would take at least a month…if things went well.” Emily happily responds, “I proved them wrong; it took a week.” “It humbled us and put us in our place,” said Kelly with a laugh.
Her most profitable lemonade stand to date was at Conway’s First Church of the Nazarene, where she raised over $5,500, followed by the sale at Conway Christian School, which raised about $3,000. Most people contact Emily and her mom through the website, www.emilyslemonadestand.com, to set up a lemonade stand or to make a donation. The lemonade stand accepts PayPal, and has received donations from as far away as Australia.
When asked about her ongoing role in Emily’s Lemonade Stand, Kelly quickly responds, “She and Caleb drive the project. I am the muscle, the chauffer, the proofreader; I help make the lemonade. I initially made a cake each time she reached $1,000, but it started coming so fast, I am going to have to amend that and do it every $5,000 or so. I can’t keep up,” she laughs. She goes on to say that it took no cajoling on her part whatsoever to get Emily started. “When Emily comes up with an idea, I help her work through the thought process, and she does the rest.”
When asked what it felt like knowing her efforts had led to feeding 2,500 people in Kitale, Kenya, Emily responds, “I feel overwhelmed. I live in a house with my dad, mom, and brother. I have plenty of food and water. I can go to the doctor when I’m sick. I wanted to do something to help make life better for the people in Kipsongo.” And this was only her first feat. After feeding the initial 2,500, they made the decision to pursue more long term goals for the slum, including the purchase of five acres of land on which the residents raise chickens for food. The proceeds from the lemonade stands are placed into a banking fund which the missionaries access to purchase the land and animals, so the inhabitants of the slum benefit directly from the money.
While the vision of Emily’s Lemonade Stand has remained unchanged, the goals have continued to grow. There is currently a well on the five acres, and a work and witness group from Florida is modifying the well from irrigation to commercial use, so the locals can sell the water as a source of income. The subsequent plan for the five acres is the purchase of an additional 15-20 acres on which the building of an orphanage is planned. There are more than 200 orphans currently living in the slum. In the interim they will continue to feed the orphans and residents at Kipsongo. The money raised now allows the slum residents, whose wares are not sanitized, to purchase groceries in neighboring, sanitized towns in Kenya.
When asked about her vision for the area, Emily responds, “I will keep going until that slum looks like Conway.” They envision civilized housing, jobs, and decent clothing for the residents as well. The Bullington family would like to visit Kipsongo as well; “We are waiting for the Lord to open the door to allow us to visit,” says Kelly. Asked what she wants to do with her life, Emily says definitively, “I want to be a teacher for the Bread of Life Center and be a missionary and teacher in Kenya.”
The family recently had the opportunity to meet with Pastor Richard and Hellen Makani, the Kenyans who run the ministry, for the first time. Emily shared her experience with them, and they shared with her that 40 Kipsongo people died of starvation during the political crisis she heard about from the missionaries at Harvest Church of the Nazarene. They told her that her efforts had prevented more deaths, a profound accomplishment for a then ten-year-old girl. It also had a great effect on Kelly, who said it was then she realized the difference her daughter was making; “That food stopped more death,” she says. The Makani’s also showed Emily photos of the food distribution, which made the result of her efforts seem more tangible.
Emily’s Lemonade Stand needs $368,000 to purchase the additional land, build the orphanage, and keep the ministries going. This amount will also continue to provide jobs for the inhabitants and purchase needed supplies. Donation information and more information on the ministry can be found at her website as well.
Toward the end of our visit, I ask Kelly what her hopes are for Emily’s future. Emily quips, “She could write a book about that!” Kelly responds, “I think that is the interesting part of parenting through this. I want her to never lose that childlike faith of ‘I can do this’ when she has a passion for something. I want her to maintain the same level of vision and enthusiasm her entire life in all that she does.”