Crucial Food Aid Just in Time in Korogocho Slum

Korogocho, one of the largest slums outside the city of Nairobi, Kenya, is home to a population of 150,000 to 200,000 people crammed into a one square mile area, facing dire living conditions. This situation has been exacerbated by a rough economic period in the country and a persistent lack of rain leading to famine and widespread hunger. In response to this pressing need, identified families severely impacted during this challenging period to provide food aid to.

By 10 am on a recent day, 49 people had arrived at a local church where AE Kenya’s Joseph Wanyama shared a message from 1 Peter 5:7, emphasizing the importance of casting anxieties onto God, who cares for us. He encouraged them to trust that, no matter their circumstances, God is there to see them through. Following his sermon, an altar call led to 20 people surrendering their lives to Christ, and they were encouraged to be peacemakers in their community.

The food distribution followed, with each family receiving three packets of 5lbs maize flour, 5lbs of rice, and a bar of soap. The smiles on their faces and heartfelt thanks reflected the joy and gratitude they felt toward the donors and God.

Maurice Okumba expressed his gratitude to African Enterprise and the donors for answering their prayers. He had been unemployed for nearly two years, struggling to pay rent and feed his family. With two months of rent in arrears and two days of going hungry, he wasn’t sure where his next meal would come from. He attributed this provision to God’s mercy and thanked the donors for their generosity.

Gladys Mangila, a wife, mother, and child of God, rejoiced at the food packages they received, which would significantly help her family. Her husband had been unemployed, and her small grocery business was suffering due to the challenging economic times. She explained how their community relied on sharing resources, and these provisions from AE would ensure no one went hungry for the next couple of nights. She expressed heartfelt gratitude to AE and the donors for their compassion and generosity.

Educational Opportunity Leads to New Future

The Center for Champions (CFC) in Rwamagana, Rwanda, educates approximately 750 children and young people each year. It provides a high-quality Christian education and opens up a whole new future of possibilities once young men and women graduate. One of these is Ishimwe Belt, a a 19-year-old from a family of six children. He has been studying masonry and is looking forward to a good job where he can provide for himself and, one day, for a family.

Ishimwe, in the photo to the right, says, “I first learned about the CFC through a friend who had previously attended this reputable institution. I always heard about its excellent standards and cleanliness and had a desire to study here, but I didn’t know how to make it happen. When I received my Grade 9 results and found that I had performed well, my former school recommended me to the CFC. As I entered the gates of the CFC, I couldn’t believe I was coming to such a prestigious school. I even told my mother that it felt like a university. She agreed, and I decided to focus on construction because I had heard they emphasized practical learning. The warm welcome at the reception and my father’s positive impression further convinced me of the school’s quality.”

Construction students at the Center for Champions

Ishimwe is especially grateful for the way he has been treated with dignity and kindness by the CFC staff. He says, “I appreciate the absence of discrimination based on students’ economic status. The school teaches discipline and self-motivation, and I have gained a deep knowledge of construction compared to students from other schools. My behavior has improved, I’ve learned punctuality, and the use of projectors for learning has broadened my understanding of global construction practices. The support and follow-up from teachers have been invaluable. Looking ahead, I aspire to use my construction knowledge to contribute to building projects. I dream of excelling academically and securing sponsorship to study in France, known for its strong construction industry.”

Thank you so much for your generosity which enables a whole new future for struggling young people in Rwanda like Ishimwe!

Bringing New Joy to Nairobi

The vision for the Love Nairobi Festival Mission began eight years ago, but it gained significant momentum in September 2022 as a partnership of African Enterprise with Nairobi city churches and the Luis Palau Association, based in Portland, Oregon.

Then, in September 2023, a diverse group of missioners, totaling 215 individuals from various African countries, reached out with the Gospel across Kenya’s capital city. These included friends from Zambia, Zimbabwe, Togo, Botswana, South Africa, Uganda, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, DRC Congo, and Malawi, as well as some from Europe and the USA. These evangelists labored together to reach more than 320,000 people and saw the salvation of 78,593 individuals, as per the latest report at the time of this submission.

One of those who experienced the love of Jesus was a young woman named Joy, who arrived at a children’s home in December 2008, during a turbulent period of post-election violence in Kenya. She had been left there by a woman who initially claimed to be a Good Samaritan. Joy bore visible scars and a broken arm, isolating her from the other kids while she recovered. Eventually, she integrated into the home, but the stares from some of the children made her withdraw into loneliness.

Later, the woman who dropped her off revealed that she was Joy’s maternal aunt, not just a stranger, and Joy’s scars were not from the political violence but from abuse by her family. Her “aunt” disclosed that she was, in fact, Joy’s grandmother, covering for her daughter’s mistakes. Joy then learned that her broken arm resulted from her mother throwing her down the stairs in a fit of rage, intensifying her resentment.

Now a university student studying architecture in Nairobi, Joy (with her back to the camera to the left) is highly respected at the children’s home. During a recent visit by the missioners, Joy felt a spark of hope. Although she hasn’t fully healed from her past, she expressed a willingness to embark on a journey of forgiveness, taking one step at a time. Plans were made for further trauma healing support through the Foxfire Youth Evangelist team. Please continue to pray for Joy!

Durban Mission Reaches More than 12,000

AE South Africa just concluded a mission to Durban in October 2023 with a comprehensive outreach of stratified evangelism including school ministry, street evangelism, door-to-door visits, hospital ministry, factories, open-airs and drive-thru-prayers. Durban is South Africa’s third-largest city, located on the Indian Ocean coast, and with more than four million people. During this three-week outreach, a total of 12,242 people put their lives in Christ’s hands! As the discipleship journeys for these new believers continues through the local churches that partnered with AE, they will grow into maturity and become disciple-making disciples.

One of the missioners reported this amazing account: “While sharing the Gospel message our team of missioners caught sight of David (in the photo to the right) who was watching us, seemingly wanting to attract our attention as he repeatedly walked away then back to where we were standing. We approached him and he was eager for us to share our Good News with him. David is married and is a father to a 8-month old baby. He described himself as a ‘sugar’ smoker (that is, cocaine or crack). This past weekend he got so high on drugs that he cut himself and tried to hang himself. He had no clue as to why he did this, but thankfully his wife got in through a window and cut him loose, saving him from this mindless suicidal act. He shared with us that he was originally a devout Hindu who was led to the Christian faith some years ago and he then led his mother to the Christ. Sadly, he descended into the darkness of substance abuse and lost his way in recent times, until the near-fatal incident of the weekend and our street ministry today stirred within him that he needs to return to Jesus. We prayed for him. David will be followed up by a local church, and he has been referred for rehabilitation. Please do pray for his recovery and journey ahead!”

COVID-19, Floods and Tribal Conflict – A Triple Threat in South Sudan

African Enterprise was able to reach out to vulnerable families who recently poured into the capital city of Juba. Displaced by floods, fleeing violence, and in search of work amidst COVID-19 shutdowns, hundreds of families were in desperate need of food and supplies. Your generous support made it possible for African Enterprise to:

• Share God’s Word — In a school-turned church, AE gathered the displaced families to share God’s Word and encourage them in the midst of all they are going through.

• Distribute food and supplies
After the service, the AE team distributed food and supplies (maize flour, beans, cooking oil, and soap).

• Provide COVID-19 awareness
The AE team shared about washing hands regularly with soap, correctly putting on a face mask, and keeping social distance.