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.
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.”
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.
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.
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!”
