3 minute read
Holistic Help
Words Clara Ngobolia
All over the world the coronavirus pandemic has disproportionately aff ected the poor and vulnerable. Throughout this time, the Lifewords team and its partners have been serving people in Kenya.
For those already struggling with poverty, debt, ill-health and insecurity, the merciless sweep of the coronavirus struck a further blow. In Kenya, living standards and lifestyle have changed completely with the onset of the pandemic. It has caught many people unaware and unprepared, especially those who are living in informal settlements, where people depend on casual labour. With new government directives and a curfew put in place, many families have been unable to meet their basic needs. How can someone buy sanitiser and masks when they can’t put food on the table? The pandemic has resulted in a lot of physical, social, psychological and emotional suff ering.
SUPPORTING THE VULNERABLE
In the midst of new challenges thrown up by the pandemic, Lifewords partners are continuing their work, especially with the poor and vulnerable. The Maisha Poa Centre works with street children and families in the Kawangware area of Nairobi. They seek to rescue, rehabilitate and reintegrate children, providing counselling, educational sponsorship, vocational and skills training, literacy programmes, and social and economic support. Throughout the pandemic Maisha Poa has received donations of food and non-food items to distribute to families living on the streets, and to the community they serve in Kawangware.
Alongside serving families, the centre has been helping street children navigate the crisis. “To ensure that our boys were safe, we took them through basic safety measures such as washing hands with soap and plenty of running water, together with issuing each one of them with new face masks,” says Pastor Mary. The strict dusk-till-dawn curfew (7pm to 5am) measures created problems for those living on the streets. “This directive, though in the best interest of our country, presented many diffi culties for the boys,” says Pastor Mary. Maisha Poa Centre, in conjunction with other partners, provided items like mattresses and blankets, together with renting houses for the boys in order to support the government’s eff ort in containing the spread of the virus.
ONGOING WORK
Alongside responding to the physical needs of the street children, Maisha Poa has continued to fi nd a way of
Distributing essential items to the community encouraging hope through sharing stories from the green bag with the boys. Mary met with the boys in small groups and gave them pocket cards to take away. “As I interacted with the boys using the green bag, I got very positive responses from them. One of the boys, Kennedy*, said that the stories of Jesus help him leave the sin that makes him feel like the lost sheep or the prodigal son. When the boys hear these stories, they feel valued by God, instead of despised by people when they are on the streets. The pocket cards help them express faith as they refl ect on their past hurt.” The work is ongoing. Mary tells the story of another boy, John*, who having been counselled with the green bag, was changed by God into a completely diff erent person. He now loves singing and dancing in church and was missing Sunday services that were suspended during lockdown. “In this situation we are all facing, boys like John still need us,” says Pastor Mary.
* Names have been changed
PRAY
Give thanks for churches and organisations in Kenya who are supporting vulnerable people.
Pray for Maisha Poa, that they would have the resources they need for their work.
Pray for the children they serve, ask that God would bring them rescue, recovery and hope for the future.
