by Virgil Hughes
Recently I posted on Facebook about The Hub, a huge shopping mall in a suburb of Nairobi. Most of these are funded by non-Kenyan interests, though – full disclosure – I do not know the financing of this one.
For me, the real story came after I posted – within an hour a friend whom I have not seen for a couple of years responded that he lives just a few minutes away, and he invited me to come see him.
So yesterday I trekked back down to the Matendo Evangelism Center in Karen (the name of the suburb) to visit Chris Kimani, whom we trained as part of a larger group several years ago. (See post from 2023).
He lives (by choice) in the slum community of Kuwinda, where he grew up. I say he lives there by choice – he could move but feels called to remain there to help the community.
And boy-oh-boy is he ever helping the community! “Impressive” is not strong enough to describe what he has done, in one of the poorest places I’ve been. He has:
- Instigated a community Self-Help Group called Kaa (Stay) Sober Hope Revolution, got it registered as a CBO, developed a very good bookkeeping system.
- Taught them all of the NVI training course, using only the manuals that he himself was given when he went through it.
- Helped the group to set up a clean water distribution system for the community, and got it connected to the city water system (no small feat).
- Convinced a water filter maker to donate a bunch of their filters to the community.
- Prevailed on the local “city council” (not sure what they call it in Kenya) to build a garbage pickup spot AND to commit to regular pickups. This is huge, as anyone who has been to a Kenya slum knows the problem of trash and garbage, and the resulting unsanitary conditions.
- Also prevailed on the business owner who owns the land on which the slum sits to give them land for a football (soccer) pitch (field), and,
- Has set up several football teams (at least four that he named, but then I lost count.)
- One of the most intriguing teams he set up is for women over 30 – called the “Kuwinda Queens Legends Football Club.” One of the women who spoke told me they are good enough that they will someday travel to the US and challenged me (with a delightful twinkle in her eye) that they would trounce any team I might scrape up! (Team tryouts when I return! Email me! 😊)
This is REALLY significant when you think about it – what else do women who live in the slums (married, with children, whose primary diet is inexpensive starches) – have to look forward to? Yet here they were – out running around, running between cones to warm up, yelling and screaming with excitement! Good stuff! - In addition to the water business, the women also are planning a washing-machine business (an obvious need), so NVI funded the washing machine if they would fund all the supply and hook up costs.
There were a couple members who spoke at the meeting (see pictures), and I was thoroughly impressed with the poise and maturity with which they handled themselves. Obviously, something good is happening there.
Finally – Chris asked me for nothing for himself while I was there – he was entirely focused on helping his people. He funds his family and his work in the community entirely by his work as an Uber driver, which allows him the flexibility to choose his own schedule, and to be in the village when he must.
Though there is much more I can write, but one last thing stood out: John, the young man who spoke at the meeting, said something that really stood out – He said that as he went through the training and joined the group, he came to understand the key thing about money is that its not how much you can get, but what you do with what you get.
This is the key principle we try to encourage. Its the difference between the chains of the Poverty Mindset versus the freedom of the true empowerment that comes from God.
Chris is a true hero. One of the best benefits of the work I do is that I get to meet people like him! This is the real outcome of what we do – train and empower people like Chris – then help them do what they do.
Thank you for the support that allows us to find and works with people like Chris!
Blessings!
Virgil and the NVI Team
