This is part of a series of articles, here at African Christian, that profile African Churches that are working to fight poverty in Africa. We believe the hope of Africa is the local church and prayer for more leaders and churches to be raised up who will lead the way in Africa and world in showcasing how local churches and care for and alleviate local poverty.
We’d love to hear the story of how your church is working to end poverty in your community – Make a comment below or email us your thoughts .
Kenya Assemblies of God
The Kenya Assemblies of God Mathare is located along outer ring road in the Nairobi’s Kariobangi area. It is a church full of life and has many initiatives to deal with issues of poverty in Kenya. The Kenya Assemblies of God Mathare took a special interest on the increasing number of street families in the Mathare, Kariobangi and Korogocho area and started a project to keep the street children off the street and give them hope through education and provision of basic needs like food, shelter, clothing and security.
Mathare Child Development Center (KAGMCDC)
The Kenya Assemblies of God, Mathare Child Development Center (KAGMCDC) is an initiative of Rev. Nuthu Mwangi together with his wife Jane Wanjiku. The center was began in 1995 to cater for the increasing number of street children in Mathare, Kariobangi and Korogocho area. Some of the street children have run away from home due to unfavorable conditions they have to leave in. The life in the slums exemplifies the depth of poverty in Kenya and the initiative is aimed at reducing the effects of poverty.
The main aim of the initiative is to make street children responsible and productive members of the society with an aim of breaking the vicious cycle of poverty in Kenya, crime and premature death in the slum area.
The initiative began as a feeding program for the street children and an effort to reunite the children with their families. Most of the street children are orphans whose parents died either from HIV/AIDS complications, as a result of tribal violence, crime or hunger. The Reverend and his wife were the working on the project alone before other members of the congregation became involved. From caring for a handful of street children, today the center assists in the provision of basic needs such as food, clothing, health care, education and counseling to over 300 street children and children from the slum. The program also involves parents and guardians of the street children by taking them through courses to empower them provide for the children.
The program’s key objectives are to contribute to the national policy to assist vulnerable children and children in difficult circumstances, and to rehabilitate street children by giving them relevant skills that will lead towards empowerment and improving their life.
The program is managed through a board that consists of a patron, a seven-member committee and a chairperson.
Current activities
Provision of basic needs– Through the Assemblies of God world missions, Kenya Assemblies of God Mathare Child Development Center, offers meals daily to over 300 street children and other needy children. The Center also provides clothing, medical care and education through volunteer teachers.
Reproductive Health training- Children in the slum areas and particularly the street children are vulnerable and fall prey to drug and substance abuse and unprotected sex. The program seeks to address this and curb the spread of HIV/AIDS and teenage pregnancies by teaching the youth in the streets about reproductive health.
Informal education and Vocational training.- Vocational training targets the youth who opt out of formal education. Vocational training offers them the means to escape poverty and become self sufficient
Economic empowerment- Business skills training and a revolving loan kitty have been set up to assist poor parents set up businesses and support their families.
The Kenya Assemblies of God exemplifies how simple initiatives can make a difference in the fight against poverty in Africa.
More information or to contact the church – CLICK HERE
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Mohamed says
teachers from national scolohs obvious when they set exams leak to their students! this can be proven by the fact that when these students from national scolohs get to universities some fail coz of the fact that they came through the back door. i believe that teachers from all quarters should be given chance to participate in this critical exrcise to prove their skills. the worst problem is that students who have potential in remote scolohs don’t have the opotunity to shine like those who get to campus coz of the fame’ of the scolohs they were