Community Outreach in East Africa

Our day began on a rooftop where volunteers cooked beans and rice in pots blackened by wood fire. They cooked all day. Volunteers loaded cars with food for distribution, and other volunteers carried on preparing the next batch.

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Some of the red beans were reduced to a slurry of sorts and poured into recycled vegetable oil jugs for easy transport. The beans are a good source of protein, carbohydrates and fiber and are served with chapati flatbread.

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Many of the narrow streets featured more goat traffic than automobile traffic. Goats are both versatile and profitable. They are raised for milk, meat, hides and more. Grilled goat meat, known as nyama choma, is a popular national dish in this part of the world.

Next to a slaughterhouse in a cement building was the first school stop. The children pressed tightly into window-lit rooms with wooden plank benches and desks. We gave each child a chapati and a cup of bean slurry. They received the food with many smiles and much thanksgiving.

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Nearly 41% of this nation is 14 years old and younger. Some of this is related to the size of families in the Islamic community. Islam is expanding rapidly and is projected to be the dominant global faith by 2075, should fertility rates continue their current trends. Can global missions keep pace?

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On our way to another school, we stopped to visit a local sister who sells vegetables from a rustic stall. It occurred to me that taking time to chat, encourage and even pray with people was a simple but vital demonstration of love and care.

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It’s estimated that 60% of schoolchildren in the region do not receive adequate nutrition. Besides alleviating hunger, school feeding programs can increase attendance, reduce students’ risks of chronic disease and help improve their physical and mental development.

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The word chapati reflects the heavy influence of Indian cuisine. However, this style of chapati is slightly thicker than some, with flaky layers. In most Indian restaurants, it would be called paratha.

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Clutching the path of a local river, lowland slums house some of the least fortunate. It’s a maze of corrugated steel baked by unrelenting sun. A small school in the community was little more than a single-room shack without power, water or toilet facilities.

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In this area, we joined health officers for wellness visits to new mothers. My brother knows many of the kids in his neighborhood from birth! He shared that partnership is essential to reaching every level of his community. He can’t do it alone.

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Away from the river, we drove into a business district with housing above the storefronts. On foot, we snaked through an alley and emerged in an open space surrounded by the rough backs of brick buildings. Word of our arrival spread quickly, and my brother was welcomed by name. Women and children lined up with cups and jugs, some eating and drinking on the spot.

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Evening meals were packed into disposable containers for ease of stacking and transport. That night, the pantry provided white rice with shaved carrots and red beans with carrots and celery. Stacks of chapati were also on hand for those in need.

With a sense of urgency, day laborers queued for a meal on the sidelines of an open space serving as a football pitch (soccer field). When someone is hiring, these men are the ones to take on some of the most challenging, dangerous and least rewarding work.

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Local boys playing soccer on this dusty patch of bare earth were the first to get a meal. The men quickly followed. Looking back, it occurs to me that my brother impacted his community on many levels that day.

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