Women at the Well

Sisters within the Africa Brotherhood Church

gathering near a water catchment at the

Eastern Kenya Integrated College (EKIC)

Mitaboni, Kenya

This past week, Aaron was away for doctoral studies with Carey Theological College as part of a joint partnership with Canadian Baptist Ministries. This has been a great opportunity to study with, and strengthen relationships among, the leadership from each of our African partner churches. It has been a rich time of reflection and examination of the ministry that our family has been a part of in Africa over the past years, since coming to Kenya in 2006.

Some of the Somali Women in the Noor Self Help Group

glazing ceramic beads for their jewelry business

Empowering women is a major thrust of CBM's ministry in Kenya. Whether through theological education, or through grassroots leadership development in projects like the Guardians of Hope and Muslim Ministry Self Help Groups, we are committed to help communities recognize the importance and value of women in society.

In the life and ministry of Jesus, we find a demonstration of God's love and esteem for women. In a culture and time where women were often viewed as little more than property, we see Jesus approaching and speaking grace into the lives women. We are reminded of the scene in the fourth chapter of John's Gospel, where he encountered a solitary Samaritan woman at a well. As it was the heat of the day and most people had sought shade, this woman (possibly in her shame) had come. Jesus asks her to draw him water to drink and enters into one of the most revealing conversations in the New Testament. It is remarkable to read how Jesus sees this woman and treats her with dignity and love. Jesus sees, he listens and he speaks into her life giving her a new identity and hope.

Isn't this an image of the Gospel, that the Church must be about bringing a new reality into existence through courageous and subversive acts of inclusion, healing and a grander vision for life in relationship with God and others. We pray that this might be your experience of the Kingdom of God. That the Spirit of God might draw all of us into conversations that bring liberation, forgiveness and wholeness into the lives of others!

In Prayer

* Please remember our friend and colleague, Henry Mwangi, director of development for the African Christian Church & Schools. Henry is grieving the death of his mother who past away on Friday evening after a difficult battle with lung cancer.

* Please pray for our friends and team mates Tim, Diane & Caleb Bannister, who are preparing for their new field assignment in Liberia, West Africa. This will be a major change for the Bannisters who have raised all four of their children in Kenya during their ministry with Africa Inland Mission and with CBM. We especially remember Diane as she completes her masters studies in public health through the University of Uganda.

* We also pray for our Laura Muema, Aisha Hussein and Patrick Ndogu as they work together in strengthen the Muslim Women's Self Help Group program in Nairobi. We thank God for the progress that we have witnessed in these groups as women support each other in bettering the lives of their families. We are thankful for the new kiln that the Noor SHG is now using and for the opportunity the group has to encourage other groups by their example and leadership.

Smile Dresses for Guardians of Hope

Mercy and Erica with Smile Dresses

from First Baptist Church, Charlottetown

This week, we had the joy of spending some time with Mercy Mwikali, the project officer from the Africa Brotherhood Church's Guardians of Hope. Mercy and representatives from three of the ABC GOH groups participated in a Self Help Group Conference hosted buy Erica, with members of the New Minas Baptist Church, STM. At the end of the conference, Erica presented Mercy with Smile Dresses for Guardians caring for young AIDS orphans within the program.

Please continue to remember the Guardians of Hope and the important ministry they have in caring for children infected and affected by HIV and AIDS throughout Africa.

Guardians of Hope, New Life

Over 18 million children in the world have been orphaned by HIV and AIDS. While in many instances aging grandparents are left to care for grandchildren, all to often children must look after themselves, and often younger siblings.

Canadian Baptist Ministries partners with churches to care for people living with HIV and their families through our Guardians of Hope program, coming alongside the most vulnerable in Rwanda, Kenya, and India. Children receive food, school fees and uniforms, benefit from increased household income, and find emotional support in knowing they aren’t alone.

Guards of Hope New Lifer

Africa Brotherhood Church, Kenya

Mercy Mwikali (next to Emma in the centre of the photo), is the project officer for the twelve Guardians of Hope projects within the Africa Brotherhood Church, Kenya. The ABC's Guardians groups stretch from Nairobi throughout the Eastern and Coast Provinces of Kenya. The church is living out the Gospel through strengthening the vulnerable within their communities. Along with help with school fees, access to medical services and basic assistance, groups receive training and support in areas of group administration and governance, caregiving, health, food security, and micro enterprise development.

Ava learning how the Guardians make beautiful decorations with screen printing. This one of many income generating activities being done by the New Life group.

During the meeting, we helped Mercy Mwakali distribute school uniforms to orphans and vulnerable children being cared for by the Guardians of Hope members within the New Life group.

Emma and Ava helping to present new school uniforms to AIDS orphans being cared for Guardians of Hope in Machakos.

Emma with a Guardian of Hope Member

Click here to learn more about the Guardians of Hope

Mercy Mwikali

Hello from Kenya!

Earlier this week we took part in Canadian Baptist Ministries' roundtable meetings in Kenya and had the joy of officially welcoming Mercy Mwikali to the CBM Africa team. Mercy began her new role as the Guardians of Hope program officer for the Africa Brotherhood Church on March 1, 2011. "I am two months old now," shared Mercy, "but I've already met with 12 of the 13 Guardians of Hope groups within the ABC. I'll be travelling to the coast in the second week of May to visit the last group at ABC Mivamoni."

Mercy may be only "two months old" in her role, but she running full steam ahead as she has assisted in orphan and vulnerable children training for caregivers, overseen a project that has gotten 43 orphaned children into school with school fee assistance, and been a part of launching a new pottery income generating project in Kalimani.

In Prayer

Please remember Mercy and the Guardians of Hope groups of the Africa Brotherhood Church, where issues of leadership capacity and food security are crucial issues.

We praise God for a great training by Ruth Munyao and Henry Mwangi on Gender Rights and HIV and AIDS in the Africa Brotherhood Church. We pray that this training will have in impact on the ministry of the ABC in Eastern and Central Africa.

We remember our colleague Ruth Munyao as she returns to Kenya this weekend from her tour of Canada were she has been connecting with churches from Nova Scotia to British Columbia.

Podcasts Return

Podcasting Conversations from Africa

After a long break (our last podcast was posted back in November 2010), we are happy share that we have a new audio podcast up and ready. This month's post features a brief conversation with Bishop Timothy Ndambuki of the Africa Brotherhood Church (ABC). We hope you have a chance to hear Bishop Ndambuki share a bit of the history and growth of the ABC as it has moved cross culturally throughout Eastern and Central Africa.

We have lots of audio content from over the past few months, and hope to get back on track with at least a monthly podcast. You can listen online or download the podcasts at our www.fivekennys.podbean.com site, or subscribe for free on iTunes (Just search for fivekennys in the iTunes Store).

We are always interested in your feedback or suggestions for future podcasts. If you hit "comment" on this post, we'll be sure to respond to your message.

Bishop Timothy and Mary Ndambuki

Africa Brotherhood Church, Kenya

Download Podcast

Overcoming Our Fears

Africa Brotherhood Church, Kaiani, Kenya

On Monday, Aaron and Patty Card travelled East of Nairobi into the hills of Ukambani to meet with the Guardians of Hope of Kaiani.

Ann Muteti a Guardian Hope

When Ann joined the Guardians of Hope, she never thought they would get this far. Along with her own four children, Ann cares for her younger brother and two HIV/AIDS orphans of her late sister. As Ann shared about her struggles, an incredible joy and humour continued to burst through.

"Before this group, I was not as hard working in my faith, I wasn't much of a home maker, or farmer, I couldn't take care of my own family," she laughs, "I don't now where I'd be! I was soooo pathetic. My husband was sick. My children were sick. My younger brother couldn't afford school. Even my house was unclean! But then the group of Guardians came from the church and they would not leave us. They stayed with me until my husband got better. The community health worker trained me on health and hygiene. We received two goats and got help starting a business." She starts to giggle. "And I got help with family planning and we looked much better off than before!" She continues to laugh. "I am so happy now. I am in control of my reproduction. I can care for the needs of my family. And now I get paid by the government to tell other people about HIV and AIDS. My life has changed because of the Guardians of Hope. I am so very happy with the support I have received!!!"

It was the free tea!

Josephine Mumo shared how the Guardian of Hope training on writing a business plan changed her life: "I had a business but it was losing money. I didn't understand how my work gave me nothing. Then I took the "business plan" training and I realized my problem. Everyday I use to give free tea and mandazi (donuts) to my friends who visited me. I realized that I was losing my business by giving away my profits. I didn't know why!"

Climbing a nearby hill

to visit a Guardian's home

Patty with members of the Kaiani

Guardians of Hope on our steep trek

Nervous Laughter

I (Aaron) am not a friend of birds... I have a mild phobia. Needless to say, it was with pure terror that I watch this young man crawl into his family chicken coop and pulled out a hysterical, red necked, wing flapping chicken. It was a gift for me. Despite my best efforts, I could not disguise my fear, much to the delight of the crowd of Guardians who exploded in laughter at my reaction. The gift of a chicken is a major sacrifice. With deep gratitude, we accepted the bird and then offered it back to the group. They will use it to support another vulnerable family in Kaiani, perhaps another woman like Ann, or Josephine, whose life will be changed because of these courageous women who live out their faith in simple and generous ways.

Kangundo Blind School

Jennifer is pupil in the Kangundo Blind School, Kenya

Today Aaron returned to the Kalimani Africa Brotherhood Church to meet the members of the Cove Community Church, from the Vancouver area of British Columbia, Canada. The Cove team have been in Kenya over the past week learning about the ministry of CBM and the Africa Brotherhood Church. We had the pleasure today of visiting the Kangundo District Education Board Primary School: founded in 1924, it is the oldest day school in this region of Kenya.

Our connection with the school is through the Kalimani Guardians of Hope who are helping 25 blind children with school uniforms and basic assistance with the Kangundo Blind School.

Brail class notes from one of the Kangundo students

The Kangundo DEB Primary School has over 1200 students from grades 1 to 8. As a government school, their class sizes run from 45 to 51 students per teacher, but classes like their sixth grade classes have 170 children to only three teachers. The forty visually impaired students come from a wide catchment area, some as far away as Nairobi.

Tim Bannister chatting with a little boy playing with a box (I think it was his imaginary truck) in the the narrow road near the Kalimani Church, Kangundo

Tim and Diane Bannister are our CBM team mates who facilitate short term missions in Kenya. Tim has been a bridge between the team and our partners in helping the volunteers understand the ministry and context in which we serve. They have had a very busy trip so far connecting with the various projects and leaders within the Africa Brotherhood Church and community.

Peter Kenward and Aaron walking along coffee fields

in Kangundo Village, Kenya

Rebecca Kenward visiting along the road

Principal Bernard Kivuva demonstrating the various teaching aids used in training visual impaired children in reading brail.

Each student learns to type their

class notes on a brail type writer

Brail Photocopier!

One of the five instructors in the blind school demonstrating their thermal form machine that is used to make copies of brail lessons and notes. Thanks to the generous gifts of various churches and organizations in Canada, the United States and Germany, the school has a good variety of equipment and tools for the blind school. During our visit, we met several teachers from across Kenya who were learning to use the brail type writers so that they could better serve visually impaired students in their schools.

All forty of the visually impaired students in the Kangundo Blind School live on campus among the 300 boarding students. As part of each students orientation, they walk every inch of the school's campus and become familiar with every nook and cranny.

The laughter and giggles of the visually impaired students were like music as we met with the teachers and school administrators. As we sat down with the children, they expressed gratitude for the help of the Guardians of Hope and the love of the Church. Please remember these children in your prayers and their school as it seeks to empower and equip this generation in Kenya.

Jacinta thanking the Guardians of Hope for their support of mattresses, uniforms and sanitary napkins that have helped her and the other students attending the blind school.

"Disability does not mean inability!"

Tim Bannister, Sean Graham, Rick Cook, Peter Kenward,

Lori Thicke, Rebecca Kenward, and Wendy Brown

singing to the visually impaired students

The beautiful hills of Ukambani, Kenya

November Days

Anne of Green Gables

Comes to Africa

This past week, Tristan dressed up as Anne of Green Gables for a language arts presentation on the fictional orphan girl from Prince Edward Island created by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Tristan and his sixth grade class had a lot of fun as each student presented on the "quest" plot devise found in many popular novels.

Way to go Tristan! We are so impressed by

your confidence and good humour.

Africa Brotherhood Church

headquarters, Machakos, Kenya

This week, we also had some great success with our partners in the Africa Brotherhood Church (ABC) as we work together in strengthening the ministry of the Guardians of Hope in Kenya. Laura Muema joined our leadership meetings on Friday in Machakos as we met with leaders from eleven of the thirteen GOH projects with the ABC. Please pray for Triza Mulandi, the director of development within the ABC, and Elizabeth, the acting GOH manager for the ABC. They are both helping us evaluate and access the strengths and weaknesses within each of the projects and setting priorities for our shared work in 2011.

We are also remembering each of the project leaders in prayer as they struggle to help guardians and AIDS orphans live better lives with dignity and renewed hope. It was great to hear how some of the ABC GOH projects are making strides toward micro enterprise development. In groups, such as Kaiani who have created a dynamic catering business, Guardians are helping to improve the lives of vulnerable families in their community. Likewise, the Uthithuni Guardians of Hope in Kibazi are working together in activities such as brick making to raise the funds within their community to care for AIDS orphans. Through the generosity of churches and individuals in Canada, every Guardian within this community have been given dairy goats and are growing their own vegetables in a kitchen garden.

Children attending school with the Africa Brotherhood Church

Putting our heads together

Teresia Mulandi, Ruth Munyao and Erica

at our home in Nairobi

September has been a very intense month of evaluation and planning meetings for the Guardians of Hope (GOH): Our partners and GOH colleagues have been putting their heads together around how we can improve our shared work in the fight against HIV and AIDS, and strengthen our work in improving the lives of orphans and caregivers affected by the virus. In October, many of our key GOH leaders will be gathering together with us in Nairobi. We will be meeting with The Sharing Way program officer for our region, Scott Lewis. This will be an important time of learning from each other as we establish a way forward. Please be in prayer for our partners in the Africa Brotherhood Church(ABC), African Christian Church & Schools(ACC&S), the Igreja Evangelica de Angola(IEA) and the Association of Baptist churches of Rwanda(AEBR) as they prepare for this gathering and continue to serve those struggling most acutely with HIV and AIDS within their communities.

James Odera, Laura Muema and members of one of three discussion groups during last weeks leadership meetings with the Eastleigh Community Centre

This has also been an busy time for our brothers and sisters at the Eastleigh Community Centre as we work together through an evaluation process of the centre's ministry and programs. This has been a valuable time for Iftin as we become better integrated into the community centre's strategy for sustainable community development and discuss how we will move forward together. Please pray for the community centre as we seek to draw upon all that we have learned and discern how we might improve the way that we use the resources which we have been entrusted.

Podcast Guardians of Hope

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We hope you enjoy this latest instalment of the "fivekennys podcast" as we share a glimpse into how the Guardians of Hope are making an impact upon the lives of people affected by HIV/AIDS in the Kenyan village of Kalimani.

If you have any trouble listening to this podcast, please visit our podcast site below:

www.fivekennys.podbean.com

Kalimani Guardians of Hope

(Back) Dennis, Aaron, Erica, Richard, Kathryn, Jonathan

(Front) Judith, Ruth, Deborah, and Theresa

On Wednesday, we joined our CBM colleague Dennis Sherman and the Pedde family of Regina during their short term mission in East Africa. We had the pleasure of introducing them to the ministry of Guardians of Hope in the countryside of Ukambani. We were also blessed to have Ruth Minyua, the Africa Director of The Sharing Way, and members of the Africa Brotherhood Development Team with us.

Aaron and our friend Dennis

at the Tea Tot Hotel in Machakos

Guardians of Hope Kalimani

On Thursday, we travelled to Kangundo to meet with Rev. Canon Mukwilu and members of the Kalimani Guardians of Hope group. Over the past four years since its creation, the group has mobilized 90 members of this small community to help one another serve the growing number of AIDS orphans that are being taken in by aging widows and caregivers. According to pastor Mukwilu, nearly 40% of the children living in the village are orphans being cared for by grandmothers and widows.

New Borehole brings New Hope

Through the generosity of Canadian Baptists the entire community is benefitting from the digging and operation of a well that is now provide inexpensive water for families. Prior to the borehole, a family would either spend hours a day carrying water to the village or as much as 50 ksh/ to purchase the water they needed from local merchants. A family in the community can now buy that same amount of water right in the village for less than 10 ksh/. The bore hole also provides water for the local blind school, the GOH seedlings project and the church.

Guardians walking by the borehole

Income Generating Activities

Every member of the Guardians of Hope in Kalimani shares a plot of seedling with another woman that they care for together and sell at market to raise money to help HIV/AIDS orphans within the group with school fees and medical costs.

Guardians of Hope member Elizabeth Nzau

working on her Mango tree seedlings

By grafting their tree seedlings, the Guardians improve the value of their trees and greatly increase the profits earned at market.

Africa Brotherhood Church Kalimani

Each Sunday, as many as 500 people from the village and surrounding area worship here at the Africa Brotherhood Church. Through their commitment to integral mission, the church preaches and demonstrates the fullness of the gospel lived out in word and deed. Together they are bringing the transforming love of Christ into the lives of people in their community. One of the verses the women of guardians have imprinted upon their kanga skirts is 1 Samuel 8 "Up to this point the Lord has helped us!" As we gathered to hear their stories and songs of worship, it was evident that the power of faith in Christ had emboldened them to bring change to their community.

Erica with a little girl being cared

for by Veronica, a Guardian of Hope

Through the efforts of the Guardians of Hope Africa thousands of orphaned children throughout Kenya, Rwanda and Angola are being cared for by communities of faith committed to stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS. Please continue to pray for the Guardians of Hope as they sacrificially open their homes and give of their resources to protect some of the most vulnerable members of this generation.