As 2007 came to a close and the dawn of the new year approached, a political crisis erupted throughout Kenya leaving several displaced, many injured, and some dead. It was one of our country’s darkest times and the dawn of hope seemed beyond our reach. Still, from the ashes we began to rise. While some took to peace building and others turned to faith, the Nairobi Chapel’s administration sought to give food to those without. It was a simple idea that eventually needed the involvement of the church’s congregation. An appeal was made and the reception came in numbers: the amount of food that the church received. The mission then became being a resource to the communities surrounding the church such as Kawangware, Kibera and Satellite to name a few.
There’s the saying Charity begins at Home, and thus the reason to focus on the informal settlements around Nairobi Chapel’s location. This quote may have also been the driving force behind the countless donations from and beyond the church’s congregation. Each day and week, more people gave tirelessly, so much that it was no longer a simple idea of community work but something that could be sustained with consistent effort. The church advanced the initiative, planning for its prolongation well after the country had resumed normalcy. The initiative was given a name – The Food Bank – and an area within the church compound was marked as the donation area. True to their promise to themselves and their congregation, the Food Bank committee continued to maintain their mission being a resource to those in the surrounding areas, or better still, those at home.
It seems the continuation of the initiative was not in vain. While people gave, the art of giving was a seed that was growing into something rich. This past month, as corona virus became a reality to countries around the world, including Kenya, the Nairobi Chapel Food Bank team jolted into alertness. Over the years since the inception of the Food Bank, the team found and joined with partners who have added to what to the congregants’ donations. In this past month, donations have streamed in from all parties. There are safety precautions currently in place to prevent the spread and while the church is adhering to these, their gates remain open for those in need of food. As has become custom, those that walk in seeking relief first go through a mandatory screening process for the Food Bank team to establish the genuineness of those they hope to serve by not only giving them food but also linking them to support groups within their areas of residence.
The Food Bank team appreciates those that have been able to give and is still accepting donations. All information is in the ‘Community Outreach Pack’ poster below.
We applaud the Nairobi Chapel community for this good, selfless work.
#RipplesOfPositivity
