In 2007, I quit my job as a warehouse manager. I had done this work for 17 years and I felt I wanted to now offer my services to humanity.
In readiness for this, my wife and I decided to build a seven bedroom house in Syokimau, Machakos county and we started working on this project in 2008. We were sure we wanted to help society’s needy people but had no idea how to go about the same.
In what I consider an answer to prayer, in 2009 I came across a US-based Christian based organisation called Make Way Partners which rescues children and women facing extreme poverty, human trafficking and are in war torn areas.
I joined the organisation and was appointed as the African Field and Thrive Coordinator charged with rescuing children in the continent’s war zone areas.
Together with my wife Jane, we started a programme in Congo where we continue to reach out to women who have been raped. Majority of these women are deeply traumatised and my wife spends time with them offering counselling services.
When it comes to children, our focus has so far been in South Sudan where we rescue them then help them access medical services in Kenya. We then stay with the young ones at our home until they are stronger after which we take them to a rescue home called Hope for Sudan located near the South Sudan and Ugandan border.
We are currently living with seven-month-old twins — Ochen and Opiyo — and a baby girl called Esther.
The twins were found at a hospital in South Sudan. One of our directors inquired about them and he was told that their mother committed suicide because she could not wait to see her children die of malnutrition.
At the time, the six-month-old babies weighed just 2.7 and 3kg and we brought them to Kijabe Hospital where they spent a whole week in the Intensive Care Unit.
They were discharged after nine days and we brought them home for additional care. Today, the twins each weigh over 5kgs each and we give them a high protein diet. We have seen a great transformation in them and can report that they are now doing well.
When Esther was found, she was a neglected baby after being rejected by her mother who had her following a rape incident. The little girl had a heart complication but she underwent successful surgery and is also on her way to complete health.
We have employed two women who take care of the babies when we are away rescuing others.
Traversing through these risky regions is not easy. Sleeping in tents, sometimes hearing gunshots not so far from where we have set camp can be quite scary but all in all, we believe in God’s protection as we work to rescue his vulnerable people.
I find great peace and satisfaction when I see a child smile knowing that I have played a part in transforming his or her life.
Our main challenge comes in squiring requisite travel and immigration documents for the victims so that we can legally bring them into the country for medical assistance. It is normally a difficult exercise since most of the victims do not have birth certificates or identification papers. We nonetheless do our best to ensure everything runs smoothly.
My wife and I have two daughters: Christine, 23, and Faith, 18, who both support our mission to spread the hope of the gospel and combat modern day oppression.
