African Enterprise Kenya Rekindles Hope in informal settlements Through Food packs.

African Enterprise Kenya, through a generous donation from Barnabas, has been able to provide food packs to families in Kibera, Korogocho, Mathare, Soweto, and Kayole who were affected by the devastating floods that occurred in April and May this year. The food packs which were issued to 1003 households contained essential items such as 5kg Maize flour, 2kg beans, 2 liters cooking oil and 1 piece of bar soap. We were able to reach 2816 with the gospel and 98 amongst them gave their lives to the Lord. The food package went a long way in putting a smile on the faces of the victims who felt the love and care from the believers.

“Honestly, that night was a blur. I remember a deafening roar that I couldn’t explain. I thought something large was falling outside, and then we heard people screaming and shouting. That completely woke us up. When we went outside, the rain was pouring heavily, and we could see the houses below us being swept away by the river. We barely had time to grab our children and evacuate before the river reached our house. As we moved uphill to safety, we watched in disbelief as our home disappeared with the raging river. We had to find shelter against the rain while avoiding the rising water.” Faith Keta, Mathare resident.

Faith Ketaand her family have been residents of Mathare Area 1 since 2019. Life has not been easy for them, but the recent floods presented a new level of hardship. Her biggest challenge was caring for their four children together with her husband, but the floods intensified that difficulty. Like many others, she said they were sheltered at a nearby Primary School for a few weeks when an organization arrived and provided each family with Kes 10,000 to help them rebuild their lives.

“That gave us hope in that difficult time. We found a two-room house for Kes 4,000 per month in rent and had to pay a deposit of the same amount. That left us with only Kes 2,000 for essential household items. For the first week, we slept on nylon sacks on the floor and used them as blankets. It was the best we could do. Finding work was extremely difficult for my husband, a casual laborer. That’s how he came to work as a sex worker in upscale neighborhoods to provide for us. He told me about it before he started, and I supported him because job opportunities were scarce then. Even with that, we still struggled to put food on the table”. She says.

She said that when schools reopened, they faced another challenge: paying school fees for their three children and buying new school uniforms and stationery to replace what the floods had taken.

“It hasn’t been easy, but the support from friendly organizations like African Enterprise has been a blessing to our lives. Seeing their willingness to help us during this difficult time means a lot.” She said.

Most of the flood victims expressed gratitude for the food packs they received, stating that they would last them for a couple of days.

“The food I have received has given me hope. I won’t have to worry about what to eat for the next few weeks. I’m grateful to the church and African Enterprise Kenya for remembering us and feeding those of us who are still rebuilding.” Teresia Njeri Maina.

When the floods came, Teresia Njeri was asleep, she says if it weren’t for her neighbor, she could have been among the victims. They banged on her door, shouting, ‘Do you want to die?’ she woke up confused, stepped into the freezing cold water, and realized the danger. she rushed out, carrying an umbrella and shawl. By the time she reached the uphill road, the river had swept her house.