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The Diguna Seminar was held in April 2003 at AIC Diguna Nairobi. This was organised by Rev. Colin Smith, a CMS Mission Partner working in the Kibera slums of Nairobi, and facilitated by Dennis Tongoi. Dennis teaches on wholistic world view.
Six months after the seminar, a follow up session was held and Eunice who was one of the participants shared her story with us.
The Great Clean Up (Eunice Gichuki)
Eunice works with the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK), Diocese of Nairobi. Before the seminar she says she felt helpless, not knowing what to do about the squalor her community lives in. Something had to be done.
During the seminar, Eunice learnt that the love of Christ compels us to act in love and that “it’s not how big the problem is but what I can do to make a difference.”
Inspired by this, Eunice decided that her seed project would be to clean up at Mkuru Kwa Njenga slum (an informal settlement).
Eunice says, “I approached three churches, the Seventh Day Adventis (SDA), Africa Inland Church (AIC) and ACK, to mobilise their members to help in the clean up. I also talked to the land agents and tenants, as well as the local Chief to seek ways to help. I was glad that Nairobi City Council agreed to help in the garbage collection.”
She continues, “the plan was very simple, the youth organised themselves to collect the garbage from each household at the nominal fee of Ksh20 (?0.16) per month.
The challenges were to provide plastic bags for the garbage and also to find a place to dispose of the garbage. These challenges were met by using the monthly charge to buy bags, and also, with the help of Nairobi City Council’s vehicles which collected the bags from one central point and disposed of the garbage.”
The area, which was once dirty and unhygienic, is being changed into a cleaner and healthier place to live as the clean up is now a part of the community.
Praise God! |
