Bro Micah is a volunteer in New Dawn Education Centre attended a VISION Conference in 2006 organised by Pastor Luke Jakoywa, where he learnt wholistic ministry. He attended a second VISION Conference organized by New Dawn Education Centre. His heart was convicted greatly by the training.
Through the lessons on ‘ABCs of Culture’ and ‘Seed Projects’ learnt that we can use locally available resources to transform communities. Micah is a trained agriculturalist- he discovered there is so much that can be done through agriculture to raise the standards of living for many people.
Karura Community Chapel is a church that practices wholistic ministry and Micah happens to be part of this fellowship. Karura Chapel had organized a conference on ‘Forty Days of Community and Purpose’. Here he learnt how community can be changed by the church becoming an agent of transformation and in all areas of human life.
One David Hamise who works with a Bible translation organization was part of the participants. David had a chance to visit Huruma and Githogoro slums in Nairobi to share the gospel of Christ and encourage the sick. Through these activites Micah had a chance to interact with David who was impressed with Micah’s understanding.
Later, he was invited to share with the Maasai, a renowned pastoralist community, on how to grow seedlings for trees and other crops. These particular Maasai are in the Namanga area of Kenya to the south of the country.
The Maasai wanted to do crop agriculture in addition to keeping animals because recent drought spells had destroyed many herds. Many families had been left destitute after losing their main source of food, activity and income. They had also been learning that pastoralism was not an excuse for not being good stewards of the land God had given them.
David has an adopted child who is grown and ministers in a community church there. The son has been assisting the Maasai in growing tree seedlings for sale, and other crop husbandry.
Micah thus helped them to see how agriculture could help their lives, because they have large tracts of pasture land. He trained then in growing different types of trees. Some of the crops they have grown are African Bird Eye Chillies. This is mainly a crop for income generation since it is a horticultural product.
The Maasai were able to visit other places where chili is produced in large scale. This encouraged them to see that it is not only livestock rearing could that they can make a living from.
In that part of the country, the Maasai community is now practicing agriculture on many of their lands. They are also earning a decent living from this and also from their animals. They have grown in their understanding of being good stewards of the resources at their disposal too.
The community is planning for a VISION Conference at some point. They believe God has a purpose and good intention for their life. They are ready to learn and know God’s Kingdom in a new way for their transformation. The project is called Tenebo which means ‘together’. |
