William’s heart for kids in Kenyan slums is rooted in his own childhood. He himself grew up in Korigocha, a slum outside Nairobi.
Today, he works with David C Cook’s ministry partner, Go Ye Africa. And when he discovered Life on Life curriculum, he knew the hands-on lessons were just what his community needed.
Every Saturday, he sat down with the kids to share the lessons in spiritual development and character formation. At first, only a handful of children joined in, but the group soon swelled to 150 children.
Many in the community started to notice a transformation in their kids. Parents started coming to William to see what was changing their children for the better. One mother told William that her son used to steal but now he was leading devotions in their home and fervently praying for others.
William sensed the opportunity to minister to these parents and started a church in his small slum apartment. Before long, William had to pitch a tent in front of his apartment building to hold everyone.
Today, the tent has been replaced by a modest structure with a corrugated tin roof for the 140 who attend every Sunday. Through the church, he also started a community fund for families to start microenterprises and help break the cycle of poverty.
When asked about his work in Korigacha, William says, “the greatest investment you can make is in the kids.” What started with Sunday school lessons, shows promise to transform his whole community.
Please Pray
This year, churches around Kenya will be implementing the first year of the Life on Life curriculum in more urban slum and rural communities. Please pray for the success of countrywide program and for the children who will be hearing the gospel message.