A cry for help

4/24/2020

The Boy On The Path

Several years ago, and through a series of events only God can orchestrate, I walked down a dirt path away from a remote village in Kenya to inspect a failed and abandoned World Help water project. My friend Bobby Tucker and I were with the Lead Pastor from CBEM, Pastor Fredrick Kazungu Masha, and we were not prepared for what God had planned for us next.

As we rounded a corner, we saw a skinny boy lying beside the path in the tall weeds, his hands covering his face. As the Pastor translated his answers to our questions, we understood that he was not resting. He had given up. He had not eaten for days, not knowing where to get his next meal or not knowing where to find a drink of water. He had just lain down, crying and broken. We immediately grabbed an energy bar from my backpack and gave him a bottle of water, both of which he was too tired and hungry to consume. I know this sounds strange, but that happens when someone is starving; it can hurt to eat.

After getting him to sit up, we prayed over him and then continued on our journey, but Bobby and I had been changed forever. At that moment, we resolved to raise money to feed the entire village and find them a potable water solution.

Our connections to this community began when my dear friend Michael George invited my three oldest children and me to meet his friends in Kenya. Our families now have shared experiences there, and, like Michael’s family, we are considered part of the tribe.

In Kenya, they call me by my ordained name, Mwavizi, bestowed upon me by the 13 tribes and churches. Mwavizi is Giryama and translates to “The Supporter” in their language.

ENTER COVID-19

Fast forward to 2020. There are three critical points to understand.

The economy for Kenya is heavily dependent on tourism (Italian tourism is high in the areas we support).
This is their rainy season and flooding is ravaging their food supply, and the ability for needed supplies is near impossible to get to some of the remote areas where people live.
The plague of locusts has severely damaged crops in Africa making the availability of food even more scarce than it was.

The Impact of the Coronavirus on their economy is devastating. The medical supplies and accessibility are at or near zero for many in their country. Meals are not available, government assistance is not a reality, and what little income they had before has evaporated.

We can all be MWAVIZI - "The Supporter"

"Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done." Proverbs- 19:17

Working with our partners in ministry, we have identified 500 people that are in desperate need of food. Like the boy on the path, they have nowhere to go, no means to acquire food, and only prayers and God to rely on. They have called upon me as their supporter to help them find an answer. I am reaching out to you as my friends, connections, associates, friends of friends, and anyone that will listen to help feed 500 people in dire need.

The hard cost is $1.50 per day per person. We are looking to raise $1.75 per person per day to adjust for financing fees. This gives them three meals per day – mostly a rice-and-beans kind of meal, but a meal nonetheless. This includes men, women, children, and a special group of beautiful people that bring inspiration to us – their disabled community.

We need $875 per day to bring food to 500 people. ($52.50 feeds one person for a month)

100% of the donations collected will go to the community with the exception of any credit card processing fees or currency exchange fees. Everything but that will go to the people in need. Donations are tax deductible and paid through our non-profit partner - Living Water of Ohio.

Our first goal is to raise $26,250. This will feed the 500 for a month.

We would like to have $78,750, three months’ worth of funds, available as our second goal.

Will you join me on a mission to save your boy from the path? Will you be Mwavizi?

click here to donate to Help us to feed 500 per day