The December 2007 presidential election in Kenya ended with disputed results. Both candidates, the incumbent president Mwai Kibaki and his opponent, Raila Odinga claimed victory. The two men have a long and complicated history with each other and they are from two ethnic groups with historical rivalries. The dispute boiled over into ethnically driven violence in the streets of Kenya’s larger cities.

Nairobi Chapel, a church in Nairobi, has worked successfully for many years to transcend ethnic differences within its congregation. When the ethnic violence broke out in Nairobi, people’s homes were destroyed and many camped as refugees on land near Nairobi Chapel. The church and its daughter churches began immediately to care for the internally displaced people, taking some into their homes, providing others with food and meeting other basic needs.

Over the years, a number of churches in the US have developed relationships with one or more of the leaders of Nairobi Chapel and its daughter churches. Individuals in the American churches wanted to contribute to Nairobi Chapel’s care for the internally displaced people, but they lacked a means of transferring funds to them quickly. Because of Africa Rising’s relationship with the leaders of Nairobi Chapel, we were included in email appeals sent to their US friends. We offered to all in the US network our services in collecting donations for Nairobi Chapel’s program and wiring them to Nairobi Chapel’s account in Nairobi. In this unusual situation, Africa Rising transferred all of the money received; we did not keep our usual 10% for administrative costs.

Africa Rising enabled those in relationship with Nairobi Chapel to help them quickly in a time of urgent need. More importantly, the congregations of Nairobi Chapel and its daughter churches provide an example of people at the grassroots rising to a challenge and providing personal care and hope in the midst of an otherwise overwhelming situation.

February 2008