How can you help with the Kenya Flood effort?

April 22, 2018 – For the past several days, Kenya has been subject to severe rains and flooding. The forecast over the next 5 days is calling for more of the same.

What is compounding the issue in Kenya is that they have been in a state of drought for at least the past year. The ground is more like a clay pot that soil. Due to this, the heavy rains are pooling and flooding villages leading to contaminated water supplies. As food and clean become more scarce, the situation in Kenya will get to a critical state.

I have been to Kenya three times and I know many of the Pastors in the Kisumu area. Many of them are affected by the floods and want to help those who are in need, but they lack the resources.

While this is my photography business website, I will use it to help those in need. I also firmly believe that the best way to help in these situations is to give directly to the people affected in lieu of organizations who may redirect funds. I have known both Samson Otieno and Boaz Omugah personally since my first trip to Kenya in 2009. Both of them are in areas that are directly affected by these floods and they could use our help.

What is mPesa?

mPesa is a system that many Kenyans use to send money via mobile to mobile. Quite simply, mPesa is used in lieu of cash the same way that many of us use a debit card, except it is just texting money back and forth. Many Kenyans do not have a bank, but almost everyone has mPesa.

How to Send mPesa to Boaz or Samson to help buy supplies

There is a service called World Remit that enables Americans to send mobile money payments to Kenya via mPesa. If you want to help, this is about the fastest and most efficient way that I know to get them needed supplies. Last I checked, the maximum amount that you can send per day is 70,000 KSH = Approx $700 USD.

I will include their information below if you want to send help to Samson, Boaz or both.

1. Click on this link to go to the World Remit site.
2. Create an account.
3. Select the Country of Kenya
4. Sending “Mobile Money Transfer”
5. Enter the recipient’s information (Samson and Boaz’s information is below)
6. Pay with Credit Card or Bank Transfer

Samson Otieno – Kisumu, Kenya – Mobile number   723699112  (Mobile number is also the mPesa number)

Boaz Omugah – Chemilil, Kenya – Mobile number   722993989    (Mobile number is also the mPesa number)

Both Boaz and Samson will be looking after the needs of the people in their areas. After the rains, the mosquito population will likely bring waves of malaria, so medicine will be needed as well.

I appreciate everyone’s willingness to help during this time of need. It is very hard to be so far away knowing that my friends are suffering. I have sent what I can at the moment and I will personally be sending more when I am able to. Kenya does not have the infrastructure that we have in the United States, so these kinds of floods may be the start of period of starvation, sickness and death for these dear people.

If you would like to send words of encouragement to either Boaz or Samson, I have hyperlinked their e-mail addresses above for ease of contact. Also, please Like, Share and Tweet to get the word out.

Thank you for your prayers and support,

David Morefield

Fluffyshotme Photography

We had a great trip to Chemilil to visit Pastor Boaz and his church. Many of you remember Collins from my 2009 trip to Kenya. Collins had a badly infected thumb and the team rallied to help him. We were able to get him proper medical treatment and save his life.

I was reunited with Collins and his father Paul. It was so great to see them. I refer to Collins as my Kenyan son. We bonded during the time that he was so sick and it was very emotional for me to see him.

I cannot say enough good things about Pastor Boaz, he is a great man of God. I have known Boaz for 9 years and in that time, I have seen as he has built his church and continued to take care of many orphans.

Boaz runs a school and the students live with him and his wife. They care for all of these children as their own. Boaz has raised over 130 children. Wow. Two of them have gone on to be doctors and several others are working professional jobs.

Boaz takes kids in off the street, educates them, feeds them, clothes them and gets them on their feet into adulthood.

Can you imagine cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner for 60 something children everyday? His wife Helen is quite the administrator, but she leads from the front.

I wish many blessings on Boaz and his family for the work that they do everyday.

Pastors

Yesterday was the last day of the pastor’s conference. John Rushing trained around 200 pastors from all over the region. A governor from Uganda was in attendance in addition to people from Tanzania and Congo.

During the conference, my friend Johnathan Abongo showed up. He was returning from the Masai Mara where he has been ministering to the Masai.

Johnathan drives out “into the Bush” with a portable movie projector and shows “the Jesus film.” Many times, this is the only movie that these people have ever seen.

Johnathan then preaches the gospel and leads people to Christ.

Recently, a tribe held him overnight and threatened to kill him. But Johnathan is faithful and did not allow that to discourage him. He stayed and witnessed to them.

The Kuria tribe are known for stealing the cows of Masai warriors in order to fulfill their dowry. It’s tradition! But, cows are the source of life for the Masai, so they protect their cows by any means necessary.

It is not uncommon for Kuria to be killed by the Masai while attempting to steal cows.

Recently, Johnathan led some Masai and Kuria to Christ. For the first time, they set aside their hatred for one another and forgive each other. The Governor of the county was so happy with this new peace that he granted some land for Johnathan to build a church. Now, Masai and Kuria worship together. What a miracle.

Cloth

During the pastor’s conference, Dave Grumme and I left to buy more cloth and thread for the sewing project. If you can imagine, me and another large guy with a goatee standing in a shop debating over fabrics for dresses. I never thought I would say, “I like these colors better, plus that pattern is just horrid.” Too funny. I wish I had video.

The sewing project is going well. There is a need for further training with regards to how to run a business and make it profitable. I discovered that there is very little understanding about how to cost out a product in order to arrive at a price.

Until they get a handle on what it costs for a product taking into account the materials and labor, they cannot even try to conduct business. Mandy is going to put them in contact with a group that provides advice and training to business owners here in Kenya.

Drugs

While we were out, I went to see my friend Shakur at Lakepharm Pharmacy. When I entered his shop, he was overwhelmed with joy and insisted that I come behind the Chad at the counter in order to have tea. Shakur has been a good friend. On past trips, he has extended me prescription writing privileges in his store in order to get medications for our team members and the locals that may need medicine.

Dave Grumme ended up having to leave me at the pharmacy with Shakur because tea takes longer than 20 minutes.

During our conversation, Shakur and I made an arrangement that would allow me to purchase antibiotics and malaria medication in the future via email.

I do hope that one day I can come back and see Shakur. Whether he realizes it or not, his cooperation in the past has saved many lives.

Shakur is a Muslim and our conversation turned to our respective faiths. We shared with one another and had a good visit. While I was there, I purchased some malaria medication with the limited funds that I had and then I had to leave.