Kenya 2022
By Audrey Ku
In November of 2022, my family and I had the opportunity to travel to Kenya with a small group from Overlake Christian Church, to support Agape Children’s Ministries in their work with vulnerable children. During our trip we visited Nakuru, Kitale, and Kisumu. The entire experience was both humbling and transformative, allowing us to see firsthand the challenges faced by children living on the streets and the incredible dedication of the staff working to support them.
Our first stop was Nakuru, a city where Agape did not yet have a formal campus, so our main work was outreach. We visited the Central Business District, where there were groups of street children. The circumstances for why each child had left home varied, but it was so inspiring to see the social workers from Agape in action and how they had a special relationship with each child. Agape emphasizes this in order to build trust and help spread the gospel. We also visited a place called the stadium, where a local outreach group called Loving Friends regularly distributes lunches to children on the streets. It was very meaningful to be able to speak to the children in the CBD, as well as the stadium, and spend that time with them. Our time also visited a place called Remand, where children awaiting court trials are held for that duration. We were able to bring activities and get to know the kids there as well.
From Nakuru, we traveled to Kitale, where Agape has a campus to house the children, yet they do not formally own the land. *They are working on either buying the land they currently are using for the Kitale location or hoping to find a suitable place soon, in the meantime please pray for this process* During our time there, we facilitated a Vacation Bible Study-style program while the staff attended trauma-informed training sessions. The trauma-informed training that the staff were participating in was essential, as so many of the children they care for have endured significant hardships. Understanding how to approach and support these kids with sensitivity and compassion is vital to creating a safe environment for healing. It was clear that the Agape staff are dedicated and passionate, and they embraced the training wholeheartedly. Knowing we could provide some fun and care for the kids while they invested in their professional growth felt like a meaningful contribution.
Our last stop was Kisumu, where Agape operates another campus. Like Kitale, our role was to run a VBS program to keep the children engaged while the staff underwent similar trauma-informed training. The kids in Kisumu were eager to participate and engage with us, and so appreciative of our time together. We enjoyed every part of it, from playing games to the quieter moments of teaching and praying together.
