Programs & Activities
Our Programs and Activities are built around the guiding principals of our Mission Statement… “Building on and strengthening the potentials, actions, strengths and capacities of individual families and communities; giving hope, social and spiritual support to the vulnerable in the community through both formal and informal education, and rebuilding social support systems. In its broader connotation, DCM mission seeks to empower Christians to use what the Lord has bestowed on them as custodians in faithful services to their neighbors in need.”
We trust that you will be inspired to pray for us and help however you may as you read the exiting news from Kenya.
Health: Transforming lives
With your prayers and support, DCM can bring hope and change the lives of many orphans, children with disabilities and provide health care services to many, especially widows and elderly persons who live in poor communities. You have the ability to save life and also serve the disabled with dignity and respect as equal human being in the eyes of God.
DCM has implemented a number of health care programs for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya and has also worked closely with LCMS World Relief and Human Care Mercy Medical Teams, and Bootraps for the World Wellness in restoring health and dignity to many Kenyans in poor communities such as Kibera Slums, Kisumu and other parts of rural Kenya including Pokot and Maasai Communities.
Even though DCM cannot cope with demand to deliver services due to resource constraints, however, DCM is proud to be working with the most marginalized and vulnerable population in our communities, especially children with developmental disabilities, orphans and the elderly in providing solution to their health problems and empowering them economically.
DCM is currently working with two clinics in ELCK Lake Diocese ( Kisumu Medical Center and Atemo Health Center in providing counseling to PLWHAs, nutritional therapies, medication and making referral services to other health facilities within the region.
ORPHANS
The enormous number of children being orphaned by the AIDs virus is one of the major challenges of the Kenyan society that Diakonia Compassionate Ministry through the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya seeks to address. DCM is helping the most disadvantaged orphans, mainly aids orphans, in Kenya by providing them with the basic needs which include food, shelter, clothing, health care and above all education. So far DCM has support 300 orphans.
We are grateful for all your support in ending darkness in the lives of many orphans among us. Your $30 a month through LCMS World Relief and Human Care or your congregations has made many orphans have hope for their future. Samwel Omondi Ogutu is finishing is intern of being a lawyer in Nairobi and five more students are pursuing different degrees at the local universities while a 29 others are in middle colleges. 138 are currently enrolled in high school education across the country. 130 are in Primary education.
We are so grateful for the deaconesses of ELCK for their endless efforts in providing monthly follow ups as they offer guidance and counseling to the orphans.
We are grateful for the support we have received from LCMS World Relief and Human Care. We also want to extend our sincere appreciations to a number of Lutheran congregations that have come to our aid in time of need and providing orphans care support through prayers, financial support and encouragement.
DISABILITY
Bethesda Lutheran Homes and Services, Inc – USA www.blhs.org
Beldelschwinghsche Anstalten Bethel – Germany www.bethel.de
Mosaic -USA www.mosaicinfo.org
Nord-Norges Diakonistiftelse – Norway www.diakonova.no/
Curatio Mundi – www.curatiomundi.org
Always Mercy – www.alwaysmercy.org DCM sincerely appreciates the funding support it has received from IMPACT Alliance that has brought us this far.
PEACE BUILDING
DCM initiated a Peace Building Initiative targeting the Luos and Kisiis who are ever at wars with each other at the Kisii Luo Borders and in Kisumu Town (Nyamasaria). USAID/OTI project supported the initiative which was implemented in three milestones along the borders and in Kisumu Town (Nyamasaria and Nyalenda).
During the just concluded Peace Building Initiative supported by USAID/OTI Project, DCM organized seven sensitization meetings. Nine Peace dialogue committees were also formed and sensitized in the three sites-Nyalenda Luo peace committee, Nyalenda Joint Peace committee and Nyamasaria Kisii and Chabera/Owalo Peace Committees. The total number of the community peace committees was 10 comprising of the Luo/Kisii only and the joint committees (Kisii and Luos together). The main emerging issues tackled during the intervention were related to land, voting patterns, social relationships and tribalism. A total of 24 leaders were elected in the integrated inter-tribal committees to help spearhead the continued peace dialogues among the communities targeted. Five cultural events were conducted at Nyamasaria, Nyalenda, Nyamusi, Owalo and Chabera to help people start talking about peace. During the entire intervention, a total of sixteen community mobilization meetings were organized. To motivate the participating groups in the peace dialogues, awards were given which included. In this process, over 10,000 community and key stakeholders were reached and sensitized on peace issues including the local politicians. The initiative was launched and attended by broad spectrum of stakeholders and communities including one MP and several government representatives.STREET & CHILDREN BIBLE CLUB
Bringing Hope to Kisumu Slums/Street Children Project is located within Nyamasaria centre along Kisumu - Nairobi road. Nyamasaria just like other informal settlements in Kisumu suffers from high rate of HIV/AIDS and hence have many orphans as a result. The project’s main targets are school dropouts, vulnerable children, and AIDS orphaned children living within the community with no hope for the future. The project brings them together with an aim of teaching them an improved way of life, demonstrated through Bible teachings and many other activities. We intensify Christian teaching among the children and supplement this with psychosocial support to the children and their families. This is done by a team of trained and motivated DCM staff. Currently the program has enrolled about 70 children, meeting weekly for Bible lessons, drama and music. The number of orphans in Kenya has alarmingly increased within the past years. This is why these children do not have many possibilities of living safely and most of them are alienated from the society, ending up as street children. Special thanks goes to Sharing Concern Group, English Speaking Congregation, Evangelical Lutheran Church of Geneva.
In 2005 Mt. Zion Lutheran Church and the LWML Loving Hearts Society sponsored the first DCM initiative on Kisumu Street work to help serve the hundreds of street children who require initiatives to help them regain confidence in life and bring them hope through the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ; providing them temporary shelter, food, and occupational training. I am glad to let you know that in 2007, through this initiative, 4 street boys join Othoro High School, 2 boys went to primary boarding. We sincerely thank Sandra Haugner for connecting us to Loving Hearts LWML Society at Mt. Zion Richmond, California who began this initiative that now has evolved.
