Clergy from a US-based church on Saturday put smiles on the faces of 100 widows after donating 100 heifers worth Sh6 million
Bishop Jackson King’ori and his wife pastor Lucy Njeri King’ori, the founders of Neema Gospel Churches in the US and Kenya, presented the donation at Kiandiboni playing grounds in Othaya together with the church fraternity and their families.
The church was founded in 2003 in the city of Dallas, Texas in the USA.
King’ori said the donation was meant to give back to the community where he was born and brought up.
“This is why we are here to make a difference in this community of Karima South, because this is where I was born and grew up,” he said.
The donation was a collaborative effort of Neema Gospel church members who gave their finances to make a difference in the widows’ lives.
King’ori said they have spent over Sh6 million which was contributed by members, partners and friends of the church in Dallas, Texas.
Njeri said 100 widows benefitted, adding that they have also done other widows projects in the past in Elburgon, have also given out goats and donated assorted donations to children’s homes and street families.
“We believe we should live a place better than we found it and so that is why we came to mashinani and remembered those that we left behind and this particular time God led us to think about the widows,” she said.
The contributions, she said, were made by the old and the young alike with some being over 70-years-old while others were children.
“I am remembering three boys of a particular family that raised $2000 dollars. Other children would sell cookies in their schools and raise the money. We didn’t have the money but we were able to raise it in two months,” she said.
The couple who left for the US in 1995 said the cows will provide milk both for domestic consumption and for sale, earning the widows income as well as come in handy in the provision of manure.
A beneficiary Rose Wanjohi thanked the church saying many homes that had no cows can now boast of owning one.
Similar sentiments were echoed by Cecilia Kamau who expressed her joy saying the well wishers have replaced her cows which died sometime back.
Wanyiri Kanyi, an area philanthropist and the chairman of Unjiru Development Network, a group of professionals and philanthropists from the area, lauded the church’s kind gesture saying it will add value to the community.
“I am very humbled by the gesture of Neema Gospel Church for what they have done. This is a very important initiative of giving value to the widows of this community,” he said.
“It is important that I call upon other well wishers outside Kenya to come over and also take over other initiatives.”
Wambugu Wainaina a businessman and an Othaya MP hopeful also lauded the church saying it has set a good example that other institutions, local leaders and individuals of good will should emulate.
