It’s dry in Lolkuniani.
So dry that moms and their children walk up to six hours a day to find water. The riverbeds are bare and dusty, but if they dig deep enough small pools of water gradually appear. It’s this water, brown and murky, they scoop into containers that are so heavy when filled they must use a strap against their foreheads to carry the weight.
It’s a physical burden that represents not only the hardships they face, but the weight of understanding that this is not what it means to live a full, abundant life.
Lolkuniani is ready for a change.
Transforming Lives, One Village at a Time
By partnering with villages facing extreme poverty, World Concern works with each community to identify their greatest needs and create a plan to meet them.
Physical needs such as clean water, education, and a sustainable source of food are met as well as spiritual needs through Bibles, pastor training, and cultivating the local church.
Three to six years later the goal is to see a village like Lolkuniani thriving, ready to stand on its own.
Lolkuniani, Kenya – Moving from Extreme Poverty to Abundance
The people who call Lolkuniani home hold tight to their traditions, but not so much that they are unwilling to change. They have hope for brighter futures not only for themselves, but the generations to come.
Marissa and Rose
After her parents died, Rose went to live with her grandmother, Marissa. Rose dreams of becoming an English teacher and traveling to “far places.”
When asked about her community, Marissa responded, “Most people live here in peace. Nobody will come and steal from you despite this drought. But most people have also moved away because of the drought.”
Mengati
Mengati knows her son is malnourished, but there is not enough food in the community to help him grow. He’s been taking supplements that have been helping, but are not enough long-term.
“When I look at him and I compare him to other children, it worries me because I can see the difference.”
Napunoi
“It makes me happy to live in this community. We are from the same clan and we are united. This helps us to live together in harmony and peace, so that’s something that makes me proud.”
Due to a lasting drought, however, many of her neighbors – and Napunoi herself – are considering leaving.
“Any day now I could decide it’s time to leave . . . if it will not rain, I will think of moving.”
Nakuu
“The days I feel very happy when I have enough for my children, when they are well and I am well. That’s when I’m the happiest.”
How You Can Partner with Lolkuniani
Did you know that you can play a role in Lolkuniani’s transformation?
Your partnership will provide safe, clean water to drink, enough food, and opportunities to grow spiritually. Some needs require more immediate solutions, such as deworming medicine, while other solutions focus on long-term transformation, such as teaching good farming practices.
By walking alongside the families of Lolkuniani, you will witness the powerful impact your support can have not only in their community, but in your own life and heart as well.
To learn more about partnering with Lolkuniani or other One Village Transformed communities, visit www.worldconcern.org/onevillage.