The Center's 2025 visit to Kenya and Rwanda was memorable and meaningful.
In Meru, we enjoyed time with the children supported by the Gift of H.O.P.E. program where 315 kids are ensured school payment, nutritional, and health support.We also enjoyed conversation with secondary scholars supported by the Center, including Larry Muthuri and Denis Mwenda (both nursing graduates). We are so proud of these young men and women!
The Methodist Treatment Centre hosted a free medical camp for the community that was sponsored by the Center for Health and Hope. Over 400 people attended, receiving care from professionals and those in training at the local Kenya Methodist University. The collaboration was inspiring to us all. The Center for Health and Hope is contributing to a new clinic on the Treatment Centre's campus, that will allow the Centre to grow in its capacity to help the community.
We also had the opportunity to enjoy tea and coffee with some of the 46 individuals who were directly affected by recent USAID cuts, whose nutritional needs were picked up by the Center. These individuals, including those who are HIV positive, were so grateful to the many Center donors who stepped up in their time of need.
Time was well spent with our friends with EMAC and Love, Peace, Care Ambassadors, two organizations that are creating economic and social transformation for the marginalized LGBTQ+ community. We also had the pleasure to be present at multiple house dedications. These are homes built for families that have been identified by community partners as extremely vulnerable. This year alone, the Center has built 15 homes in Meru and Maua thanks to the generous support of many.
Speaking of Maua, in addition to attending a house dedication, we enjoyed a tour of the Maua Methodist Hospital, which provides care throughout the region.
After Kenya, a group of five Center donors travelled to Rwanda, where time was spent with our Rwandan partner, Inclusive Mission for Health and Hope. Small business initiatives for the LGBTQ+ community, such as a hair salon and a sewing project, were visited, as was the sight of a future greenhouse complex that will ensure work and food for a community in the Gisenyi region.
We traveled with a contingent from the United Methodist Global AIDS Committee, who were overseeing various projects including housing, the support of HIV education clubs in secondary schools, and more. Time was well spent discussing potential collaborations with the Kivu Lake-Rwanda Rotary Club and Mission Inclusive from Congo, and touring the inspiring Agahozo Shalom Youth Village.
This is on top of such joyful experiences as safari time, a culinary class, visiting a bead factory, and much more. The time spent in Kenya and Rwanda has left us inspired to continue to help those in need, working hand in hand with the local communities we have built strong roots in.
Trip to Kenya & Rwanda (July 2025)