Project description
In the city of Kisumu in Kenya supports Light to Shine HIV/AIDS patients who are labeled negatively by their environment. This profoundly affects the way they see themselves, and are seen. Elijah and Willianne Olweny, associated with Light to Shine, are committed with a team from their local church by visiting this group of patients in their homes. Many are vulnerable due to their illness or unemployment. Light to Shine helps them with food, medical aid and counselling. Whoever saves a life, saves a world.
Why this project?
The right bank of Lake Victoria has high unemployment, a high number of HIV-AIDS patients and major addiction problems. There are many vulnerable individuals who lack care and are not looked after. Local churches are trying to make a difference by being a servant presence and providing physical and spiritual care.
Elijah and Willianne play a pivotal role in this. Elijah comes from this area and knows the issues. He has a desire to help vulnerable and sick people. His wife Willianne puts her nurse training and experience to use in Kenya. Together they work with about three hundred patients. Diaconate supports this project with food parcels and transport.
Impact
The Light to Shine team seeks to spread the light of the gospel through deed and word. The staff visit 'their' patients every week. Those who are sick and dejected receive psychosocial, spiritual, medical and practical help, including nutritional support. This improves their life status and prevents them from getting even sicker or even dying. Most of them will grow stronger and be able to return to their normal tasks such as caring for their families. In this way, we want to offer them hope for the future. So that they can get out of the negative spiral of poverty, violence and brokenness.
What can we learn?
During the visitations, Light to Shine also shares the Word of God with the patients and prays with them. Thus, these Kenyans receive hope right through all setbacks and despair. So let us also dedicate ourselves to precisely the outcasts of this world.
