The year 2021 started on a rather very difficult note of health problems on me. The problem begun  in October  2020 when I could feel  severe  burning  sensation  in my chest after walking   for 10  minutes.  When I visited the chest specialist, they advised me to consult a heart doctor. Well, I started going around Nairobi City hospitals, looking for a cheaper heart doctor. I got Dr. Harun Otieno  at Aga khan  Hospital but again  he couldn’t  use Aga Khan Hospital  Theatre because  it was very  expensive for me. I had to go book Nairobi hospital for heart surgery. My  family looked for our savings   and I managed to  go through the  heart surgery  at Nairobi hospital on  8^th  February  2021.  When  we were told of my heart  problem,  I told my friends  as prayer request  and thanksgiving ( because  we had cleared the hospital bill) Then financial help  came in  just  enough to recover  what we had  used on my medical and heart surgery bill.

Sickness brought together my old and new pastors brethren we have ministered with in Nairobi/Korogocho   for many years. Some of them joined us to from VPM many years ago and had scattered across the country and brethren feared that I was going to die. After I recovered  , the fellowships intensified  at VPM and as the days  went by,  brethren/pastors  gave  words of prophecy that I should be consecrated  and be the Bishop  of the churches  that formed VPM Korogocho and others had scattered  across  the country without registration and an  overseer. Some pastors had approached me some years back with the same message but had turned them down. This time round,   I was convinced that it was time to accept word of prophesy and wisdom that I become their Bishop in addition to our own congregations.   It was  agreed  on the part  of these pastors  and their ministries  and Vision Missionary Church to  sign a legal document  of committal to  agreement  to work as  one church, Vision Missionary Church and I as a Bishop.  Plans got underway, a date of my consecration as a Bishop was agreed upon; I was to get prepared for the occasion including budget through consecration committee. The consecration was successful on 5^th September 2021 at Vision Centre Korogocho.

When the year 2021 begun, I did not know or even think that I would become Bishop the same year, but I expected death from heart ailments. Vision Missionary church has been registered and operational for 18 years and Revd Franklyn  Otwoma is one of the  registered clergy of the church with the Kenya Government Registrar of Societies.

I am now a Bishop, a different job and busy schedules of ordinations and licensing of God’s servants for work across the country. I am happy to have this change of work after 28 years at Korogocho on the dump working for VPM, with 21 years on fulltime basis.

I am  now  approved,  mandated  and morally accepted  by VPM to be the Patron and Chief Executive Officer (besides being  Bishop of Vision Missionary Church) for some time as VPM search  for a Director.  Please pray  for VPM’s  work, staff, supporters’ , committee/Trustees of VPM as we seek to serve the Lord  in bringing Him  to be known to all  through our services  and work among  the poor  of Korogocho slums. I am humbly inviting friends  and VPM supporters  to pray for VPM and Vision Missionary church  and I as the Leader.

Forgiveness

NELSON MANDELA, former South African President, wrote a personal awesome story….

After I became President, I asked one day some members of my close protection to stroll with me in the city, have lunch at one of its restaurants. We sat in one of the downtown restaurant and all of us asked for some of food. After a while, the waiter brought us our requests, I noticed that there is someone sitting in front of my table waiting for food.

I told then one of the soldiers: Go and ask that person to join us with his food and eat with us. The soldier went and asked the man so. The man bought up his food and sat by my side as I asked and began to eat. His hands were trembling constantly until everyone had finished their food and the man went.

The soldier said to me: the man was apparently quite sick. His hands trembled as he ate!” “No, not at all,” said MANDELA. “This man was the GUARD of the PRISON where I was JAILED”.

Yours in Christ, 

Bishop Franklyn  Otwoma

VPM  Patron  Bishop  Franklyn  Otwoma  went  to court on 6th June 2022 and faced a panel of government lawyers for 2 hours concerning our church that was demolished by the government without notice and  failed to compensate.  Our  Patron  won  first round and the judge said that we had a case that needs compensation.

The Attorney General, lawyers and Director of National Lands Commission were asked to consult whether they will compensate us with land worth Ksh. 4,711,900 within Nairobi or pay VPM cash. The case will be back in court on 19th September 2022, in the High Court of Kenya. We are grateful to God to have won the first round of hearing and praying that we will be compensated of what is rightfully ours.  In the same case, we are appealing for the help of the court  that the government to remove five neighbors who still have their structures on VPM’s land in Korogocho. This will facilitate eviction and acquiring beacons of VPM land. This will be followed by building perimeter wall around VPM’s land in Korogocho. Please join us in prayer.

One of the vibrant churches in Korogocho is Vision Missionary Church. Our aim is to fulfill our calling as fishermen in the ghetto. Under the leadership of Bishop Franklyn Otwoma and the church council, our church is propelling the gospel of Christ as Lord and Savior in Korogocho and Kenya.

The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy, but I came that they might have life in abundance. John 10:10.

We are deeply rooted in the scripture hence our  approach  is  aimed  at  enhancing  our  engagements with the poor communities in which we operate. In this regard, this strategy provides guidance to our work and aims to comprehensively outline areas that need our interventions in the life of those living in Korogocho and across the country. As a team serving the Lord in Korogocho, we give thanks to God for his faithfulness and compassionate revelation in relation to our missions to all the impoverished in Kenya.

Our church has many upcoming talented youths gifted in playing musical instruments. They have a vision of even starting a band to propagate Christian messages in music to Christian circles and unchristian circles for an income.

The church council would like to request for a donation of all/any musical instruments to Vision Mission Church. We believe someone could be having a musical instrument (excluding drums) that could boost talented youths in Korogocho. Please do let our pastor know if you are in a position to help the youth of “vision band”.

All across Korogocho slums, access to functional health systems is not equitable or sustainable. Disparities have always existed, and have gotten worse over time.  To access basic healthcare, many patients, especially those who live in slum areas, frequently must travel a great distance. When they arrive at a hospital they are only per- mitted to obtain medical attention if they pay for receive it. Inevitably, many patients may choose not to receive treatment because they are unable to pay for it, and those who do may find the expense prohibitive and the service’s scope severely con- strained.

 

The significant  health  issues  and  diagnoses  in Korogocho, as well as the variations in those issues and diagnoses, demonstrate that environmental factors can have a significant impact on health status. In order to improve health status, environmental modifications are crucial. Due to the extremely high prevalence of respiratory ailments and gastrointestinal issues, Korogocho could benefit from changes in waste management, drinking water supply, and air pollution reduction more than from basic treatment.

VPM has been forced to cut down health services to outpatient now that the cost is too high. We offer treatment only during the day and close during the night. We also cannot afford to provide free medical camps. We sadly had to release one member of staff because we could not afford having two at the clinic.

Children frequently come in our orphanage painfully in malnourished conditions, many of whom have been left by their family on the dump site of Korogocho. We make the conscious decision to care for and show love to people who the corrupt world deemed unworthy.

Through VPM, children who enter our orphanage with no hope are given hope and develop into adults who are aware of their life’s purpose and destiny.

By locating Christian foster families and encouraging sponsors to link the children with them, children are prepared for their reintegration into society. They acquire knowledge, obtain education, and receive training in life skills so they can sustain themselves once they are no longer in our custody. By God’s grace, we have experienced enormous progress.

Our continued gratitude goes to Mr. Allan Payne of Epsom Baptist Church for giving a main standing order to the orphanage. If not for his support ,we could have closed and released the children back to the damp site to scavenge for valuables. May God’s favor and blessing  be upon him.

We still encourage our supporters to give towards this good cause as the scripture tells us that it’s always more blessed to  give than receive. As Christians we should always give to the homeless and needy. God loves a cheerful giver. Thank you all, other donors and supporters for your generous gifts and prayers we appreciate you , very much.

 

The worsening of food insecurity in Kenya is attributed to a number of factors, including dry periods caused by three consecutive years of in- sufficient   rainfall,   below-average   agricultural and cattle production and the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects.

Along with this, there is a fuel problem related to war in Ukraine that has affected Kenya and raised the cost of all foods.

The overall academic success of school-age children is significantly impacted by health and nutrition. For a school system to be functional, it must be made sure that kids are fed, healthy, and able to learn.

The advantages of school feeding extend far beyond the provision of meals and also have an impact on inclusion and equity in the educational process.

Positive effects on academic performance, particularly for girls, have been proven thanks to rising enrollment and ongoing attendance. Our school feeding program has increased overall nutritional status at Haven Primary School which needs more funding to provide enough food for the children.

With the high cost of food products and supplies, it has become expensive sustaining the feeding program. We need to double the current cash budget and more donors to increase support. We however thank God for the far that we have come and we have been able to feed the children during this tough times.

We need more support and donations towards the feeding program for the hungry children of Korogocho slums to be fed for the learning in our school to go well.

We have class 8 pupils preparing for their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education Examinations. With the help of all teachers and staff, we are confident that students have gone above and beyond to make sure they perform incredibly well in their academic work. It is wise to make every effort to make sure that students are equipped and ready to take part in their exams.

Because nothing is insurmountable in the eyes of our God, we are confident that the obstacles in the slums that they are facing as they study for their exams will be overcome through the power of prayer.

These are the pupils who are preparing for their K.C.P.E examination and will need sponsors in January 2023 having completed their Primary School final examinations to join High School;

• Diana Akoth, Standard 8 Pupil, Born 6th December 2007
• Sharon Owano ,Standard 8 Pupil, Born 3rd February 2007
• Bramwel Sande, Standard 8 Pupil, Born 30th June 2007
• Felix Okoth, Standard 8 Pupil, Born 11th 2007
• Meriton Onyango, Standard 8 Pupil, Born 4th August 2007
• Livingstone Ojango, Standard 8 Pupil, Born 15th May 2007
• Mary Scaviah Odhiambo, Standard 8 Pupil, Born 11th April 2009

We also pray that they will excel in their examinations and get sponsors for them to proceed to their next level of education in high school.

Our children who live in Korogocho can attend school. Even if they continue to live with their family, their parents lack the resources to support their schooling. In addition, every family needs a breadwinner to provide revenue.

Teachers must pay close attention to the children’s living circumstances. A lot of kids will frequently miss a lot of lessons daily. They struggle to make up lost ground when they pick up their studies again later in the academic year. Major difficulties that families are facing frequently result in school absenteeism of children. In these circumstances, staff members communicate with the parents to emphasize the value of consistent school attendance.

However, one of the most amazing events of our life has been the path Haven Primary School has taken. Since the outset, we have experienced numerous facets of life. The school is immersed in God’s goodness, as we have seen with a population of 358 pupils with full learning and being fed promptly in our feeding program.

We are grateful to the staff for having a significant impact  on  motivating  parents  to  be  engaged  in their children’s education.

Parents must realize the value of monitoring and follow-up to make sure their kids attended class and turned in all of their homework. In general, parents are aware of the significance of the part they play in their kids’ education.

This is a good starting point since parental sup- port is essential for the intervention to enhance children’s educational outcomes, which will then assist their kids cope with the difficult living conditions in Korogocho.

We have three new staff that have joined us .One is  Mr. Serete Brian with a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education. He has brought freshness  to  the school  now that  he comes  in with young blood.

Miss  Cindy Higamanyien  is  from  Cooporative University and Miss Purity Abasa  from Egerton University pursuing Psychology and is home be- cause of lack of university fees.

Purity’s presence has been felt deeply since with her background in psychology studies, she  assists the   young pupils overcome the difficulties of growing up and develop into responsible adults by teaching them soft skills. Values, self-awareness, self-esteem, drug and substance abuse. relation- ships, HIV/AIDS and good communication are some of the subjects that she makes them under- stand.

Different pupils that have engaged with the new teachers have different learning styles, and their particular attitudes can be used to forecast how well they’ll adapt to school.

Their interest in classroom tasks and activities foretells higher accomplishment, and they likely to have better academic and social outcomes when they show good sentiments toward teachers.

The Grade 6 pupils are preparing for their examinations in order for them to join Junior High School .From August 15 to August 30, the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) will activate the portal, at which point students in Grade 6 will need to choose Junior High Schools in order to be placed. The national exam for students in grade 6 will take place from November 28 to 30.

Exam results will account for 40% of the final score, with school-based assessments from Grades 4,  5,  and  6 accounting  for the remaining 60%. They will then register for the national exam after the evaluation’s results have been submitted to the portal. After that, students will be given an assessment number, which functions as a substitute for the index number, and use it to register for the Kenya Intermediate Level Education Assessment (KILEA).

We are facing a crisis on top of a crisis.

First, there is the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic that has completely upended our economies and way of life. The virus’s continuous expansion could result in even more contagious or, worse, more fatal forms, causing additional disruptions and growing gaps between wealthy and developing nations.

Second, the war: The economic devastation caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is shocking the entire world. The suffering of regular men, women, and children in Ukraine, including more than 11 million displaced persons, is the greatest human catastrophe. Our prayers are with them.

The Kenyan economy is a commodity market, which implies that the majority of its income comes from the export of commodities. Kenya’s top exports are cut flowers, vegetables, coffee, and tea. Kenya was directly impacted by the sanctions against Russia due to the disruption of commerce in the country’s primary exports. Kenyan flower farms already cut back on their output due to weak demand, and the tea industry is also suffering as a result of Russian tea purchasers avoiding the auction after the introduction of the sanctions.

Due to the penalties, the big shipping firms also kept away. Following the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, Kenya now faces a threat of rapidly rising food prices. Kenyans are currently going through one of the roughest times in the nation’s history after just barely surviving the Covid-19 pandemic’s negative economic effects.

According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), Wheat is the third most consumed food commodity in Kenya, making the latest price hike in wheat flour and bread a painful one for Kenyans.

It is disheartening for the families living in Korogocho slums since these families live by nill to mouth. During this tough times, most families sleep hungry now that the little money they get cannot even buy a bag of maize meal for the family.

VPM Local Income

We are facing difficulties in raising money from our Lucky Summer flats which normally go to- wards paying our staff. Our tenants have been affected by the Ukraine war more that even Covid-19 and they cannot afford to pay rent and for those that can pay , they only pay very little amount. We however  cannot chase them away from the flats but paying bills and salaries has become a challenge for us.

We however thank our donors for the continued support and prayers during this challenging moment. It gives us motivation and energy to continue surviving. We have to be tough in Christ.