As dozens of children gathered for games and songs at a local church in Kisumu, a team of volunteers from the United States prepared for a week of community service aimed at reaching some of the county’s most vulnerable residents.
The 10 member delegation is working with Kisumu County, Newlife Fellowship Church and Endless Mountain Mercy Mission International (EM3) on programmes ranging from free medical services and leadership training to children’s ministry and support for street-connected families.
For many residents, the visit builds on a relationship that has lasted more than eight years, during which EM3 has partnered with the county government to provide free medical outreach, clean water projects, support for widows and orphans, and programmes for street families.
Deputy Governor Dr. Mathew Owili said the partnership had helped expand access to healthcare in communities where specialist treatment and preventive services are often out of reach.
“For more than eight years, EM3 has walked with the people of Kisumu by bringing quality healthcare closer to our communities,” Owili said.
“This partnership has complemented the county government’s efforts to ensure that no resident is left behind in accessing essential services,” he said.
The organisation’s medical missions have delivered specialist care, medicines and health education across the county, while its Oasis of Hope initiative has installed water-harvesting systems in schools to improve access to clean water for thousands of learners.
“The outreach, undertaken in partnership with EM3, will focus on leadership development, children’s ministry, and community empowerment, while also strengthening collaboration in healthcare, governance, environmental conservation, social welfare, and support for vulnerable street families,” Owili said.
EM3 also runs programmes supporting widows and orphans and works with local partners to assist street-connected children through the Overcomers of Kisumu project.
The delegation’s visit will culminate on Saturday with an outreach to street families in Kisumu City and neighbouring urban centres including Maseno and Katito, where volunteers will meet children and families living on the streets and connect them with local support services.
The number of people living on the streets has continued to rise in many Kenyan towns, driven by poverty, unemployment, family breakdown and rapid urbanisation.
Many children lack access to education, healthcare and stable shelter. Organisers say the outreach will focus not only on providing immediate assistance but also on linking vulnerable families to mentorship, social support and longer-term opportunities.
EM3 Chief Executive Officer Phenny Magann said the organisation had learned that lasting change depends on collaboration between government, faith groups and development partners.
“Our partnership with Kisumu County has shown that sustainable transformation comes when government, faith communities and development partners work together,” she said.
“We are grateful to the Office of the Deputy Governor for enabling us to serve thousands of families with quality healthcare, leadership development and hope,” she said.
The collaboration has also expanded beyond humanitarian work to include leadership exchanges, environmental conservation, tourism promotion and investment opportunities between Kenya and the United States.
Pastor Duane Metzer of Newlife Fellowship Church in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, said the delegation hoped to build relationships that would outlast the week-long mission.
“We believe every child deserves hope, every family deserves dignity and every community deserves an opportunity to thrive,” Metzer said.
We are honoured to stand with the people of Kisumu and work alongside the county government and EM3 through practical action and lasting relationships.
For organisers, the success of the mission will be measured less by the number of activities completed than by the lives touched children finding encouragement, families receiving support and communities strengthening partnerships that they hope will continue long after the visitors return home.
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