$19,000 Raised towards Burial of dead Kenyan in Boston
A youth commitee that included former friends and church members with the late Paul Onyango 'Pablo', hands over their donation during the fund raising last Sunday at the Saint Stephens church , to transport the body back to the motherland. H.Maina/Ajabu |
By Harrison Maina, Ajabu Africa News
LOWELL,Mass., MAY 27_The joint effort of Kenyans from various cities in Massachusetts and out of state helped raise about $19,000 towards the burial expenses of the late Paul Onyango Sika Pablo who was found dead a few weeks ago in a canal in Lowell, Mass.
About $14,300 was raised last Sunday at the at the Saint Stephens’ church in Lowell. It included $4,500 raised by the main committee that met for a week at the Ajabu Africa offices in Lowell and other donations from various churches under the Kenya Pastors Fellowship as well as Kenyans who attended the main fund raising event.
Final reports from another fundraising committee that comprised of Kenyans meeting in Malden Mass., that also received money from other Kenyans from out of state, brought the final count of the total funds to about $19,000, which will be more than sufficient to cater for the final expenses of the fallen countryman.
According to Ruth Oduor, who was acting was acting on behalf the family, the funds committee in Malden raised was $ 4,700, which when added to the main commitee funds will add up to $19,000.
“We have managed to collect $4,700 from Kenyans around the Malden area and others from out of state, which we will now add to the money raised in Lowell and pay for the final expenses, with the rest to be wired to the family back home,” said Oduor in a telephone call to Ajabu Africa.com.
As the process for Paul Onyango’s burial comes to the end, a wake ceremony has been scheduled to take place today, Thursday May 27 at the Morse Bayliss funeral home in Lowell, starting 6pm.
Meanwhile, calls for Kenyans in the Diaspora to have some form of the correct life insurance coverage to save their community and families back home from financial burdens and heartache when people pass away, intensified, with the chairman of the Kenyan welfare association saying that the organization is seeking a way to have group coverage for those who may not be able to purchase sufficient life insurance on their own.
“We are looking at various options to have all Kenyans in New England have some kind of collective life insurance coverage to avoid this situation happening often,” said Stephen Njuguna, chairman of the Kenya Welfare Association.
Jackton Were, with mic, together with Ruth Oduor (in white) together with other members representing the commitee that was meeting in Malden |
“I will say it once again that Kenyans need to purchase some life insurance coverage to protect against these unavoidable events,” said Chris Kibathi, who served as the master of ceremonies during the fund raising drive on Sunday. “I will keep saying it again and again till you turn blue in the face,” he added.
And in an immediate committee meeting that took place right after the main fundraising, youths shocked by the circumstances surrounding the sad death of their friend and colleague swore to start a process for uniting all Kenyan youths to take responsibility for one another, devoid of tribal sentiments.
“The truth of the matter is that most Kenyans in America are only one or two paychecks away from homelessness, and some are even homeless as we speak but they don’t say it,” said Francis Mungai, aka Senga Kinyozi, who was once Pablo’s roommate at a popular apartment known as 3rd street in Lowell.
Mungai asked Kenyans to view Pablo's death as a way to raise awareness of homeless Kenyans in America, and figure out a way to support them go back to normal life.
According to most youths at the meeting, the 3rd street apartment used to house more than 10 Kenyans representing different tribes inluding Kikuyus, Luos, Kambas, Luhyas and many others who came and went, in an effort to survive the harsh economic realities of the United States that most Kenyans back in Africa have no idea about.
Mungai confessed that he was also homeless at one point, but has since made efforts to fix his life and return to normal life, finding a job and operating a small business.
Francis Mungai, aka Senga Kinyozi and Catherine Njoki read Onyango's eulogy |
Earlier during the funds drive, Mungai helped Catherine Njoki, former ex-girlfriend of the late Onyango read the eulogy.
The fundraising event was attended by many pastors from different Kenyan community churches. Others sent their donations.
They included the Rev. Jeremiah Githere of Grace International church in Chelmsford, who unknowingly walked Onyango through his final days on earth while he helped him rehabilitate from homelessness into normal life, and in the process, guiding him into salvation, a bitter sweet end for many Christians.
Others included Rev. Joseph Kimatu, now Dr. Kimatu after his recent graduation with Doctors of Theology degree, who drove over 90 miles to bring the donation from Tumaini community church in Springfield Mass., Pastor Stanley Mungai from Hosanna Gospel church, Bishop David Karaya from the Christian Community church (CCF) and chairman of the Kenya Pastors Fellowship.
Others were Rev. Dr. Charles Karanja from the PEFA church in Malden and the vice chairman of the KPF, Rev. John Wachira from the Christ is the Answer church in North Chelmsford, Rev. Samuel Kimohu of Saint Stephens’ church, and Rev. Peter Nuthu, a visiting pastor from the Victory church in Mathare Valley in Nairobi Kenya
Speaking during the funds drive, the visiting pastor from Nairobi, Rev. Nuthu , who also heads a homeless children home in Mathare valley slums of Nairobi said that it was sad that Onyango died just when he found the truth of life in finding salvation.
 Rev. Peter Nuthu of the KAG church in Nairobi, Kenya. Rev. Nuthu is also a director at the Mathare Child Development Center (MCDC), a humanitarian organization focusing on the rehabilitation of street children and HIV orphans in Mathare Valley |
He said that Onyango’s death has many teachings to everyone in the community especially because he had gone through a very difficult part of his life when he lost several jobs in a distant land away from home, which depressed him and forced him into homelessness.
“There are many other Pablo’s who have died and we did not know,” said Rev. Nuthu. For now, Let us do all we can do give our best and help transport the body back home to his parents,” he added.
Rev. Nuthu said that according to the bible, when you help a homeless person , God repays you in a multitude of ways that no man can.
Last year, another homeless Kenyan man passed away in Salem, Mass. and his body was found in the railway tracks.
Various sources also indicate that there are several more Kenyans who are currently struggling with homelessness in America, with several known to be living in the streets of Lynn and Lowell in Mass., as well as in Washington DC.
“It is very sad when a Kenyan is homeless in America,” said Rev. Dr. Charles Karanja of Pentecostal Evangelical Fellowship church in Malden, MA while addressing Kenyans who responded to the fundraising call.
Dr. Karanja added that he has a big house that is largely unoccupied and he was ready to house any Kenyan who is homeless instead of going though what Onyango went through without the knowledge of most Kenyans
Chris Kibathi stresses the need for all Kenyan immigrants to purchase cheap life insurance |
“Let no other Kenyan stay homeless. Tell them to come to my house,” added Dr. Karanja, who is also the vice chairman of the Kenya Pastors’ Fellowship New England chapter (KPF). In conjunction with Ajabu Africa, the fellowship played a major role in mobilizing Kenyans to raise the much needed funds.
Rev. Jeremiah Githere, the pastor who first came across Onyango in the streets of Lowell when he was homeless, gave a moving testimony of his first encounter with the late Onyango and the subsequent relationship that ended in Onyango finding salvation. “I realized Onyango was a very smart man who expressed the desire to serve God through music. Our church decided to pay for piano classes for Pablo at the Saint Stephens’ church where he excelled.”
“After only three weeks training, Pablo could play the keyboard in our church during praise and worship very well,” added the pastor. He thanked Kenyans who came for the funds drive.
Jack Were, who together with Ruth Oduor came in a small group to represent Kenyans from the Malden area, thanked Kenyans who attended the funds drive.
“I have never been to this church or Lowell before. I am humbled by the generosity of all the Kenyans who came to this fundraising,” said Were.
Other speakers praised the late Onyango as being a humble and friendly man who helped his friends while in trouble to make the right decision to fix their lives. .
According to Rev. Githere, a wake and memorial service will take place today, Thursday may 27 at 6pm at the Morse Bayliss Funeral home on 22 Princeton Boulevard, in Lowell. Get directions
Onyango’s body is expected to leave for Kenya on Friday on it’s journey to the final resting place at the family’s home in Anyiko..
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