Kenyan Community Comes to a New York Family’s Aid

By Ajabu Writer 
Poughkeepsie, N.Y. - Cyrus Kirigi has experienced firsthand the raw emotion, the debilitating confusion and the numbing questions that arise when one loses a loved in a foreign country.
 
“My wife and I were very shocked and confused when we received a call on that Tuesday morning that Philip had died,” Kirigi said. “Several questions ran through our minds. We were very confused, and we didn’t know the next step to take.”  .

Kirigi’s brother in-law, Philip Muturi, 22, collapsed and died last month in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.  

Being residents of a city with only a few Kenyans, Kirigi and his wife, Ruth Muturi, only involved a few friends and relatives in Philip Muturi’s funeral arrangements. 

What Kirigi’s family didn’t know was that Pastor Ken Nyaga of Worcester, Mass.,  had called Ajabu Africa to report the family’s plight, and word of Muturi’s death was spreading quickly through e-mails Ajabu Africa had sent to the Kenyan Community. 

To Kirigi’s family’s surprise, their phone rang endlessly, and dozens of donation checks started coming in from all over the United States. 

Kirigi’s family also organized a fundraiser and was not expecting a large turnout.

The family was astounded by the Kenyan community's generosity. 

“We only called a few people who lived around, and we were not expecting a large crowd, but surprisingly, many people showed up,” Kirigi said. 

The Kenyan Community and other well-wishers raised about $19,000 to help the couple repatriate Muturi’s body to Kenya. Muturi was buried yesterday in Kiambu district. 

Kirigi admits that the process of sending the body of a loved one home can be painful, confusing, emotionally draining and expensive. 

He expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support his family received from the Kenyan Community. 

“It was amazing how people responded,” Kirigi said. “We were really touched by the moral, spiritual and financial help that we received from the Kenyan community.” 

Kirigi also said Muturi’s death was an eye-opener, and he encouraged Kenyans to reach out to one another at all times. 

“I was very new to this,” he said. “I have heard about other incidents and contributed, but that alone is not enough. It’s high time that we come together as Kenyans and help one another. Let’s take time to know our neighbors and communicate freely.” 
 
 

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