Rev. Peter Kiama of the Kenyan American Pastors Association (right) hands over donations from different churches in Boston to the treasurer of the Hunger fund raising Secretariat, Peter Mwaniki of the New England Kenyan Association (NEKA) as Amos Wang'ombe of the Health for Nations Inc. looks on
Kenyans in Boston displayed patriotic concerns when they raised $15,000 (Kenyan Shillings 1.5 Million) during the Mashujaa day celebrations to support the world wide effort against the hunger that has been ravaging the Turkana District, North Eastern province and Eastern province in their motherland.
The one of a kind event was the first ever united effort in New England, and was organized by a coalition of several groups composing of the civil society, private sector and churches. The coalition that is still in its infancy stage, gave willing Kenyans and friends of Kenya a chance to donate as one people.
Originally, the event was planned and organized by the newly formed New England Kenyan Association (NEKA), a group formed by Kenyans in the region to provide a community owned platform to lobby and organize for common community needs as people from the same country. Traditionally, the Kenyan community in the region is usually divided along denominational, regional and tribal affiliations associations.
The money raised will be remitted to the secretariat of Kenyans for Kenya initiative the organization that has helped amalgamate over KSH 500,000,000 donated by the private sector and civil society in Kenya with a common cause of to providing relief to the children and adults starving due to the famine situation.
Among the notable groups that groups that joined the effort dubbed Diaspora Kenyans for Hungry Kenyans included the Kenyan American Pastors Association (KAPA), Health for Nations Inc., the Diaspora Advisory Council- New England Chapter, Kenya Christian Fellowship in America (KCFA) and several other individual small business operators.Recap full story >>
I feel so apologetic for I was unable to attend this event and very is because I have not been working since I returned from kenya around june. However I still feel indebted to help kenyans. I talked to many kenyans about the function but some were in doubt whether the money will reach the people who were intended, since many assumed it was a way have been devised to get money. I do believe every dollar will count.