Let The Children Come To Me

Christmas is a special celebration in various parts of Kenya and the entire world. It is the moment we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, and is more of a thanksgiving affair in Kenya, and Africa at large. People travel from the cities to the villages to reunite with family. These are the times when children get new clothes, decorate mud houses by drawing flowers on the walls, and families get to share special meals together.

It is not any different on Mt. Elgon, in Western Kenya. The orphan and vulnerable children Christmas party has become a norm since its inception six years ago, and once again, on 23 December 2024, all roads led to the Chebyuk Peace Centre for the Children’s Celebration. During the celebration there were over 900 children who had not just come to share a meal with other children but also to catch up with their agemates. FUM Programme Coordinator Getry Agiza joined with the children in this celebration.

The planning for the celebration in 2024 was a bit different than in other years, Getry says. “We did not mobilize and invite the children to come, we focused on mobilizing the food to eat during the day. Children have a spirit of ‘tell a friend to tell a friend’—they spread the invitation and 900 children showed up! This reminded me of when Jesus was doing his discipleship work, how he moved with numbers.”

“These children come from very humble backgrounds, with most of them born during the period of civil unrest in the Mt. Elgon community. As a result, they are children who have been brought up in traumatic life conditions but with a hope for the future. The children in Mt. Elgon start the day so early by wearing the best clothes they have. Some have shoes and nice dresses, and some don’t, but the end goal is they will all have some good food to eat because of a generous donation from Friends United Meeting. They also come together to share their experiences, different challenges in schools and during the entire year, and while at it they are engaged in songs, dance and different games. The children are allowed to be creative in their own way through the songs and games, making the whole event fun and memorable.”

Keffa, now a teenage boy said, “We were the first batch of children to attend the Christmas party way back (six years ago) when the celebration started, we had marathon races during the event.  Since then I have been running during sponsored marathon events. I have not been fortunate enough to join secondary school, but I was selected for a club whose focus is to train young people in skills, sports, and talents. Through this talent I am certain of a bright future. I hope this Christmas event can continue to create opportunities for children to identify talents and form clubs.”

“Through  this program, we are investing in peace in Mt. Elgon,” Getry says, “where children are being raised to love one another and care for each other. The energy to resist our negative history has been so strong and it is a place we are excited to say, a beautiful place of healing. Despite the economic challenges, many have a reason to be happy and have faith in God. Thank you.”

January 24, 2025