Meet Me In Migori

Unless you are very familiar with Kenyan geography or are active in some of the Rotary clubs in and around Los Angeles, it is not likely that you have heard of Migori. Until last month, I had not heard of it either.

The city of Migori has is located on the southern edge of Kenya and has about 40,000 people. Nearly all of the people in the surrounding area are impoverished farmers and their families with small plots of land. Some of the problems include getting adequate water during dry seasons and having adequate sanitation facilities — even at their impoverished schools.

During the past three years, I have had more than 200 e-mail contacts with a man from Uganda by the name of Clement Esiat. He faces many of the same problems. Fortunately, he was able to attend a conference in Nairobi organized by Kidzana Ministries in the Seattle, Washington area that focused on helping children in developing countries. While there, his roommate was Rev. Charles Koyoo. That is also how Rev. Koyoo learned about my website.

Often I am asked for money from people in developing countries, but my basic reply is that I provide information instead. Thus I was able to offer several suggestions to Rev. Koyoo.

Having attended the Global Missions Health Conference in Louisville, Kentucky for each of the past 12 years, I got to know a Christian organization called Kenya Relief. They are headquartered in Cullman, Alabama. When I contacted them, I learned that their focus in Kenya is on Migori. Given the large amount of land that Kenya covers, that seemed almost like finding a needle in a haystack. Rev. Koyoo did not know about them, and they did not know about him. Now they do.

Next I suggested that he contact KickStart International (described in the “Clean Water / Sanitation / Food” category of this website because they provide foot-powered pumps for extracting water from underground. They also have an office in Nairobi. He did that and is very happy.

Another recommendation was to contact Seed Programs International to get improved agricultural seeds. One of their staff lived in Nairobi before moving to the U.S.

Yesterday I used Google to learn more about Migori. That’s how I learned that some Rotary clubs in southern California raised funds to get clean water and toilets for schools in and around Migori. Anyone else can see their fascinating YouTube videos.

No, I have not personally gone to Migori, and it is not likely that I ever will. However, through these internet experiences, I feel that I have done so.