The Compassion International Kenya programme has been credited with transforming lives and tackling poverty across the Coast region through church-based interventions that empower children, youth, and families at the grassroots level.
Mombasa Deputy Governor, Francis Thoya, said the initiative was making a significant impact by addressing poverty and youth unemployment in Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale, and parts of the Eastern region.
Speaking during the Celebrating Outstanding Remarkable Achievements (CORA) Awards in Mombasa, Thoya lauded the support provided through local churches, noting that intervening in a child’s life ultimately benefits the entire community.
“Through the one-on-one support provided by Compassion International in partnership with local churches, it is clear that these efforts are bringing about significant transformation in our society, particularly in addressing the major challenge of poverty,” he said.
Thoya highlighted emerging youth enterprises, such as shoe-making projects in Ganze, as practical examples of job creation and self-employment at the grassroots.
“I have seen young people making shoes in Ganze. These shoes are finding a ready market. The youth make shoes and sell them to school-going children. This is one way they are earning an income,” he explained.
He added that a pair of shoes sells for between Sh1,600 and Sh2,000, while production costs stand at about Sh1,200, yielding a profit of Sh400 to Sh500 per pair.
“These are ideas that, when scaled up, can create many employment opportunities at the grassroots level. As a county government, we have come here first to recognize these efforts and to encourage the churches to continue with them,” Thoya stated.
The Deputy Governor noted that supporting over 138,000 children translates to more than one million people when factoring in average family sizes, describing the programme as far from a small initiative.
Compassion International Kenya National Director Samuel Wambugu said the organization was directly sponsoring over 138,000 children across 32 counties in partnership with more than 488 churches. The focus areas include education, child protection, health, and family empowerment, all aimed at releasing children from poverty.
Wambugu expressed excitement over exhibitions at the CORA Awards that showcased family determination and sustainability efforts.
“We have seen very good exhibitions, and we are excited that, as we look at these exhibitions, we see stories of families that are very determined to pull themselves out of the shackles of poverty. We can see a lot of sustainability efforts that have been made. The church is growing, the families are growing, and hope is being rebuilt in the lives of these families,” he said.
He acknowledged partnerships with County Governments, the Judiciary, and health facilities in efforts to mitigate issues affecting children, with child protection remaining a key priority.
“Our mission as Compassion International is to release children from poverty in Jesus’ name. That is our distinctive calling, and our key partners are the local churches. We want our children and youth to live up to the full potential that God has given them,” Wambugu added.
by Ramadhan Nassib
