Our story: From Riverside to Bungoma
Discover the journey of Bungoma Gospel Home, how our work began, and our unwavering commitment to the children and communities in remote Kenya.
How our mission began
Our work began through House of the Lord Riverside, where an international Zoom discipleship group connected with a village leader from remote Bungoma, Kenya. Over the course of a year, this village leader (Dennis Wafula) was discipled and trained in the gospel of Jesus Christ. This led to a mission trip, resulting in the planting of a local church, where additional village leaders were discipled and baptized in the simple Gospel of Jesus.
During this mission trip, it became clear that this same leader and his wife were caring for approximately 20 orphans, in addition to their own three children, all within one household. In response to this need, this charity was established—to support both the care of these children and the continued growth of gospel-centered churches in the region.
A personal commitment
As the organizer of the charity, Robert (age 34, Riverside, California), I personally lived with the orphans for a week in their living conditions. Their home is made of soil, dirt, water, and some wood. They have no beds. Their stove is a small campfire. They eat meat once a year for Christmas because that is all they can afford.
And yet, they are very grateful for everything they have and are all still journeying to school each day, which is about a two-hour walk in semi-jungle/rural terrain. They are surviving on a thread of stability and are not complaining about it. The children wake up at either 4 AM or 6 AM, depending on their age, for chores and preparation to journey to school.
Having lived with them, I personally can attest to their living conditions and the relevance of how helpful physical support can truly be. I am hopeful to connect people in the US to an opportunity to make a difference in a real way for truly grateful orphans that have no other source of support.
Our unique approach
This is a special charity because it is sourced locally in Riverside, California, and touches ground in deeply remote Bungoma, Kenya, with zero overhead. The charity organizer, Robert Leon, is born and raised in the Inland Empire (IE) and is in constant contact and discipleship with the people in Bungoma.
Twice a week for two hours at a time, multiple village leaders continue in Bible study, discipleship, and charity organization with House of The Lord Riverside via Discord. This allows the orphans of the village to be given a bridge of spiritual and physical support from the US to Bungoma, Africa, while providing an opportunity for people in the US to make a positive difference in the world by providing physical support to a truly honorable cause.
The donations are able to go straight to the orphans' needs. The Zelle link allows each donation to be designated for immediate needs or long-term goals. If an immediate need is chosen, like a chicken or a month's supply of food, that money can be specifically designated for that.
"The transparent and direct impact of my donations through bungomagospelhome.org gives me confidence that I am truly making a difference."
Bungomagospelhome.org