Way back in the 90’s our Vicar, Revd Steve, met Andrew and Lucy Amukowa in the Kibera Slum, Nairobi. Steve was the Founder and International Director of Soapbox Expeditions and led Short Term Practical Aid and Mission Teams in 19 developing countries around the world.
Kibera was one of these projects. He and Sarah are still in touch with mission partners working in Kibera.
Lucy and Andrew felt God’s call to move to Kakamega, where they are working today.
Here is their story.
Meet Lucy & Andrew Amukowa…
Lucy was orphaned at birth. She was brought up by her grandmother, and was so poor that she was asked not to attend church when visitors were expected – she was an embarrassment to them. On one such Sunday, she sat alone praying. She asked God to provide the money she needed for school fees. At that moment a hawk, flying overhead lost its grasp on a chick it had just caught. It fell into Lucy’s lap. Lucy nurtured the bird, and it grew up and hatched many young. A local teacher accepted them instead of school fees.
Lucy has a passion to see orphans and widows cared for – physically, emotionally, and spiritually. This passion led to RUSH (Reaching the Unreached through Self Help). Her vision is to take the love of Jesus to those who have no one. What this looks like is welcoming orphans into her own family, offering a free (and top quality) education to orphans, vocational training, a weekly fellowship for widows, feeding programs, free medical days, small investment for start-up businesses, and of course the good news of Jesus.
RUSH started in Kakamega – a city in Kenya’s Western province. It now has a sister work in Butere, a town west of Kakamega.
Andrew was shunned by his family as “useless.” He met Lucy in the slums of Nairobi. Married life for them began on a wage of 45p a day. Andrew shares Lucy’s passion and uses his organisational and business skill to generate income for RUSH and job opportunities for older orphans. He has masterminded the building of The RUSH Academy (the RUSH School) and helps coordinate the large team of staff and volunteers that help RUSH.
Andrew loves football and is currently the chairman for the football association in Western Province. He is sometimes on staff with the Kenyan national team.
Andrew & Lucy also lead a church, which is based in Butere.
If you would like to know how you can support this practical mission work, please contact Revd Steve:
Mobile: 07950 000910
