BeFriend Kiritiri

You are an integral part of this friendship. 
The goal is for 100 people from the Kansas City area to BeFriend Kiritiri by giving $50 each month for 3 years to empower hundreds of families through the church. Questions? Contact befriend@lifeline.org.



Start your friendship now!

Background Information
Kiritiri is a region in Mbeere, Kenya. There are about 30,000 people in this area and the size of the region is approximately 200 square miles. The dominant people group are Mbeere who speak a language called Kimbeere. Popular crops found in this region include fruits like mangoes, melons, paw paws and passion fruits. The farmers in this area grow corn, beans, cowpeas, pigeon peas, and black peas.

What are the issues that Kiritiri is facing?
Kiritiri is affected by severe hunger and drought on an annual basis. This sadly results in the loss of lives - both residents and livestock. Because Kiritiri is a semi arid region, crops do not thrive here, therefore not everyone crop farms due to fear of making losses. Instead, the residents focus on livestock farming.

Female genital mutilation practices are high in this region, which suffocates the female population. Girls are forced to be married at a very tender age which leads to high rates of school dropouts. This is a very common practice, and if a girl fails to marry young, they are treated like an outcast.

Child labor is high in this area, which results in a lot of children leaving school before they finish. Some of the children in this area are forced to work in Khat farms or to harvest sand for construction and quarry businesses in order to help their parents in providing for their families and for quick cash.

A lot of youth in this area also struggle with drug abuse. 

Needs Analysis:

Threats and risks in the community

• Rampant early/teenage pregnancies, school dropouts – due to easy access to Khat money and boda-boda (motorbike riders) who lure youth from school
• Reported apathy among community members due to prolonged livelihood difficulties
• Early deaths of family heads leading to widowhood
• Frequent family breakages
• Resources are not optimally utilized
• Lack of information on economic empowerment
• High incidences of non-communicable diseases
• Poor water and sanitation services
• Some churches propagate distorted doctrines leading to disempowered members

Strengths and opportunities in the community

• Kiritiri has potential for agribusiness, it also has access to a river and a dam that can be utilized for economic empowerment.
• There are Christian professional groups who can offer youth mentorship and life skills training.
• The community is open to Christian teaching and therefore churches can initiate wholistic ministry without resistance.
• There are opportunities for partnership with government agencies in education and health ministries.  

Objectives of BeFriend Kiritiri:

1. To equip and empower the local churches to engage in community transformation by mobilizing people, resources, government, and networks
2. To promote leadership and life skills through youth mentorship
3. To promote diversification of agriculture based income generating activities
4. To promote access to basic education and discipleship for youth
5. To promote healthy living, safe water, and sanitation practices in target communities
6. To spiritually empower community through evangelism and discipleship

How will they be sustainable after we help them?
Using the LIA model, the churches will be empowered to identify the root causes of poverty within their community and will have the know how to address those issues in a sustainable way. This will allow them to carry on the work of transformation within their community and onto neighboring communities long after we phase out after three years.

Learn more and stay connected: