Assistance & Relief

Programs & Impact

Assistance

GAM’s assistance initiatives develop the capacity of schools and hospitals, provide medical intervention, lower living expenses, reduce the incidence of diseases, improve living situations, and provide food and essentials.

In 2011, we shipped a 40’ container with 10 tons of items. The load included 21 hospital beds, medical supplies, wheelchairs, medical equipment, 50 steel desks, school supplies, books, Bibles, clothing, shoes, tools, and a portable cement-mixer. Many of the items shipped assisted hospital and schools.

Medical Assistance for Women

Few Kenyans have medical insurance.  For the poor,  medical emergencies often spell disaster in terms of financial stability.  Many simply just have to live with their ailments.  This issue is magnified for single women because of their lower income levels.  Community based organizations and churches have identify women with serious medical issues; GAM has been able to assess and assist on an individual basis.

  • Evelyn’s Umbilical Hernia

    Daily Evelyn endured pain for over 7 years, in order to clean private homes to earn a living. She wore a brace around her abdomen to help with stability and pain. Evelyn had an umbilical hernia, probably from a C-section, and she was in urgent need of surgery.

    In 2018, GAM provided funds for Evelyn’s surgery. She has been able to work and function without pain and stress.

  • Juliana's Cataract Surger

    Juliana was only 17 years old, but she was going blind. Her vision was growing more and more dim due to congenital cataracts on both of her eyes. GAM was able to provide funds for her surgery, and Kenyans assisted with her post-surgery recovery during the Christmas school break in 2018. Juliana was so grateful to be able to complete her studies and graduate from secondary school.

  • Mama Susan's Cervical Cancer

    In 2020, Mama Susan needed cancer treatment not covered by her medical plan. GAM provided funds for these treatments, travel expenses to and from the hospital, and living expenses. Unfortunately Mama Susan only survived for a few months after completion of her surgery and treatments. The assistance GAM provided brought hope, minimized her pain, and gave her extra time to spend with her two children.

Assistance with Home Essentials

GAM purchased and distributed residential water filters, high efficiency cookers, solar lights, and thick blankets. These products promote family health, increase students study time at home, and reduced medical, cooking, and electrical expenses. We have deliberately purchased these items in Kenya to support local economies.

Residential Water Filters Approximately 41% of Kenyans still rely on non potable water sources, such as ponds, shallow wells and rivers. Nunix water filters remove rust/iron, excess chlorine, organic compound and improve the water taste and smell of water. Families who have received these water filters report less sickness, reduced medical bills, and say they now are able to consume more water on a daily basis.

High Efficiency Cookers Over 60% of Kenyans use charcoal to cook their food on the inefficient african jiko that emits toxic smoke. A Kenyan manufacturer has developed a better option, the Jikokoa. These stoves demonstrate reduced smoke particle emission by 63% and toxic CO emissions by 65%. Food is cooked 50% faster and use 60% less charcoal. Families who have saved funds on charcoal expenses by approximately $250 annually.

Solar Lights In the rural areas, many families do not have access to electricity. They rely on Kerosene lamps for light. In urban areas scheduled electrical blackouts sometimes happen every week, leaving people in the dark. Solar lamps provide light when it is most needed. They assist families and especially students with their studies. In order to support their local economies, we buy solar lights from retailers in Kenya.

Blankets. During certain seasons, it can get quite chilly in Kenya, especially in areas of higher elevation. These Kenyan made thick multi-fibre blankets are colourful, durable and very warm. Everyone loves them, especially the children! They make a great Christmas present.

Relief

Our focus at Graceland Africa Mission is primarily on education, targeted capacity development, and assistance. However, we have engaged in relief efforts, when the situation warranted this kind of initiative, and funds were available. The goal of relief is to meet specific needs in a timely manner. Outlined below are two relief programs that GAM implemented: the East Africa Drought of 2011, and the Covid-19 pandemic economic shutdown.

Drought Relief 2011

GAM responded to the East Africa Drought of 2011, by supplying food (beans and rice) in a remote village in the Eastern province of Kenya. The distribution, coordinated by a local church, saw the provision of over 1800 kg of maize and 600 kg of beans, to over 300 families in the greatest need, many of whom were seniors (photo on left). I

n addition, the next day 500 children were provided with a hot meal consisting of goat meat, rice, vegetables, juice (see photo above). We also engaged in various games, songs and dances with the children. It was a memorable day!

Pandemic Relief 2020

The Covid-19 response in Kenya in 2020, was marked by numerous lockdowns and curfews that lead to high levels of unemployment.

As a result, GAM and partners rallied to provide relief from April to December, in the form of food and financial assistance. We targeted the 60 families represented by scholarship recipients in primary, secondary, and post-secondary schools.

Total Covid-19 Relief $15,263

We are grateful for the tremendous support of our Canadian partners! The $25-$40 we provided each month per family, made a huge difference.

Thankful for Pandemic Relief 2021

The year 2020 started well, but when Kenya reported the first case of Covid-19, that cast darkness in our lives. I knew we shall die in Kenya, no one will survive. Hopelessness and despair was written everywhere in our faces, knowing our health system could not cope. We prayed to God to save us, that was our only hope.

When the government closed down all activities in the country, everything changed for the worst. This brought a loss of jobs from every sector. I remember families from Amagoro calling for help for food. Most of these families are dependent on daily manual work. The families of Rehema, Brian, Robert, Gloria and many others, all had the same story of struggling to put food on the table. It was heart breaking to hear a mother crying they have no food and they're asking for help that I couldn’t provide.

I thank Diane and Graceland Africa Mission who came to rescue these families by providing funds to buy food for the students and families. This brought reduced pain and suffering. The families in Amagoro are grateful for the financial help GAM provided for the entire year 2020.

If you didn't come to our rescue, I don't know what would have happened to us. We say a big thank you and God bless.

Joseph O, GAM Manager - Assisting One for One students and families in Amagoro