And I came back with a live chicken!

And I came back with a live chicken!

It was a Harambee that I had been to.  A cultural first for me.  Douglas, one of the MAF Kenya staff, was fundraising for his daughter, Rhoda, who had a tragic car accident 6 weeks ago and has been in a coma ever since.    There is no NHS here in Kenya and at the moment there has been a doctors strike for the last 6 weeks, so the Harambee is a fundraiser to help pay for all of the hospital bills - which are ever increasing.  

Held at Deliverance Church in Kawangware slums, we arrived an hour into the programme.  We drove through the streets of the slums going from paved roads to smaller dirt tracks; held up by traffic and cows on the way until we found the church tucked in one of the side streets.  We parked the car and could hear the claps of people as they celebrated the money being collected before we had even entered behind the corrugated iron gates of the church.    The entrance to the church was a bustle of noise and people as they paid the 100 KES to enter and a handkerchief was pinned to your shirt to let others know you had paid to get it.  The church was full to bursting, filled with regular members and many other people who had come to support Douglas.  We were escorted to our seats, the 3 Mazungu’s (white people!) as the compare of the event welcomed us specifically and thanked us for coming.  The ‘larger than life’ compare then continued calling people and organisations to the front of the church, asking them how much they were donating to Rhoda as they put their money into a pink wicket basket held by the compare’s assistant.  One by one, people would say their name and how much they were donating, and everyone clapped to show their appreciation.  So culturally different to what I am used to but so supportive for Douglas and very humbling to know that many people who have never even met his daughter were giving of so much to help.  A neighbour looking after their neighbour - loving one another.  

As I looked around, I could see people giving large sums (up to $1000) and smaller ones ($5) but it didn’t matter the size, every one was clapped and thanked for their contribution.  As my hands were beginning to ache from the clapping I looked around.  The alter at the front of the church was laidened with eggs, a cake, a water filter, pottery and then I saw it -  live chickens underneath.  Once all of the money had been collected from everyone coming forward and donating, then came the auction.  Again another new cultural and fundraising experience for me.  It started with the water filter.  One lady bid 500kes and put her money in the pink basket, and then someone else placed a bid for 1000kes and added that.  The first lady raised her bid and put it in the basket and then others put in their bids in support of the two ladies in a  bidding war - so it becomes not just about the two ladies bidding but also who is supporting them and also putting money in the basket - there was certainly a feel of ‘all inclusive bidding!’  Finally it was won.  The pottery came next and then the cake.  When it came to the chickens I had to put my bid in.  It was too good an opportunity to miss, so Daniel (a MAF Pilot) and I kept increasing our bids until we were the winners of a live chicken - and a warm glow that we had donated more to help Rhoda.    There were no tears at the event, just a huge appreciate of the goodness of what God has blessed us with and how we can help others.  I hope and pray that Douglas has enough to cover the medical bills but more importantly, that Rhoda recovers.