Friday, August 14, 2015

Business as Mission - Creating a Cafeteria in Siaya

Quickserve Delicacies opened its doors in mid June offering a host of local cuisine including wet fry tilapia, traditional chicken, roasted beef, ugali, chapati, rice, and more. The cafeteria is situated in the heart of Siaya Town and was established and is run by youth from the Anglican Diocese of Maseno West.

This is a unique effort at Business as Mission as the project was conceived and developed by the church in order to help address problems of poverty and unemployment among the youth. The Cafeteria currently employs five staff and serves between 50 - 150 customers per day. It is managed and run by a young entrepreneur with big dreams who believes in empowering the youth and supporting youth ministry. Kenya Connection has worked with the Diocese to raise matching funds to help setup the cafeteria. Check out a few quick clips we captured in between meetings and bites of tilapia during our visit in June 2015.


Business as Mission - Youth Cafeteria in Maseno West from iHope Photography on Vimeo.


Help us set up more youth businesses in Maseno. Make a gift to our business as mission project fund in Maseno West today.

Getting around the village

Public transportation has developed new forms. Fifty years ago, residents of Bungoma would walk for a whole day to reach Luanda, enjoying the beauty of Nyanza and sharing roast maize along the way. Today, there are a variety of efficient and affordable ways to get around the villages of Western Kenya.



Throughout the region bicycles are being replaced by motorcycles. Bicycles became famous carrying passengers across the Kenya-Uganda Border and developed the Swahili moniker "boda-boda", from one border to another. Motorcycles are known by another fun name: "piki-piki" and I can verify that one motorcycle can carry up to four passengers and dozens of chickens. Motorcycles are now the main form of transportation for many, from home to the marketplace, farm, or job. 

Another recent arrival on the transportation scene is the affordable and efficient Toyota Probox, which ferries passengers longer distances on more established roads. Back bench variations of the vehicle legally hold six passengers, but we've seen up to 17 in a single car. To accommodate as many travelers as possible, the driver encourages passengers to squeeze as much as possible, all children are carried or stand, and it is normal for the driver to sit on the lap of an extra passenger while driving. . .Matatus are also common in Western Kenya and ply the major highways ferrying passengers between cities and towns. These colorful vehicles are an efficient and affordable way to connect.



School Campaign - TextBooks and Supplies for Uyoma

In June, it was our joy to visit Uyoma Primary School in Western Kenya. The nearly 500 students welcomed us with eager smiles and had a blast playing games with Josh. We've been engaged in a campaign to provide textbooks and other resources to under-equipped rural schools and Uyoma is our first key partner. Some of the youth we work with in Nairobi have gotten very involved in this mission and we are excited to see how it continues to develop.

Thanks to generous contributions from friends in honor of Michael C. Normile, we were able to deliver 150 textbooks as well as a fourth month supply of sanitary towels. We are hoping to continue to raise funds towards this campaign and eventually establish a library at Uyoma. Check out a short video from our visit to Uyoma below:


Uyoma Primary Visit from iHope Photography on Vimeo.

Donations to the school supply fund can be made to SAMS. Just select the box for