FOUNDER'S STORY

Peter Ochiel, founder of ACTION Ministry, was born in 1980 and raised in a village in Western Kenya. He was born into a family that was experiencing abject poverty. It was therefore an uphill task for his parents to provide for the family and for his basic education. He, however, went through primary school amidst the myriad challenges and secured a vacancy at a then prestigious provincial secondary school. Despite his academic prowess at the primary level, he lost the vacancy at the school because of financial constraints.

Nonetheless, a miracle happened before all was lost. His community and church members came together, donated money, stationery and school uniform, thus enabling him join an alternative village secondary school, approximately five kilometers away from his homestead. This brought him great joy, in spite of having to walk ten kilometers to and from school daily. 

The four years at High School were tough. He was perpetually in and out of school; sometimes for long periods of time due to lack of either fees or basic learning requirements. But the continuous support he received from his parents and the community- people who gave sacrificially out of love, despite their own poverty- enabled him to carry on. They touched his life and shaped his destiny. By God's grace he was able to complete high school. 

God used those tough years in high school to create a vision in his heart. He developed a yearning to bring a positive difference to his community and to the world. Deep within him, he desired to do something that would break the cycle of poverty in his community, and positively impact the world. However, his dream for further education was temporarily cut short after high school. There was no money for college training, and besides, he had to find a means of supporting his younger siblings and aging parents. He landed a casual job at a small restaurant in Busia, a town on the Kenya – Uganda border. During this time, he fellowshipped at a church that was actively working with orphans, widows, and street children. He was so inspired that he became fully involved in working with this group. 

In the year 2002, he moved to Mombasa, the second largest city on the coast of Kenya, and a major tourist destination. Given his village background and limited exposure, he was disturbed by all that he witnessed. This included the wealthy people, luxurious beach hotels, and elegant up market homes sharply contrasting with the abject poverty of street families living in horrible conditions, the poverty and squalor of slums, hunger, disease and unemployment, circumstances that he found heart-rending. Compassion filled his heart and he realized it was time for action to be taken. Somebody had to do something, and that person was him.

It is against this background that God gave him the vision of ACTION MINISTRY, which he consequently founded and registered in 2004. This is an organization that shares the Gospel of Jesus Christ by reaching out to orphans, widows, street families, destitute families, and slum dwellers.

BLESSED CAMP

In the same year that he founded ACTION Ministry, he met an old man begging on the streets of Mombasa. He was begging for school fees for his three children. Memories of his school days replayed in his mind, prompting him to ask the old beggar if he could visit him and the children.

The visit took him 60 kilometers away from the city to a quiet village by the shores of the Indian Ocean. To his astonishment this village was home to over 30 families who had suffered from leprosy. Most of them had been rejected and ostracized by their family members and the entire society. Initially they had come for treatment at a neighboring leprosy hospital, which was later closed down. Although the leprosy had been treated, its effect was still evident. This included deep, recurrent wounds, physical disabilities, other ailments, and a deep-seated social stigma. With nowhere to go, now that they were considered outcasts, these lepers settled on the land next to the hospital. The rejection they suffered was so pronounced that their settlement was consequently named Tumbe village which in the local language of the place means “a place for rejected people.”

It was indeed a hopeless state of affairs. He nevertheless perceived in his heart that God had sent him to these forgotten people to restore their lives and their sense of dignity. The first item on the agenda was to change the name of the village from “REJECTED CAMP” to “BLESSED CAMP”. This he did, thereby giving the camp the name it bears to date.

Peter then began an outreach program for the residents of Blessed Camp. Every Sunday they gathered under a Cashew nut tree from where he would, together with his friends, teach the residents of Blessed Camp God’s love and remind them of how special and valued they were before God. This led to the birth of a Church in this community. By and by the transformative effect of the Gospel began to be seen and felt. Transformation had indeed begun!

A number of other projects sprang up under the tree. Besides meeting the spiritual needs of the Community, Peter also began a school under the same tree so as to meet the educational needs of over 100 children who had been denied access to education by poverty. Thereafter, a medical clinic was initiated. Initially the only services available included the dressing of wounds, now that the lepers had deep re-current wounds, treatment of jiggers among the adults and children and promotion of hygiene among the residents. Other medical cases would be referred to established hospitals since the capacity of the cashew nut clinic was limited. In addition, a feeding program was introduced to cater for the nutritional needs of the sick adults and malnourished children. Just like all other services, the food would be cooked under a tree and would then be distributed to the households. Volunteers from the local community, together with men and women of good will came on board thus ensuring the achievements mentioned above.

In a nut shell therefore, ACTION Ministry has made great strides over the past seven years. It has been able to establish a vibrant church, a school, medical services, educational sponsorships, a feeding programme, and community-empowerment programs like tailoring, among others. This has been so because of the invaluable support of all the wonderful people and organizations God send to stand with the work, and to whom the ministry is deeply indebted. Without them, the vision would not have been realized. Glory be to God for what has happened and for the great future ahead.