Every night over 50,000 children sleep on the cold streets, in garbage cans, and in alleys in the capital city of Nairobi, Kenya. These children then wake up each morning to look for food in trash heaps and to beg, steal, and prostitute just to stay alive. To these street kids, “daily bread” consists of garbage scraps, sniffing glue, or any number of other street drugs.

In addition to this high homeless population, there are nearly 2 million AIDS orphans in Kenya. These orphans represent 7 percent of the country’s total population.

“Even though the situation seems desperate,” WGM missionary Kay Johnson began, “there is hope in Jesus Christ.”

Kay and her husband, Michael, and their four children have served with WGM in Kenya since 1990. Although Michael had a private surgery practice and Kay was running her own business in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Lord’s call to missionary service was too strong to resist.

After serving on two short-term mission trips to Africa with Samaritan’s Purse, the Johnsons knew the Lord needed their help in Nairobi, Kenya. Nairobi has a population of 3 million people, and approximately 2 million of those people live in the slums of the city. Furthermore, half of Kenya’s population is under the age of 25, and half of those people live in poverty.

In an attempt to touch the surface of these needs, Michael and Kay minister to both the spiritual and medical needs of Kenyans. In addition to providing free health care, food, and clothing to the street children in Nairobi, the Johnsons share the love of Christ with these lost souls. They also visit local orphanages to play with the kids and provide free medical care, books, and crayons.

As a teacher at the University of Nairobi Medical School and a surgeon at Kenyatta National Hospital, Michael also works with his wife and Kenyan volunteers to hold free medical clinics in the slums of Nairobi. He is also involved in establishing a family medicine physicians’ training program to train Kenyan doctors to minister to the poor in their own country.

“Our ministries are like a drop of water in an ocean of need,” Michael explained.

However, in the eyes of the Kenyans whom they help, Michael and Kay are angels. And in the eyes of the Lord, they are His faithful servants.

“I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:40 (NIV) 

Click here to return to The African Orphaned and Abandoned Children's Fund AOAACF

Click here to go to the World Gospel Mission web site WGM

World Gospel Mission's work in Kenya began in the early 1900s and led to the creation of Africa Gospel Church, which has over 900 congregations sending out national missionaries throughout Kenya. Other WGM ministries under the umbrella of AGC include evangelism; discipleship; church planting; medical work at Tenwek Hospital; Theological Education by Extension (TEE); theological training at Kenya Highlands Bible College and Kaboson Pastors School; rural community health and development; film evangelism; and evangelism to street children in Nairobi.