Omwabini - Serving orphans, families and communities living in poverty Our church looks well beyond its boundaries and shows concern for many different issues through Christian Aid and Methodist Relief and Development Fund but in addition supports a project either in this country or overseas. We are currently supporting Omwabini a Community Based Organisation in Kimilili in West Kenya which works to help those infected with and those affected by HIV/AIDS. Omwabini which means ‘rescue’ in one of the Kenyan tribal languages was set up by local woman Mary Bunyasi nearly four years ago. In that time it has grown and works in 8 different project areas. Mary and her staff, mostly volunteers, work with local people in their villages towards sustainable community development. Projects are as varied as providing clean water; replacing substandard housing; helping orphaned families stay together in their own home farming their own land; providing help with agriculture, providing blankets or clothes; helping orphans with schooling – Omwabini runs its own primary school and vocations centre as well as paying school fees for about 30 secondary school children. Omwabini also works to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS through schools and churches and by organising youth marches and tournaments. People with HIV are encouraged to live healthy lives with education on hygiene and nutrition. Many of these people have been joined together in self help groups of people ‘Living Positively with AIDS’. At Christmas 2006 the church and wider community donated almost £3000. The total gifts given were as follows: 2 large tables and 2 sewing machines for the vocational centre 2 oxen, 1 ox cart and 6 ploughs 17 bags maize seed and 8 bags fertilizer 90 plates, 180 cups, 86 desks and 82 school uniforms for the children of Neema Primary School 10,000 bricks, 31 bags cement, 24 tonnes sand and £120 towards general construction costs of the new Care Centre and vocational centre Omwabini takes as its motto words from Psalm 68 verse 5: "Father of orphans and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation". Through their work and our support God is indeed being a father to orphans and protector of widows on his holy ground in Africa.