Shamba taking shape

The Bismarck African Mission is pulling up stakes and moving to a farm.

To better serve the health and welfare of the 452 orphans they serve, a tract of land has been purchased to develop into the hub for the Mission in Kenya. The shamba, a term used in East Africa for a cultivated plot of land, is three acres to be transformed with buildings and resources for AIDS orphans and vulnerable adults in need.

The new area is situated about five miles from the current location settled in 1994. The Bismarck African Mission was established in 1990 by Bishop John Kinney near the border of Somalia. Because of violence in this part of the country, four years later, the mission was moved to its current location near the Gekano Girls’ school. Longtime Mission employee, Rogers Osoro, is heading up the relocation project to the shamba with assistance from missionaries, Wes and Kathy Pepple and Fr. David Morman.

Crews of local laborers have been working on clearing the land, installing a fence and gate, drilling a well and building an outdoor bathroom, as well as erecting a water tower and installing electricity. Work is expected to be completed by mid to late next year.

This colossal undertaking has been in the works for more than two years. It began with a plan of action and discussions with the local bishop of the Diocese of Kisii, the diocese that the African Mission lies within. The long, narrow piece of land was purchased from locals and is situated between neighboring shambas.

The large, main building to be constructed will feature a community hall with an office, library and storage, which will serve the orphans as a gathering space for Mission Saturdays held three times a month. The events give the orphans and mission staff a chance to “check in” to monitor the health, well-being, school progress and any other needs that arise for the orphans and their caregivers. Some children walk 12 miles one-way to attend.

The new community building will also serve as an important gathering space for training sessions for the Water with Blessings program, health screenings and the annual Christmas party for the orphans.

In addition, a barn will be built for livestock that are part of the mission programs—heifers, goats and chickens. There will also be an area reserved for growing napier, a perennial tropical forage grass, for the cattle. Plans are also to construct a home and guest house for up to seven people to accommodate the missionaries and visitors.

Kathy and Wes Pepple, missionaries from Williston, arrived in Africa in December and spent three months in Swahili language school before beginning their work at the mission. They have been assisting in establishing the shamba and look forward to the new home for the Mission.

“Right now, we gather for Mission Saturdays in the clinic on the compound owned by the religious sisters and we’re really at the mercy of everything else that’s going on around us,” Kathy said. “It will be nice to gather with the kids in a space of our own—to really make it their space.”

Serving the needs

Wes and Kathy had visited the Bismarck African Mission twice over the past few years and decided to make a three-year commitment as missionaries that began in December 2021. They were immersed in language school for the first three months and have now been working at the mission full-time on various projects.

Though learning was intense, the couple counts themselves lucky to have met priests and seminarians from all over the world while studying at the Swahili language school in Nairobi. They were more than ready to hit the ground running at the mission site and are heavily involved in the upcoming relocation project to the shamba.

“We’re looking forward to having this new space,” Wes shared. “It’ll be quieter. We’re in a busy area now. There will be lots of kids in the new neighborhood and great to have everyone in one location.”

Kathy, too, is optimistic about the new opportunities at the shamba. “It’s kind of like a hobby farm in a lot of ways,” Kathy added. “There are so many possibilities for raising animals and vegetables, even getting the orphans involved in those tasks with a vested interest in the Mission.”

The lives and struggles of the orphans continue to touch the hearts of Wes and Kathy—it’s impossible not to find a place in their hearts for every one of the orphans. “You can’t help but feel for them,” Kathy explained. “They’ve seen and heard things that no child should. We have no idea! Imagine losing their parents, and then many of them lose their caregivers and then they’re on their own.”

It's not only the orphans, but also their caregivers that feel the impact of living and trying to survive in such a poor country. Kathy tells the story of an orphan named Faith and her caregiver who she accompanied to a medical appointment. “The caregiver gave me a hug and wouldn’t let go saying none of this care for Faith would be possible without the Bismarck Mission,” Kathy said. “We took them into a store, similar to a convenience store here, and tried to convince the caregiver to allow us to buy her some food. She just would not eat, and we knew she had to be hungry. All she wanted us to buy her was some cooking oil, which has gotten so expensive there. You can’t imagine how grateful she was for that cooking oil.”

Kathy and Wes express how grateful the orphans and caregivers are for the Bismarck Mission and all within our diocese who donate toward the cause. “The amount of heartfelt ‘thank yous’ that we hear is just overwhelming,” Wes said. “We almost feel guilty because it’s really all possible through the people of the Bismarck Diocese who’ve given. We just get to hear the ‘thank yous.’”

Kathy said the happiness expressed on the faces of the children is thank you enough. “You step back and think of our lives as Americans and all that we have compared to them. We are actually the poor ones in many ways.”

Kathy added, “As many missionaries around the world experience, you go there thinking of doing great things and they end up doing great things for you. It touches your heart in ways you can’t imagine unless you’re there. It makes us grateful for the fruits of the labors of those who have come to the Bismarck Mission before us.”

Updates from mission

For more information on the African Mission and progress at the shamba, Kathy writes a regular “Life in Kenya” blog for their home parish, the Church of St. Joseph in Williston. Find a link to it on the diocesan website at bismarckdiocese.com/african-mission. The annual African Mission Appeal in March 2023 will also provide further updates.