Over 3,000 residents from Kangemi, Kibagare, and Kawangware informal settlements received food items donated by the Mountain View-based Ananda Marga Mission.
Ananda Marga Mission Chairman Dinesh Kumar, speaking after the distribution exercise, emphasized the need for more well-wishers to come in numbers and assist the less fortunate amidst tough economic times.
“Service to humanity is service to God; it’s good to help the less fortunate. That’s why, from Monday to Friday, we do the school feeding program for over 1400 students, and we also feed about 3,000 people from the community every Sunday to ensure at least they get their basic needs met.”said Kumar.
People from all walks of life, including mothers, elderly women, men, and children, endured chilly weather and rain to make long cues to get a share of the donation.
The foundation has been doing food distribution for residents from the informal settlements within Nairobi and its environs for the past 20 years.
Among the food items that were distributed were maize flour, vegetables, milk and bread.
Binit Shah, one of the donors, reiterated the need for more people to stand with the less fortunate.
“All my family is here: my mother, father, wife, and children. They have been doing this for the last 20 years, and I said I have to travel from the UK to come and be part of the exercise today. I love what’s been done here. couldn’t tell you what more needs to be done because I haven’t seen something like this before. I am very happy. I wish there were more people doing this for these people.”said Shah
The mission, which is part of the Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team (AMURT), offers other social services to communities in Kenya with support from the international community.
Among such projects are USAID For Better Health, a two-year program to enhance the case management approach; the Comic Relief-funded Malezi Kamilifu Project in Kilifi County; and USAID Fahari Ya Jamii, a five-year USAID-funded project that focuses on providing HIV interventions based on UNAIDS goals.
