Church Provides Critical Aid to Families Living in the Deserts of Northern Kenya

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From May 28 to May 30, 2026, thousands of vulnerable families across the arid landscapes of northern Kenya received critical aid from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in collaboration with the National Muslim Leaders Forum (NAMLEF), providing immediate, lifesaving food security, clean water, and hope to suffering families throughout the region.

A delegation of Church representatives joined with teams from NAMLEF to mobilize and implement an emergency relief operation. Navigating severe logistical realities, they successfully reached thousands of nomadic pastoralist communities residing in isolated sub-locations of northeast Kenya.

Denis Mukasa, Africa Central Area humanitarian manager for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, explained, “We do this work so that we can help the world save lives that are affected by the adverse climatic effects that affect this area, and also to bring religion to this community so that they can be able to raise their families in unity and love.”

Within the designated time frame, field teams met their targets, distributing 250 tons of food rations to 3,011 households across 24 villages, providing clean water to 16 locations, and directly serving 2,142 households.

Deployment teams navigated a series of severe logistical challenges to make this project successful. One critical corridor was washed out days before delivery due to extreme flash flooding from heavy seasonal rains. This forced teams, heavily laden with lifesaving assets, to reroute over rough, poor terrain. The jagged, volcanic rock throughout the detour route took a heavy toll on their vehicles, resulting in repeated, severe tire damage and emergency roadside repairs.

Despite the difficulties, the villages were reached and relief distributed. As the trucks were unloaded, the goods were sorted into separate piles for each household. The woman of each household was assigned as the official recipient of the goods and was asked to sit by her designated pile when her name was called, thus ensuring that no family was overlooked.

Sister Denise Chadwick, an Africa Central Area humanitarian missionary, spoke of what a humbling experience it was for her to be involved, remarking, “It was wonderful to see these women and the great joy that they had, when they would have their names called, and they walked over, and they saw this pile of food. And it wasn’t anything fancy, it was just the essentials that they knew would be lifesaving essentials that would help their family for months.”

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Throughout the experience, this dedicated team kept their goal in sight and spirits high. Salim Vayani, Secretary General of NAMLEF, expressed his gratitude in a letter to Elder Thierry Mutombo, President of the Africa Central Area of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Vayani said, “We were highly honored by the physical presence and technical oversight of your delegation, Elder Alan Chadwick, Sister Denise Chadwick, and Brother Denis Mukasa, who traveled tirelessly alongside our field crews through demanding conditions from May 28 to May 30, 2026. Their solidarity and hands-on monitoring underscore the depth of our collaborative values.”

In addition to this thoughtful letter, the Africa Central Area Presidency, their wives, and other area leaders and missionaries were invited to a gratitude dinner on June 27, 2026, hosted by NAMLEF leaders, in which appreciation was expressed on both sides and bonds were strengthened.

In the final project report, NAMLEF again expressed its deep gratitude for the “invaluable” presence of the Church’s delegation and further emphasized, “Their active participation and solidarity on the dusty transit trails brought immense encouragement to both the field crews and the beneficiary communities.”

Elder Chadwick shared his testimony, saying, “It is our belief that Jesus Christ went around doing good, and we feel like we should do the same and follow His example.”

By following His example, this emergency intervention effectively staved off an imminent acute malnutrition and dehydration crisis, saving the lives of perhaps many of God’s children. It also served to build bonds of friendship and a commitment to continue working to alleviate human suffering.

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