Dear GOA Partner,
On Saturday, 4th May, 2013, GOA is turning 21. GOA family, friends and partners who are able to come will all turn up at GOA Kahawa Wendani in Nairobi for the GOA 21st Annual General meeting(AGM) from 10.00a.m. to 4.00p.m. As we reflect on God’s faithfulness for the 21 years, we hope to send you more regular updates by e-mail, my blog and GOA website. We hope you will be inspired as we are to the extent that you consider increasing your support for GOA.
On this first story, we share with you the GOA work of reaching the unreached tribes. GOA’s passion and vision for the unreached tribes was informed and inspired by the Global focus seminar. After seating through a Global focus seminar, the eyes of GOA leaders were opened to see the unreached people Groups in Kenya and East Africa. According to Movement for African National Initiatives (MANI 2011) held in Abuja, Nigeria, Kenya has 36 least Reached People Groups. These are the People that GOA started adopting one by one from the month of May 2003. We started with the Samburu in Maralal. We will be bringing you stories from the unreached tribes in Marsabit, Turkana, Garsen and Tharaka.
In October 2004, GOA sent me and two other people to survey the Turkana tribe who live in the Rift Valley Province a place called Lodwar. With 25% of the Kenyan population, the Rift Valley is Kenya’s largest province, stretching from North West to South of Kenya, borders Ethiopia and Sudan to the North, Uganda to the West and Tanzania to the South. The province’s name is derived from the famous Rift Valley which stretches to several other Countries. The province has the second highest fertility rate in Kenya (5.3 children per women of child bearing age). The population density is 38 people per kilometer square on average. It is worrying that only 6% of the people attend an Evangelical church.
“Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me: Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4). When I first went to a survey mission in a village called Akatuman 85 kilometers from Lodwar town in the Rift valley, I almost feared the site of 3000 people naked, hungry, sick, thirsty and illiterate. I asked them how best we could pray for them. The community spokesman elder said we need; school, church and water.
Little did I know that God was going to use Wink McCleod to meet the school and water needs and use a donation from North point Community church to fund the construction of semi permanent structure in 2005, the only church in 5 hours walking distance. Wink’s daughter Maggie died and Wink has used that tragic moment of her life to bring Joy to the children of Akatuman village. 916 children are now receiving education at Maggie school. Herders have been turned into learners. Women and children who spent a whole day going to lake Turkana to fetch water, now have turned that time to go to school and recently to do farming. We have light in the dark village of unreached Turkana tribe.
GOA effort of reaching the Turkana community of Akatuman has attracted the support from the Government of Kenya. Modern classrooms have been constructed with funds from the constituency Development fund of Turkana region. It is evident that reaching an unreached tribe is very difficult but not impossible. It is risky. It takes you out of your comfort zone. Huge amount of both financial and time resources are needed. It requires partnerships with local people, local ministries like share international, individual partners like Wink and even the government.
In the month of February 2013, Felista Njoki from GOA head office visited the friends of Maggie school in the United States. She received a true Christian hospitality in the States to which we are very grateful. She spoke to Maggie’s High School, about 400 high school children at chapel service. She was extremely thrilled to have spoken in a Christian TV station. Njoki also spoke to about 600 students at Easley High School in the auditorium and had dinner with team from 2012 Kenya mission trip. Njoki was very happy to visit Cumberland Community church and have dinner with familiar faces of people who have been to Kenya.
After Njoki’s return to Kenya, she made a trip to Maggie school and filed a video which you can watch at www.goaweb.org
Thank you for partnering with GOA to reach the unreached tribe of Turkana. Our next story from Turkana coming soon will be the story of GOA Pastor Joseph Eiyapan of GOA Naotin who after 31 years of age and father of 7 is now an elementary pupil of seventh grade. He is in the same class with his first born son. You may have taken your basic needs of education, food, Medicare for granted. Wait until you read the story of Pastor Joseph.
Till then, stay blessed
Bishop David Thagana
Dear Friends and GOA Partner,
It is my prayer that God has blessed you in all you do. Please do accept my apologies for sending the March report late.
The month of March was marked by vibrant activities both on the Kenyan National scene and also in GOA ministry. On 4th March, 2013, Kenyans went to the most complex polls in our 50 years history since independence. We were electing 6 leaders that we have always elected. It was our first time to hold elections under the new constitution. It was also the first time to use Biometric Voter registration gargets. We voted and Uhuru Kenyatta was elected the president. His closest challenger the former Prime Minister Raila Odinga contested the election and went to Supreme Court. Kenyans were subjected to 14 days of anxiety as we waited and watched on live television the newly created Supreme Court handle the petition. The ruling was made on Easter in favour of Uhuru Kenyatta and the Independent Election Boundaries Commission that the elections were free and fair and that Uhuru Kenyatta was validly elected the president.
The stock market rallied to a 57 month high while the shilling posted the strongest performance in six months in a show of growing investor confidence following the peaceful conclusion of the presidential election petition. The NSE 20 share index crossed the 5,000 mark for the first time since July 28, 2008 to close at 5030.91 points. Analysts have attributed the impressive performance to the prevailing positive sentiments following the peaceful conclusion of the election petition in which outgoing Prime Minister Raila Odinga had sought to challenge Uhuru Kenyatta’s election as president on March 4. “The United States government and the European Union said they are going to work with the Kenyan government which sends positive signals to the market”. ABC Capital general manager Samwel Kiraka said. You will recall that was my prophetic message for year 2013 which is still in Bishop Thagana’s blog to read. Everything has gone as I predicted. We are optimistic of Kenya going to higher levels of Economic, social and political status. It is the year of Jubilee.
The month of March is the last month of GOA financial year. We have been busy evaluating the Year and planning for the New Year. The GOA website is currently down. We are making arrangements to pay $150 to Godday to have the website up again. The challenge is that Godday (host) is in the States. GOA is in Kenya and we have no credit card service.
We will let you know when the website is up. We apologize for any inconveniences caused. Since we can’t post the March report in the website as we recently started doing, we hereby send it to you as an attachment, to this e-mail.
Hope you will be blessed reading, as you consider to increase your support for GOA for this new financial year.
Blessings,
Bishop David Thagana
Dear GOA Stakeholder,
The month of February was characterized by intensive campaigns in
Kenya leading to the General elections of March 4th. For GOA, while
we prayed and provided our prophetic guidance to Kenyans, we continued
to pursue our mission to glorify God by fulfilling the Great
Commission, reaching out to both the churched and the unchurched
peoples of Kenya, East Africa and beyond; to develop fully mature
disciples of Jesus Christ.
Thank you for having taken time to pray for our beloved country. We
had peaceful campaigns and general elections on March 4th. Of course
there may have been minor violence in some parts of the Country. On
Saturday March 9th the Independent Electro Commission of Kenya
declared Jubilee Uhuru Kenyatta the winner but Cord candidate Raila
Odinga has disputed the results, opting to go to the courts.
Rating agency Fitch has maintained Kenya’s B+ or stable outlook rating
following a peaceful General Election, but cautioned the political
risk is still present. Businesses have resumed full operations, but
the Treasury is asking investors who put their expansion plans on hold
to implement them following peaceful elections last week. “Kenya has
now won the confidence of the International community and we expect
those who shied away from making investment decisions to do so now,”
Finance Minister Njeru Githae said in his Monday press briefing.
Kenyans are gripped by inflation fears as fuel prices rise by sh 4.12.
The Energy Regulatory Commission has announced a ksh 4.12 per litre
increase in fuel prices, raising fears that the inflation rate could
rise yet again this month. This is the second time the regulator has
raised fuel prices this year.
The implications of all these Political/economic issues affects GOA
vision and mission directly. We thank you for your support and appeal
that you increase both your prayers and financial support.
Please join us to celebrate all the accomplishments of the month of
February. In the January update we featured the need for Tumaini kids
to eat bread. We are happy to report that we received $400 to boost
the Tumaini cakes project from GOA Switzerland. This has enabled the
home to not only eat a cake each day for breakfast from last Monday
4th, but also sell some cakes to generate income. We also received an
additional $126 to the same project from a GOA staff. We are also
happy to report that the Tumaini food debt which we reported has been
significantly reduced to only $4000 resulting from a donation received
from GOA US. However, decongesting the High school dormitories remain
the top priority. A donation to complete the remaining GOA girls
dormitory completion is highly appreciated, to ease congestion.
Merciful Redeemer kids at GOA High School remains the most needy both
in terms of basic necessities and payment of their huge school fees
areas. While we rejoice that the start of GOA High school has enabled
them to remain in school without paying fees which would have been
impossible in any other Kenyan high school, their huge fees arrears is
undermining the sustainability effort of GOA High School and worse
still makes them feel inferior to other kids whose basic needs are
fairly meet by their sponsors. We appreciate the basic support of the
kids who are at the home and the teachers at Merciful Redeemer school
and do appeal for more friends to consider specifically sponsoring the
17 kids of Merciful Redeemer who are in high school.
We are grateful for donations received in aid of GOA audit. We are
only short by $1,500 to be able to start audit.
To avoid sending you a very heavy file for GOA monthly reports, we
have now resulted in posting them at www.goaweb.org, under the
evaluation report. Please study the February report especially to
join us in praise and also prayer for the priority needs that are
highlighted.
Thank you for your support.
Bishop David Thagana
The month of January has confirmed the great hopes of year 2013 that
GOA ushered the year in. It is truly the year of our Lords favour.
The month ended with more than double the funding of the December
month and more than double the impact in all the GOA vision areas. It
was such a blessing that God gave us such a good start because we were
able to clear some of the outstanding deficits from 2012 and to
operative fairly well during the month.
The church Growth Vision area is celebrating the funding of
constructing three permanent GOA churches by ICM. The churches are
Rwanyambo, Kwambekenya and Mukinduri. The compassion department is
celebrating good Kenya certificate of primary education results
especially at GOA Educational Centre where all the children passed the
exam by scoring a school mean grade of 317 marks out of 500 marks.
The greatest reward for these exemplary performances is that the
leading boy Ben Murimi from Tumaini has earned himself a full
scholarship from Equity bank Foundation’s Wings to Fly program. The
Scholarship covers full school fees for the entire four years of
Secondary life, all transportation funds to school and back, all
school uniforms, and a brand new pair of school shoes after every six
months.
Leadership Development is celebrating impacting Kenya, Uganda,
Ethiopia, Côte d'Ivoire, and South Sudan by equipping leaders from
these nations to accelerate the spread of the Gospel in their nations
(All impacted in January). There is also great celebration of having
birthed a mentoring group of GOA University students Association
(GUSAA) and by the Grace of God continuing with the GOA Global
University (GGU) January class.
Peace building and conflict resolution vision area is celebrating the
continued hope that we have given to both Tana Delta conflict victims
and also Mathare area violence victims.
The GOA administration vision area is celebrating the blessing of
maintaining the Head office staff in January despite the
challenging situation in which we closed the year.
However January has also presented great challenges. So far GOA High
School has 25 form one students yet their dormitory is not complete.
21 of them are from all our GOA Homes. The High School has been
reluctant to admit Community kids due to the challenge of
accommodation. There are rooms where 3 boys are sharing one bed. I
happened to have spent the night there last Sunday and I did not have
a key to my bedroom. So when the boys learnt this they told me “Dad
you are welcome to our bed, you can be the forth one”. That really
blessed me. They have very little yet willing to share. If you saw
them playing soccer on Sunday afternoon, you would hardly believe they
sleep three in a bed. Immediately after we had eaten ugali in the
Tumaini Dining Hall, electricity went off and all the three
institutions were in great darkness. The following day (Monday this
week) was exams day so that the schools break for elections period
break. I was greatly moved when I saw kids standing on the corridors
of their dormitories trying to catch a glimpse of the moon to use it
to read in preparation for the exam. I mean moon light from the sky
being used to read in preparation for the exam. Shortly, after I
found Benson junior crying. When I inquired why he said I can’t even
find my bed in this darkness. What I know for sure is that you and I
can be used by God to send these kids some emergency lighting system
but I do not know how. If we got funds for generator, we might solve
the problem. Big solar panels may also help through during the rainy
season the area receives very little sunlight.
With the increased growth of children in GOA High School and children
in Tumaini and Educational Centre without sponsorship the three
Institutions are in debt for food. The bread that they used to take
with tea as part of their breakfast is no longer affordable. With a
donation of Ksh 1710 or $20 per day you can feed all the 150 kids on
one bread shared by four kids. This is a priority. I’m looking for
somebody who will say “I can do that”. After sharing this need in our
Tuesday fellowship this week one of the ladies here in Nairobi has
donated fund enough to buy Tumaini kid’s bread for the whole of next
week. I need more people to keep bread flowing. One may ask, is
there a need for bread in other GOA homes? The answer is “Yes” in
some homes but the reason why I’m prioritizing Tumaini bread is
because it is the only GOA Institution that is hosting kids from all
the other seven GOA Homes. Buying bread for Tumaini and helping to
complete the dormitory is helping all the GOA Homes, as the entire
compassion vision area.
The GOA administration is scheduled to start audit of GOA 2010/2011
books, on Monday, 11th March, 2013. We have received funding for this
special project from some GOA churches and a family from GOA US.
However, we are still short of USD 4000, which must be cleared by the
time the audit is completed by Ernest and Young.
My update started as a short summary of the January 2013 report but it
has turned out to be longer than I expected. Sorry for taking so much
of your time.
With effect from last month, GOA monthly reports are being posted on
the GOA website. (www.goaweb.org). this will also give you a chance to
view our latest videos. To access them just go to the News and Media
section of our website and click on the evaluation section. Feel free
to download and share with others. The full report of January 2013 is
already posted. This will save us from sending you very heavy files
each month. GOA is such a vibrant ministry in changing lives and
impacting communities that it has proved to be practically impossible
to document one month’s impact in few pages.
Finally please accept my invitation to:-
• Pray for peaceful, free, fair and credible Kenyan elections. We go
to vote on Monday 4th, GOA office will remain closed on both Monday
4th and Tuesday 5th. We will re-open on Wednesday 6th
• Join me to celebrate my 50th birthday on 9th March, 2013 at our
Thome Home. We will also take time to thank God for the far that our
family home has been constructed and pray for the work that is
remaining. The function will be from 10a.m. to 4.00p.m. Looking
forward to your participation.
• Join the GOA Kenya board of directors and Head office staff for a
fundraising dinner on Thursday April 4th in aid of GOA operating
expenses. The venue will be communicated later but it is obviously in
Nairobi.
• Join the entire GOA family at GOA Kahawa Wendani in Nairobi on
Saturday 4th May, 2013 from 9.00a.m. For the GOA 21st AGM.
Thank you for your support.
Bishop David m Thagana
May I belatedly bring you my New Year greetings.
On the Global scene, 2012 was the year when shocking economic and
business news seemed to lose its power to shock. Kenya withstood
another difficult year in 2012 as policy tightening and weaker global
demands slowed economic activity. With decisive fiscal and monetary
policies, the government managed to restore confidence in Kenya. The
year 2012 in Kenya was almost a mirror image of 2011. In 2011 the
economy started out strongly, but by mid-year, high fuel and food
prices led to a rapid rise in inflation, a weekend exchange rate and
ultimately a radical increase in interest rates towards the end of the
year.
The implication of these economic and business trend on GOA ministries
was that we had to not only make tough stewardship decisions in 2012
but also daily prayed for God’s Grace to complete the year. With
decisive ministry policies under the governance of an extremely well
educated and experienced GOA board of directors and a dedicated team
of staff at GOA head office in Nairobi we managed to restore
confidence in all stakeholders and continued to change lives and
impact communities.
As we head into 2013, Kenya is expected to stimulate growth by
loosening monetary policy. The Central bank of Kenya has lowered the
Central Bank rate (CBR) over the last several months to encourage
investment and economic growth. As a result, the second have begun
the year by seeing economic activity increase without inflationary
pressure. The Central Bank of Kenya is expected to continue these
policies in the first quarter of 2013 with investors expected to delay
major projects while waiting for the outcome of the elections.
GOA’s theme for 2013 “To proclaim the year of the Lord’s
favour”-Jubilee Luke 4:19. In the last three weeks I have been
blessed with opportunities training senior ministry leaders in
Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda with the eight core values of ILI/HM. I
can boldly proclaim that GOA is out to experience great favour from
God in 2013. This is the year that Kenya will celebrate her Golden
Jubilee-50 yrs since independence. It is also the year that GOA’s
Executive Director is celebrating his Golden Jubilee-50th birthday.
I’m double excited. To be a Kenyan who is celebrating Jubilee
together with his nation.
The World Bank in their December 2012 Kenya Economic update dubbed
“Kenya at work-Energizing the economy and creating jobs” highlighted:
Kenya withstood another difficult year in 2012 as policy tightening
and weaker global demand slowed economic activity. With decisive
fiscal and monetary policies, the government managed to restore
confidence in Kenya’s medium term prospects. 2013 promises to be a
better year. Yet hard realities remain –Kenya’s growth rate is still
below its potential and its peers, external balances remain which
threaten its future growth, and the pace of economic growth is not
generating enough modern sector wage Jobs. With the passage of the
new constitution in 2010 and its implementation, stronger institutions
are emerging, putting Kenya on a sound footing ready to take off. In
the very short term, what remains to be done is for Kenya to deliver a
credible and peaceful election in March 2013, and thereafter a smooth
transfer of power. In the medium term, Kenya will need to start
building a stronger foundation for growth, and undertake structural
reforms to correct the external imbalances. To generate more jobs for
the burgeoning educated population, Kenya will also need to reduce the
transaction cost for firms, by reducing job-smothering corruption and
the cost of doing business (particularly in transport and energy).
In the first half, we expect the Government to keep its focus on
controlled liquidity as it seeks to keep the cost of living at
manageable levels. We expect less easing of the monetary policy with
politics dimming the outlook with political pressure expected to
increase as the country gears up for the general elections. We expect
the outcome of the elections to have a major impact on the economy.
Following the elections, we expect the Central Bank of Kenya to head
back to the low interest rate stance as it seeks to propel
post-election economic growth in the coming years in line with the
vision 2030 objectives. With the Central Bank of Kenya expected to
ease monetary policy, we expect the stock market to stay on a recovery
path. The bond market is expected to see improved activity with
concentration expected to shift to the long end.
This is the time to invest in Kenya. GOA is looking for investors who
are interested in not only reaping good business returns but also
kingdom value through change lives in our four vision areas of Church
Growth, compassion, conflict Resolution and leadership Development.
The focus of the GOA board of directors is to move GOA towards a
sustainable future. With this goal in mind, GOA’s next 5 year
strategic plan has business ideas on investments that may initially
require high capital investment but eventually lead GOA towards
sustainability. We invite you to partner with GOA in 2013.
With you in this year of our Lord’s favour
Bishop David Thagana
More Articles...
BISHOP THAGANA'S 2013 MESSAGE OF THE YEAR
May I belatedly bring you my New Year greetings.
On the Global scene, 2012 was the year when shocking economic and
business news seemed to lose its power to shock. Kenya withstood
another difficult year in 2012 as policy tightening and weaker global
demands slowed economic activity. With decisive fiscal and monetary
policies, the government managed to restore confidence in Kenya. The
year 2012 in Kenya was almost a mirror image of 2011. In 2011 the
economy started out strongly, but by mid-year, high fuel and food
prices led to a rapid rise in inflation, a weekend exchange rate and
ultimately a radical increase in interest rates towards the end of the
year.
The implication of these economic and business trend on GOA ministries
was that we had to not only make tough stewardship decisions in 2012
but also daily prayed for God’s Grace to complete the year. With
decisive ministry policies under the governance of an extremely well
educated and experienced GOA board of directors and a dedicated team
of staff at GOA head office in Nairobi we managed to restore
confidence in all stakeholders and continued to change lives and
impact communities.
As we head into 2013, Kenya is expected to stimulate growth by
loosening monetary policy. The Central bank of Kenya has lowered the
Central Bank rate (CBR) over the last several months to encourage
investment and economic growth. As a result, the second have begun
the year by seeing economic activity increase without inflationary
pressure. The Central Bank of Kenya is expected to continue these
policies in the first quarter of 2013 with investors expected to delay
major projects while waiting for the outcome of the elections.
GOA’s theme for 2013 “To proclaim the year of the Lord’s
favour”-Jubilee Luke 4:19. In the last three weeks I have been
blessed with opportunities training senior ministry leaders in
Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda with the eight core values of ILI/HM. I
can boldly proclaim that GOA is out to experience great favour from
God in 2013. This is the year that Kenya will celebrate her Golden
Jubilee-50 yrs since independence. It is also the year that GOA’s
Executive Director is celebrating his Golden Jubilee-50th birthday.
I’m double excited. To be a Kenyan who is celebrating Jubilee
together with his nation.
The World Bank in their December 2012 Kenya Economic update dubbed
“Kenya at work-Energizing the economy and creating jobs” highlighted:
Kenya withstood another difficult year in 2012 as policy tightening
and weaker global demand slowed economic activity. With decisive
fiscal and monetary policies, the government managed to restore
confidence in Kenya’s medium term prospects. 2013 promises to be a
better year. Yet hard realities remain –Kenya’s growth rate is still
below its potential and its peers, external balances remain which
threaten its future growth, and the pace of economic growth is not
generating enough modern sector wage Jobs. With the passage of the
new constitution in 2010 and its implementation, stronger institutions
are emerging, putting Kenya on a sound footing ready to take off. In
the very short term, what remains to be done is for Kenya to deliver a
credible and peaceful election in March 2013, and thereafter a smooth
transfer of power. In the medium term, Kenya will need to start
building a stronger foundation for growth, and undertake structural
reforms to correct the external imbalances. To generate more jobs for
the burgeoning educated population, Kenya will also need to reduce the
transaction cost for firms, by reducing job-smothering corruption and
the cost of doing business (particularly in transport and energy).
In the first half, we expect the Government to keep its focus on
controlled liquidity as it seeks to keep the cost of living at
manageable levels. We expect less easing of the monetary policy with
politics dimming the outlook with political pressure expected to
increase as the country gears up for the general elections. We expect
the outcome of the elections to have a major impact on the economy.
Following the elections, we expect the Central Bank of Kenya to head
back to the low interest rate stance as it seeks to propel
post-election economic growth in the coming years in line with the
vision 2030 objectives. With the Central Bank of Kenya expected to
ease monetary policy, we expect the stock market to stay on a recovery
path. The bond market is expected to see improved activity with
concentration expected to shift to the long end.
This is the time to invest in Kenya. GOA is looking for investors who
are interested in not only reaping good business returns but also
kingdom value through change lives in our four vision areas of Church
Growth, compassion, conflict Resolution and leadership Development.
The focus of the GOA board of directors is to move GOA towards a
sustainable future. With this goal in mind, GOA’s next 5 year
strategic plan has business ideas on investments that may initially
require high capital investment but eventually lead GOA towards
sustainability. We invite you to partner with GOA in 2013.
With you in this year of our Lord’s favour
Bishop David Thagana
Our Core Values
- Embrace People: Because people matter to God, and Christ died for all people; we treat all people as His children while fulfilling the Great Commission – making disciples of all nations.
- Compassionately Serve: Jesus has given us the model of caring for the poor and suffering, which we strive to follow to the best of our abilities.
- Pursue Peace: We will strive to bring an end to conflict in our communities.
- Embody Godly Leadership: Our leaders will practice ethical and accountable governance and management, governing and managing our ministries with excellence.