On-Field Media

Julius Ngayami is a pastor with the Africa Inland Church in Kenya. He is a member of the Dorobo or Okiek community. In 1992 the only church among the Dorobo was a small house group started by Julius. Since then that church has grown to over 100 members and several other churches have been planted in the vicinity. The Dorobo people traditionally made their living as honey collectors and hunters in the vast Mau Forest. In the 1980s large numbers of Kikuyu farmers had moved into the forest, many illegally, cutting down trees and preparing gardens for crops. In the clashes of 1992 Maasai and Dorobo forcefully pushed the Kikuyu out of the area. The Dorobo wanted their forest back and the Maasai needed the area for dry season grazing and water catchment. In 2002 when President Kibaki was elected the first time, Kikuyu farmers began moving back into the eastern Mau forest. They slashed large tracts of bamboo forest and other forested areas and moved in to farm. Julius and the Dorobo community watched on sadly as they saw their beloved forest disappearing, but the government, despite rhetoric about preserving the forest, took no action. It would seem Julius and his community members would have been happy to see the Kikuyu farmers leave. But in the past few years, Julius has felt a real burden for these Kikuyu settlers, many of whom arrive with very little and struggle to carve out a living out of the burnt out forest. Julius remembers how his people, the Dorobo, had lived without the hope of eternal life before they heard the Gospel. Now many Dorobo have turned to Christ. Julius knew he had to share that hope with these Kikuyu settlers, even though they were destroying the forestland the Dorobo people cherished. For the past year Julius has led evangelistic Bible studies with these Kikuyu settlers with some success. He has a special group of 28 young Kikuyu men who make their living by illegally burning charcoal in the remaining forests. Julius has welcomed them back as well and is continuing to pray with them and counsel them on what it means to follow Christ.