Project and Ministry Updates

Christmas Is Coming

Our annual Christmas Project is upon us, and we have already started celebrating!  This year we will be conducting 5 Christmas parties at partner programs that will feed hundreds of people, provide gifts for nearly 500 children, and assist with classroom building renovations.  

Our plan for this year is very similar to past years:

• Hosanna Children’s Home: New school shoes for 91 children and a Christmas Meal
• Huruma Children’s Home: New school shoes for 45 children and a Christmas Meal
• St. Joyuna Academy: New backpacks with relief food inside for 230 children
• Emmanuel Prep. School: New backpacks for 60 children and a Christmas Meal
• Nakuru CMD: New school uniforms/shoes for 38 children and a Christmas Meal
• Northern Kenya Feeding Programs: Celebratory Christmas Meal approx. 150 kids.
• Pastor’s Children: Monetary gift to 84 Pastor’s Children
• Outreach Children:  Gifts for 6 Outreach children

If you would like to make a contribution to this effort it will be greatly appreciated!  You can do so here: https://give.iphc.org/missionary/james-and-jessica-dunning (choose “Dunning Jamie Ministry” in drop down menu.)

St. Joyuna Kitchen/Dining

In May, we shared that the dining and kitchen facility at St. Joyuna Academy collapsed, and that we were planning on assisting in rebuilding a much improved, permanent structure.  We are happy to share that we have made a lot of progress on this, and the building is coming along nicely.  We have acquired the funds for the next phase of construction(Rosslyn Christmas Project…see more below), so our hope is that building will resume in late December.  This building is going to provide a much improved and safer environment for the kitchen staff to work and for the students to eat.  Over 200 kids are fed here each day, so this building will be well used!

AAIFE General Assembly

In August, the AAIFE (All Africa IPHC General Assembly) was hosted at Calvary Worship Centre in Nairobi.  Leaders and pastors from all over the continent gathered together for a time or planning, prayer, worship and encouragement.  It was such a gift to be able attend the conference and connect with so many leaders and partners.  I am grateful for the incredible work being done by this men and women.

Korecca School Update

Korecca Academy in Ramada, Tana River County, has finished their first full year in the new building!  It has been an incredible year of growth for the school.  In October, they even had the first Class 1 Promotion ceremony!  We are dedicated to continuing to see this school grow and thrive.  It is a light in this community, providing a Christ-centered education, loving environment, and a feeding program.  The school is growing, and we are also hoping to add a computer lab.  After the first of the year, our hope is to add a perimeter wall around the school as well as begin the process of building the second floor classrooms), but these are massive projects, so we are prayerfully considering options.

Heri Ministries Food Relief

Our partner ministry in Malindi, Heri Ministries, faced challenging times last month.  The # of girls/woman that they serve has risen, and with the rising costs of food, it has been difficult to meet the needs of the program.  Because of the generosity and faithful giving of our partners, we were able to step in and provide much needed food relief for this program.  Thank you!

Service Learning Update

One aspect of Jamie’s role as Service-Learning Coordinator at Rosslyn Academy is leading and coordinating the CFS program (Community Connections, Formation and Service). In September, 270 HS Students and 36 staff traveled to 15 locations across Kenya to partner with over 40 community organizations, churches and schools for 5 days, and in October 180 MS students and 27 staff traveled to 3 locations to work with 10 different partner communities and programs for 3 days.  Through these experiences we want students to share the love of Jesus through service, but to also learn from community partners as we work together.  This year the teams did this beautifully.  This is an overview of the service projects that were accomplished this year in collaboration with community partners and ministries:

• 15 goats delivered to vulnerable families
• Food relief distributed to over 200 vulnerable households in 2 communities
• 1 plant nursery established
• 4 schools, and a church painted
• 1 Water Reservoir constructed
• Dozens of bricks made
• Construction of foundations/walls of 3 churches
• 17 churches and 20 schools/homes visited which included many presentations and testimonies
• 1 Sand Dam was constructed (started)
• 1 Home constructed / walls mud plastered (started)
• Classroom resources created and several classes taught
• Mangrove restoration project
• Road repair
• Beach cleanup
• Farm work (weeding, planting, etc.)
• 2 steam vent water harvesting systems were constructed.
• Hundreds of tree seedlings were planted
• Community cleanup in partnership with local community
• Many meals prepared and dishes washed
• Several Sunday School lessons taught
• Hundreds of children were played with and encouraged
• Several football matches and other games played
• Many gifts were given
• So much love, kindness and joy shared

These trips also included educational opportunities.  Students visited tea and pyrethrum factories, indigenous forests, small and large-scale farms, and conservation areas.  They engaged in cultural awareness discussions and presentations, and learned from the extensive work being done through community partners.  The teams were also able to enjoy the natural beauty of Kenya by climbing mountains, trekking through forests and bush, seeing amazing sunrises and sunsets, and swimming in rivers, waterfalls and the ocean.  Most importantly, over these 5 days they grew in their faith, built new relationships with community partners and deepened relationships with their classmates and teachers.

Jamie has also coordinated many service opportunities for students from Grade 4-12. These have included community cleanups, environmental stewardship training sessions, classroom partnerships with local schools, 2 sanitary pad distributions and training sessions, and multiple fundraisers that have benefited partner programs and projects. All of these initiatives are in partnership with community ministries and organizations. Throughout Nov-Dec, he also leads the Rosslyn Christmas Project, which is a annual, community-wide effort to bless 4 partner ministries at Christmas. This will culminate with celebration assembly on Dec. 19 where the entire school community will join together to welcome representatives from each organization to honor them and bless them with Christmas gifts. This year the committee chose St. Joyuna as one of the organizations!

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Prayer Requests

• For the millions of people in Kenya facing rising costs of basic goods, food insecurity and the uncertainty of what is to come.
• For the Nation of Kenya, and the individuals, ministries, communities and churches that we have partnerships with.
• That we would love God and others as He loves us, and that we will be faithful in all the areas that we are being called.
• For good health, safety and protection.

Can we pray for you?  Please send us your requests at dunningsinkenya@gmail.com.

We love and appreciate you all!  Your support, prayers, and encouragement mean everything to us.  Thank you for partnering with us. 

Grace and Peace, 

Partners and Friends,

We are wrapping up the school year and preparing for a 2-month furlough in the States!  We will be home for June and July, and are very excited to be with family and friends for the first time in 2 years.

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Projects and Ministry Update

People to People Updates

The last few months have been busy with People to People Updates.  It takes quite a lot of travel, logistics and planning, to get updates on the 250 children in the program.  The kids are spread all over Kenya, but I always enjoy the opportunity to connect with so many kids face to face through the process.  Ethan was able to travel with me to assist with some of the updates. This year I was able to “hire” a part-time intern, Sophie Dunning, to assist with the administrative side.  She has been an incredible help, and she loves being photographed as she works! It isn’t really a possibility for teens here to get part-time jobs, like in the States, so this has given her the chance to develop some responsibility, earn some pocket money, and be an incredible help to me!

Burundi Trip Update

As shared in our last newsletter, the conflict in Democratic Republic of Congo has continued, resulting in approximately 70,000 refugees arriving in Burundi since January. (read more here: https://reliefweb.int/report/burundi/unicef-burundi-flash-update-no-7-refugee-response-impact-drc-crisis-10-may-23-may-2025). In partnership with Bishop Seth Nkeshimana and churches in Burundi, we (and People to People Ministries) have been striving to provide relief and support as much as possible.

In March, we were able to travel to Burundi and visited refugee communities in Rugombo, a border town where most refugees are arriving and registering.  With church leaders, we were able to meet with around 70 households (300-350 people) and provide encouragement, prayer, and food relief.  We were able to distribute relief to these 70 households as well as send relief to 130 households in Refugee camp in Rutana. In all we were able to distribute:

• 25kg of rice
• 25kg of Beans
• 10kg of maize flour
• 10kg or porridge mix to 200 households (Approx. 1,0000 people)

We were able to repeat this same distribution again in April/May, and we hope to  organize another relief effort next month.  In the grand scheme, this is a drop in the bucket of what the need is, but we pray that this will make a small difference.  I have been in contact with other church-based organizations that are apart of the PWF Development and Relief Network we have joined (Convoy of Hope, AG, Foursquare Relief) and they are doing similar relief efforts (some a bit larger). If you are interested in offering support for these efforts, you can do so here: Dunning Ministry Account (choose Ministry Option further down the page.)

While in Burundi we were also able to spend time with Seth and his family, which was a wonderful experience for our children to meet and get to know one another.

Rwanda Visit

In May, I was able to travel to Rwanda to visit Clement Muneza, and get updates on projects there.  We were able to visit the feeding programs, sewing projects, and community-led pig development projects that have been started through a local NGO Clement established called People for Promises.  We have been partnering with him to invest in these projects that are providing feeding programs for hundreds of kids, and livelihoods for dozens of people through sewing projects, shoe making, beautician training, and pig farming. 

One example of the impact this is having is the community-led pig project.  Last year, 10 people received 1 sow with the agreement that with each litter produced, 1 female piglet must be given to another recipient.  The remaining piglets can be kept or sold for income.  At this point, 7 of those original 10 have produced 1-2 litters of 7-10 piglets each.  The other 3 were unable to conceive, so they were sold and 3 new sows were purchased and they will give birth soon.  There are now 20 recipients each with 1-3 sows each, all committed to passing on 1 piglet from every litter produced.  The majority of the piglets are sold, providing income for school fees, family needs, and home repairs.  The hope is to start another project in another community soon.  If you are interested in supporting any of these projects, you can do so here: Dunning Ministry Account (choose Ministry Option further down the page.) 

There is also a desire to start another sewing training school in the community where the pig project is based.  There is only 1 seamstress in the area, and she has agreed to train others in order to increase production and availability of goods to the community, while creating jobs for more women in the community.  We will be providing 2 knitting and 2 sewing machines soon.

While I was there, I also got to catch a few BAL (Basketball Africa League) matches at BK Arena.  I got to support our local Kenyan Champions, Nairobi City Thunder (coached by my good friend, Brad Ibs), as well as take Clement and his family to see the Rwandan champs, APR, play. 

Korecca Academy

The work in Tana River continues to go well.  The school in Ramada, Korecca Academy, is growing with more students coming each term.  In April I was able to visit with Bocha and get to know the teachers a bit better.  One need was proper tables and chairs for the students, so we have recently upgraded these.  This Christian school is an incredible resource for this community as students are getting an education and feeding program from a loving and caring staff.

St. Joyuna Kitchen/Dining Facility

The current Kitchen and Dining structure at St. Joyuna is in terrible shape, and is no longer safe for student use.  We are planning to build a proper stone structure in the coming months that will be a major upgrade for the school.  We want it to be more in line with the incredible classroom block we built a couple of years ago.   We are beginning work on this next week.  If you would like to support this project, you can do so here: Dunning Ministry Account (choose Ministry Option further down the page.)

Smile Star’d Days 4 Girls

The work and ministry of Smile Star’d Days 4 Girls is so impactful for communities all over Kenya (you can read more about this project here).  Recently we were able to help support their need for an upgraded solar energy system for the enterprise.  This project is providing guaranteed electricity so that work production is never affected, as well massively lowering energy costs.  See Alice’s video below:

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Prayer Requests

• For the millions of people in Kenya facing rising costs of basic goods, food insecurity and the uncertainty of what is to come.
• For the people affected by, and fleeing, the conflict in Congo and for those that are serving them.
• For the Nation of Kenya, and the individuals, ministries, communities and churches that we have partnerships with.
• That we would love God and others as He loves us, and that we will be faithful in all the areas that we are being called.
• For Sophie and Ethan…that they will feel a meaningful connection to our ministry and that they both will grow to love and follow Jesus.
• That we will have an incredible time of deep connection in the US visiting Family and Friends this Summer.
• For good health, safety and protection.

Can we pray for you?  Please send us your requests at dunningsinkenya@gmail.com.

We love and appreciate you all!  Your support, prayers, and encouragement mean everything to us.  Thank you for partnering with us. 

Grace and Peace, 

Jamie, Jessica, Sophie and Ethan

Partners and Friends,

Our family is doing well in Nairobi!  It has been a great start to 2025.  We are excited that we will be coming home for 8 weeks this summer for our furlough.  We are looking forward to a bit of time with our families.  We would also love to see our friends and partners, and we will have a few Sundays that we would love to visit partner churches in North and South Carolina.  Please let us know if you are interested! Of course we wish we could see all of our partners across this US, but unfortunately will not allow for this this year.

Projects and Ministry Update

Burundi / Congo Refugee Crisis

Since January 2025, approximately 50,000 people have arrived in Burundi from the Democratic Republic of Congo.  These people are fleeing the ongoing conflict in Congo and are seeking refuge.  This is a tragic situation, which provides our partner leaders and churches in Burundi with the opportunity to come alongside some of these individuals and provide support and the love of Christ.  In March, we will be visiting Bishop Seth in Burundi to check in on some projects we have there, but also to help coordinate a relief response (the family will all travel together, since the kids are on Spring Break).  We are aiming to partner with local churches to provide 200 households (approx. 1,000 people) with much needed food relief.  This will be a small drop in the bucket, but hopefully will open the door for more ministry to these people that have suffered greatly.  You may remember, we have also been assisting with efforts to assist individuals that lost homes and livelihoods due to the rising levels of Lake Tanganyika (https://dunningsinkenya.com/2024/05/08/burundi-relief-trip/). We will continue accessing the best way we can partner with the local church to help meet these ongoing challenges.

Ramada School Update

In our November update we shared about the school building project in Ramada village that we were hoping to complete by January 2025.  I am happy to share that the first level of the structure is complete and students started meeting in the building in January.  We are so grateful to the Barrineau PH Church for their generous contribution which helped to complete this phase of the building so that school could start!  (Please see the previous post for more details on this project).   Here is an update video from a visit in December, and photos from the beginning of the school term in January:

Tana River Trip

In December, Ethan was able to travel with me to visit the Ramada School (Korecca Academy) and to visit a few of the communities that we partner with in the area.  Sadly, many of them were still living in resettlement camps at the time due to flooding last year that still hadn’t receded.  Fortunately, the land for the resettlement camps has now been officially given to the communities to permanently settle on.  This is a great step, as this land is above the flood plain and they will no longer lose everything when floods come.  However, this land is not ideal for agriculture or pastoralism.  So, it is still important that they maintain control of their ancestral land because this is where they can conduct the agricultural activities and pastoralism which is their major source of livelihoods.  At this point, this is the arrangement, but it still comes with challenges as the two areas are around 10km away.  We were able to meet with the community and discuss potential ways forward. 

Christmas Spirit Project Update

Once again, we had a very successful Christmas Spirit Project.  Thanks to the generous support of our partners, and a contribution for People to People Ministries, we were able to work with several partner organizations to give hundreds of children a brighter Christmas.  This year we were able to do the following:

• Hosanna Children’s Home: New school shoes for 50 children
• Huruma Children’s Home: New school uniforms for 49 children
• Emmanuel Prep. School: New Textbooks
• Nakuru CMD: New school uniforms for 42 children
• Pastor’s Children: Monetary gift to 75 Pastor’s Children
• Outreach Children:  Gifts for 6 Outreach children
• St. Joyuna Academy: New backpacks with relief food inside for 230 children (This will happen this month, since the students released from school in November and weren’t present in December.)

Service Learning Update

One aspect of Jamie’s role as Service-Learning Coordinator at Rosslyn Academy is overseeing the CFS program.  In January, 270 HS Students and 36 staff traveled to 15 locations across Kenya to partner with over 40 community organizations, churches and schools for 5 days.  Through these experiences we want students to share the love of Jesus through service, but to also learn from community partners as we work together.  This year the teams did this beautifully.  This is an overview of the service projects that were accomplished this year in collaboration with community partners and ministries:

• 45 goats delivered to vulnerable families in 2 communities
• Food relief distributed to over 200 vulnerable households in 2 communities
• 100 sanitary pad kits distributed
• 400 sanitary pad kids packed
• 1 tree nursery established
• 4 schools painted
• 2 perimeter fences constructed
• Dozens of bricks made
• 3 new church foundations/walls built
• 18 churches and 20 schools/homes visited which included many presentations and testimonies
• Classroom resources created and several classes taught
• Mangrove restoration project
• Road repair
• Beach cleanup
• Reef/Shark surveys
• Farm work (weeding, planting, etc.)
• Many meals prepared and dishes washed
• Several football matches and other games played
• So much love, kindness and joy shared

These trips also included educational opportunities.  Students visited tea and pyrethrum factories, indigenous forests, small and large-scale farms, and conservation areas.  They engaged in cultural awareness discussions and presentations, and learned from the extensive work being done through community partners.  The teams were also able to enjoy the natural beauty of Kenya by climbing mountains, trekking through forests and bush, seeing amazing sunrises and sunsets, and swimming in rivers, waterfalls and the ocean. 

Most importantly, over these 5 days they built new relationships with community partners and deepened relationships with their classmates and teachers.

HS Service Clubs:

Another aspect of this role, is that Jamie advises and leads several student service clubs in the High School.  These clubs focus on specific issues and work towards education, advocacy and finding solutions.  These include Project Imagine (Period Poverty), Green Club (Environmental Stewardship), Vikapu na Vikapu (partnering with local schools through Arts), the Disabilities Awareness Club (DAC), and the National Honors Society.  In recent months the clubs have been able to do the following service activities:

• Project Imagine visited St. Joyuna school in Ruai to distribute reusable sanitary pad kits and conducted a training session on menstrual health.
• Green Club conducted a tree planting activity, planting 30 indigenous trees on campus.
• DAC visited 2 partner special needs/inclusive schools to learn more about the inclusive model of education, and how they can best support them. 

In the coming months, there are several more service projects planned for these groups, as well as other Rosslyn classes!

PWF Relief and Development Partners Network

In January, Jamie had the opportunity to travel to Dubai for the 4^th PWF Development and Relief Partners Gathering.  This network first began in 2020, and it is always incredibly encouraging to connect with colleagues from around the world and to learn from the great work that is happening. 

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Prayer Requests

• For the millions of people in Kenya facing rising costs of basic goods, food insecurity and the uncertainty of what is to come.
• For the people affected by, and fleeing, the conflict in Congo and for those that are serving them.
• For the Nation of Kenya, and the individuals, ministries, communities and churches that we have partnerships with.
• That we would love God and others as He loves us, and that we will be faithful in all the areas that we are being called.
• For Sophie and Ethan…that they will feel a meaningful connection to our ministry and that they both will grow to love and follow Jesus.
• For our extended families as they live life without having us and the kids nearby.
• For good health, safety and protection.

Can we pray for you?  Please send us your requests at dunningsinkenya@gmail.com.

We love and appreciate you all!  Your support, prayers, and encouragement mean everything to us.  Thank you for partnering with us. 

Grace and Peace, 

Jamie, Jessica, Sophie and Ethan

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Projects and Ministry Update

Christmas is Coming!

It is hard to believe that it is time for our annual Christmas Spirit Project.  This year we will be conducting 5 Christmas parties at partner programs that will feed hundreds of people, provide gifts for nearly 500 children, and assist with classroom building renovations.  

We are still discussing with program leaders which gifts would be most helpful for the children this year, but this is what we were able to do last year (and will most likely be similar this year):

• Hosanna Children’s Home: New school shoes for 50 children
• Huruma Children’s Home: New school uniforms for 49 children
• St. Joyuna Academy: New backpacks with relief food inside for 230 children
• Emmanuel Prep. School: New Textbooks
• Nakuru CMD: New school uniforms for 42 children
• Pastor’s Children: Monetary gift to 75 Pastor’s Children
• Outreach Children:  Gifts for 6 Outreach children

If you would like to make a contribution to this effort it will be greatly appreciated!  You can do so here: https://give.iphc.org/missionary/james-and-jessica-dunning (choose “Dunning Jamie Ministry” in drop down menu.)

Ramada School in Tana River

The Ramada Village is a newly formed village near Minjila, Kenya, that is predominantly an Orma Community. Because of perennial floods, the community decided to settle near Minjila in an area above the water line that does not experience flooding. One challenge of this area is that there is no existing community and, therefore, no schools for the children. The children have had to commute long distances to attend school using major roads which is a safety risk.

Our partners, Bocha and Hadija Hussein, decided to start a school to help serve this community, and we were able to provide a daily feeding program.  They are currently meeting in a government-owned building.  However, because this is a government building, they are only given limited use, and there are tight controls on what can be taught. Therefore, it was decided that a new privately owned school building is needed. Out of respect for all of the work that we have done in this community (water projects, relief distributions, etc.) the community elders gifted a 6-acre piece of land to be dedicated for the community school building.

The provision of this new school building has a dual purpose. First, because this building will be on private land given by the community, the school will have the freedom to operate as a private Christian school. Secondly, it provides the students with a quality education within their community, removing the need for unsafe commutes. It will also continue providing a daily feeding program to students that meet nutritional requirements and provide support to their families.

The construction of the building initially began through a partnership with World Vision, however, halfway through the project World Vision decided to pull out.  Fortunately, thanks to our faithful supporters and a massive donation from Barrineau IPHC, we were able to step in and finish the project.  Our hope is that the school will be completed and ready to open by January 1, when the new term begins!

Smile Star’d Solar Project

Our partners at Smile Star’d Days for Girls have been struggling with irregular and inconsistent electricity, which has negatively impacted their productivity.  The lack of electricity has made it difficult to operate their electric sewing machines consistently, not to mention the lack of lighting.  So, we have decided to install a Solar Power System.  This will guarantee that they have consistent electricity, as well as cut their energy bills significantly.  This project should begin with the week!

Rwanda Trip

A few months ago we were able to travel Rwanda as a family to visit our partner Muneza Clement and his family.  We were able to visit all of the incredible projects happening there that we have been able to partner with and support.  It is amazing to see the progress in a variety of areas (sewing projects, small businesses, farm projects, schools, feeding programs, church ministry).  We were also able to spend some time with Clement planning for the future. 

Friends of Watoto

We have been partnering with Cleophas Muyele and the Friends of Watoto (Children), through a food security program called Wezesha (Enable) Children Champions. They have provided 100 households with agricultural training, support, and inputs and hybrid seeds so that they are able to provide for their families.  The farm projects around located Chemwa/Bungoma.  These projects are thriving and are going to have an incredible impact on food security for farmers and families in this area.  This team is doing great work!

Service Learning Update

Jamie’s role at Rosslyn Academy (as Service-Learning Coordinator) has continued to develop and continues to open many doors for ministry and work throughout Kenya.  In the last few months, he has been able to coordinate 12 different service trips for approx. 400 students from 4^th-12^th grades in partnership with 15 different partner communities and ministries.  These trips have ranged from 1-3 days in length.  Through these experiences students have had the opportunity to immerse in cultural learning, service opportunities, relationship formation, spiritual formation and adventure.  It is incredible to see how these experiences impact both the students and the communities that they are able to partner with!  In the coming months he will oversee the Rosslyn Christmas Project, as well as coordinate the HS CFS trips, which will send 250 HS students to 15 communities around Kenya for 5 days of service, formation and learning.

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Prayer Requests

• For the millions of people in Kenya facing rising costs of basic goods, food insecurity and the uncertainty of what is to come.
• For the Nation of Kenya, and the individuals, ministries, communities and churches that we have partnerships with.
• That we would love God and others as He loves us, and that we will be faithful in all the areas that we are being called.
• For continued direction and wisdom in our work.
• For our marriage to grow stronger every day.
• For Sophie and Ethan…that they will feel a meaningful connection to our ministry and that they both will grow to love and follow Jesus.
• For our extended families as they live life without having us and the kids nearby.
• For good health, safety and protection.

Can we pray for you?  Please send us your requests at dunningsinkenya@gmail.com.

We love and appreciate you all!  Your support, prayers, and encouragement mean everything to us.  Thank you for partnering with us. 

Grace and Peace, 

Jamie, Jessica, Sophie and Ethan

Over the last several months, East Africa has been devastated by heavy rains. It is estimated that at least 1.6 million people were affected with 410,000 being displaced and 473 losing their lives. Fortunately, the rains have stopped and much of the water is receding, however the needs are still great. Many of the communities that we partner with in Kenya and Burundi were affected, and we are grateful that through the generous support of our partners we have been able to stand with them in this difficult time. We are grateful for our partners and community leaders (Bocha Hussein, Hadija Boru, Lucy Chengo, Bishop Seth and Bishop Ochieng) for their leadership and commitment to these communities. Over the last 2 months, we have been able to provide 14 US tons of food relief to approximately 2,000 households in 10 different communities. We have also been able to provide much needed tents for hundreds of displaced families in Burundi. We are continuing to provide relief and support to these communities in Burundi, as they wait for land allotments that the Government has promised. To read more about the specific situation in Burundi, please see our last update: https://dunningsinkenya.com/2024/05/08/burundi-relief-trip/

Thank you for you ongoing support that makes this type of relief possible, and please keep these communities in your prayers as they continue to recover.

Last week I was able to travel to Burundi to visit areas that have been devastated by flooding. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced due to rising water levels of Lake Tanganyika. I had the honor of traveling with Bishop Seth Nkeshimana, who is overseeing the response there. Please see the following video to learn more about my visit (there is also a news story below that gives more details on the situation):

Through the support of our partners, and a generous contribution from People to People Ministries, we have been able to partner with church leaders to provide the following relief to 300 households:

• 300 tents
• 3000kg of rice
• 2400kg of beans
• 1000kg of maize flour
• 15 packs of charcoal

We hope that this is just the beginning of our response. The needs are massive. In addition to immediate relief, in the future we would also like to be able to stand with these communities as they rebuild and start over. If you are interested in supporting these efforts, you can do so here: https://give.iphc.org/missionary/james-and-jessica-dunning (Choose Dunning Jamie Ministry option further down the page). We are also coordinating a relief response in Tana River County in Kenya, where 1,000 households from our partner communities have been displaced due to flooding. The entire region is being devastated by heavy rains and flooding. We will share more about the Kenya response soon.

As always, thanks for your prayers and generous support.

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Projects and Ministry Updates

St. Joyuna, Ruai

The classrooms at St. Joyuna are (mostly) complete!  The students started using the 2^nd floor classes in January, and all of the finishings (painting, windows, doors) was finished in February.  It is a beautiful set of classes, and one that the school is extremely proud of. 

The next phase that we are working on is to install solar power throughout the building.  Electricity can be both unreliable and very expensive in this area, so we have decided to install solar panels on the roof to ensure that these classrooms always have power and that learning is never inhibited due to a lack of electricity.

The water kiosk project is continuing to do well. It is a good source of small income, as well as a benefit to the surrounding community.

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Smile Star’d, Njoro

Smile Star’d continues to make an incredible impact in the community, and throughout Kenya.  Not only have they reached over 85,000 girls facing period poverty, and educated over 40,000 boys, but they also employ 20 mothers, providing much needed income to support their families.  In recent months they have expanded their efforts to not only create reusable sanitary pad kits, but also to produce reusable diapers for both babies and adults.  These are meeting a huge needs for families that can not afford disposable diapers, for children’s home and newborn centers, and especially for children and adults with special needs. 

We were recently able to assist them with new equipment and needed items, as well as a project to finish the outdoor area with cabro, which has made a much cleaner and beautiful space for the enterprise.

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Tana River Projects

There is a great opportunity in the community of Ramada to partner with Bocha and Hadija Hussein to provide a new modern school building.  They have been working with a local government school in this area, but they have realized they need to start a private, Christian school. 

The community has provided the land to Bocha, and a new building was started last year by World Vision.  Unfortunately, there was a conflict with the building contractor, so World Vision has decided to pull out of the project.  So now the building is sitting, uncompleted.  We now have the opportunity to step in and assist in finishing the project, using a new construction team.  It is a large project, but we are excited about the potential.  This school would be an incredible resource for the community, and would give Bocha and Hadija the freedom to provide a high quality, Christian education, and to hire teachers that are aligned.  Hadija is already working with students from the community, and we have a daily feeding program already in place. 

If you are interested in supporting this project, you can do so here:  Dunning Ministry Account (Please use Ministry Option further down the page.)

If you would like more specific details about the need, please feel free to reach out.

Earlier in the year, this community was once again devastated by flooding. Many of the communities that we work with had to relocate to temporary displacement camps. During this time we were able to partner with Bocha to provide much needed food relief. Fortunately, the water has receded and the communities have returned home and have resumed their farming activities.

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Heri Ministries

One of our partners, Lucy Chengo of Heri Ministries, does incredible work working with young girls and woman in the coastal area of Malindi.  Her primary focus is to assist young girls that have been victims of child marriage and abuse, and those that have converted to Christianity.  She provides housing education and skills training.  Due to inflation and the weak economy, the price of basic goods has skyrocketed recently, so we were able to step in and assist Heri with much needed food relief.

Lucy also does work in surrounding villages and communities.  In recent months she has come in contact with many families from underprivileged areas that attend local IPHC churches that she works with.  These families are unable to send their children to school because of school fees.  We are grateful that we have been able to come alongside her to help support these families by sending their children to school.  This is only possible because of the generosity of you, our partners and donors.

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Christmas Spirit 2023

We had a great Christmas Spirit project in December.  Thanks to your generosity and a generous contribution from People to People Ministries, we were able to bless over 500 children with a Christmas gift and celebration!  This is a summary of what we were able to do:

• Hosanna Children’s Home: New school shoes for 50 children
• Huruma Children’s Home: New school uniforms for 49 children
• St. Joyuna Academy: New backpacks with relief food inside for 230 children
• Emmanuel Prep. School: New textbooks for over 100 students.
• Nakuru CMD: New school uniforms for 42 children
• Pastor’s Children: Monetary gift to 75 Pastor’s Children
• Outreach Children:  Food gifts and school supplies for 6 children

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Service Learning at Rosslyn

Jamie’s part-time role at Rosslyn Academy (as Service-Learning Coordinator) has continued to develop and continues to open many doors for ministry and work throughout Kenya.

In December, Jamie led the Rosslyn Christmas Project. Over a 4-week period, the Rosslyn community came together to raise over $16,000 to bless 4 very deserving partner organizations in Kenya!

In the last several months he has been able to coordinate 25 different student service trips, ranging for 1-5 days in length for students ranging from 1st-12th Grade..  Through these experiences students have had the opportunity to immerse in cultural learning, service opportunities, relationship formation, spiritual formation and adventure.  It is incredible to see how these experiences impact both the students and the communities that they are able to partner with. These experiences have tremendous impacts on these students, but through the relational model that is being established, they also have huge benefits for our partner communities.

Jamie also had the opportunity to take 8 HS Student leaders to Accra, Ghana, for a Global Issues Service Summit hosting by AISA.  This was a great opportunity for these student leaders to grow in their awareness of global issues, develop their leadership skills, and to more deeply discover their unique giftings and abilities.

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Prayer Requests

• For the millions of people in Kenya facing rising costs of basic goods, food insecurity and the uncertainty of what is to come.
• For the Nation of Kenya, and the individuals, ministries, communities and churches that we have partnerships with.
• That we would love God and others as He loves us, and that we will be faithful in all the areas that we are being called.
• For continued direction and wisdom in our work.
• For our marriage to grow stronger every day.
• For Sophie and Ethan…that they will feel a meaningful connection to our ministry and that they both will grow to love and follow Jesus.
• For our extended families as they live life without having us and the kids nearby.
• For good health, safety and protection.

Can we pray for you?  Please send us your requests at dunningsinkenya@gmail.com.

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We love and appreciate you all!  Your support, prayers, and encouragement mean everything to us.  Thank you for partnering with us. 

Grace and Peace, 

Jamie, Jessica, Sophie and Ethan

Partners and Friends,

It is hard to believe that it is already October. Time is going by so quickly, and we feel like every week melts into the next one. Since Kenya is on the Equator, we don’t really have seasons (other than rain seasons, or slightly cooler portions of the year), but each October the Jacaranda trees all around Nairobi blossom their light purple flowers, and these flowers fall to the ground leaving a carpet of purple. So, even though it is very different, we have our version of Fall….just replace the orange and yellow leaves falling with purple flowers. It is one of our favorite times of the year in Nairobi.

Project and Ministry Update

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St. Joyuna Classroom Building

In August, we decided that the classroom building at St. Joyuna wasn’t quite finished. The first level was built last year with the intention of adding a second level in the future. Due to the incredible generosity of partners, we were able to begin the construction of the second level much sooner than anticipated! This second level will add space for a science lab, a meeting hall, and additional classrooms. The construction is almost complete, and then the entire building will receive a fresh coat of paint. We are very excited for what this building is going to provide for this school.

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Tana River Project Updates

The Agriculture/Irrigation Projects in Tana River are continuing to do well. We recently expanded the Gardeni project by adding a second well and irrigation system, doubling the size of the farm. These projects continue to provide food, income and livelihoods for these communities.

Another initiative that our partners, Bocha and Hadija, have started is a feeding program at a local school in a community called Ramada. We have partnered with them to provide the daily meals for the children. A door has also opened for them to build a permanent building for the school. The community has been so grateful that they donated a large piece of land for the school to be built on, and a local NGO agreed to fully fund the building!

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Smile Star’d – Days 4 Girls

Things at Smile Star’d are continuing to do well. The enterprise is growing, and they have now provided education and reusable sanitary pad kits to 82,000 girls in Kenya! This ministry is incredibly impactful for young girls in Kenya, because it breaks down the stigma that exists around menstruation, as well as provides girls with resources that will keep them in school. It also employs 25 people (mostly single mothers) providing them with a regular and consistent income.

One of our partner churches, Rehobeth PH Church, made a donation to this project in honor of the late Mrs. Patsy Jackson. Mrs. Patsy was the Mother of Rehobeth’s pastor, Martin Jackson, and she was a member of my (Jamie) childhood church, Culbreth, in Falcon, NC. I have known Mrs. Patsy my entire life, and I have always loved and respected her greatly. She was an incredible woman that loved and lived for Jesus. She recently passed away, so Rehobeth decided to support this project in her honor and memory, which made this project even more significant to me. We were able to use the funds to repair the floor of the sewing room, provide the seamstresses with more comfortable chairs, and add cabro and drainage to the area outside the sewing centre that would flood when it rained (this is project is ongoing, but nearly complete). Rehobeth also made a contribution for another ministry that works with young women, Heri Ministries, in Mrs. Patsy’s honor.

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Heri Ministries

Our partner, Lucy Chengo, runs an incredible ministry in Malindi called Heri (Happy) Ministries. She takes in girls and young women that have been rescued from poverty, child marriage, as well as converts to Christianity. She provides them a place to stay, discipleship, and skills training. They are taught sewing and hair-styling so that they can earn an income and sustain themselves. Heri has recently added an incredible new building to house their operations, and we have been able to assist with a variety of things over the years. With the funds given in honor of Mrs. Patsy Jackson, we were able to provide 4 new sewing machines and other needed items for the ministry. This is an incredible ministry and we have been connected with Lucy since our second trip to Kenya in 2007!

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Service Learning at Rosslyn Academy

Jamie’s part-time role at Rosslyn Academy (as Service-Learning Coordinator) has continued to develop.  This role has opened many doors for ministry and work throughout Kenya.

In the last several months he has been able to coordinate several different student service trips for students in ES, MS and HS, ranging from 1-3 days in length.  Through these experiences students have had the opportunity to immerse in cultural learning, service opportunities, relationship formation, spiritual formation and adventure.  These trips have included tree planting initiatives in Karura Forest, working with Alice and the team at Smile Star’d, visiting Lucy and Heri Ministries, a community basketball tournament/service event in Malindi, a ministry trip to a local church in Kariobangi, and Cultural Field Studies Trips for 180 MS students to 3 different locations in Kenya (one location for each grade, 6th-8th). Sophie and Ethan participated in the MS CFS trips, which were 3 days in length. Sophie went up Mt. Suswa and worked with the Masai Community there, as well as assisted with building a steam harvesting water system for the community. Ethan was able to travel to Nakuru and learn about the impact of Agriculture on Kenyan communities, specifically the growing and harvesting or Pyrethrum. They both had an incredible time.

Between now and May, Jamie will be able to coordinate an additional 30+ service opportunities for Rosslyn students from KG-12th Grade. Some of these will be day-trips, and some will be week-long trips. These experiences have tremendous impacts on these students, but through the relational model that is being established, they also have huge benefits for our partner communities.

Jamie will also oversee Rosslyn’s Christmas Project (not to be confused with our Christmas Spirit Project) which provides support to several partner programs and ministries in Kenya. Speaking of Christmas……

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Christmas is Coming!

Our annual Christmas Project is upon us.  This year we will be conducting 5 Christmas parties at partner programs that will feed hundreds of people, provide gifts for nearly 500 children, and assist with classroom building renovations.  

This year’s gifts will be:

• Hosanna Children’s Home: New school shoes for 50 children
• Huruma Children’s Home: New school uniforms for 49 children
• St. Joyuna Academy: New backpacks with relief food inside for 230 children
• Emmanuel Prep. School: New textbooks for students.
• Nakuru CMD: New school uniforms for 42 children
• Pastor’s Children: Monetary gift to 75 Pastor’s Children
• Outreach Children:  Gifts for 6 Outreach children (*Gift to be determined)

If you would like to make a contribution to this effort it will be greatly appreciated!  You can do so here: https://give.iphc.org/missionary/james-and-jessica-dunning (choose “Dunning Jamie Ministry” in drop down menu.)

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Prayer Requests

• For the millions of people in Kenya facing rising costs of goods, drought, food insecurity and the uncertainty of what is to come.
• For the Nation of Kenya, and the individuals, ministries, communities and churches that we have partnerships with.
• That we would love God and others as He loves us, and that we will be faithful in all the areas that we are being called.
• For continued direction and wisdom in our work.
• For our marriage to grow stronger every day.
• For Sophie and Ethan…that they will feel a meaningful connection to our ministry and that they both will grow to love and follow Jesus.
• For our extended families as they live life without having us and the kids nearby.
• For good health, safety and protection.

Can we pray for you?  Please send us your requests at dunningsinkenya@gmail.com.

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We love and appreciate you all!  Your support, prayers, and encouragement mean everything to us.  Thank you for partnering with us. 

Grace and Peace, 

Jamie, Jessica, Sophie and Ethan

Partners and Friends,

We have just wrapped an exciting and busy season here in Nairobi, and we are preparing for a short furlough in the States!  We will be home for most of June and July, and are looking forward to being with family and friends for the first time in 2 years.  We will predominantly be with family in NC and SC during this time, but will be traveling a bit as well.  Because of the kid’s school and our work schedule, we are only able to come for 8 weeks, but we would love to connect if possible.  Please reach out and let us know if you are interested in connecting. 

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Project and Ministry Update

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Tana River Irrigation and Agriculture Projects

Our work in Tana River with our partner, Bocha Hussein, has continued to grow.  In recent months we were able to expand the irrigation/agriculture project in Gardeni to 25 acres!  The women that manage the project have been so successful expanding the shamba, but the initial well wasn’t providing enough water for the large amount of crops they were producing.   So, we were able to dig an additional well and construct a tank tower on the opposite side of the farm.  With this additional water source, they are able to sustain their growing operation.  This project continues to provide food and income for the entire community, especially the children and the most vulnerable.  Even in the middle of extreme drought, they have been able to continue producing food. 

Mosquito Net in Tana River Communities

This area has been facing an increase in Malaria cases in recent months.  We were able to conduct a mosquito net distribution for 430 families, as a part of a People to People initiative.  Our prayer is that these nets will mitigate the risk of contracting malaria for these families.

Relief Distributions

Fortunately, the rains finally came in April, and have been fairly steady.  The rain was much needed after the long and extreme drought that the entire nation had been facing, one of the worst in decades.  We are praying that the rains will continue.

In the height of the drought, in partnership with Rosslyn Academy, I was able to coordinate relief distributions of nearly 7 tons of food to 1,000 households in 7 different communities around Kenya.  Each household received a combination of maize, beans and rice.  Many communities were suffering from food insecurity earlier in the year, so we were grateful to be in a position to stand with these communities in a small way.  Rosslyn students and staff (including Sophie and Ethan) were able to assist with these distributions.

Service-Learning at Rosslyn Academy

Jamie’s part-time role at Rosslyn Academy (as Service-Learning Coordinator) has continued to develop.  This role has opened many doors for ministry and work throughout Kenya.

In the last several months he has been able to coordinate 23 different student service trips, ranging for 1-5 days in length.  Through these experiences students have had the opportunity to immerse in cultural learning, service opportunities, relationship formation, spiritual formation and adventure.  It is incredible to see how these experiences impact both the students and the communities that they are able to partner with. 

PtoP Updates

Over the last two months, we have been able to do updates on the 250 kids in the People to People Child Sponsorship Program.  This is always a big job, but so rewarding to see the impact that this program is having on children and families.  There are 75 pastor’s children in the program, and the rest are children at our partner schools and children’s homes.  PtoP sponsorship helps families and staff to pay schools fees and provide supplemental food for children.

PWF Development and Relief Summit

In April, Bocha was able to join me at the Annual PWF Relief and Development Summit.  This year it was hosted in Kenya, just outside of Nairobi, so it was extremely convenient.  This is the 3^rd summit that I have attended, and it is always encouraging to be surrounded by other practitioners and missionaries and to encourage and learn from one another.

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Prayer Requests

• For the millions of people in Kenya facing drought, food insecurity and the uncertainty of what is to come.
• For the Nation of Kenya, and the individuals, ministries, communities and churches that we have partnerships with.
• That we would love God and others as He loves us, and that we will be faithful in all the areas that we are being called.
• For continued direction and wisdom in our work.
• For our marriage to grow stronger every day.
• For Sophie and Ethan…that they will feel a meaningful connection to our ministry and that they both will grow to love and follow Jesus.
• For our extended families as they live life without having us and the kids nearby.
• For good health, safety and protection.

Can we pray for you?  Please send us your requests at dunningsinkenya@gmail.com.

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We love and appreciate you all!  Your support, prayers, and encouragement mean everything to us.  Thank you for partnering with us. 

Grace and Peace, 

Jamie, Jessica, Sophie and Ethan