Inspired Individuals

Njihia is an inspired leader who has worked in the liquor industry for many years. He is an innovative "out of the box" thinker. Not only is he a self starter, he also has unique entrepreneurial skills, he is extremely good with people and very gifted in Ministry. Perhaps his most outstanding qualities have to do with his love for the poor, the marginalised and those on the periphery of society. This unique combination of gifting is exactly why he has been selected to the Inspired Individuals Initiative.

In Nairobi’s slums men often spend their money and time in bars to unwind at the end of the day. Here they catch up with friends on siasa (politics), watch the news on common TV sets, and temporarily escape the overwhelming responsibilities and cramped space of home. For many, home is a place to sleep not a place for relaxation. With little or no space and wives in need of money to buy food or children asking for 10 bob to buy a pencil, it is often easier to drink and forget. The situation is exacerbated by a church that has demonized alcohol, that refuses to venture into bars for fear of contamination and which brand those who do. No wonder these men find no comfort in church – all they find is stigma and condemnation.

Njihia’s solution sounds like something out of Frost and Hirsh’s “The shaping of things to come” and would feel more at home in Belfast or Berlin than in teetotalling Kenya. Njihia has started a bar – he purchased a bar in the slum area known as Mathare North, refurbished it at his own cost, and converted it into a ministry. From Monday to Saturday the premises serve alcohol, and provide an entertainment mix that is “wholesome”. Throughout the week, a resident pastor builds relationships with the clientele. His office is within the premises. On Sunday a rearrangement of seats and a change in lighting sets the scene for church activities, This process encourages relationships as a discipling strategy rather than condemnation. It is truly missional – the church is in the world – but not of the world. The initiative doesn’t stop there – it includes a strong element of rehabilitation and economic empowerment (including microfinancing and business skills development) in order to address the underlying issues. The bar pastors also work in partnership with more traditional local churches in order to facilitate a disciplship transition from “bar church” to “local church” It is also very obvious that this issue is not isolated to the slums of Nairobi but that it is a continental and in fact a global issue. Njihia is refining strategies that could work in many places.