Mercy in Kenya

Deaconess Pamela Boehle-Silva, RN, of Rocklin, California, met the Reverend David Chuchu, a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya (ELCK) from Kisumu. Their desire was to care for families, widows and orphans (over 1 million of them) devastated by the HIV/AIDS pandemic crippling Kenya at the time. In Kenya, Reverend Chuchu worked with church workers called deaconesses who tirelessly cared for AIDs sufferers in their communities, but who had no medical background. They needed support from someone trained in nursing from the United States. Deaconess Pamela's nursing skills were put to good use, but she also found that beyond helping AIDS sufferers, there was an epidemic of stigma, shame and fear that separated families and communities. Something needed to change. BACK