Benard Msandu

Continuing our “Meet the Family” series:

Kate and I officially started the ministry back in 2004, complete with a board of directors and everything. Today it has evolved more into a family thing then a “ministry” thing with a linear leadership structure.

Keeping this short and simple, this is how I approach leadership; you lead at whatever you are good at or whatever you know how to do. So far seems to work really well. This style enables us to actually care for a greater number of children and adults, without every single detail coming across my desk.

Now what I really wanted to do was explain our relationship with Benard Msandu. Many of you that are connected with us on Facebook are now connected with Ben, and so we have received messages asking us about him and for some clarification on our relationship.

I’ve known Ben and his wife Pauline for several years now, and count them as some of my best friends here in Kenya. Ben started out working with me as my interpreter, back when I was speaking much more often. I still prefer to have Ben interpret for me, but I hardly ever get invited to speaking engagements now a days.

Ben came to me one day and told me of a vision he had. Which simply was to walk around looking for sick people, and to do what he could for them. I couldn’t have asked for a better vision, and agreed to work with him. We’ve been doing that for almost three years now, and I would say, and I know Ben would say the same thing, it’s the best thing that ever happened to us. We discovered where God likes to hang out, with folks who need Him. Duh.

Ben registered his ministry with the Government and has connections with local health officials, hospital staff, religious leaders, and others working with H.I.V. related issues. He does all this apart from me, not because I disagree with it, but just because I’m doing other stuff. (He wouldn’t say this, but it is also good at times to be seen as separate from the crazy white guy who actually thinks faith should be more than just going to a meeting on Sunday.)

I do not know all the details of how he has organized My Brother’s Keeper (the name of his ministry,) but I do know he keeps good financial records. I was funding his ministry up to the beginning of this year, thanks to all our generous donors. However the opening of our second home and the downturn in donations prevents me from fully funding My Brother’s Keeper now.

Hence he is doing some of his own fundraising. Which is a blessing to me, and the people he is assisting.

I hope this clears up things. We are working together. We live together. Ben and his family actually live in the same place we live, in the same compound or yard. They eat with us, and help us with the girls we care for.

Because I practice a non-hierarchal form of leadership structure, I do not control what Ben does or says. All you have to do is compare our Facebook status updates to see that we are not the same people. Ben tends to be more dramatic when talking about the work we do and the life we live. I am much more bland. He also has no problem using emotion to fundraise, where I do. (Not that emotion is absent from my fundraising, but I do not like to be manipulated and therefore try not to manipulate others.) English is not his mother tongue, where it is mine. I encourage you to ask for clarification before jumping to any conclusions when you don’t understand any of his status updates, or even mine for that matter.

We are not the same, but we are part of the same family. We are part of the same project. We both have the same goal, to see as many hungry bellies fed as possible. To rescue young girls from prostituting themselves for food. To preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God through our actions as well as our words.