A Man After God’s Own Heart

Because I delivered the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to help him.
Job 29:12.

The Story of Duncan Ouma Ojiambo

Duncan was born in a small village in western Kenya to a loving, but poor family. His mother constantly struggled with her health while his father worked as much as he could to provide for their family. But when Duncan was 15, his family fell on hard times, and unable to pay his school fees Duncan was forced to drop out of school and forfeit his education in order to feed his family. 

No longer in school, Duncan took on odd jobs around the village - trimming hedges, plowing fields, and doing whatever needed to be done in order to survive. For 3 years, Duncan worked tirelessly, saving any money he could while taking care of his mother's medical expenses. By age 18, he had finally saved enough to enroll himself back in school, knowing that education was the path for a better life. He picked up where he left off, finishing his 9th and 10th grade classes before running out of money and being forced to leave school for the second time. 

Feeling hopeless in his situation, Duncan became suicidal. But praise be to God that in this darkest hour of his life, the Lord met him there, setting Duncan on a path of faith that would not only transform his own life, but countless others. He devoted himself to studying the Word of God, and later on, God answered Duncan's prayer to finish his education when a former principle personally paid for him to take the national test that would allow him to graduate. 

Eventually, after applying to universities, Duncan received a scholarship to attend a public university in Kenya, conditional on him finding someone to host him for the duration of his schooling. Duncan reached out to his uncle in the city who agreed to host him, but on the first day of class, his uncle revealed he did not have the money required to host him, and gave Duncan the option to either go back to the village, or stay working for him in the city. 

For 4 years, Duncan served his uncle who exploited him for nearly free labor, but what little money he earned, Duncan saved to put himself through a teaching certification course. Unfortunately, he again ran out of money before finishing the training, and without his certificate, Duncan struggled to find work teaching. But while looking for work, Duncan came across a community school where they helped vulnerable children living in the slums. He was moved by the condition of the orphans living there, and began giving every dollar he could to assisting the poor, despite often being unable to meet his own needs. 

Eventually, Duncan found a well paying job, but he would still come to the slums, visiting the homes of people who were suffering to extend the love of Christ to them, buying the children school uniforms, books, or food whenever he could. This continued until 2011 when the Holy Spirit compelled Duncan that it was time to do more. So Duncan started a program to feed the children 1 day a week, mobilizing the teachers, pastors, and anyone in the community with a heart to serve or donate to the cause. After a few months, it became clear the program needed to be registered as an official charity. 

"We realized, even feeding them alone could not help, because they were coming to eat, and they go back to the street. I realized there is a need for these children to be empowered apart from eating, apart from food. They needed an education."

Duncan found a shanty that he converted into the orphan center for the children. There was no water or electricity, but it was a place where the orphaned children of the slums could come to eat, study, hear the Word of God, and create a better future for themselves. Over time, more and more children came to the center, creating more need for partnerships and resources to take care of them. With their calls for help going unanswered, Duncan opened his own home, giving the vulnerable children in the slums a Kenya a bed and a family. 

In 2023, Duncan received a scholarship to attend the RiverCross Summit in Nairobi where he learned invaluable skills, enabling him to empower the children he serves to continue breaking the downward spiral of vulnerability that Duncan himself walked through as a child. Through encouraging the children to continue in their education, and teaching them the BRIDGE principles learned through RiverCross training, Duncan is transforming the slums of Kenya. 

Click on the video below to hear in his own words the impact that the RiverCross Summit has had on his personal life and ministry.