In 2006, Mama Mary (as she is affectionately called), was a widow and a pastor in the village of Makutano, Kenya. She recognized how mistreated and segregated widows were, so she began meeting with the women in her area. Soon, their children began coming with their mothers every Saturday and Mama Mary began feeding and ministering to her friends.
Mama Mary’s son Davis (Otieno Reuben) was a graduate of Kima International School of Theology, and knew Margaret Lewis from her time as a volunteer there. He shared with Margaret how God was working in his mother’s village, and asked her to visit the village to see their work.
“Once I saw how the widows and children were being cared for by Davis’ mom,” Margaret remembers, “my trust and belief began to grow …I remembered the saying, ‘little is much when God is in it,’ and I knew God was in this small beginning.”
Over time, Davis and Margaret worked with the people of Makutano to learn about their needs as a community and find creative and productive ways to meet their needs. Village Project Africa was born, and in 2009 was incorporated and recognized as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization by the U.S. government.