A Needs assessment of Kenyan Widows: A Study of Three Congregations of Christ is the Answer Ministries, Kenya

Abstract

Widowhood nowadays is no longer associated with elderly, in fact there are more deaths of young people and thus spouses being left behind especially because of the onset of HIV and AIDS. Traditionally in Kenya, widows were taken care of by the extended family but on the coming of Christian teachings, and with the growth of the nuclear family and urbanization, the support systems seem to have dwindled and in most societies have disappeared. The researcher examined whether or not the church was succeed- ing or failing to be concerned with the problems of widows and how women themselves would like the church to be involved. It was envis- aged that the collected and interpreted data can then be used to pro- vide some solutions to the widowhood challenges and point to the way forward for the widows. The purpose of this study was to investigate the needs of Kenya widows, focusing on three congregations of Christ Is The Answer Ministries, in Kenya whose congregants comprise many different ethnic groups. The branches targeted were Nairobi Pentecostal Church Central (the mother church), Nairobi Pentecostal Church Parklands (which has some Asian congregants), and Nairobi Pentecostal Church Ngong (which has some rural widows).