Food and faith: Concert benefits Christian-based agriculture project in Kenya

By Kristine Thomas

Silverton resident Tim Aman – who in September will visit Kipkaren, Kenya, for the third time to share his knowledge of farming – has noticed that when a Kenyan asks a friend or neighbor for something – whether to borrow a phone, a car or money – the request is granted.

“The people are very generous and give what they have,” he said.

A crop consultant for Wilco for 27 years and a farmer, Aman adheres to the same philosophy. “I have the ability and the knowledge of how to grow food. I feel called to take what I have and share it with others.”

An avid music fan, Aman invited New Worldson, a Christian band, to play as a fundraiser for the Kenyan Agricultural Outreach program Aug. 13 at Silver Creek Fellowship, 822 Industrial Way.

Describing Silver Creek Fellowship Church as “outward looking,” Aman said church members believe in serving others as opposed to being served.

He is sometimes asked why he travels to Kenya and when he is in Kenya, people inquire why he’s there. “As a Christian, it’s God’s calling to go and serve in His name and if given an opportunity to gently share why,” he said.

Aman was inspired by a presentation about a mission trip to Mozambique made by Doug Hoffman, president and CEO of Wilco. He told Aman he sensed Oregon’s agricultural community could help Kenyan farmers.

Hoffman went on an exploratory trip to see the agricultural work happening in Kipkaren, Kenya. The project was directed by Empowering Lives International, a  Christian agency in the United States.

“Seeing the pictures of the people and the land, my heart was moved and I sensed God saying to me, ‘Tim go and share with them what you have.’ So that’s why I’ve gone and can’t wait to go back,” Aman said.

Kipkaren Training Center has an agricultural school where 35 students are selected for a nine-month training program in the areas of agricultural production methods, dairy production and animal care as well as computer and Christian instruction. “Many of the students come as followers and return home to their villages as leaders,” Aman said.

The center also has a medical clinic and an orphanage where 96 children are fed, cared for and placed into families. “The center gives a new hope to the children and a whole community is affected for the better,” Aman said.

At his home in Silverton, Aman showed a video of his work with farmers in Kenya. “People suffer from lack of understanding or ignorance. I have had the opportunity to visit growers and lead some ag seminars there,” Aman said. “We have shed some truths about plant growth and nutrition to farmers there.”

Last year, he brought home more than 20 soil samples from Kenyan growers and had the soil analyzed in U.S. labs. “I have been greatly relieved to see that their soils are actually quite fertile,” he said. “Now I can adjust some of their plant food fertilizers to more economically and efficiently feed the crops they are growing.”

What has inspired Aman is seeing the progress made in Kipkaren, including the founding of a farmers’ co-op and a new milk receiving and cooling site.

It is his hope that people will attend Concert at the Creek to learn more about the work being done in Kenya and how they can help. He hopes by sharing the story that it will inspire others to give what they can to help.

“Empowering Lives International has this to say, ‘You cannot change the whole world, but you can change the whole world of one person.’ ”

Aman realizes that grand idea can be done simply by giving what he has.