Derek and Linda Roulston first went to Kenyain October 1998 and were based in Nyeri to the North of Nairobi, involved in establishing Honi Training Farm – an agricultural training and development initiative of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA), aimed at improving the practical skills of local farm workers and helping farmers improve their farming techniques.
In 2002, the Roulstons moved to Malindi on Kenya’s Indian Ocean coast, to establish a new PCEA development project among the Wataa people who live in villages scattered along the banks of the Galana River in area which is two to three hours' drive inland from Malindi and close to the esatern boundary of the Savo East game reserve. When hunting was banned, these once proud hunters were moved from their traditional tribal areas and largely neglected by the authorities. But in recent years, this PCEA project has brought them new hope by contributing to the development of health, education, and agriculture in the area, and through the church planting.
Progress has been encouraging. There is a small and growing church community in Galana. A PCEA congregation from Malindi has run several missions in the Galana, and many people have come to faith in Christ, walking many miles to attend church on Sundays.
Some local young men are proving successful with newly acquired agricultural skills, producing enough to feed their families and provide a small income by selling surplus output.
A primary school has been built and local people trained as teachers. The school began operating in late 2005 and was officially opened in February 2006.
A health clinic has also been built and the recently completed footbridge across the crocodile-infested Galana River, is now providing the local community with a safe and quick way of getting across this wide river. Something they appreciate so much, following numerous crocodile attacks in recent years.
In 2008, a comprehensive review of the work of the Galana Community Development Project, as it was known at the time, was undertaken by the PCEA Pwani Presbytery. This resulted in the recommendation that the name of the project should be changed and its scope extended, taking in other communities beyond the immediate Galana area.
This led to the formation of WHEAT, which stands for:
In the seven years they've been in Galana, Derek and Linda have seen enormous changes in the community there. Currently, they are back in Ireland on home assignment. When they return to Kenya early next year, they expect to move on from Galana, and help the PCEA Pwani Presbytery 'WHEAT' Projectto 'break ground' in a new area with the hope of extending the 'success story' of Galana to another community in SE Kenya.
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