The Shaping of a Humanitarian Heart: Growing Up in Rural Kenya
Harun Ringera recounts his childhood in a tiny rural village in Kenya.
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Show Notes
Journey back in time with our guest Harun Ringera as he recounts stories of his childhood in a tiny rural village in Kenya and how his experiences and struggles there shaped his heart to help others. Imagine being a young child, running barefoot through rocky terrain to get to school each day, frequently cutting and bruising your feet on the sharp rocks, and then finally, at age 14, getting your first pair of shoes. Harun shares the story of his first pair of shoes, and what his father had to sacrifice to buy them for him. You’ll hear how God placed a call on Harun’s life that he has never strayed from – even when his life was in danger.
The Shaping of a Humanitarian Heart: Growing Up in Rural Kenya
Cathy Herholdt:
Welcome to the End of The Road Podcast. My name is Cathy and I'm your host and tour guide as we journey together to some of the most remote, challenging places on the planet. I'm so excited it to have you along for the ride. So buckle up, we're going to the end of the road. Our journey today takes us to small rural village in Kenya where our guest Harun Ringera grew up. Harun is a longtime friend of mine. He has served with World Concern for 16 years and in the humanitarian field for more than 20 years, he's an incredible storyteller and I'm so excited for you to hear from him today. Welcome to the podcast, Harun.
Harun Ringera:
Thank you.
Cathy Herholdt:
It's very good to have you here. So, as I mentioned, I'm very excited for people to hear your stories today. And so I like to start off with the same question for each person that I interview on the podcast. And that is when you were a little boy, what did you dream of doing for work when you grew up? What did you think you wanted to be when you grew up?
Harun Ringera:
I dreamed of helping people, even though I didn't know how, but I had that desire of helping somebody because of the way I grew up, in a very challenging environment. And I was saying, when I grew up, I will help people. It's only that at that time, I didn't know how, I was supposed to help people.
Cathy Herholdt:
Oh, interesting.
Harun Ringera:
Yes.
Cathy Herholdt:
Yeah, but you just had that desire in your heart. You just weren't sure how you were going to do that. That's interesting that you've always wanted to do something like this to help other people. So you mentioned that was based on how you grew up. You grew up in rural Kenya, is that right?
Harun Ringera:
Yeah, that's right. I grew up in a rural Kenya, in a polygamous family. My father two wives and I'm the last one of the two. So you can be sure the challenges I went through
Cathy Herholdt:
And between those two wives, how many children did your father have?
Harun Ringera:
I'm told we were more than 10, but those who survived are eight because of lack of medical care. I'm told some of my siblings died during childbirth because I'm told none of us was born in hospital. They were born on the road in the villages. So because of that lack of medical care, many of my siblings I'm told they passed away.
Cathy Herholdt:
I'm sorry to hear that. Wow. So you were born at home, one of 10 children, eight surviving in a rural part of Kenya. What's the area called where you were born?
Harun Ringera:
It's called Meru.
Cathy Herholdt:
So Harun, I remember at World Concern's Transform Gala a few years ago, you absolutely captured the audience's attention with your opening story. This is probably one of the most surprising things about it was that you told us about your first pair of shoes. Now tell us again today. Why that was a momentous occasion in your family?
Harun Ringera:
Yeah, it was my desire to have a pair of shoes because where I come from, we are near a forest and below a mountain. It's very cold in the morning, but not like Seattle, but it's very cold. So I was going to school around five kilometers barefoot, and it's cold and many times I got hurt and because the road I use is dirt road with stones. Many times you could find I have wounds on my toes. If you hit a stone when you're running, because you go running in the morning and then lunchtime, you go to eat food at home. So I run at home lunchtime, go back running then again in the evening.
Harun Ringera:
So I was always bare foot for... in Kenya we go primary school for eight years. So eight years going school morning, afternoon, and evening without a pair of shoes. So my desire was to have a pair of shoes. The people I could see wearing shoes, they are the children for teachers, my father didn't have any of those. So that was really my desire to... because I was really hurt on my toes many times and I was desiring to have a pair of shoes.
Harun Ringera:
So that's why it was... I was so keen to share that because I really desired to have a pair of shoe. And that I got when I joined high school, because it was compulsory. So my father had to go up and down, borrow money, to buy a pair of shoes for me, because even that first day to buy a pair of shoe, my father had to borrow money from some of my uncles to get money, to do that.
Cathy Herholdt:
Wow. So you were how old, maybe 14 or 15 when you got your first pair of shoes?
Harun Ringera:
I was 14 years. Just to surprise you Cathy, my father was not very sure of my mother, when I was born, they just checked for the children of the neighbors. They were saying "My son was born through that time." So we had to inquire when I insisted, because I'm the one I insisted. I want to know when I was born. So they had to ask some neighbors when I was born.
Harun Ringera:
Then myself, I didn't go to play group, nursery school I was taken to... in Kenya we call standard one, which in U.S you call grade one and for them because I was not sure of the years. For them to know you qualify to go to study one. They could tell you to take your hand over your head so if you can touch the ear the other side. Now they say you qualify because you don't have any birth certificates. So that's how it happened. Yes, and that's why I said, "When I grow up, I want to make a difference." Because when you're told you, go and ask your neighbor when you were born. And because none-
Cathy Herholdt:
They might remember
Harun Ringera:
... because they... both are illiterate, they have never been to school, both my mother and my dad. So keeping record is out for them.
Cathy Herholdt:
Wow, and so, okay. So even to this day, do you know your exact date of birth?
Harun Ringera:
I know the month. It's the date I'm not, it was estimated. It's only the month now I know, it was February, but we were not sure which date in February. So we estimated it's 28th February.
Cathy Herholdt:
So you picked February 20th as your birthday?
Harun Ringera:
Yes. So...
Cathy Herholdt:
Wow. That's, great. You got to pick your birthday.
Harun Ringera:
The last day of the month. So, what do you say you're told it should be February.
Cathy Herholdt:
Okay.
Harun Ringera:
So now I picked the last day in February.
Cathy Herholdt:
Oh, okay. So you picked the the 28th or the 20th?
Harun Ringera:
Yeah, 28th.
Cathy Herholdt:
28th. Okay. Well, I'll remember that this year and wish you a happy birthday on February 28th.
Harun Ringera:
Actually. I've never... for me to celebrate my birthdays when I got married. So my wife told me "I have to organize a birthday party for you."
Cathy Herholdt:
That's great. You don't have a birth certificate, any kind of official document
Harun Ringera:
After that for you to get at any other documentation. So I had to go... my father had to go and swear before an attorney. So that now to say "My was born this day." And I got now birth a certificate. So I have a document now, but we had to go through some processes because he had to explain, "Why was your son not born in hospital and to get birth certificate?" So he said, "I didn't have money, I didn't see the need." So, yeah.
Cathy Herholdt:
Okay.
Harun Ringera:
Yes.
Cathy Herholdt:
Very interesting. Now you were the first child in your family to go to high school. Is that right?
Harun Ringera:
Yes, and to go to college.
Cathy Herholdt:
Okay.
Harun Ringera:
I was the first one.
Cathy Herholdt:
The first one and still the only one that went to college
Harun Ringera:
Still the only one among my siblings, but my nephews, my nieces, I really took charge. Like in my extended family, they appointed me as their leader, as their chairperson. So one of the things I champion every year when we meet, we meet once a year is people should go to school and parents should pay school fees for their children. So now we have a number who have gone to university, we have two pastors. So I'm excited of what God is doing in my family.
Cathy Herholdt:
That's wonderful. So you've been a real champion for education in your family and the importance of kids going to school. That's great. That's changing the future for a whole family of kids and that's really exciting. So looking back, Harun on your childhood, in rural Kenya, thinking back on that, what would you say is the hardest challenge that you faced in your childhood?
Harun Ringera:
For me, a number of times, one is, as I said, a pair of shoes. I got injured many times. Number two, there are many times we slept without food not that we are fasting, but because there was no food. And especially if you come from a cold area, like where I come from and I know people in Seattle can agree with me. In fact, it's cold and your stomach is empty. I tell you getting sleep is a challenge. So for me, that one of the challenges.
Harun Ringera:
The third one is when I see my father because he realized this young boy want to go to school I saw my father selling part of the land to pay schools for me. It was really painful. I remember it even at today that my father and to sell part of the land for him to pay school fees for me.
Harun Ringera:
So those are some of the things, I didn't have the basics for me, maybe to surprise you for us to get bread by the way I loved bread only as a child and the reason is we were eating bread only once a year. And that was during Christmas day. So, that's the time we could get bread. And now imagine a small child, you know your neighbors are making bread. There's some bread we make in Kenya. We call 'chapati' like a tortilla and it smells, when a new neighbor is making that bread you can smell that. And now you guys can't afford that. Then your parent will buy for you bread or make bread for you maybe when beginning year, 1st of January and the 25th of December. Those moments I remember them, they were very challenging for me.
Cathy Herholdt:
Wow. That's amazing. So just twice a year, you were able to eat bread and many nights, it sounds like that you went to bed hungry and had to try and sleep with an empty stomach. And I think that's something that most of us here on this side of the globe have never experienced and so it's incredible some of the challenges that you overcame and what a sacrifice your father made to sell some of his land, I imagine so that you could go to school. And I imagine that owning land in rural Kenya is what allows you to survive. I mean, it's like having a bank account almost isn't it?
Harun Ringera:
Actually, it is our bank account because my father didn't have a business. He was not had... had no education, so he couldn't get employment. So that's the only little thing he could cultivate some farm produce that what you could sell and buy food. So it's very challenging. When you see what you treasure most has been sold to pay for your school fees, it was really painful, and it's a huge sacrifice for any parent to do that in our rural Kenya because a land where I come from is very scarce. We have very small pieces of land and that's our only source of livelihood. That's what we depend on.
Cathy Herholdt:
Absolutely understand that. So Harun you've got four children of your own, is that correct?
Harun Ringera:
Yes. I have four children, two boys and two girls. My first born now is in high school. She's called Joy. My second born is called Victor is now in grade eight. My third born is a girl she's called Peace, she's in grade four and my last born is called Prince a boy and is five years old.
Cathy Herholdt:
They keep you very busy. I love the names that you chose for your children. So full of hope. Yeah. Just wonderful names that you've chosen. And I also noticed that you didn't have to check with your neighbor about your ages of your children, you know when they were born.
Harun Ringera:
Don't you? I know when they, I know when they were born because people say, "Men, don't remember the birthdays." But I remember for my children because I feel bad because I'm not very sure which date in February. So they keep me moving. They are so lovely. They're good children. We make fun and I enjoy being with them and especially the pray for me every day. Even the five year old, she has to pray for dad every evening and you can't stop him from that. So, that's something else we have cultivated in the family having... ensuring that my children pray.
Cathy Herholdt:
How is their childhood different from yours? I imagine that they're growing up differently than you did in rural Kenya. So tell me how their childhood is different.
Harun Ringera:
It's very different because they have never missed food, and you can hear them saying, "We are not going to eat bread today we have eaten bread a lot." And I say, "I wish they know how I missed this thing."
Harun Ringera:
They have never missed school. They have been taken to the best schools, the academies. They have many books when you come, there's a whole library of books for all classes, because I want them to read. If you go to the bedroom, you find books, table room there's books in their library, there's books, because I really want them to get that. And I always tell them actually for me to get my first book I had to do some manual work.
Harun Ringera:
I got my first book textbook in grade five, which you call in Kenya standard five and I had to go do some manual work from one of my neighbors. There's a book I really wanted. I saw other children have a book and I was given some work and I did, a grade five doing some manual labor to buy a book.
Harun Ringera:
I think God had interest in me because I had a lot of desire of education, even when I didn't have a book for me. Also, they have electricity, which I didn't have for me. I was using paraffin and the way we are doing it Cathy is you get a bottle like of cooking oil, you put a Paraffin there, you cut a piece of cloth. You dig a hole on that bottle top. Then you put paraffin, you put a piece of cloth there, specifically a blanket, then you light it. And then you are going to use that when you are reading.
Harun Ringera:
So that's why you can see I'm passionate. When I'm talking about development. I want people to have electricity. That's what I used all through, both in my primary school and also high school and university for me to have these kind of electricity is when I got my job is when I was able to switch on the light or when I was in school, because there we had the light. The other thing I remember most is what they have, I didn't have is a television set and a radio, my father never had a radio. So the way I got to my first radio, maybe I've never told you this Cathy this is the other page you don't know about me.
Cathy Herholdt:
I don't think so.
Harun Ringera:
Is after form four, I really desired to have a radio because I wanted to listen to sports, some songs in the radio. So I had to... because we are near a forest. I had to go and burn Charcoal. So I can say for the people who take care of environment, I was able to cut a number of trees. I burnt charcoal. I sold it and I sent one of my neighbors because I'd never gone to any town and I told him, "When you go to this town, I hear there are radios, please buy for me a radio." And he went and bought a Sanyo radio I remember. I can't forget my first radio was Sanyo and that was after high school is when I got my first radio by burning charcoal.
Cathy Herholdt:
Wow.
Harun Ringera:
So I believe in hard work and that's why I tell people, you can do something. You can make a difference in your life. So the TV now is the one I bought, when I got my first job at Faulu Kenya, a microfinance institution, that's how now I was able to acquire a television set.
Cathy Herholdt:
Wow.
Harun Ringera:
So, that's... I've given that story how it's different for my children, because now you see them fighting over a channel. I need to watch this channel. I need to go to YouTube, which I didn't have that privilege when I was growing up.
Cathy Herholdt:
Yeah. Technology has definitely changed and that's, that's amazing that your kids have access that to that now.
Cathy Herholdt:
I want to just pause for a moment and thank our listeners for joining us today. If you're just hearing about World Concern for the first time, and you're curious to learn a little bit more about who we are and what sets us apart from other organizations you might be familiar with, please visit worldconcern.org/podcast and learn a little bit more about what we do and now let's get back to our conversation with Harun.
Cathy Herholdt:
You've worked in some really far away places, but you've also traveled to some places. Now, I remember one of the times that you visited Seattle here in the U.S, and it was in February, and-
Harun Ringera:
Yes.
Cathy Herholdt:
... you saw snow for the first time.
Harun Ringera:
First time.
Cathy Herholdt:
And, I remember taking pictures of you outside and you open your mouth and let the snowflakes
Harun Ringera:
Actually, I went to ask the facilitator to stop the training because of first time, and I'm happy they allowed us, they had to stop the training so that I can have this unique experience. We come from the tropical, we have never seen snow. And I could feel something like foam coming from the skies and I was asking myself, what is this? But my colleagues in Seattle were very gracious. They had to stop and we were allowed to take some photos. So that was an amazing experience for me and I usually... I've kept those photos, which I show my children and even them they're saying they would want to go to U.S to see snow coming from heavens. So it was very amazing for me.
Cathy Herholdt:
Yeah, so I want to hear about some of the places that you have worked and served, but first, how did you get into this line of work, into humanitarian work, helping others, serving others. You've been doing it for most of your adult life. How did God call you into this work?
Harun Ringera:
So this started, when I was in college. When I got into college, I also felt God leading me to work with the students and at one point I was appointed as a student leader to lead Christians for evangelism. So I was a national chairman of an evangelistic group, and we could go throughout Kenya. I've gone to Western Kenya, gone to many parts of Kenya. When we in college as students and being their leader to preach the good news in the unreached people groups, and when I visited those places, I found people who really needed help. And I felt, this is where, and God is leading me.
Harun Ringera:
This started not only at home because of my upbringing, but this became clearer when I went to college, because when I could speak to students and this is a university, unanimously, they agreed, I should be their chairperson and I led them for a couple of years.
Harun Ringera:
Even after college, they told me after leaving college, they were saying they need my help. So that's how it came. And after college, some people from one of micro finances they heard what I was doing with the students. And actually I was called by this micro finance institution. It was started by FH and they said, "We would want you to come and work with us. And as we work with us, we want you to support the churches around."
Harun Ringera:
And the more I continued, the more I felt I needed to go into this job. Also, when we were in college, we were praying for countries. We had a huge book called Operation World. I don't know if you've ever seen it Cathy.
Cathy Herholdt:
Mm-mm (negative) no.
Harun Ringera:
It was some brethren had come together. They had put the history of all the countries. They unreached people groups in all countries and one of the countries in that huge book was Sudan then and I could hear the way there's fighting in South Sudan and the way those people, they want to Islamize the whole country. And I said, "I would want to go and help these people." I didn't how and when I was called by World Concern not World Concern, FH to support Faulu Kenya, it's a microfinance. They had started.
Harun Ringera:
I could hear what is happening in humanitarian world and I thought, because now this microfinance was in my village. I needed to help more people. One time I saw an advert World Concern, wanting somebody to go to South Sudan to help them develop a microfinance project in South Sudan. I did the application. I was invited, I didn't know anybody in World Concern and I was interviewed and after the interview was told, "This contract is only for five months." It was from June to December and you know, I said, "Yes." "Are you willing to go even though there's no money beyond five months." I said, "Yes." And I went and tendered my resignation. And I stayed... it was five months and when I working in South Sudan, that then African director, I think he liked what I was doing.
Harun Ringera:
So he paid me salary for two months, even without any formal agreement contract, because he liked what I was doing. And after that, because I was really praying Cathy every day for that program to grow, because we were only three of us in that program. After two months, we started getting some grants coming because I remember that point telling my boss then, "I am more than this average bank you brought me to manage. I have more capacity to do more. This work you've given per day I can do it for four hours. I need more work." Then they told me, "You are very interesting, people don't want work, you are asking for work."
Harun Ringera:
I told them, "Yes, God has given me more talent than managing only one FSA." We call village Banks Financial Services Association. So they started writing more grants in a place called, in Warrap state, a village called Lietnhom and when I was there, our senior operations, I told him, "Sir, I want to grow this program. I want to go to a new area." He told me "There's no money." Then I told him, you can talk with him. "Give me only two things, food, and a place to sleep. And I will start a program."
Harun Ringera:
And that's how we moved to Wau in 2008 to start savings and loans group in, Wau. The only thing gave, he gave me a place to sleep and food and a guide on how to start savings and loans group. So it was my work to read and understand what is there. That's how actually savings of group started in South Sudan. We started with Peter Macharia. I have a lot of respect for him. He enjoys giving... we enjoy these new challenges. So, one old persons who like this new things, helping another person and another person and one village after another. So that's why I'm so much excited about One Village Transformed.
Cathy Herholdt:
We're going to hear about Harun's incredible experiences in South Sudan. Next time you won't want to miss it. So tune in for part two of our conversation with Harun next time on the End of The Road. I want to thank our listeners for joining us today. I hope that your mind has been opened up a little bit. Your heart has been touched through some of the stories that you have heard today.
Cathy Herholdt:
As I mentioned earlier, if you're curious about learning a little bit more about World Concern about our work beyond the end of the road, you can visit worldconcern.org/podcast to learn more. I want to thank CRISTA Ministries, World Concern’s, parent organization for making this podcast possible and I also want to thank Casey Helmick and the whole team at Terra Firma for their production and editing and consulting expertise for helping us bring these stories to life and bring them to you. Thanks again for joining us today, we look forward to more stories at the end of the road. Next time.
