Ravine church where a bowl of soup and scripture draws addicts from drinking dens

As the sun rises over Poror village in Eldama Ravine Constituency, the reality emerges of a village deeply riddled with drug and alcohol abuse, with nearly every homestead sheltering at least one addict.

It is in the troubled village that an extraordinary church has emerged, one that openly welcomes drunkards to worship. The church, known as Upendo Fellowship, was founded by Reverend Lawrence Bomet, a reformed alcoholic.

Coming from the same background as many of those struggling in Poror, Bomet chose not to condemn addicts. He decided to create a safe space where they could worship, find dignity, and slowly transform their lives.

Upendo Fellowship has about 50 congregants. Many arrive with hangovers; some come in while still drunk. Others step outside during prayers to smoke or take a sip of alcohol before returning to continue worship.

No one is turned away. No one is shouted at.

To draw the addicts from their drinking dens, Reverend Bomet devised an approach: to give them food.

He boils cow heads to make soup and serves it with ugali, knowing that many alcohol-dependent villagers rarely eat.

While some initially came only for a meal, Bomet says his true goal was spiritual growth and freeing the area from drug and alcohol addiction.

The pastor says his calling was born out of concern for a community ravaged by alcoholism, idleness, rejection, and hopelessness.

“Most of these people are not bad,” Bomet says. “They are just broken and tired.”

Services at Upendo Fellowship are unlike conventional Sunday worship. The sermons are gentle, the prayers patient, and the atmosphere forgiving.

The fellowship began in June 2025 when Bomet invited a small group of alcohol dependent villagers, including his own brother, to his home. He shared ugali and soup with them, prayed, and listened to their stories.

Within weeks, dozens of men and women who had been shunned by society began gathering regularly, drawn by the promise of food, dignity, and hope.

For many members, the shared meals after service are just as important as the sermons.

One of the congregants, George Bunei, is a trained doctor who once worked in several countries, including Turkey. Alcohol addiction, however, reduced him to a village drunkard. He says Upendo Fellowship came at the right time, offering a place where no one condemns him.

“I still drink,” he admits, “but I have reduced. I used to drink daily.”

Another member, Isaiah Rongei, is a former Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officer. He lost his job after repeated arrests and detention in military cells due to alcohol-related indiscipline. Since his dismissal, he became a village drunkard. He says Upendo Fellowship has become more of a rehabilitation centre than a church.

“My hope is that one day I will quit alcohol completely and become a pastor,” he says.

Emily Koech, another congregant, once brewed illicit alcohol at her home. Many villagers in Poror were her customers. She says witnessing the community’s destruction pushed her to seek change, starting with herself.

In Poror village, where addiction once defined identity, Upendo Fellowship is quietly redefining what redemption looks like: one meal, one prayer, and one broken life at a time.