At sunrise in Poror village, Eldama Ravine Constituency, the morning air is heavy with silence — and the familiar smell of chang’aa.

Poror is a village deeply scarred by drug and alcohol abuse. Here, nearly every homestead has an addict. 

Alcoholism has torn families apart, drained livelihoods, and left many men and women idle, rejected, and forgotten by society.

Yet in the middle of this brokenness stands an extraordinary church — one that opens its doors wide to drunkards, addicts, and those society has long given up on.

This is Upendo Fellowship, a small but growing church founded by Reverend Lawrence Bomet, a former alcoholic who understands the pain of addiction.

Reverend Bomet says the idea to start Upendo Fellowship was born from deep concern for a community slowly destroying itself. Most of these people are not bad,” he says. “They are just broken, tired, and rejected.”

Coming from an alcoholic background himself, Bomet chose a different path — not condemnation, but compassion. 

In June last year, he invited a small group of alcohol-dependent villagers, including his own brother, to his home. There, he shared a simple meal of ugali and soup, prayed with them, and listened to their stories.

That simple act marked the beginning of a movement.

Today, Upendo Fellowship has about 50 congregants, most of whom struggle with alcoholism and drug addiction. Sunday services here are unlike any conventional church gathering.

Some members arrive smelling of alcohol. Others come nursing heavy hangovers ,No one is turned away.

No one is shouted at, no one is judged. Instead, they are welcomed — exactly as they are.

Reverend Bomet discovered earlier on that many addicts rarely eat. So he devised a unique way of drawing them in: food.

After every service, he boils a cow’s head to make soup and serves it with ugali. Initially, many came only for the meal. 

But for Bomet, the food was only the beginning. Bomet said he knew they would come for the soup,” he says with a smile. “But I wanted them to stay for healing — spiritual and emotional.”

Slowly, what began as a feeding program transformed into a place of dignity, fellowship, and hope.

Among the congregants is Dr. George Bunei, a medical doctor who once worked in several countries across the world, including Turkey. Alcohol addiction destroyed his career and reduced him to a village addict.

Though he admits he still drinks, Dr. Bunei says he has reduced significantly from being a daily drinker — a step he believes would not have been possible without the church’s support.

Another member, Isaiah Rongei, is a former Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officer. His struggle with alcohol led to repeated arrests and confinement in military cells before he was eventually dismissed from the forces.

Rongei now dreams of one day quitting alcohol completely and becoming a pastor himself.

Emily Koech, another congregant, was once a brewer of illicit alcohol. Her home served as a supply point for many villagers, contributing to the destruction of the very community she lived in.

Today, Koech is part of the fellowship she once helped destroy, seeking forgiveness and a new beginning.

While Upendo Fellowship does not promise instant miracles, it offers something rare in Poror village — hope without conditions.

For Reverend Bomet, transformation is a journey.