“God tells us that the best religion is that which cares for widows and orphans."

Story of : Nicodemus Agumba- Nyanam Spiritual and Mental Health Counsellor

Nicodemus is a trained pastor with a Diploma in Pastoral Theology, and with over 11 years of experience preaching the gospel and providing counseling services to the church and community members. Before joining Nyanam, he served in many churches in the African Inland Church and continues to use his pastoral network to create church partnerships for Nyanam.

Nicodemus began volunteering with Nyanam in 2017, an experience that opened his eyes to the neglect of widows in the church and in the communities. He noticed that through Nyanam, widows shared deep challenges that needed prayers, counsel, and support, and became curious as to why the same widows never reached out to him for help through his official capacity as a church pastor. Overtime, Nicodemus understood the isolation of widows in the church and the stigmatization widows faced both in the church and in the community. Seeing Nyanam as an important ministry that is neglected by the church and the local leadership, in 2021, Nicodemus resigned from his official position as a church pastor to serve full time with Nyanam, impacting the lives of widows. “The church does not do even 20% of widows’ ministry, a ministry that is honored by God Himself,” he says.

Since joining Nyanam in 2021, Nicodemus has led the spiritual and counseling programs for widows and their children. He has used his expertise in addressing family conflicts, relationships problems, to help widows see themselves as worthy, discover, and seek to reach their true potential.“God tells us that the best religion is that which cares for widows and orphans. I love my work at Nyanam because I am able to 1) help widows know that God loves them, 2) help them see the blessings God has in-store for them and 3) encourage them in the way of the Lord.” - he says

Nick is an incredible advocate for widows and uses his pastoral and male position in the society to lead Nyanam’s partnerships with local authorities, and churches. The widows have also changed him, enabling him to talk to other men at every occasion on how they should protect their wives while still alive. Through his humility and compassionate leadership, Nick spends his time mentoring widows in effective leadership. Since 2023, he is leading our capacity strengthening program for which the widow mentors program is run. Nicodemus is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Counseling at Heart Bible International University.

“I wish to use the opportunity we have at Nyanam to open the community’s eyes to see and recognize the erros in their thinking and negative perception towards widows. There is fear of unpredictable outcome of widows' leadership, and this fear must come to an end,” he says.

Story written by : Jackie Odhiambo- Nyanam Founder and Executive Director