The NET Ladies Took Over My Mother’s Kitchen

Stephanie Oloo grew up in a very strong NET household. Her parents were members of the Langata cell group, and the Friday fellowships rotated from home to home — singing, loud clapping, food, and a general sense of joy that ran late into the night. From the lens of her parents, she says, there is no significant point of her life, or her brothers’ lives, that NET has not been part of. The friendships were core; the members were always there, front and centre, ready and able to help.

When her father fell sick in 2020 — the COVID season, when people could not physically meet — the first to rally around were NET members: prayer first, and then help to raise funds for his treatment. A prayer chain formed on WhatsApp, with members from the diaspora all over the world, and a virtual prayer meeting every Friday, praying for a miracle. When he passed on, the fellowships at home were led by NET: the NET ladies basically took over her mother’s kitchen, making sure food was always available for the family and everyone who came. Her mother spoke at the last fellowship before she herself passed on — words people still carry dearly.

At 45, what refreshes her is the new faces — young people who may not know the founding members personally, yet show up with the same vigour and dedication. That, she says, is growth and succession: a strong pipeline. 45 years is no mean feat, and she prays that the leadership continues to be strengthened to take the fellowship from strength to strength.