How it all started...

In 2004, while on a mission trip to the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo, Samuel met the indigenous people, referred to as pygmies, who had been evicted from the forests by the government. It was a devastating trip to Katana village on the outskirts of Bukavu city to witness the misery and hopelessness on the faces of children and families. The plight of this community moved him, and his life turned around.

During this trip, Samuel listened to the Bambuti children who had never been to school, older men who had not changed their clothes for months, and women whom the militia groups had repeatedly raped in the forest.

Samuel sobbed when he heard the horrible plight the pygmies were going through. He felt desperate to see the children dying in tiny leafed huts due to malaria and cold and hopeless men who could not provide for their families. Samuel decided to do something.

In 2010, while on a trip to the United States, he shared the plight of this community. Through his friends' contribution, he started a small school in Goma and opened doors for a few kids and one teacher. It was the first time many pygmy children, orphans, and vulnerable children could access education. Today, the ministry supports over 1,000 children in Mugunga and Idjwi Island in Congo and many more in other countries. PIPES has also resettled and built decent homes for several families.

Samuel and Esther Mwangi shared their dream with Gurry and Jean Chapel and founded PIPES International on October 31, 2011. Since then, PIPES has continued transforming the lives of children, women, and families through discipleship, education, and socio-economic empowerment to fight poverty.

Displaced with No Alternatives

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Supporting Indigenous Peoples since 2011

When the Bambuti people were displaced from their native forest in Congo, they were given no land or compensation. They had to survive in unfamiliar territory without hunting or gathering. They were desperate for help, and our ministry was an answered prayer.

PIPES has supported the indigenous Bambuti tribe since 2011. From humble beginnings, we have built schools and homes, trained farmers, established sewing schools, and shared the love of Christ. Our support has benefited communities that have been neglected for a long time.

Humble Beginning..

Our first school began with one class with no walls and a tent roof. We started with six students and grew to about 20 with one teacher. We later added a second teacher, and more students continued to show up every morning. We rented a cooking pot and provided porridge for the children. That encouraged more to attend school.

We did not despise our humble beginning. In July 2014, we commenced construction of a permanent building. We had 156 then. After the construction, our school grew exponentially to about 400 in less than a year. Today, over 700 students access quality education in our facility.

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Kenyan-American transforming lives of indigenous and vulnerable communities in Africa and Asia.

Learn how PIPES International began and how the organization impacts indigenous and vulnerable communities.

Expanding the vision...

In 2016, PIPES expanded its work to Asia to transform the lives of indigenous and unreached people groups. The first trip was to Karachi, Lahore, and Gujranwala in Pakistan.
Since then, we have undertaken trips to Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, the Philippines, and South Korea. PIPES has empowered leaders and local communities through training, skill-building, and education to enable them to thrive spiritually and economically and end extreme poverty and suffering.

PIPES International has partnered with local churches in Pakistan to provide:

Discipleship programs to enhance evangelism and spiritual formation
Access to education
Training on sewing skills
Drilling shallow water wells

By God's grace, we now operate in six countries and spread God's love in many other countries..