A KENYAN Bishop who is working to transform the lives of his country?s poor has told the Times he wants to say thank you from ?deep in his heart? to the people of Okehampton for the support they have already shown to East Africa. Bishop Isaiah Challo hopes with more support from the UK, he can establish new projects, including building a resource church and children?s home in eastern Nairobi. Bishop Challo was staying in Okehampton as part of a UK visit to raise awareness of the problems of poverty in Kenya. As well as being a bishop in Kenya, responsible for more than 20,000 worshippers, Bishop Isaiah is also patron of ?Kingdom Life Restoration Projects? in East Africa, which works in Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda as well as Kenya itself. The projects operate to support those in ultimate poverty ? setting up primary schools, and helping with the provision of water, food, and medicines. During his visit accompanied by several other church ministers from Kenya, Bishop Challo spoke at two separate events in town churches, met town mayor Cllr Tony Leech and spoke at one of Okehampton College?s assemblies. Bishop Isaiah set up the Living Water Christian Centre International in Nairobi 13 years ago. The ministry was originally set up with just three people and has grown from there to the stage where it now contains 2,000 members. Bishop Isaiah said the trip was not just about coming to Britain looking for donations, but was a two-way process. ?I am seeing an opportunity for us to come here and say thank you for the great work helping us, but also to help you spiritually to get back to where you used to be in the 16th century. ?In terms of wealth you are rich, but not, I think, spiritually. We are not condemning or putting anyone down, but in Africa, spiritually we are blessed.? He added: ?Many years ago, you came to us and found we were naked, and furnished us with clothing. Now we have found the people who clothed us are kind of walking around naked themselves.? He said his hope was that through God, the people of the West ?might open the doors of revival?, and respond to his message of ?fresh life?. More than 70% of the population of Kenya live below the poverty line, earning less than a dollar a day. In rural areas, this figure rises to 80%. Kenya also has a severe HIV epidemic with approximately two million adults and children affected. One of the objectives of the project is to ensure that every school, health centre and church in the Kithyoko is served with a borehole. It is estimated the cost of creating just one borehole would be more than £5,500. However, the ministry is drawing up plans for a three-year project aimed at providing clean drinking water and sufficient supply to allow crops to grow and be harvested. The project is also looking to establish a children?s home, provide primary and secondary education for less fortunate children and set up a resource church where the Bishop?s team could offer financial support to help empower parishioners to escape poverty. During his stay, Bishop Isaiah also spoke in Cardiff and Plymouth and was officially received by the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Plymouth. Bishop Isaiah was invited to Okehampton by the Rev Mike Davies of Inspiration ? Church of the Nations. Mr Davies will be taking a team to visit the projects in Africa in August and another team from Inspiration will be visiting in December. Bishop Isaiah said now he had built up a good contact with Cllr Davies he wanted to come back to Devon regularly and update people on the work the mission was doing.