“Everything is possible if we are determined and patient”, exclaimed Nruhari Das.

Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has forecasted that in every town and village of the world the Holy names of the Supreme Personality of Godhead will spread and will be chanted. A few fired up and dedicated devotees under the supervision and guidance of Nruhari Das are extensively preaching in every town and village in and around Nairobi, Kenya. Recently Nruhari Das along with a couple of young devotees travelled to a small town, Arusha and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, to carry out a preaching program.

Nruhari Das has been recently nominated as the Preaching Co-ordinator of East Africa by the zonal leaders of ISKCON. He travels extensively throughout the year, to America, Russia, South Africa, East Africa and India, carrying out preaching programs. He was the soul initiator and developer of the ISKCON Kampala Centre in Uganda.

Venu Madhurya Das and Draupadi Rani Dasi recently shifted to Arusha, Tanzania, from Nairobi, and at the moment are trying to develop an ISKCON Centre and are carrying out Food For Life Program twice a week, in the vicinity. Just like a seedling needs proper care, watering and support to grow. Similarly, in the initial stages of developing a centre the devotee couple feels the need of some support from more matured and experienced devotees of the movement. Seeing the situation and circumstance, the couple requested Nruhari Das to come and help them establish the ISKCON Centre with full power and authority.

Nruhari Das has named his preaching team ‘Lord Chaitanya’s Army’ who are persuasive and extremely enthusiastic. The day he arrived with a couple of young devotees to Arusha, they were warmly welcomed by Draupadi Rani and Venu Madhurya. Nruhari Das with a smile on his face said, “All we had to do is Chant the Holy names of the Lord before the locals and the Holy name did the rest for us”.

The local residents of Arusha were extremely influenced by the kirtan lead by Nruhari Das in the streets and also young devotees playing instruments as his accompaniment. Nruhari said: “people of Arusha are very simple, hardworking and materially well-to-do people, unlike the locals in Nairobi….they are very shy…we had to call them to come and join us in the kirtan and then for prasadam. After prasadam we even did some book distribution and, to my amazement, the people were inquisitive and were actually eager to read and know more about ISKCON and Lord Krishna”.

The whole effort was well received by the local people. ‘Lord Chaitanya’s Army’ stayed in Arusha for a couple of days.

On the first day ‘Lord Chaitanya’s Army’ did Sankirtan, distributed Prasadam and Books the whole day. And Nruhari Das personally answered all the questions of the local people. On the second day after some ecstatic kirtan, ‘Lord Chaitanya’s Army’ were invited by the locally renowned business family of Mr. Arun Lodhia. Nruhari Das asserted that “we had an ecstatic evening program in Mr.Lodhia’s humble residence and quite a number of people turned up too”.

He continued, “Then we headed towards Dar es Salaam, which is a long journey from Arusha the next morning. There again we were welcomed and hosted by a meek devotee couple, Prakash and his wife. Although we did not have a legal permit to do Harinam on the streets, we still went on for it. We were completely dependent on the mercy of Lord Chaitanya and were genuinely chanting the Holy name out loud. The local people were extremely enthusiastic and were actually chanting and dancing along with us…. this was a few days before celebrating Gaura Purnima…. and when in trouble or when you know there is a possibility of you getting into trouble, all you can and you should do is just to chant and do Harinam. We were actually chanting Hare Krsna Maha-mantra with the local people in a small market, or you can say a mini-market and it was very enlivening”.

In Dar es Salaam, Prakash Das and his wife carry out Food for life and Sunday Program regularly and are trying to acquire a property to develop a proper ISKCON Centre there. Occasionally they do book distribution there and though the congregation is scattered there in Dar es Salaam, yet are united and zealously trying to serve ISKCON. Nruhari Das affirmed, “The devotees are trying their best to preach in Dar es Salaam and raise some funds to at least hire a small place to develop a proper ISKCON Centre. However Kirtan and Prasadam are very popular amongst the local and work like our trademark. We had devotees staying there previously who loved the place and liked preaching there.”

Nruhari joyfully added, “This was my first time to go to Arusha and Dar es Salaam for such a preaching convention and I feel it was a total success.

Nruhari Das along with his team has already begun making efforts to continue their preaching process. They have made plans for college and university convention in and around Nairobi, and all around Kenya. He is planning to carry out a preaching program in Zanzibar, Tanzania soon.

Nruhari Das and his team has already started to create a change not only within the people but also within the mind-set of the people. And the people of this part of the world are uncomplicated, hence something genuine, instantly appeals to them. With such regular efforts, the dawn has come for a new beginning… beginning of a God-centred and devotional era in East Africa.