Mormon Brings Hope to the Poor in Kenya

Louis Pope, the retiring chief executive of US Synthetics, is moving to a nice beach house in Kenya.  Rather than launching out on a dream vacation or relaxing retirement, the 62-year-old Mormon instead will take a hands-on approach to directing two businesses he has created to lift the poorest people in Kenya out of abject poverty.

Pope formed Orem-based US Synthetics in 1978 and built the company into the world’s leading producer of synthetic diamond drill bits, a critical component in oil and gas exploration.  He is using the rewards of this success to bless the lives of others in a remote part of the world.  His entire family is behind the move and eager to help.

While working as a busy executive, Pope took the time to join a humanitarian aid project called Choice Humanitarian to rural Mexico in 1996 to help build a school.  Choice Humanitarian is based in West Jordan, Utah.  The experience was the first step in what became a life-changing journey for Pope. A year later, he went to Kenya with the same organization.

Pope has since returned more than 25 times to the former British colony on Africa’s east coast on a personal mission to help “the poorest of the poor,” he said.

During the past 10 years, Pope has established two Kenyan-based companies — Yehu Microfinance, which offers loans to women living in extreme poverty, and Coast Coconut Farms, which produces coconut oil using low-tech methods developed by a group of BYU engineering students as one of the school’s Capstone projects. Pope created a third company, Basa Body, based in the US Synthetics Orem plant, to use the coconut oil to make body lotion and similar products.

Coast Coconut Farms provides work for more than 100 Kenyan families, from farmers’ cooperatives to harvest coconuts to groups of micro-franchisees that operate small-scale oil presses.

Yehu Microfinance offers loans that average about $135 to women who have had no access to money lenders in the past to start small businesses. 17,000 women are currently employed (MormonTimes.com).

In January, 2010, Pope and his wife, Chriss, will take the next step when they move into a home they are building near Mombasa. They plan to live there nine months out of the year so Pope can focus his energy on his Kenyan businesses and perhaps launch some new ones — all of them designed to provide work for the Kenyan poor.  The Popes will be distancing themselves from their 5 children and 21 grandchildren, but will stay in touch via the internet.  Members of their family will make the trip for visits and extended stays to help with the work and experience the culture.

The presence of the LDS Church in the area — Mombasa has three branches — means the Popes can stay close to their faith. And as a former British colony, Kenya has two official languages — English and Swahili.

And they are building a beautiful house on a beautiful beach.