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    Category: Blog

    Esther-and-the-girls
    Blog
    22 October 2023

    RAY OF HOPE – Follow Up

     Early in the morning we were on a follow up journey to Nyeri. We were visiting a local school to check the progress of three siblings who had been rescued from the streets and reunited with their family. This was a unique second follow up visit. We met the deputy head teacher, Ms. Alice, a charming and hardworking woman who welcomed us warmly. 

    We had previously started a relationship with her, which gave her the confidence to call us prior to our visit to express heartbreaking issues that pupils in the school were facing. 

    Harrison, the School Head Boy!

     Harrison, Charles and Joy were all happy to see us again (three siblings who connected us with this school). However, it was sad to hear that their grandmother does not care about the children’s wellbeing, yet she took custody of them after they were rescued.  She does not attend school parents meeting when called neither does she knows what they eat for lunch at school. Nevertheless, the three young people are not affected by her negligence and they are performing well in school. Harrison has worked his way to become the School’s Head-Boy! Their performance shows a promising bright.  We are grateful to God for his work in their lives. We then gave the three children clothes and shoes that we had brought for them. Their smiles and words of blessings were worth the journey.

    Meeting a real need

     Most of the girls in this school who had started their monthly periods did not attend class during that time of the month. This was due to lack of sanitary pads. Some asked to be given time off from school until the menses were over while others asked to go home wear support their pads. Most girls only had one under pant which they washed at night and worn in the morning, sometimes when they are still damp. In some cases, the panties were torn and not washed every day.

    Education is important for these girls.

     For these girls, education was an important and a vital part of their lives, but this time of the month interfered with their learning. We felt their and decided to touch these young hearts by providing sanitary pads. We also bought under panties for the girls who needed them.  The smiles on these girls’ faces were heartwarming and satisfying.

    At this school, we learnt that most of the pupils were having the challenge of one meal per day. The school provides lunch for all the children through the county government initiative.

    Most of the pupils who come from poor backgrounds rely on this one meal. For the boy child, the teacher also requested for underpants because some lacked this basic item. We promised to be back with more as God enable us. The challenge we faced was that we could not get enough of these basic items for the whole school. We pray and hope that when we go back, we will have enough for every child who needs them. This story and many others, keep us going to give them a ray of hope for the future and to create lasting memories of their time in school 

    By TKW Team
    2-1
    Blog
    23 September 2023

    HOPE:  Talk to us

    When we share the stories of needy children and families’, TKW works in the Counties believing that the seeds of love we plant give harvests in future year… 

    We partner with local communities and like-minded friends to nurture children and families especially those from the streets and vulnerable situations.

    We capture incredible moments of children reunited and their families to inspire action and compassion. Every time we have reached out to you for help, you have not let us down.

    These are some of our stories of HOPE we have shared in 2023, please we would love to hear from you of whom one inspired you the most…

    https://kenyachildrenofhope.org/hope-being-present/

    https://kenyachildrenofhope.org/hope-2-years-later-gods-faithfulness/

    https://kenyachildrenofhope.org/hope-engage-educate-and-empower/

    https://kenyachildrenofhope.org/52-children-rescued-from-the-streets-of-nakuru-since-the-start-of-2023/

    https://kenyachildrenofhope.org/tumainis-presence-in-the-counties/

    https://kenyachildrenofhope.org/hope-walking-together-with-children-and-restoring-families/

    https://kenyachildrenofhope.org/hope-a-story-of-restoration/

    https://kenyachildrenofhope.org/tumaini-news-january-2023/

     We believe in making the world a better place through meaningful change in communities around us, restoring children into families. We thank all of you for giving us an opportunity to serve our community through your support. Your timely response to our appeals emails of concern and constant donations have not gone unnoticed.

    We are honored to have you as our friend, partner and more so a member of our universal family.

    Please help us keep our stories flowing by:

    By TKW Team
    1-1
    Blog
    31 August 2023

    HOPE: Being present  

    HOPE: Being present  

     Stories some children share with us which are often made up to cover the real issues.  When we rescued brothers, Jimmy and Jon from the streets, they told us that they were going to Western Kenya to visit their grandfather but were lost.  They had been at Naivasha safe house since early July. 

    However, when we traced their family and reunited them with their grandmother, she shared that the two boys had sold a neighbour’s dog, and they had decided to run away to escape the punishment that awaited them.  

    Their grandmother also shared that her two grandsons lost their mother early this year. Their father is not known but they suspect he is a Ugandan. The boys are back home and have gone back to school. Watch this space for what God will do next in the lives of these boys.

    HOPE: A Safe Shelter 

     Beth and her younger siblings were found on the streets by the owner of the rented house threw the family out due to rental arrears. She looked for casual work at the local shopping centre to help provide for the family of six. They were just about managing to provide two meals each day in a makeshift shelter.

    However, there were days they slept hungry.  Beth often stayed on the streets for many hours and sometimes spending the night there. This was very dangerous for a girl and her younger siblings. Tumaini Kwa Watoto team traced their mother then rescued them.

    We took the children to their ‘home’ and talked with their mother about the dangers of life on the streets, child labour and the importance of education. 

    Beth’s mother, her only surviving parent, was happy to know that there were people who cared about her situation. In partnership with the local authorities and community volunteers, this family found a room to call home as we facilitated the children to go back to school.

    Beth’s mother had this to say….  

    “I want the best for them, but I did not know how to guide them. My daughter wanted to help and because we needed food to eat, I allowed her to go out collecting scrap for sale. Now I have learned of the dangers I was exposing her to.  Thank you for supporting us!” 

    HOPE: Education empowerment 

    Back to school time. Our priority when we rescue children from the streets is to reunite them with their families and take them back to school. 

    We encourage them to pursue education by working hard to reach the highest level to maximise their potential and prepare for adult life. We have children in primary schools, secondary school, colleges and universities. 

     Tumaini’s education empowerment program facilitates children by paying school fees for those in need, providing other school requirements and school mentorship activities. 

    Partner with Tumaini Kwa Watoto to educate and empower more children!

    In Tumaini Kwa Watoto we educate and empower! 
    ‘Thank you Tumaini Kwa Watoto for empowering me through education.  My future will be brighter!’  

    By TKW Team
    2
    Blog
    21 July 2023

    HOPE: 2 years later….God’s Faithfulness

     …“I will share a story of a case that I was reunited with this month, which was fascinating and encouraging at the same time. I met Nyabo in 2021 at The Safe House. He had disappeared from home that year but was rescued and placed in the safe centre pending his family being traced. We related with him and he was open to help so we asked him to give us directions to his home to reunite him with his family.

     …With the excitement of reuniting one more child with their family, we decided to trust his information and take him home without tracing first. Little did we know that there was no home and this would be the beginning of a 2 year journey in search of his family! No matter what direction we took, we could not find his family. We decided to visit the school he claimed to have been enrolled in but all the teachers did not know nor recognize him. Tired from a long day, with no information of Nyaboga’s family whereabouts, we took him back to the Safe House.

     While at the centre, the probing to find his extended family continued. He kept giving us different directions and our Community volunteer in the said Counties would attempt to trace his home but with to no avail. Over time and in the confusion, we realized that the boy wanted to stay longer at the Centre and hence focused on building trust with him. For two years he stayed at the safe house, with us relating to him and praying for him.

    In July this year, he requested to speak to one of our team members and opened up that he was ready to share his family location and ready to go home. Just like that, he gave the right information and explained that he was scared of going home for fear of being punished! He had stolen a USB disk from a teacher in school, was discovered and sent home to get his parents to deal with this… so he decided to run away to the streets….but 2 years later…
    We began to trace his family and it was successful! 

     At first they thought we were people who wanted to con them. We had to show them a photo to confirm that he was alive and breathing. For two years they had gone through the worst trauma of their lives losing a son; they had tried using social media, local radio and TV stations to announce his disappearance but were unsuccessful. They reported him missing to police stations near and far, but still there was no hope.  The last option they had, was to visit the mortuaries near his home… They had given up hope of seeing him alive and were praying that they could at least find his body so that they could give him a proper burial.

    However, the day came, and a miracle happened…! It was a tearful reuniting as his parents and relatives travelled to the Safe house from another county to pick up their boy.  They called it a miracle, as God had answered their prayers of seeing their son alive. This was totally unexpected!

     

    Today we look back at this case and realise that our God who sets the lonely into families has done it again. It has taken us 2 years to find Nyaboga’s family. All this time He was working in Nyaboga’s life and also in the lives of his family. He was also working on me too. After all this, we know that He is faithful and what He says He will do, and He will do it at the right time… 

    By TKW Team
    Day of African Child
    Blog
    14 June 2023

    HOPE: Engage, Educate and Empower

    It’s always a wonderful feeling when someone gives you a hand up in support when one is down; whether physically, emotionally, or financially. It brightens your world and leaves your heart filled with joy and.
    Our empowerment strategies ensure children rescued and in vulnerable situations benefits. Every child has the opportunity to thrive and develop their potential. In June, we had many activities all about children and their families.

    Highlights in June…

    REINTEGRATION

    We related, rescued and reunited 81 children with their families and this was only possible in partnership with Community Volunteers in several Counties. Many of these reintegrated children are back to school and we are monitoring their progress. 

    EDUCATION

    For every school going child reunited with their family, provision of education and other school requirements helps to prevent children from dropping out of School. 

    We empowered 41 children through education program by providing books, uniform and paying school fees especially the feeding program for the primary school children.  

    SCHOOL OUTREACH

    We held school empowerment under our education programme to increase the retention of vulnerable girls and boys in pre-primary, primary and secondary. We held counselling sessions and several meetings with children, parents, teachers, on how to deal with life challenges children. 

    WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

    To strengthen the family foundation for settling and establishing reintegrated children we worked with local communities to empower vulnerable groups especially mothers. 

    We did capacity building and small business start-ups initiatives to women headed families. These business initiatives are aimed to help them save, let children go to school as well as pay for rent, clothes, medicine and food. 

     

    By TKW Team
    Nakuru streets
    Blog
    23 May 2023

    52 Children rescued from the streets of Nakuru since the start of 2023

    Since January 2023, we have rescued 52 children from the streets of Nakuru and all are back to school. This week, we reintegrated 3 children back to their families as we continue with outreach to children in the streets, rescues, follow up visits and women’s empowerment. 

    •  15 year old Pauline was among the children rescued. She dropped out of school due to lack of school fees. She is an orphan who lives with her grandmother. 
    • 13 year old Johnson was among the rescued children and had joined the streets due to rebellion. 
    • 12 year old Emmanuel was the third child rescued. He had joined the streets due to peer influence.

     In addition to reintegration, our community volunteer did several follow up visits were done to encourage and counsel children as they were home for the holidays. We realized that during school holidays, many children go back to the streets due to the freedom when parents go for casual jobs. 

    Our community volunteers are doing more home visits for the 52 children rescued this year, to ensure no one falls back to the streets. During a home visit, key things are discussed about parenting, the importance of education and of engaging with the local church. 

    During the home visits, we also had an opportunity of blessing some families with clothes for their children. In partnership with community volunteers, we continued to assess families for empowerment. This helps us to address the poverty issue which is one of the key push factors for many children running to the streets. We also pray and introduce the word of God to the families.  We thank for friends of Tumaini who empower us to bring hope to children, families and communities. You are making a real difference to real lives.  Would you consider walking with a family for 6-12 months to empower them and make the family sustainable?

    By TKW Team
    Harry1
    Blog
    24 April 2023

    Tumaini’s presence in the counties

    A week in Naivasha Sub County with Maggie

     It’s been 4 years of working in Naivasha Sub-County and partnering with the Safe House. In April 2023, we ministered to 32 children in the Safe House most on short term placement after being abandoned, abused, or found on the streets. This temporary care allows the team to counsel, take care of the child as well trace their families with the hope of reuniting them with their families. In the Safe House, the ages of children are between 7 months and 15 years old. 

     One sad case stood out for us this week of a 7months old baby who was abandoned at the gate of this Centre which made it hard to trace the parents. 

    A family for the three boys who were brought to the Safe House by good Samaritans. Their single mother was abusing drugs and had been physically abusing the boys. One of the boys (Allan) had scars from burns all over his body. The mother regularly left them in their rented room with no food. The neighbors rescued them and took them to the Safe House. Efforts to trace the mother were made but without success. According to the neighbors, she had moved to a different town. They gave us a contact for an aunt who lived in a different location. We are currently working to trace the aunt. Please walk with us as plan to reunite Allan, Peter, and Michael with their family. Let us continue praying that they will find a safe dwelling place.

    A week in Embu County with John

     This has been a packed week in Embu with several activities. 

    We continued with the usual activities of relating with children and carrying out follow ups. It was also a week when children were preparing to go home for a break from school.  The teachers were sending them home to collect exam fees.  We visited schools to plead with the teachers on their behalf to ensure that the children didn’t miss sitting for their exams. 

     The women were also busy catching up with skills training and some had managed to make things. We had bought materials for them to enable them to continue with weaving and other practical activities. 

    This group is enjoying doing activities together which is also therapeutic. They also help those who are lagging.  It is hoped that this will generate income to go towards paying school fees for their children. The teachers are welcoming the idea of income generating projects.

    A week in Meru County with Harrison

    We have been doing a lot of work in Meru County: relating, rescuing, following children, school support and training. Most recently, we have been networking with children centres toward reintegrating children with their families.  During this week I had an opportunity to visit Huruma children centre. The management had heard about Tumaini’s work in Meru from our community volunteer and they wanted us to share with them about reintegration. We had a meeting and agreed that Tumaini shall empower them to return children to their families. We agreed that while the children are in the centre that we will work with the families to ensure that there is a secure place at home before they received their children back.

    We counselled some of the children and two of the girls in this photo have already been reintegrated with their family. 

    We also had an opportunity to group the children according to their ages and take Bible stories reading sessions. We listened to the stories of the two girls we later returned home.

    Viola shared how their mother left her and her siblings alone. After relocating from Bungoma to Meru, their mother wanted to enroll them to a nearby school.  She had secured a job in a tea plantation and wanted to settle with her family. The children needed their birth certificates for the new school. Their mother needed to go back to Bungoma to collect them. She left Viola and her young sibling behind in a rental house and alerted her neighbor to check on them, promising to return soon. Unfortunately, she never returned. 

     aundry, and literally becoming work slaves to others living in the town. They were rescued from this situation by a children’s officer and placed in Huruma children’s centre. Our partnership with the centre helped trace the family in Bungoma.  We found their aunt who was ready to receive them, and the journey of their reintegration started. Their aunt was very happy to receive her two nieces and nephew back home as she had been worried about them. Plans are now under way, and they will go back to their former school in a few days. Viola will go back to high school.  

    Their aunt said that the children’s mother has not been seen since they relocated to Meru.  This could possibly mean that she did not go back home in Bungoma to collect the birth certificates. While we rejoice that these children are back with their family, they will need school fees, uniforms, and school requirements before they can settle with their aunt.  

    With your partnership, Tumaini Kwa Watoto continues to ensure that orphans and vulnerable children like Viola are given opportunities in life to fulfill their potential. 

    Thank you for partnering with Tumaini!

    By TKW Team
    Mutua hse
    Blog
    28 March 2023

    HOPE: Walking Together with Children and Restoring Families

    Tumaini News: March 2023

    It has been a journey of friendship and partnership with City Life Church, Truro that started when Sue J visited Tumaini in 2009. In March 2023, we had the joy of welcoming a small group of four from Truro family. It was a week of many activities and reflection on this journey of hope. 

    A Visit to the streets

    Tumaini’s mission is to see children rescued from the streets and vulnerable situations and return home to their families.  We visited the streets with Pastor Matt’s team to relate with children awaiting rescue.  We continue to rescue children from the streets of Nairobi and other regions in the country, reestablishing them at home and in the community. 

    Giving Mutua a home

    Last Year, one team member visited City Life Church, Truro.  She shared fellowship and updated our friends on the progress of Tumaini’s work, sharing stories of children rescued and families in the process of restoration. She shared the story of 8-year-old Mutua who had known the slum as his home. He was in and out of the streets most of his life. His family of sixteen (16) siblings lived in a two-bedroom rental house in the slum.  It was partitioned with a bed sheet, had only bits of furniture and household items together with an empty cooking pan. We had rescued him from the streets and taken him back home. We realized that this family situation needed urgent intervention to change this situation to help Mutua settle and be established at home.  

    The family had a small piece of land in their village and expressed their desire to relocate to their land. They were stuck and unable due to financial challenges for a big family living in the slums. Tumaini team supported them with basic needs, the community gave what they could and then City Life Church family raised resources needed to build them a house.  

    During Pastor Matt and his team’s visit last month, the house was opened and dedicated to God. Today, Mutua and his family are in their own home on their own piece of land. Thank you, City Life Church, Truro!


    Visiting the Children Remand 

    As well as rescuing children directly from the streets, we are also working with centres for children in Nyeri County and most recently, we have supported Nyeri Remand Children’s Home to reintegrate children. During this team’s visit, we spent time with the children and young people who experiencing different issues in their lives, undergoing rehabilitation and others were waiting to return home. We had a time to encourage them, share some gifts and play football which was a blast! 


    A visit to Naivasha Safe House (NSH)

    We are also supporting NSH to reintegrate children with their families. Tumaini’s mission is to bring healing to abused children and ultimately make a lasting change in the child’s family.  We do this by showing love through reintegration with safe family members, provision of education and use various empowerment strategies to strengthen the families. The visitors received a wonderful welcome and had a lovely time with the children at the centre. 


    Partnership, shared meals and Fellowship

    We shared our lives together, travelled and worked together.  But it was not all about work, we took them on a short safari to Nairobi National Park to see wild animals in their natural habitat, especially the famous Big Five. The team also visited Masai market for curios, saw Nairobi city from the top of the tallest building (KICC), and visited a coffee house to taste real coffee amongst many other activities, all in a week! 

    With Kenyan hospitality, a good visit doesn’t end without a shared meal. We had our final meeting to share a meal with our visitors, reflect on an intense week and look into the future. There are still many children on our streets and insecure places who need to return home to safety; many needy families who need provision and restoration. You can partner with Tumaini, by walking alongside a child or a family, visit us, take the journeys with us, and know about this amazing work that continues to give hope to children and families and communities. You can become our ambassador and a champion for orphans and vulnerable children. 

    Pastor Matt who led the team from City Life Church, Truro concluded: ‘It’s been an amazing trip to a wonderful country with an outstanding and dedicated team of people who practically share God’s love with some very vulnerable people living in difficult circumstances. The team are dedicated to seeing the Kingdom of God extended and advanced and it was a joy to spend time with them.’

    By TKW Team
    3
    Blog
    20 February 2023

    HOPE: A story of Restoration

     Henry was a 7-year-old boy that we rescued from the streets in 2015. He was on the streets of Nairobi and on the day of rescue, he asked if we could also rescue his two sisters on the streets of Nakuru. 3 siblings were on the streets!
    We have made many journeys with children rescued from vulnerable situations and the streets. Listen to the story of Henry and his siblings’ transformation, a true expression of God’s love for them. Our friends and partners like you make these journeys possible. 

    Henry and his siblings were orphaned at a young age; the family was internally displaced during tribal crashes. They were living with their maternal. The family was forced to pack their modest belongings and change their location due to the ongoing conflict in their home county.

     

     They became squatters in Nakuru County and settled in a slum area. But before life could stabilize, Henry had joined other children loitering on the streets to scavenge for foods. His two older sisters were on the streets too.  They were further displaced and scattered. 

    We met Henry during one of our outreaches to children on the streets of Nairobi. This was the beginning of a long transforming journey with Henry and his family. The little boy said how he always thought he would be trapped forever in the dangerous streets of Nairobi. His encounter with Tumaini team changed his destiny. He was ready to go back home and join school. 

    We tracked down Henry’s two older sisters on the streets of Nakuru town and rescued them. Henry and his sisters were happily reunited with their grandmother. But the grandmother screamed when she saw her grandchildren she screamed for joy and by the burden of feeding three more mouths.

    How could she feed them?

    But we offered to address the issues that had pushed the children to the streets: food, education, and safety they deserved as children.

    We shared the story of this family with our friends and partners. One family was so moved by the story that they pledged to give a monthly gift towards this family’s support. Their grandmother was the primary caregiver for these children, and she was committed to their success.

    Over time, and thanks to the diligence of our social workers, community support systems and our partners, Henry and his siblings began to make progress in their lives.

    We kept regular contacts with this family; since their return home in February 2015; Henry has not only survived, but thrived at home and in school. He completed his primary education in December 2022 and got good marks to secure a place in a secondary school. Henry joined high school in Form one this year at a boarding school, all his school fees paid, and personal needs were met. Thank you for walking with Henry and his family.

    The Girls,

    The girls thrived too. They completed their primary, and high school education. One of them joined college and graduated with a certificate in catering.

    She is now self-employed. 

     This is hope restored and lives transformed. Without your partnership, they would have faced a dark future with no opportunity to break free from this cycle of poverty.

    Henry and his sisters are thankful for the opportunity they were given to come off the streets and back home with their family and to pursue their dreams.

    By TKW Team
    TKW-1
    Blog
    14 January 2023

    Tumaini News: January 2023

    LIVING HOPE THROUGH EMPOWERMENT

     We began 2023 by hitting the streets running.  The task is great.  Many children to be rescued, families to be empowered, training and church/community outreaches and school mentorships.  In January we are already celebrating 51 children who have been returned to their families.  The success of a reintegrated child is dependent on the health of the entire family spiritually, economically, physically, and mentally. That is the reason why we are focused on strengthening the family unit and support system for each child in their community.  

    Please come with us on this journey.

    Every child belongs to a family

     Brandon and his siblings were among the children reintegrated with their family in January. The parents separated and abandoned their children. They were scattered, we found them on the streets and traced their family. We reunited them with their maternal grandmother. We began working with the family and the children are in the process of getting into their new school. 

    Back to school

    A new year means a new term for every child. We are working with over 300 children who completed primary and secondary education in December 2022. Those who completed the primary education are preparing to join Form one this month. Those who completed secondary school are preparing to join colleges/universities later this year. Many families struggle with lack of resources to place their children into schools. As we travel across the counties assisting parents to enroll reintegrated children back into school, school fees and uniforms are a significant financial burden for parents already struggling with other basic needs in their families.

    Opportunities for partnership

     We have seen the need and with your support, 35 students have been assisted to return to school this term. In addition, 15 other children are joining Form One through sponsorship and provision of school fees. We are convinced that empowering a child through education gives them a sense of identity is and they are better equipped to handle life’s challenges. 

    Dan is confident of pursuing his vocation or career boldly in future. We are making sure he grows in a safe, loving environment access to education. But success is not always easy for many children growing in in uncertainty 

    Viola is grateful for the opportunity to be in school. She is the only one in her family that has come this far in education. As an orphan, she is hopeful of doing well in school, get a good career in future to enable her to lift her family out of poverty. She has two younger siblings under the care of their grandmother. 

    Every child belongs to a family. We are grateful to our friends and partners who contribute and continue to invest in the lives of these children. Teamwork makes the dream work. Tumaini, giving hope to orphans and vulnerable children!

    By TKW Team