Our Story

In 2007, after working in a traditional orphanage for almost two years, two American couples and six Kenyan couples gathered to dream of what a new model of childcare would look like to care for orphaned and abandoned children in Kenya. We found that the traditional orphanage was only reaching the surface needs of children’s emotional and physical needs. Not only that, orphanages tend to be corrupt, misuse donor funds, and were not following the guidance of the local Kenyan children’s department. We also found that traditional orphanages had a high percentage of children who could be living with safe relatives with the help of financial means while there were many vulnerable children suffering alone and neglected in villages and on the streets.

In 2007, land was located outside of Kitale town and purchased with the dream of creating a safe neighborhood, where children would be raised in small family units, with Kenyan mom and dads. Each home would be family centered rather than a dormitory style. In all our planning, we kept the individual child in mind on how to meet their needs holistically.

We researched and found a similar model called Watoto, had already been doing this for over 15 years at the time in Uganda. We were able to go and meet with some of their leaders to gain wisdom and insight from. They also sent a small group of their Ugandan leaders to come and advise us in the beginning stages.

With the help of donations primarily from churches, businesses and individuals in America, the heart from the beginning was to not be American but to have 90% of staff be from within Kenya. We believe in the restoration of family within Kenya would primarily be through Kenyan mothers and fathers. People from America and other countries have come alongside our team of Kenyans to partner together and see the vision grow.

In 2008, the first house was built and we welcomed our first 12 children. As funds were raised, we continued to build more houses that became a home for 12-15 children.

A team of social workers was also formed in order to work closely with the Kenyan children’s department to identify children who truly had no other safe place to live. Almost half of our children are placed in our care through the children’s court due to neglect and mistreatment. This is another reason we are not called an orphanage.

We realized we also needed to start a school on site in order to meet our children’s needs in education. The local schools had a high teacher to student ratio and often teachers did not understand the impact trauma has on a student’s ability to learn. Our children were in need of a school with teachers trained to understand how to best meet their educational needs. We now have a primary school with pre-k through 8th grade and 11 teachers.

In 2012 we created a home for girls called Kimbilio. We were receiving placements of girls from the children’s court who needed a safe space to be raised by a mother and not a father. Some of our girls have been able to reintegrate back to their families, some have integrated into a mattaw home, and others have continued to remain in our Kimbilio home.

In 2022, we now have over 150 children who have come through our organization. We have also set up sponsorship to reintegrate children back with safe relatives and have supported single moms in order for them to keep their children and care for them.

We could not do this without the grace and wisdom from Jesus We also could not do this without the heart of 45 Kenyan staff on site who are on the ground helping to raise our children. Also, with the help of partnerships from around the world, who have invested in our children’s lives financially and prayerfully, we want to say thank you for helping this vision and dream grow into what it is today.