27 Oct Faces of Children of Hope: Expanding Our Family
The last two months have been months full of joy and lots of love as we’ve welcomed new additions to our homes. Today, we’re so excited to keep the good news going by introducing two of our newest babies in our Children of Hope family!
These last few months, we have been blessed with new babies and feel incredibly humbled by your continuous support along the way. Our Kitalale and Kikuyu homes have been celebrating the arrival of the babies with the traditional welcome ceremony of singing, dancing, and praying over each of the children as they come into the family.
Last month, we welcomed baby John Paul and baby Morgan into our Kitatale and Kikuyu homes respectively.
Meet Baby John Paul
Origin Story
Baby John Paul Mtai joined our Kitalate home on September 2nd. His welcome was a special one, and brought so much joy and wonderful memories into the home. When the aunties and uncles found out about baby John Paul, they immediately started prepping for his arrival by getting his baby crib ready, washing bedding and baby clothes, making sure baby formula was purchased, and preparing for his welcome ceremony. This was the first time, since 2015, that the Kitatale home welcomed a newborn baby into their family and everyone was thrilled.
Baby John Paul was born out of sad and unconventional circumstances in African culture. Due to this, his very young mother and her family said they could not claim the child after birth. Therefore, baby John Paul was rescued by nuns at the hospital after his birth. The nuns gave him the name John Paul and contacted the local Children’s Department who then reached out to us to see if we could take in this precious two-day-old baby boy who was so very tiny. Uncle Amos, and aunties Lilian and Stella went straight away to receive baby John Paul. We’re so thankful to be able to provide a nurturing and loving home to John Paul where he will have the opportunity to thrive.
A Story of Coming Together
Over the last month, baby John Paul is adjusting to his new home very well. Aunties describe him as an easy baby who eats and sleeps well. Lillian, our matron, took baby John Paul to get his immunizations done last week, and we’re happy to report that he is keeping healthy and doing well.
A typical day in the life of baby John Paul involves doing what babies do – waking up around 5 am and having his food, staying awake for a couple of hours before taking a nap again. This process is repeated throughout the day. Baby John Paul is still learning how to sleep through the night, and wakes up about 4 times during the night to feed before sleeping again. This of course means the auntie is up with him at night. He gets his daily bath, and when the sun is out they take him outside to get some vitamin D on his legs.
Baby John Paul is learning how to follow sounds and objects when prompted. He likes to be held when he is awake and enjoys being around people at all times. Aunties say that he loves his cuddles, and cries the minute someone puts him down. When the children are home from school, there is no shortage of those who want to have their turn of holding baby Morgan.
“Baby John loves to feed, he will cry until he gets his bottle of milk. He is growing so fast and it is fun seeing this. We are blessed to have him at our home,” says auntie Stella.
Our hearts are warmed by the love baby John Paul feels from us, and the care that the children, aunties and uncles have for him. We look forward to seeing baby John Paul hit his developmental milestones, and are eagerly awaiting the day he learns to sit and crawl.
Meet Baby Morgan
Origin Story
Baby Morgan was welcomed into our Kikuyu home on September 1st at the age of two, after being discharged from a month-long hospital stay due to injuries from an abusive stepfather who was a drug addict. At the request of the local Children’s Department, the Kikuyu home was quick to say yes to giving this precious boy, who experienced so much trauma, a loving home and family. As usual, baby Morgan was welcomed with a celebration of dancing, music, prayers, and love.
Baby Morgan is a very jovial and outgoing baby who lights up the home with his energy and infectious laugh. His addition to the family has come with a lot of excitement, and it has been especially funny to watch Joshua (4 years old), who was previously the youngest in the house, struggle to maintain that position. When baby Morgan isn’t making the whole room laugh with him, you can find him munching on food during his favorite snack time.
A Story of Togetherness
Inquisitive about the world about him, baby Morgan makes friends easily due to his social nature. He has adjusted into the home very well and knows all of the children and a few staff members by name.
His typical day involves waking up around 6:30 am and having breakfast. Once that’s done, he enjoys playing with all his toys and when it gets warmer outside, he accompanies the other children in the yard to play with old tires, toys, and on the swing set. At around 10 am, baby Morgan joins the others for a bowl of porridge or a glass of milk before playing a bit more and taking his bath. Lunch is typically served at 12:30 pm, followed by an afternoon nap until 4 pm. Then it’s snack time followed by playtime for baby Morgan until dinner at 7pm. Bedtime is at 8 pm.
Baby Morgan gets along very well with baby Elaine and the older children. He has a fun brotherly dynamic with babies Joshua and Jessie, and they often fight with each other over toys. This tends to settle within minutes, and the children go back to playing together.
We are enjoying watching baby Morgan come into his personality and form great bonds and friendships with his brothers and sisters. We can’t wait to see what the future has in store for him.
When asked about baby Morgan, this is what the staff had to say…
“Morgan has brought joy and happiness to our COH family. He is a very smart child who identifies and adjusts to his environment very fast. He has an infectious laugh that makes everyone around him happy. He feeds very well and encourages other young ones to finish their food. The love given to him will make him heal from the trauma he went through. We thank God that we make a difference in baby Morgan’s life,” said Auntie Cecilia.
We thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for allowing us to live our mission and create positive, lasting change for each of these courageous children.
If you’d like to make a donation or become a child sponsor, take a moment to make a gift now. Together, we can make a difference in our children’s lives.