25 Aug A Deeper Look into Our Homes: Kikuyu
In 2004, we opened our Kikuyu home’s doors to our first children. With God’s grace, your generous support, and the loving, nurturing nature of our staff and Kikuyu team, we were able to make the home a reality for the children God brought into our care.
Since its beginning, close to two decades ago, we decided to reflect on what Kikuyu symbolizes for the children in their present lives and what it means for their future. Our home has faced many challenges, some tougher than others, but has always found a way to come out victorious. It really does take a village to raise the children and provide them with the level of care and support they need to fulfill their dreams and potential in life, and we want to celebrate that.
We’re excited to take the time to share the experiences our children, aunties and uncles, and staff have had over the years. We put together a video last year (available for viewing at the bottom of the page) to give you a glimpse into our Kikuyu home and broke it down into clips throughout this blog to speak to specific stories.
Faces of Children of Hope: Testimonials
Mary Waithera
Mary was welcomed into our Kikuyu family in 2004, as a 2-year-old baby. Since an early age, she has grown up to become a lovely young lady who never hesitates to help around the home and is very responsible around the younger children.
Mary loves academics and is a dedicated student. She is currently in her last year of high school and will be graduating this year in December. While Mary’s interest in becoming a businesswoman remains, she currently wants to study psychology in college and become a counselor.
During her free time, you can find Mary spending time in the kitchen, assisting the cooks and learning from them or singing some of her favorite songs to the rest of the home.
Since her time at our Kikuyu home, Mary has learned many life skills which have helped her develop her personal, spiritual, and professional beliefs. Mary has a very loving and faith-driven relationship with God, which has molded her to become a responsible, focused, and caring individual.
We’re so humbled to watch our children grow into such well-rounded, loving individuals. Our hearts are full.
Isaac Kimani
Isaac became a part of our Kikuyu family in 2005, at 5 months old, after being abandoned by his parents. Within a year of his time at Kikuyu, Isaac was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Though his physical challenges are significant, Isaac has made great strides. Through years of physical therapy and multiple corrective surgeries, Isaac works to stand tall and is able to walk with the assistance of a walker. He’s made a great deal of progress from being in a wheelchair to being able to move independently with a walker today.
Isaac attends a specialized school and our aunties and uncles focus a lot of their time on teaching Isaac important life skills. It’s hard to imagine where he would be without our home. Life is difficult in Kenya for children with disabilities and being with us at Kikuyu has allowed Isaac to get medical attention and specialized educational opportunities. We’re so thankful God brought him to our Children of Hope family and has provided through our donors to meet his needs.
Isaac is an inspiration to all of us. Despite his challenges, Isaac has always been a very joyful person. He’s a ray of light around our home and gets along with all his brothers and sisters. We’re so proud of how he’s overcome his challenges and continues to do so everyday.
Academics and Extracurricular Activities in the Home
Our staff are truly the heart of the home and ensure that the children have a safe, nurturing, and holistic environment. As the African proverb goes, “it takes a village to raise a child” and we’re so blessed to have our very own village of aunties and uncles in our home.
Uncle Samson plays an important role in our Kikuyu home. As one of the role models for the children, Uncle Samson has had a very loving and close relationship with the children from the time they enter our home. As a part of the home’s values to provide a well-rounded education to the children, Uncle Samson and the other aunties and uncles have emphasized academic excellence along with exploration of extracurricular activities and hobbies that the children are interested in.
The home enjoys a number of projects and activities together, from teaching the children about sustainability by using our greenhouse, to giving them the opportunity to explore their passions in sports, art, dance, and more. These activities teach the children valuable life skills and prepare them for a future full of opportunities.
Faith and Values of Children of Hope
At Children of Hope, we strive to keep the community’s customs and traditions alive in our home. These include the rites of passage, and other traditions as well. Our goal is to nurture our children to function well once they transition into the community in the future.
Through their time with the children, our aunties and uncles have learned a lot from the kids too. Uncle Simon couldn’t have said it better in the video below:
Our children have made so much progress and are growing up to become well-rounded individuals with a deep devotion to God, personal passions and dreams, and caring human beings.
We know that none of this would have been possible without you. Your generous support, love, and care for the children have provided them with a bright future, and for that, we are eternally grateful. Continue to help transform the lives of our children, donate here.
Full video available below: