Tumaini Children's Ministry - November 2020 Update

Nyeri, Kenya

Christian greetings from Tumaini/Huruma Children’s Ministry.

We pray and trust that you are staying safe and healthy during this unprecedented pandemic. Nyeri county, home of the Tumaini Children’s Ministry, has been affected by the pandemic with 704 confirmed cases to date. Unfortunately, infections have been on the rise, affecting the marginalized at a disproportionate rate.

In March of this year, the government directed all schools and children’s homes to close down to control the spread of COVID-19. To remain compliant, we repatriated all of the children except four to guardians. 

Unfortunately, this arrangement did not serve most of the children well and through negotiations with the government, 93 of the children returned to the Tumaini and Huruma homes. We continue to serve the remaining 42 children who are with guardians as their needs continue to be great.

While schools were closed, the children who returned to the homes stayed engaged with various activities to help them better handle the stress of the pandemic and prepare them to return to school with confidence. We provide them with basic education and they are also learning new skills such as technology, farming, knitting, dancing, and cooking.

Additionally, we have taken advantage of the pandemic season to refresh our buildings with a fresh coat of paint and also replenish our greenhouse. The painting and greenhouse projects were made possible by a dedicated group of generous donors.

Schools in Kenya have resumed for the national exam candidates to enable them to prepare for final exams. Between the Tumaini and Huruma homes, we have 18 and 14 students preparing for secondary and primary school exams, respectively.

The needs of our ministry continue to be great. Many children living on the margins continue to seek support or are directed to our ministry because of the care we have been providing since 1997. In the past week, we had two new cases – Samuel and four siblings.

Samuel
Samuel is 16-years old but his confidence and exuberance reflect a higher level of maturity and determination. He was abandoned by his mother and became homeless. Having no place to stay, he walked 82 km (~51 miles) for days from Nyahururu to Nyeri and was brought to Tumaini by well-wishers. He is now doing very well and is back in school preparing for his final primary school exam. Samuel is very bright and aspires to become a pilot.

Rescued Sisters
This month, four sisters were rescued from a slum area near Tumaini and brought to the home. The sisters - aged 14, 11, 7, and 2 - were abandoned and left alone by their mother. The 14-year-old assumed the role of her mother and had been taking care of her younger sisters before being rescued. The girls have settled in and are adapting well to their new environment.

We would like to thank all our donors and partners for the support you have provided over the years. The need continues and our ability to take care of “the least of these” is made possible by your generosity and prayers.

God bless you,
Anne Wandimi

Read more about Tumaini Children’s Ministry HERE.

THE NEED
The Outreach Foundation is seeking to raise $80,000 a year for operations for the Tumaini Children’s Ministry which feeds, houses, clothes, educates, and cares for these children; $2,200 per scholarship for e-learning and an additional $20,000 for the vocational training center. You may make a gift HERE or by sending a check to our office.