Tumaini kwa watoto
(children of hope)

Setting the lonely children into families, Restoring families to God’s order.

Tumaini Kwa Watoto was founded to address the plight of children at risk. We operate a family based outreach and empowerment program to children on the streets of Nairobi. Our mission is rooted in Psalms 68:6a, “God sets the lonely into families”.

Our Vision

To see every child in Africa, discovering their worth, realizing their potential, being empowered by growing in a family which is relating well to God, to each other and making a difference in their community, in their generation and beyond.

Our Mission

The reason for our existence is to ‘Set lonely children in families. To restore families to God’s order.’

Objectives

Tumaini Kwa Watoto exists to carry out the following objectives:

• To set lonely, abandoned, orphaned or homeless children in families, either their own or foster ones.
  
• To provide short term or long term foster homes for children who come from dysfunctional families whilst seeking to strengthen the family structures in a child’s own family.
  
• To teach and train parents about good parenting so as to create stable and secure homes, thus prevent children from running away to the urban centers.
  The relief of suffering among children and young people.
  
• To advance education of children and young people who by reason of their social and economic circum stances are unable to pursue or further their formal education .
  
• To empower children and young persons to enable them to discover their worth, fulfill their potential and make a difference in their communities
  
• To train and develop a team that will pursue the foregoing objectives.

The Challenge

It is reported that the streets of Nairobi have a “population” of around 60,000 children, most of whom are homeless. A significant number of them have two living parents but come from a dysfunctional family. They are often abandoned by their parents, who can no longer provide a home for them.

How we do it..

• Relate to children who live and work in the streets of Nairobi.
  
• Rescue them out of the streets into a family environment.
  
• Rehabilitate them in a family environment.
  
• Reconcile them to God and their families.
  
• Reunite them with their families where possible, In the event of inadequate structures at home or rejection by his/her family, a child is placed under foster care whilst seeking to restore family structures.
  
• Restore children and their families to God’s order through various empowerment strategies including counselling.

Our activities

• Children outreach
• Family empowerment
• Recruiting and training foster families
• Informal school
• Spiritual nurturing and counselling
• Community outreach
• Seminars on effective parenting
• Guidance and counselling to upper primary schools

Our Partners…

• The local church: We are members of Nairobi Chapel, Ngong Rd. in Kenya and supported by Parklands Church, Swansea in the UK.
  
• Foster parents: we seek out willing several foster parents who usually take in children and provide parental love, rehabilitation and stability.
  
• The Kenya House of Prayer organization: we make prayer the foundation of our work. All full time members go through training in prayer, intercession and spiritual warfare.
  
• Friends of Tumaini Kwa Watoto: these are individuals who have responded to the call of ‘setting the lonely children in families’. They pray, volunteer, give finances and share our vision with others.
  
• Governing Board of trustees in Kenya: they oversee the running of the ministry
  
• Government: We consult local authorities to jointly address the plight of street children.

Our achievements

1996 - 2006
Celebrating 10 years of giving hope to children.
37 children in primary school
5 waiting to join secondary school
6 in secondary school
1 waiting to join university
1 in university
29 young men and women married or working in their communities.

How you can be involved:-

• One time financial gift
  
• Regular financial support
  
• Be involved in Family Empowerment-Child Education Sponsorship through purchase School uniform and/materials, school fees for a child in a public school, purchase farm implements and seeds for families, support income generating activities...
  
• Form a group to sponsor a team member’s salary.
  
• Volunteer in:
  -Rescue and empowerment missions
  -The Informal School.
  -Administration work.

I would like to support a child

Costs annually per child:

I would like to support Tumaini Kwa Watoto:

● Children's outreach, Kshs. 30,000 per month
● Rescue & Reuniting, Kshs.25,000 per month
● Family Empowerment, Kshs. 45,000 per month

For more information

For more information about Tumaini, and some of the children you might be interested in sponsoring, please see this page

Tumaini kwa watoto
Office: Golf Course I Hse. 80
P. O. Box 73780, 00200 Nairobi, Kenya.
Tel/Fax: Nairobi 2713290
Cell: 0722499673/0721638729/0725900115
E-mail: watoto@kenyachildrenofhope.org
Website: www.kenyachildrenofhope.org

Christmas services: Christmas this year falls on a Monday. We will not be holding a Christmas Day service.

Ekklesia: Would you like to join an Ekklesia group? Please pass by the Information Desk after the service and sign up.

Giving: Thank you once again, for your giving through the month of November. Our total giving was 2.8 m. God has been good to us as a church because of your faithful giving. I trust that you have seen his faithfulness at a personal level as he has kept his promise to bless you even as you faithfully give to his work.

Jobs, jobs, jobs! Do you need a job? If so, then please write us and let us know. Mention your area of training, what sort of job you are looking for, qualifications, past experience, etc. Include your CV is you have one. We'd like to compile a list and circulate it to potential employers in our congregation. If you are looking for a high powered job we will mention it in our bulletin early in the year; but this isn't just for big jobs. Don't be afraid to list your name even if you are looking for a house-help job, gardening, office messenger or whatever.

For those with the power to employ, please remember your own brothers and sisters here in our congregation as you look at hiring new people at the beginning of the new year. Remember what Paul says in Gal 6:10 “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers”. We are prepared to help you pre-interview anyone you are interested in on the list, and follow up on referees and leads. We'd really like those in need of jobs among us to get a break, especially as a new year begins.

Testimony Sunday: is coming! 31st December. Testimony Sunday is that service where we all give testimony of what the Lord has done for us in the course of the year. Prepare yourself to share a brief (like 3 mins) testimony from your life. It's gotta be personal, and needs to give God glory for his goodness. Ps 107:19 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds . . . Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy.”

Min opportunities: Early next year we'd like to begin a Women's Ministry. We're looking for 6 or 7 women who can give us leadership in this. Would you like to be involved? If so, please give us your name at the information table so that we can begin praying and seeking the Lord on this together.

Young Adults Fellowship: We'd also like to gather the young adults into fellowship. Are you a leader? Do you have a desire to lend your best to the service of God among the young adults. If you'd like to serve in the brainstorming team, please list your name at the information table after the service.

School of Prayer: Do you have the gift of intercession, the gift of knowledge of prophetic words, the gift of discernment? Would you like to go to the next level in discerning prayer? Join up for the school of prayer 10 weeks of study on how to be an intercessor. The class will be taught by Pastor Simon Mbevi of Mavuno Church.

School of Service: Have you ever wanted to serve in the Ushering ministry of the church. Or as a “Greeter” (one of those people who meet you as you come into church, smile and brighten up your day? Yes, yes I know you're asking “Which ones?” Exactly!) We want to train you for a new ministry, that of welcoming and receiving people as they come to church. The Ushers serve and seat us, but are not able to receive, chat with and help people feel connected when they come . . . so, can you help? One of our members (Mrs. Esther Ikinya) who trains Kenya Airways hostesses, has offered to teach us how to reach out to people, and “brightening up their day”, making them feel at home. If you can serve your church in this way, please list your name at the information table after the service. The 5 session course begins mid-January.