Time flies over us, but leaves its shadow behind. Nathaniel Hawthorne
What a perfect quote for everything that has happened at Tumaini Children’s Home over the past two years! The shadow that has been left behind due to the generous hearts of our supporters has been inspiring. We understand that your giving to this ministry does not come without sacrifice and our hearts are grateful. We praise God for the work he has allowed us to be a part of.
We are often asked what it takes to run a ministry that supports a children’s home in Africa. We would like to share with you the impact your donations over the last couple of years have made.
Currently, 81 children and 9 volunteer staff live at Tumaini Children’s Home. Of those, sixty-nine of the children are registered under TCH, 11 children belong to our security guards, and our youngest belongs to Kennedy and Christine, our directors. All our volunteers live at the home to care for, nurture, and provide security for all the children. We believe God has orchestrated how this family came together, and we are continually amazed by His movements.
In 2023, your donations helped us provide daily meals, necessities, and education for TCH. We treated medical emergencies such as malaria, epilepsy, impetigo, bacterial infections, pneumonia, and skin diseases. We also farmed, raised livestock, and provided 24-hour security for the children’s home.
During 2023, we were blessed with the funds to complete our water well project. A team of volunteers hand-dug a well. A local mason bricked the well, fabricated a lid, and built a foundation for the water tank. A local welder fabricated a stand for the 10,000-gallon water tank, and local volunteers hoisted the metal stand and tank into place. With the help of a solar pumping system, more than 1000 people in the community now have access to free, fresh clean water. This water also irrigates the farmland that provides TCH with fresh produce year-round. We also paid a local welder to build a beautiful metal gate to protect our land and crops.
Right before our trip to Kenya in June 2023, a local church in Independence, Kansas, took on the challenge of raising funds to provide greatly needed bedding for this home. When we arrived at Tumaini Children’s Home later that month, we purchased a new waterproof, bed bug-proof mattress and set of sheets for every bed, and provided each child with their very own blanket.
A local dentist from Independence, Kansas, provided toothpaste, toothbrushes, and other dental hygiene products for the home. Additionally, several churches, school groups, individual donors, and fundraising efforts, made it possible to make much-needed building repairs, kitchen and drainage upgrades, and shower installations. We also replaced all mosquito netting.
But most excitingly, we shared God’s love with over 500 children and elderly women who showed up for our Community Outreach Day. We planned for 250, but God had different plans. We were blessed to watch the story of the Five Fishes and Two Loaves unfold in front of us. The children enjoyed a day filled with games, music, food, and love while the elderly women consulted individually with a local doctor.
Furthermore, through the generosity of our donors and a miracle from God, we purchased a 10-passenger van for Tumaini Children’s Home. This van has provided reliable emergency transportation for our children, for elderly and disabled community members to attend church, and for handicapped children to attend the annual Day of the African Child event.
God continued to show His hand in 2024. For two years, we have been exploring what it would take to build a new children’s home, and we have been waiting for God to open the right doors. In 2024, a local Kenyan man who was encouraged by the work of Tumaini Children’s Home approached our director, Kennedy, with an exciting offer. He offered to donate a piece of land and fi nancially back the construction of a new children’s home on the property with the option to rent-to-own. Our current children’s home is falling into disrepair and the bank that owns the mortgage is pressing to increase our monthly rent. Both our USA Board of Directors and Kenyan Board of Directors explored this rent-to-own option and felt that this was a good opportunity for Tumaini Children’s Home. A Kenyan lawyer drew up the contract. We were blessed to enlist the help of a corporate professional and a lawyer in the United States before Tumaini Children’s Home’s Kenya Board of Directors-not our USA Board of Directors- signed the contract.
This construction project is currently underway. The new children’s home is being built on approximately 1 ½ acres and consists of two separate buildings. The first building will house four three-bedroom apartments. Each apartment will sleep approximately 16 children and one auntie. The second building houses two three-bedroom apartments, a one-bedroom apartment, and a multipurpose room that will function as a kitchen, dining room, recreational and worship space. Additionally, each apartment will include an indoor bathroom and gathering space. Construction of men’s and women’s outdoor toilet facilities is underway, and a brick wall is being built to provide added security surrounding the buildings. The total perimeter of the property will eventually be fenced with chain link. The borehole for freshwater has already been dug, but we still need to construct a stand for the water tank and install a solar panel pumping system. In the future, we hope to add a playground as well. We plan to share God’s love and minister to the community by providing access to fresh water and the playground. The monthly rent and utilities for the new property will increase by about $100 each month. In 13 years, Tumaini Children’s Home will own the property. We hope to pay off this debt earlier as soon as possible.
Rescued children are now attending university!! We proudly announce that Tumaini Children’s Home had 7 students complete their 1st semester at University. After returning home for Christmas break, they are now back on campuses across Kenya. Their bachelor’s degree programs include computer science and statistics, sign language, hospitality and hotel management, criminology and justice, psychology and social services, fashion and design, and business administration. This happened because of donors like you who shared their financial blessings with others…others they have never met. Attending university is a fraction of the cost compared to the United States and will help these students escape poverty. If you feel led to give towards their next year’s tuition, please let us know.
Tumaini Children’s Home has come so far since we started Be Their Hope Ministry in 2018. It is nothing short of a miracle to see what God has done in the lives of these children. Because one man, Kennedy Mbaja, heard God’s voice and obeyed this calling, a family has been established in Kenya. God reached across Kenya to a small Kansas town and touched others across the United States like yourselves. What a testament to His love for us. We stand in awe!
Again, thank you for donating to this home. We ask that you continue to pray for this ministry and ask God to show you where you fit into this beautiful tapestry He is putting together.
Sincerely,
Breeze Jones & the TCH USA Board
Be Their Hope Ministry, Tumaini Children’s Home
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