During recent visits to our affiliated sites in Kenya and Ethiopia, we were again reminded of the profound difference sponsorship makes in the lives of children and their families. Our international team witnessed not only the challenges these communities face, but also the resilience and opportunities created through the support of our sponsors.
Kenya: Nurturing Dreams Through Education and Care
In Nairobi, St. John’s Community Center has provided education and care since 1977, and Children Incorporated has partnered with them since 1983. Like many urban centers in developing countries, Nairobi is plagued by a severe shortage of healthcare workers, which contributes to lower life expectancies, high infant mortality rates, and widespread preventable disease. These maladies are perhaps most pronounced in Nairobi’s poorest and most dangerous neighborhood, Pumwani. Challenged with extreme poverty, disease, and crime, this area is home to thousands of children in desperate need of assistance.
St. John’s Community Center serves as a safe haven and a beacon of hope. Here, sponsorship covers school fees, meals, and essential school supplies, while also offering students practical training in carpentry, crafts, and dressmaking. Currently, there are six children at St. John’s Community Center waiting to be sponsored.
SUCCESS STORY
We were thrilled to meet one of our former sponsored children, who shared the following success story with us:
From 2001 to 2006, I was a student at St. John’s Community Center. Since then I have earned a bachelor’s degree in social statistics from Karatina University in 2017 with a second class upper (second best level of achievement).
I currently work for the “Together For Safe Children” program in Kajiado County, Kenya, as a certified Monitoring and Evaluation Officer.
Thank you and God bless you for supporting me when I was young. My dream came true!
Ezekiel
Empowering Girls and Young Women in Nairobi, Kenya
In the bustling outskirts of Nairobi, a beacon of hope stands strong: the Msamaria Mwema Center. Established in 1986, this rescue and rehabilitation center is dedicated to empowering orphans and vulnerable women and children. They work to provide a stable foundation through education, vocational training, and basic needs like shelter and nutritious food.
While Kenya has made significant strides in gender equality, deep-seated social, economic, and cultural challenges persist, particularly in Nairobi’s marginalized communities. These issues put girls and young women in a vulnerable position, which is why the work of centers like Msamaria Mwema is so vital.
We are incredibly proud to partner with the Msamaria Mwema Center. Currently, sixty children call the boarding home their safe haven, and our sponsorships support more than half of them. Beyond the essentials of food, clothing, and education, the center also sustains itself through its own farming and a water purification project, showing a remarkable commitment to self-sufficiency.
During our visit, we had the privilege of meeting Faith, a brilliant high school student. Her father expressed his profound gratitude for the sponsorship that is helping Faith pursue her dream of attending college; a dream that might have been out of reach due to their family’s hardships. Its stories like Faith’s remind us of the powerful, lasting impact we can have when we invest in the future of a child.
The Maria Immaculata Centre serves more than 600 children, many of whom were rescued from the streets, or come from families unable to provide for their education. Since 2010, sponsorship has supported both boarding and day students with food, clothing, and school supplies. Under the dedicated care of Sisters Jane Nzioka and Jane Muiga, the center has expanded with new dormitories, a computer lab, a library, and modernized facilities—growth made possible thanks to the generosity of sponsors and community support.
Further from Nairobi, the Materi Girls’ School in Tunyai offers a home and education to 800 girls. Founded in 1973, the school continues to thrive. Sponsorship covers food, supplies, and healthcare through its on-site medical dispensary. The girls also benefit from the school’s gardens and livestock, which provide food and income. For many students, sponsorship ensures their basic needs are met so they can focus on their studies and future ambitions.
At the Dandora Community Centre, also in Nairobi, more than 230 children are enrolled, nearly all of them are sponsored directly through Children Incorporated. Although city disturbances prevented us from visiting in person, our virtual meeting with the coordinator confirmed that sponsorship continues to provide a lifeline, keeping children in school and providing the resources they need to grow and succeed.
Ethiopia: Building Brighter Futures
Poverty in Ethiopia remains a complex issue shaped by economic, environmental, social, and political factors. While the country has made significant progress in reducing poverty in recent decades, children and families still face daily hardships.
In Ethiopia, the impact of sponsorship is profound. At Kids’ Hope Ethiopia in Shashemene, sponsorship is transforming lives. Thanks to this support, 25 children now receive daily meals, school supplies, and access to education. Their meals, often the most substantial food they eat all day, feature vegetables, potatoes, lentils, and injera, Ethiopia’s traditional flatbread.
To boost their nutrition, the center was able to purchase a cow, which provides a glass of milk for each child every other day. They also receive a small portion of meat once a week in their lunch, ensuring a vital source of protein.
For many parents, this support is a life-changer. They often express deep gratitude for how sponsorship eases their burden and guarantees their children a filling, nutritious meal every single day.
In Addis Ababa, the nation’s capital, the Rainbow “Erdata” Center cares for 56 children, most from single-parent households where mothers work tirelessly to make ends meet. Sponsorship here helps cover food and school expenses, giving children the chance to focus on learning.
We were especially inspired by Fiker
Fiker is a former sponsored child who is now completing her degree in Business Management and preparing for graduation—an incredible testament to how support today builds a brighter tomorrow.
Thank you sponsors and donors!
Each visit reminds us that sponsorship provides more than just financial assistance—it offers hope, stability, and opportunity. Whether through education, healthcare, or the simple encouragement of knowing someone cares, children are growing into capable, hopeful young adults. To our sponsors: your support is the reason these stories exist. Thank you for walking alongside these children on their journey to a brighter future.
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Join Us in Making a Difference
These stories reveal just a glimpse of your support’s impact. Will you help us write the next story?
You can sponsor a child in one of three ways:
- call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members
- email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org
- go online to our sponsorship portal and search for a child that is available for sponsorship.
