An arresting sight!

At first glance it looks like Tumaini house parents Charles and Mary are being arrested!

Actually, they are celebrating with Kevin as he graduates from police college!

Kevin grew up in our Tumaini Children's Home in Mombasa where Charles and Mary cared for him and more than 30 other children.

After leaving school, Kevin applied to join the Kenya police force. After a lot of hard work, he graduated at the end of March and is ready to be posted for duty anywhere in the country.

Ocean-side wedding for orphan Emily

We have helped care for Emily since 2001. She is an orphan who was one of the first children given at place at the Tumaini Children’s home in Mombasa.

 Emily seized the chance she was given, did well at school and then went to university in Nairobi where she trained as a nurse. Once qualified, she had no trouble finding a job as a children’s nurse back in her home town, Mombasa.

In December, she married Ignatius, a medical equipment engineer, in a ceremony held just a few metres from the Indian Ocean!

Christmas Chickens Make A Difference

A chicken makes a great Christmas gift - providing eggs (and chicks) throughout the year for a person in need!

We had a great response to our Make A Difference campaign which encouraged our supporters to donate a gift to help a needy child or adult, instead of spending their money on useless knick-knacks.

As well as chickens, our supporters donated life-changing gifts including education sponsorship, school uniforms, shoes, and medical checks! 

Former street boy Joseph marries

In October, former street boy Joseph Karanja married Rebecca

Joseph was orphaned at the age of seven. His grandmother tried to care for him but was too poor to cope with an extra mouth to feed, so Joseph went to live on the streets of Naivasha. 

He was one of the first boys to be offered a place at the newly-opened Sunshine Home. 

He settled in well, and we then helped him secure a place at Naivasha Polytechnic to learn to be a tailor.

Joseph showed great skill, and, on completion of his course, was taken on by the Ukweli school uniform shop as a full-time employee.

Joseph continued to do well and has since been promoted - he can turn a metre of cloth into a shirt in less than forty minutes! 

His new wife Rebecca is also an orphan, and Joseph's church turned out in force to wish the couple well in their marriage. Joseph is a popular member of the church and signs in the choir.

Perhaps we should feed our boys better!!

Actually our former street boys at the Sunshine Centre are extremely well fed. Each day they tuck into huge plates of ugali and githeri (Kenyan favourites), supplemented with vegetables from the Centre's small farm. 

The boys are holding up books and new lab equipment for their school (sadly, to replace materials that were stolen in a theft at the school). 

The boys are grateful they can resume their studies - the end of year exams are looming!

Improving the lives of street boys and their families

During the summer we received a number of generous gifts which we have used to help the families of two of the (former) street boys we care for at the Sunshine Rehabilitation Centre in Naivasha, Kenya.

We have provided a new wheelchair for Ernest (the father of Sunshine Boy Denis Mwangi who broke his back in a quarry accident), and new calipers and shoes for Patrick Ngoiyi’s parents Jeremiah and Jane who have suffered from the results of polio since they were children.

Footsteps trustees Martin and Mary Print met both families during recent visits to Kenya, and plan to visit again in October to see what a difference you have made!

Kenya Marafun winner gets an extra special prize

Peter Njoroge very happy when he was awarded the trophy for being the fastest runner in the Kenya Marafun in May.

We later found out that he came from a very poor family and worked as a casual labourer to earn money to enter races around the country.

So as an extra ‘prize’ for winning the Kenya Marafun Footsteps is sponsoring Peter for 6 months so he can be given professional coaching. We will soon find out if he has the ability to join the ranks of Kenya’s elite runners!