reactkenya.com Blog

Projects

The mission of ReACT is always expressed towards orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs) with the understanding that it is always easier to raise a child than repair an adult.

Depending on the needs, a child is either sponsored within an Organic Home or at a Special Needs boarding school that caters to their specific needs.

Organic Homes

Organic homes are simple, cost-effective and culturally relevant family units within which orphaned and vulnerable children are cared for in two ways. The first is through monthly sponsorship to offset the cost to host families and the second is by helping to establish a small business through microfinancing that will ultimately move the family towards self-sufficiency. There are currently two homes, one in Soy and another in Kitale. For $420 per year, a child receives a food, clothing, an education and a loving home in a culturally relevant enviroment.

The Shikuku Home

Martin and Ruth Shikuku used to live in the town of Soy between Eldoret and Kitale, Kenya until this past summer. In July and August of 2010, several teams visited a new parcel of land near Moi’s Bridge and constructed a new home to better accomodate the growing family. (See Blog for pictures and updates on this home).

Martin is a human rights advocate and Ruth is a social worker. They have also in their district handicapped children who were previously subject to manual labour and had no opportunity for an education. They have also provided invaluable help for AIDS widows and orphans. For years they proved their dedication for OVC by welcoming several abused and destitute children in their home with little support. With the financial sponsorship of ReACT as well as others, Martin and Ruth now care for upwards of 40 OVC’s both directly and indirectly.

ReACT is in the process of helping Martin establish a sunflower seed pressing business. We hope this will be able to support his immediate family in time.

The Juma Home

Daniel Juma lives with his own children as well as nineteen orphans. He also works with street children in Kitale and organizes a feeding programme for up to 80 children per week. It is through this programme that Daniel has built relationships with street children and eventually legally incorporated them into his home. ReACT initially equipped Daniel with five bicycles so that he could help to support his home by running a “boda boda” (bicycle taxi) business. These bicycles are used to transport carry both people and goods.

Since 2006, when Daniel began his bicycle business, he has also begun various other initiatives including the purchase of 2 motorcycles that aid in his transport business. Through these as well as the generous donations of others, the Jumas have been able to purchase the property they now live at with their 19 extra children. Daniel has thus been able to support his immediate family while ReACT has come along side him monthly to support some of the extra children living as a part of his family. By managing this company, Daniel not only provides an income for himself, but also for the riders, most of which are the local street boys he has been mentoring over the past 10 years.

ReACT does not consider these homes to be exclusively “our projects”, but rather a partnership that serves the existing vision of the house parents.

Special Needs Sponsorship

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
Nelson Mandela

By investing in special needs education, each child receives a recognized education catered to their needs, a uniform, room and board for ten months of the year. Perhaps more importantly, each child receives the dignity and respect that is often lacking towards the people with disabilities in this culture.

ReACT’s hope is to see children’s lives transformed both inside and out through an exposure to the Gospel. By providing an improved quality of life for special needs children through education in a nurturing environment, our prayer is that each child is transformed through Love in action. Children with disabilities in Kenya are often marginalized and relegated to a position of servitude or manual labour, since they do not occupy the same social status as others. Although the Kenyan government has recently started funding public primary schools, it does not fund schools for children with special needs.

It costs $250 per child to provide school fees, room and board, a uniform, and basic living supplies for the duration of an academic year. Since 2005, ReACT has located and sponsored children that had never before had the opportunity to go to school. They now benefit from the attention of trained professionals and are finding dignity in being surrounded by others with the same needs. In 2011, those partnering with ReACT are sponsoring over 100 children between 3 different schools.

These children attend specialised educational facilities catering to their handicap. These schools are known for their quality of education and level of professionalism. The children sponsored here are constantly growing in confidence and academic ability.

Kids of ReACT from Michael Christensen on Vimeo.