Tumaini/Huruma Children's Ministry Update June 2024

On my recent trip to Tumaini-Huruma Children’s Ministry in Nyeri, Kenya, I was able to visit with Tumaini-Huruma board members, worship with and visit the staff and children, while also discussing changes that have taken place at their homes since the last visit in July of 2023. Eighty-six children are in the Tumaini-Huruma Children’s Ministry with 59 of these children being reintegrated into the homes of their parents or guardians. Two social workers are making regular visits to the homes of these children, supplying them with needed food and personal items. These social workers, Ms. Falisa and Ms. Njoki, live at the Huruma home and are key to the reintegration program helping make functional homes for these kids to go back to.

It was said that 15 students who came through the Tumaini-Huruma Children’s Ministry are currently attending college. Their success is in part thanks to the leadership of Rev. Kariuki, who is leading a program for high school age children that focuses on faith development and discipleship. The intention of this program is to prevent negative spiritual events like the ones that happened during the COVID period at Tumaini.

Some other big news came while I was on my recent trip. The Outspan Hospital which is a 250-bed, level  5 teaching and referral hospital in Nyeri has negotiated a Memorandum of Understanding (or contract) with the Riamukurwe Parish to use the renovated Tumaini Home for housing approximately 200 students from the hospital’s health sciences teaching program. Renovations are currently underway on the building and should be completed in a few months. This building is available for use because of the tremendous success of the reintegration program mentioned above, which is reducing the number of children who need housing.

Overall, the visit with the Tumaini-Huruma Children’s Ministry Board was very encouraging. With support from the government, and thanks to the excellent work done by the Tumaini-Huruma social workers, I am confident that the reintegration of children into families will succeed. Please keep the board, staff, and children of the Tumaini-Huruma Children’s Ministry in your prayers. Praise God for the work they and the Presbyterian Church of East Africa are doing in being the hands and feet of Christ in and around Nyeri, Kenya!

Frank Dimmock, Africa Partnership Liaison