Children in the Slums of Nairobi
Children living in the slums of Nairobi suffer from hunger, a lack of medical care, and little or no education. Alcohol, drug addiction, and HIV/AIDS are part of the grim reality of their daily life. Most children living there face extreme challenges in their future.
Unfortunately, many children live in terrible conditions as orphans or have addicted parents who completely neglect them. What is amazing are the playfulness, hope, and resilience of these children. They are very normal, happy kids that just happened to be born there. They need your financial help.
Twenty kids
Matunda Orphans Community Center was started in 2007 in de neighborhood Soweto Kayole. This varied and colorful group of children is called Matunda, Swahili for fruit. The name also symbolizes the fragility of these children, and points out that they need to be cared for now. Matunda now has about twenty kids under her care between 3 and 16 years old. The name was later changed to Matunda Community Centre in both countries to reflect the fact that not all the children are orphans.
The Center
Since January of 2015 Mercy Atieno has taken over as manager of Matunda. She grew up in an orphanage, is very motivated to help children in similar circumstances, and now lives in the same area of the city.
The kids come to the center and are cared for by Mercy and Jesintah, the cook. The kids get meals, medical care as needed, and are given simple schooling if they are not able to attend school. The kids for whom we have sponsors are able to go to the nearby public elementary school.
There is always an opportunity for the kids to come, talk, and play. Just having someone to talk to and to lean on means a lot to these kids. When necessary, and possible, she coordinates and refers children to other organizations – for example, kids that are HIV-positive, or those who do not have a place to live.
Matunda Community Centre
During a visit to Kenya in 2009, we were in Nairobi and were impressed with what they are doing with very limited resources. They are very motivated to make this work, but they couldn’t do it alone. For that purpose we started the foundation Matunda Netherlands.
With your financial help we can give these kids the life and future they deserve, and help Matunda become a self-supporting center for future children.
To do this, we need your help!
The structure:
Matunda Community Centre is a registered Community-Based Organization (CBO) in Kenya that is supported by the like-named, registered foundation in the Netherlands.
Matunda Netherlands supports Matunda Kenya financially as sole sponsor, although it is a goal that Matunda Kenya slowly becomes financially and otherwise independent in the future, within a reasonable time-frame.
There is a board in each country that is responsible to each other and for the running of Matunda Kenya. This includes daily life at the centre, establishing goals, programs, rules, etc., as well as taking care of the physical center.
Donations:
For donations and how you can help check this page.
We have bank accounts in Kenya, the Netherlands and the U.S. Please ask us about bank transfer information.
Can we count on you?
On behalf of Mercy, Jesintah, and the children:
Asante sana!
Matunda Community Centre Kenya
Kibagare village
Soweto Kayole
Embakasi East, Nairobi
Foundation Matunda Orphans Community Center Netherlands
Marianne Pfeifle, chair
info@matunda.nl
