Who We Are

"Why were you crying?" Evelyn asked. Overwhelmed with emotion young Joanna replied through the sweetness of her happy tears: "I didn't know that I had a family. I thought when my mum died that it was the end of that."

Now perhaps Joanna's painful memories of life growing up in the Kibera slums in Nairobi, Kenya would begin to fade. For her, every moment of every day had been a desperate fight for survival. Her mum, who was HIV positive, became too ill to provide for Joanna and her father ran away because he was unable to cope with the situation. At 11 years old she was faced with two very dangerous options. She could either die of starvation in the slums or go into the city every day, alone and vulnerable, and approach total strangers on the street and plead with them for food.

Joanna was found in a sorry state begging on the streets and taken to Anita Home which houses around 60 girls. Shortly afterwards her mum died. Only Joanna and a distant uncle attended the funeral. Debora Randall, Head of Programmes for Orphans & Vulnerable Children, said: "At that time, Joanna felt that she was alone in the world, she no longer had anyone who cared for her or to whom she belonged."

This programme works through faith based orphanages in Nairobi, Kenya by researching, re-establishing and eventually reuniting the wider families of children in care. Robust support is given before, during and after the children return to live with their relatives. At Samaritan's Purse, we do this because we believe, and there are many studies to support this view, that growing up in a family is better for children than growing up in an institution.

Following two years living in the children's home Joanna, along with her Social Worker Evelyn, travelled a tense 300km across Kenya to her uncle's home not knowing what they would find there. The lonely waiting over, Joanna's defining moment had arrived. She was greeted by her uncle and two people she didn't even know existed ... a grandmother ... and a 15 year old sister! The two sisters looked remarkably alike! Tears of relief and joy welled up and streamed down Joanna's face. Her grandmother, uncle and sister were so moved they began sobbing right along with her.

Joanna will soon go to live with her family and they will be supported by the local church and the Samaritan's Purse Child Reintegration Programme as they adjust to their new lives together.

Joanna's family crumbled apart and many others are crumbling fast. Samaritan's Purse wants to help families like Joanna's before they reach that dangerous breaking point.  

Supporting children like Joanna

Our Child & Family Support Programme gives vulnerable children - and their families - living in Uganda and Kenya food, clothing and support with essential things like housing, healthcare and education. Working closely with local churches, this programme catches children like Joanna before they slip through the net. You can be a special part of this programme by sponsoring a child and their family.

To find out more, visit our Child & Family Support page.

 

To begin sponsoring a child and family now via monthly Direct Debit, click here.